HERBS

We carry a large variety of herbs. Whether your are just starting your fresh herb garden, or are looking to take your recipes to the next level, Starview can help. Check out some of our herbs below.

Arugula (Salad Rocket): Salad rocket has a rich, peppery taste and an strong flavor for a leafy green. It is frequently used in salads, often mixed with other greens. It is also used raw with pasta or meats. It can be added to pizzas just before the baking period ends or immediately afterwards, so that it will not wilt in the heat.

Basil: Spicy-clove flavor and aroma. Annual in temperate climates. Does not like cold but, it grows readily in a pot placed in a sheltered area. For best results chop at the last minute. Use generously, adding toward the end of cooking or add fresh just before serving. Versatile herb that works great with tomatoes. Puree with olive oil, garlic, Parmesan, and pine nuts to make pesto. Pair with Mediterranean (especially Italian) and Asian ingredients. add to vegetable soups, butter sauces for poached white fish, and tossed salads. Use in tomato soup, sauces, salads, omelets, and with meat, poultry, and fish.
Italian Large Leaf: A wonderful variety of standard basil
Lemon Basil: Basil with a strong lemon twist. popular in salads, marinades and desserts

Caraway:  Finely cut leaves resemble carrots. Seeds have been said to aid digestion, vision, memory, and baldness. Seeds add tangy flavor to baked goods. Sprinkle caraway seeds over port, lamb, or veal before roasting, and on baked apples. Add to cheese dishes, applesauce, and apple pie. To reduce cooking odor of cabbage, place a few seed in a bag, tie and add to cooking water. Use young leaves in salads and soups. Cook old leaves like spinach. 

Catnip:  Makes cats happy!

Chervil: Also called French parsley, has a delicate licorice flavor with the mild pepperiness of parsley. Cooking and drying destroys the subtle flavor, so use large quantities of fresh leaves, toward the end of cooking. Used to prepare fish and shellfish sauces and in salads. Chop with equal parts chives, parsley, and tarragon for omelets, soups and tartar sauce. Shred fresh leaves into potatoes, tuna, or green salads; add to poultry, egg, cheese, and fish dishes. Serve as a garnish with red meat and oysters. Include dried leaves in stuffing.

Chives: Standard- the leaves of this plant can be used in a variety of ways. The flowers are also edible, and can be used to garnish salads and other cold dishes. grown indoors or outside. thin, tubular, grass like foliage and clover like lavender flower heads that bloom in mid to late summer. mild onion flavor. Finely chop, snip,  and add just before serving. Sprinkle florets or cut leaves on salads, in sandwiches, and soups. Chop them and add to egg and cheese dishes, cream cheese, mashed potatoes, hamburgers, sandwich spreads, and sauces. Smear into softened butter for corn on the cob.

Garlic: Great on everything, & keeps Vampires away!

Cilantro, Santo: bright green leaves resembling flat-leaf parsley. Also called fresh coriander or Chinese parsley. Chop roughly or use whole sprigs and add just before serving. Use whole stems to flavor stocks. Use cilantro as a cooling, zesty counterpoint to the spice in Asian, Latin American, and Indian dishes. It’s great with chili and lime. Adds brightness to fresh fruit or tomato salsas. Puree with garlic and oil, like a pesto, to serve with grilled shrimp or flank steak.  Cilantro, onion, and lime make the perfect toppings to steak tacos.

Coriander: An ancient spice found in Egypt and in Rome to preserve meat. Grind dry seeds and sprinkle over meats before cooking. Sprinkle on deserts or sweet dishes. Young leaves taste like dried orange peel and are rich in vitamins A and B1, calcium, riboflavin, and niacin. Good in salads and soups.

Dill, Fernleaf: has tender, feathery, blue-green fronds. Seeds and leaves have a sharp, slightly bitter taste. Dill has many medicinal benefits. The seeds have gentle tranquilizing properties.  Dill is said to cure hiccups, and infant colic. Leaves contain magnesium, iron, calcium, and vitamin C. Used dried or fresh leaves to flavor fish, soups, salads, meat, poultry, omelets, and potatoes. Add at the end of cooking or to use in cold dishes. Add to cold potato salads, cucumbers, and deviled eggs. Also use in breads.

Fennel, Florence (Sweet): All parts of the fennel plant used in various ways. Leaves have a sweetish flavor, good in sauces for fish or with pork or veal, in soups and in salads. Seeds have a sharper flavor. Use sparingly in sauerkraut, spaghetti sauce, chili, and on baked goods. Florence fennel is a staple of Italian cuisine. The roots are used in many recipes and give an anise undertone to the dish. 

