Growing Your Own Vegetables: An Encyclopedia of Country Living Guide (18 page)

Tomatillo
(
Physalis ixocarpa
), also called Mexican husk tomato, is closely related to the ground cherry and available in green and purple varieties. Green types bear larger fruit that is 2 to 2½ inches across, but purple varieties, although only 1 to 1½ inches across, taste and store better. Their sweet-tart flavor is a key ingredient in Mexican food and savory salsas. Tomatillos grow encased in a papery outer husk that splits when the fruit is ripe; pick when the fruit are the size of walnuts. With only 68 days to maturity, tomatillos are ready more quickly than tomatoes, don’t mind cooler weather, and are prolific producers.

HERBS

A
romatic and flavorful herbs mark the changing seasons, from sweet oniony chives of early spring through lavender, thyme, sage, and rosemary, pungent Mediterranean natives of summer, to the heady perfume of a late summer basil harvest. Herbs add a rich sensual dimension to even the most basic diet. A great many herbs may be grown in a small garden all their own, a garden tradition since the Middle Ages. They may be used to outline ornamental borders or planted in and amongst vegetables, where their inherent pest-resistant properties are put to good use, or simply tucked into a window box or container on the back porch. Wherever you grow them, keep herbs handily near the kitchen where you can easily snip a tip for a fresh salad, steep a cup of tea, or concoct a perfumed pesto and allow them to work their delicious magic on everyday meals.

Although some herbs may be planted from seed, many are best purchased as starts from your local nursery or a shared division from a generous neighbor, because seed strains of many herbs may vary in the intensity of their flavor from plant to plant. Most nursery varieties have already been selected for their superior flavor; however, don’t hesitate to pinch, sniff, and sample when choosing plants to select those with the strongest aroma and flavor.

Most herbs are not fussy about the soil they are grown in, asking only for good drainage, sun, and good air circulation. Resist the urge to fertilize your backyard herbs; this may get you larger plants, but often at the expense of bold flavor, as growth dilutes the essential oils that lend them their character. When harvesting, gather the herbs on a dry day, early in the morning once the dew has dried. In most cases, the young leaves of plants before they flower are at their peak flavor.

Their beauty is not obvious or showy, but there is a simple prettiness to an herb patch—with its many shades of green and its small flowers mostly in shades of pink or lavender, with the occasional blue thrown in—that is a satisfaction to the eye and the palate. Many gardeners will tell you no kitchen garden is complete without the addition of fresh herbs.

Angelica

Angelica (
Angelica archangelica
): This hardy biennial is best sown from seed, as the sturdy taproot does not transplant well unless very young. Plants will form a small leaf rosette in their first year before shooting up 6 to 8 feet tall the following year. The stout, hollow, self-supporting stems are clothed with lush 2- to 3-foot-long toothed leaves, and mature plants produce white, lacy dill-like flowers before setting seed and dying. Provide a good soil and constant moisture in full to partial sun.

USES:
The young leaves in spring have a delicate, sweet celery-like flavor that may be added to salads and stock or roasted with other aromatics. The candied stems are a traditional herbal sweet.

Balm, lemon

Also called sweet balm, lemon balm (
Melissa officinalis
) is a hardy perennial herb, growing 2 to 3 feet tall with tiny white flowers and lemony-mint flavored leaves. A golden-leafed form is especially attractive. A close relative to mint, lemon balm spreads by runners and can also seed around aggressively. Keep plants cut back and harvest the young growth often to prevent flowering. Plant in damp, fertile soil in partial shade.

USES:
The leaves make a lovely herbal tea that is refreshing iced and is said to relieve headaches.

Basil

A favorite summertime herb with a spicy perfume and clove-like flavor, this annual is easy to grow from seed or starts. Basil (
Ocimum basilicum
) requires a rich fertile soil and warmth; it will not tolerate cold weather, collapsing into a blackened mush at the first touch of frost. It’s a good herb for container gardening. With green and purple leaf varieties, large and small habits, and nuanced flavors including cinnamon, lemon, and spicy Thai, there is a basil for every taste.

USES:
Traditional sweet basil is the foundation for Italian pesto and marries well with tomato dishes. Harvest tender stems and leaves regularly to prevent flowers from forming; the plant will branch and continue to produce throughout the season.

Bay

This evergreen tree can get quite large, is not fussy about soil, and can take full sun to mostly shade. Hardy to about 10°F, sweet bay (
Laurus nobilis
), as it is commonly called—not to be confused with California bay (
Umbellaria californica
)—is an excellent container plant and may be kept formally clipped to curtail its size. Establish nursery plants in the garden, providing well-drained soil and shelter from severe winter winds and extreme cold temperatures.

USES:
Use fresh or harvest leaves and dry for storage. Remove leaves from the finished dish, as they are tough and difficult to digest. A traditional herb for soup, hearty stews, and meat dishes, bay also lends a sweet herbal flavor to cream-based desserts.

Bee balm

The shaggy blossoms of this North American hardy perennial herb are a favorite of hummingbirds and strongly attractive to bees. Purchased plants may be installed in the garden in the spring or fall, preferring a fertile, moist soil in partial shade. Bee balm (
Monarda didyma
) grows 3 to 4 feet tall, has a tendency to spread by runners, and should be divided every 3 years.

