Herblore

Marjoram – Close cousin of Oregano – ours is called Golden Marjoram and is yellowish-green colored. Use in the same dishes as oregano – just about any dish with tomatoes, for example. Also very nice on grilled veggies. Marjoram is one of the few herbs who appreciates drying – the flavor actually strengthens when dried.

Lemon Basil – Good with chicken and crushed (place in bag or tea strainer) iced tea or lemonade. According to Seed Savers, it is popular for vinegars and seafood dishes - we can see how that should be the case. Can be dried successfully. They do have a nice lemon quality to their scent and can be quite nice just sitting in a vase on the kitchen counter.

Thai Basil – Anise-clove scent and flavor. Most commonly used in Thai or Vietnamese cooking. Stems and blossoms are purple. Very small leaves tell this apart from other basils we grow, such as Lemon Basil, Lettuce Leaf Basil and Sweet Genovese Basil.

Oregano - green, oval, pointed leaves that are slightly wavy at the edges. Sharper flavor than marjoram and darker green leaves. In July the plants have purple flowers on them (bees love them – flowers are edible). Dries well - believe it or not - in the microwave or just hanging up in a window sill for later use. Pictured below is Greek Oregano. Similar in looks to standard oregano. With marjoram, oregano is a staple for us in tomato sauces.

Tarragon – Sweet, anise flavor. Use the leaves only, not the stems. Used extensively in fish and poultry dishes. Freezes and dries well, but is best fresh. That said – it is not as strong a flavor as French Tarragon. Usually you will get stems that are 12-18 inches tall.

Thyme - There are several types of thyme, English, Creeping, etc. and each has a slightly different flavor. We grow the more common thyme varieties and the leaves can be dried or used fresh.

Images are from www.seedsavers.org