Herbs_1

Rosemary(Fr. romarin; Gr. Rosmarin) - a fresh, sweet flavour. It is primarily used to flavour meats- sparingly, because when heated it releases a strong, acrid oil.




Savory(Fr. sariette; Gr. Bohnenkraut) - a warm, piquant flavour. A member of the mint family, savory is a traditional seasoning for vegetables like string beans or peas.



Tarragon(Fr. estragon; Gr. Estragon) - faintly liquorice-like in flavour. It is best known as flavouring for vinegar. It is also widely used for fish and chicken.




Parsley(Fr. persil; Gr. Petersilie) - slightly peppery flavour. Popular as a garnish, both to enhance the looks of food and to enrich the taste of soups, salads, stews, sauces.




Oregano-(Fr. origan; Gr. Oregano) strong, aromatic, slightly bitter. Its flavour is particularly suitable to robust Mediterranean dishes that use tomatoes or eggplant.




Dill(Fr. aneth; Gr. Dill) - liquorice-like in flavour. Entire plant edible. Its root and stalks are eaten raw or cooked. Seeds in sausage and baked goods; leaves used with fish, vegetables, cheese spreads, and soups.



Chives(Fr. ciboulette/ civette; Gr. Schnittlauch)- a delicate relative of the onion. Their long, thin stalks, which should be cut frequently, go well in salads or as a garnish for bland dishes.



Chervil(Fr. cerfeuil; Gr. Kerbel) - a cousin of parley. Its fresh leaves are good in salads. Its dried leaves go well with eggs and on cream soups or broiled fish.




Thyme(Fr. thyme; thymian) - aromatic and pungent. This must be used judiciously, because of its strong taste. It helps flavour almost all French soups and stews.




Basil(Fr. basilic; Gr. Basilikum)- a refreshing member of the mint family. It is used with tomatoes in any form- the vegetables, juice or sauce, and also with eggs and seafood.




Sage(Fr. sauge; Gr. Salbei) - strongly fragrant and slightly bitter. Commonly used in poultry stuffing, it can also be used to complement pork and sausage dishes.

A Grow-It-Yourself Herb Garden

Herbs- flavourful, aromatic plants are not at all difficult to grow. They have a much better flavour fresh than dried, and the best way to ensure a ready supply is to have your own herb garden.

If you don’t have enough land for a garden, herbs can be grown in pots on terraces or even in sunny windows. They may also be dried and stored for later use.

For drying, select herbs at their peak, pick them in the early morning, and sun-dry for several hours during the hottest part of the day (to help prevent mould). Then tie them in bunches and hang them upside down, or spread them thinly on a piece of window screening that is supported above the floor-in a dark room where the air can circulate freely around the herbs.

Many herbs are hardly perennials (savory, tarragon, thyme); some are annuals, and a few are biennials (parsley), producing seeds every other year(basil, chervil, fennel, marjoram).

Cheeses_1

Brie- has a soft, creamy texture, a creamy white color, and a thin white crust that is edible. It has a sweet taste that can be buttery in flavor or it may have a flavor similar to mushrooms. It is often used as an hors d'oeuvre, appetizer, or dessert cheese.


Comté-also called Swiss Gruyère cheese, complete with holes. Its rind is stippled a yellowish-brown colour and is slightly roughened; the inside is ivory-yellow. Comte cheese is a good cheese for snacking or for adding to salads and sandwiches. It is also a good cheese for fondues.


Coulommiers- another cheese of Brie family, which is sold younger and less mellow than Brie itself and tastes somewhat like Camembert. It has an extra-rich and creamy body. Coulommiers has a nuttier flavor with a thicker crust. The cheese must be eaten at its proper ripeness. This cheese is best when eaten at room temperature. A great hors d'oeuvre cheese, with sliced crusty french bread. Serve Coulommiers with apples, pears or fresh berries at the end of the meal.


Bleu de Bresse- another blue-veined cheese. Cheddar-type cheese, is semi hard and smooth with a light lemon colour inside.




Fromage au Marc de Raisin, also called” La Grappe“, is a pale, sweet, pasty cheese that is rolled in a crust of grape pulp.




Mimolette- resembles the Dutch Edam. If served when it is young (three to six months) it has a smooth rind and a firm inner texture with a mild aroma and a mild nutty flavor. When aged (seven to 9 months) it becomes hard and somewhat brittle with a deeply pitted rind that surrounds a cheese providing a distinctive aroma and a very tangy or fruity flavor. It can be served as an appetizer, a snack, as a good cheese to accompany dark bread and beer, as a complement to be grated over salads and other dishes, or as a nice cooking cheese.


Pont-l’Éveque- is a square cheese with a soft and pale-yellow interior. Pont l'Eveque is made on small farms using rich salty and almost pasteurized cow's milk. Its flavour is rich, creamy, hearty and aromatic. Pont-l'Evêque emits a somewhat mouldy or barn-like aroma that is more pleasant than it may seem. However, if the cheese is allowed to ripen too long, the odor becomes noticeably objectionable and the outer rind may become slimy to touch. Produced as small rectangular blocks of cheese, all Pont-l'Evêque cheeses are packaged in thin wooden boxes that upon opening should contain cheese that appears fully shaped and springy rather than sunken in texture. Best when eaten at room temperature.


Reblochon- with an orange-yellow crust, is a soft, pale, creamy-coloured, buttery cheese whose consistency is reminiscent of that of Camembert but without Camembert’s tendency to run. Because f its mildness it makes a good starting point for the timid taster whose palate has been exposed mostly to bland processed cheeses.


Roquefort- A French blue cheese, made from sheep's milk, which has a distinctively sweet, but tart to salty flavor with a semisoft, crumbly texture. The cheese is a creamy white color with blue veins running through it and a white rind on the outside. It is the most popular blue-mold cheese throughout the world and is eaten as a dessert cheese by the French, but most Americans eat it with salads or in dressings and dips. If the authentic Roquefort is desired, the label will have a red sheep seal.


Tomme de Savoie- is a mild-flavoured, semi soft cheese. Tomme De Savoie cheese develops a thick, rough appearing rind that is grayish-tan in color. Beneath the rind is an ivory colored, smooth-textured flesh with very small holes throughout. It is good cheese for snacking served with fruit, bread, salami, and wine.


Saint- Paulin- is a semi hard cheese. It has a tender, creamy consistency. Its flavour, however, is milder, creamier and more buttery. It is a lovely pre-dessert cheese and an excellent cooking ingredient.


Camembert- is rind is a light yellow-orange with a white, powdery crust. On the inside it should be a light, pale yellow with a softness that is short of being runny. Camembert is famous with baguette bread. etc Camembert is also excellent served wih fruits or nuts, and is best eaten at room temperature.