trying to get home for xmas. New traffic extension for Google Chrome: https://t.co/MXy7N9dU
| 06 September 2010
| Article Index |
|---|
| The Kitchen Window Epicurean |
| Drink It Up |
| Let It Breathe |
| The Brightest and Best |
| All Pages |
Page 1 of 4
Citizens against bar codes unite! Not everything in your kitchen has to come from the supermarket. Isn't it nice to think that some things in the kitchen are under your control — not bar-coded? Well, there's a whole range of things that can actually sit together on the windowsill and add a plethora of flavours to the food you cook, and are exempt from those infernal little lines and numbers.
And that's not the principal benefit! Even though we live in the Northern Hemisphere, we can have the pleasure of growing, maintaining and using a range of herbs — yes, your own indoor herb garden. And with a bit of common sense and a few hints, it’s something anyone can do with ease. If you've not yet had the pleasure of snipping at your own thyme, parsley or basil, it's a simple task that can make you look just like those fancy chefs you see on the Food Network. The investment of a little bit of work brings tripled benefits: good scents, great flavours and it even looks good. Just a few indoor pots can supply you with herbal gifts through the whole year.
Most of the charms from fresh rosemary, thyme and oregano bring the Mediterranean flavour to your kitchen, and the marvellous magic of chopped chives sprinkled over a soup or an omelette is its own romantic reward.In the last few years, many new varieties of herbs have been introduced, some of which actually do better inside the house than outside in the garden. Some of these include chives (grolau) and English mint, a hardier variety of basil (spicy globe) and Greek oregano. Perhaps the most attractive from an easy-growth point of view is broadleaf thyme, which has such a myriad of uses in so many recipes.
If there are a few rules — none difficult — number one is to provide light. Herbs, like all things Mediterranean, worship the sun. So find a south- or east-facing window (even if it's not in the kitchen) and provide at least four hours of sunlight per day. It's worth remembering that the light through your window may seem very clear and bright to your eyes, but the intensity of this light in winter is only about 10 per cent of what it is during the summer months. Where light is concerned, the exception is the rule, because more is better than less. Herbs do not like north-facing light.
If you are very keen or a serious herb grower, you can add fluorescent light or even dedicated high-intensity discharge lights. For the very keen, high-pressure sodium lights are the most efficient. There are several manufacturers of these specific fluorescent tubes that produce light specifically designed for plants and herbs. But for our purposes, a sunny window will do the trick.