Garlic, Elephant: member of the onion grown for culinary and medicinal value. Garlic adds flavor to all kinds of foods. Use bulbs that are firm and unsprouted.  Elephant Garlic is easily grown in our area.  Harvest in fall and replant seeds from bottom of bulb.

Lavender, Munstead: Used in desserts and teas, meats, fish, seafood, and roasted vegetables. Vinegar infused with lavender adds flavor to salad greens.

Lemon Balm: both decorative and useful. Lemon-scented leaves release aroma when brushed against.  Has been used to treat depression. calming nerves, and as tea, aids sleep. Chop the leaves into salad. Add to fruit salads, jelly, ice cream and custard. Add to blended vinegars. Try serving as an iced tea. The leaves can be crystallized and added to desserts. Also add to game and fish. 

Lemon Verbena: The leaves are picked in summer and used fresh in teas, salads, meats, or stuffing. They can also be chopped and sprinkled over drinks and fruit.

Marjoram (Sweet): Soft, small, oval leaves. bold, floral perfume with mint and pepper  flavor can be overpowering so use sparingly. Roughly chop leaves and add toward end of cooking. Not often used raw. Use fresh or dried in soups, stews, meats and eggs. Deepens flavor of beans, spinach, and mushrooms.

Mint: Oval, toothed and wrinkled leaves. Bright, cooling, and sweet flavor. Use liberally. Chop and add toward the end of cooking or use raw. Infuse whole leaves in cream or milk or use with chocolates. Brew leaves into tea, or use to garnish cold drinks. Spearmint is generally used to make mint sauce or jelly. Use sprigs as decoration on plates.

Peppermint, Spearmint, and Pineapple Mint

Oregano: very assertive and peppery with hints of pine. Chop and add early in cooking. Best known as the “pizza herb”. Pair it with lemon and garlic to create Greek flavors. Use oregano to accent meats, marinades and dressings for bold salads. Dried leaves are frequently used in Italian, Spanish, and Mexican cooking—blend well with garlic and hot spices. It can also be used in salads, stews, stuffing, egg and cheese dishes, and with fish.
Hot and Spicy, Variegated, Greek, Italian

Recipe Idea: Fresh tomatoes with basil. Place in foil with a little olive oil, cracked pepper, kosher salt and grill. Bon Appetit!

Recipe Idea: Take flat-bread & smear with goat cheese. Sprinkle extra virgin olive oil, cracked pepper, kosher salt, & chopped Arugula over it for quick horderves.

Parsley: flavor is subtle, fresh celery and mild pepper and can be used generously. Chop leaves and add toward the end of cooking or use uncooked. Save stems for stock. Keeps its color well. Used as an all-purpose herb for soups, sautéed vegetables, meats, and seafood. Use stems in stocks. Add whole leaves to salads or chopped as a fresh garnish.
Italian Dark Green, Triple Curl
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Rosemary: Glossy, needlelike leaves. The flavor can be overwhelming so use sparingly. Insert a sprig or two into meats before roasting. Place charcoal over which beef, etc are cooked. Use in soups, sauces, and vegetables. Team up with olive oil and garlic for marinades or pizza toppings. Chop finely for use in breads and desserts, such as shortbread. Add to boiling water when cooking rice.

Sage: Intensely fragrant herb with a potent, savory and earthy flavor. It can dominate so use sparingly in rich and fatty foods, breaking them down as an aid to digestion. Chop and add at beginning of cooking. Used in holiday stuffing, meats, or use it to add an earthy quality to vegetables. Fry whole leaves in oil or butter to use as a tasty garnish. 
Standard, Pineapple

Savory, Summer:  A bushy annual with thin grayish leaves and white to pale pink flowers.  Used in cooking for a peppery thyme flavor.  Lightly trim until plant insists on flowering and cut entire plant for best harvest.

Stevia:  Very potent, fast growing sugar substitute. 3-4 tsp. of  dried and powdered leaves equal one cup of sugar.

Tarragon: narrow, pointed, gray-green leaves with a distinctive anise or licorice flavor. Only leaves are edible. Good with seafood, fruits, poultry, eggs and most vegetables. Tarragon can easily dominate other flavors. use fresh, as the aroma of dried tarragon is usually very weak. French or German tarragon is sweet and aromatic.