USES:
The aromatic leaves are the most strongly scented right before the plant flowers. Their lemony-mint flavor makes a delicious tea and is good minced in fruit salad. A beautiful addition to any garden, bee balm offers good support for pollinators.

Borage

This easy-to-grow ornamental and edible annual herb has bristly, cucumber-flavored leaves and numerous lovely, intensely blue flowers that attract bees. Borage (
Borago officinalis
) has a lax, informal habit, growing to 24 to 30 inches, and has a tendency to casually self-sow around. Sow seed directly in not-too-fertile soil in partial shade.

USES:
Harvest the younger leaves before the bristles become too pronounced, although a vinegar-based dressing or the heat of cooking will dissolve the fine hairs. The beautiful starry blue flowers make a charming and edible garnish for salads and cool drinks.

Burnet, salad

An attractive perennial herb most often included with ornamental plantings, salad burnet’s (
Poterium sanguisorba
or
Sanguisorba minor
) low mound of cucumber-flavored, toothed foliage flourishes from early spring long into the fall. Wiry stems are topped by tiny button flowers of a deep wine color. Plants may be grown from seed or nursery starts; provide a rich, well-drained soil that receives at least 6 hours of sun a day.

USES:
The young tender leaves are used fresh in salads and cream-based soups or as a flavoring for a mild vinegar. Keep the plants well picked, as the leaves become bitter with age.

Catnip

This perennial, with its somewhat fuzzy gray-green leaves and spires of lavender or white flowers, is notoriously favored by felines. Being in the mint family, the tough catnip (
Nepeta cataria
) plant will survive the predation and nibbling of ecstatic cats, quickly recovering from even the most dramatic mowing. Plants may be grown from seed or purchased as transplants. Provide full sun and regular moisture throughout the growing season.

USES:
In addition to providing countless hours of enjoyment for our pet companions, catnip makes a soothing and calming tea for humans.

Chamomile, German

This airy, upright annual has fine-needled foliage and small white daisy-like flowers. Sow seed directly in the garden in and amongst vegetables and other herbs. If some of the flowers are allowed to set seed, German chamomile (
Matricaria recutita
) will self-sow for repeat crops.

Chamomile, Roman

A low, mat-forming perennial groundcover, Roman chamomile (
Chamaemelum nobilis
, or
Anthemis nobile
) has fragrant ferny foliage and small white daisy-like flowers in summer. Evergreen in most climates, Roman chamomile has been used as lawn substitute, as it takes well to light foot traffic and needs little mowing. Purchase plants and establish in a fertile soil in full sun to partial shade.

USES:
For all that the two plants are unrelated, both German and Roman chamomile flowers make a relaxing “sleepy-time” tea with a sweet apple fragrance.

Chervil

This hardy annual grows 1½ to 2 feet tall. Delicate, feathery foliage has a mild tarragon flavor. Sow seed directly or purchase starts; chervil (
Anthriscus cerefolium
) is easy to grow in poor soil as long as plants receive regular water. Protect from hot afternoon sun.

USES:
Harvest the young leaves for use in salads, soups, sauces, and wherever you would use parsley or tarragon.

Chives

For chives (
Allium schoenoprasum
), see the Allium section.

Cilantro

Also referred to as coriander, Chinese parsley, and Mexican parsley, cilantro (
Coriandrum sativum
) is a hardy annual easily grown from seed; succession sow every few weeks for a constant supply of fresh leaves. Allow a few plants to flower to harvest their subsequent crop of seed. Keep flower stalks picked off of remaining plants to keep them producing new foliage.

USES:
Leaves are used fresh and are a staple in Mexican and Indian cuisines. Dried seeds may be added to breads, desserts, and spice mixtures. Cilantro leaves have a strong taste that diners tend to either love or hate, so it’s a kindness to check with your guests before including it in your planned menu.

Comfrey

This deeply rooted, perennial herb has recently become controversial. At one time comfrey (
Symphytum officinale
) was a traditional cure for just about anything from broken bones to skin conditions, but modern chemistry has identified it as containing pyrrolizidine, a poisonous substance, and experts recommend that comfrey should not be ingested in any way. However, the plants, which are almost impossible to eradicate once established, are rich in nutrients and make a good organic mulch or fertilizer tea in the garden.

Dill

This common garden herb is an annual with feathery leaves, little yellow flowers, and a flavor strongly associated with pickles. Directly sow in the garden and maintain soil moisture throughout the season; dill (
Anethum graveolens
) may flower prematurely if allowed to dry out.

USES:
Cut the fine foliage, called dill weed, to include in salads, sauces, and vegetable, egg or fish preparations. Flower heads may be picked at any time before the seeds have formed and are traditionally included when canning dill pickles; the plants will continue to put out more flowers. To harvest the stronger-tasting dill seed, cut the plants before the seed heads turn dark brown and hang to dry in a dark area with good air circulation. Provide a sheet or papers beneath the hanging bunch to catch any seed that falls.