Thyme on my Hands
This photo is from my patio garden. Herbs are in the foreground.
The Brooklyn, NY, Botanical Gardens in Prospect Park has a lovely corner herb garden that my husband and I visited recently. The gardens are spacious, with so many lovely shade trees along the walks and rows of cherry trees lining a center walk that leads to a pond.
Best of all I loved the herb garden, which was tucked away in a shady spot. There, almost every herb I ever heard of, and some I had not, was planted in both random and patterned beds. Each herb had an identification plate explaining its common name, its botanical name, the country of origin, and its culinary or medicinal use. I started to write down the names of all the herbs, but ran out of time, because there were just so many.
Thyme did not get center stage as it does in my own patio garden. But it was fragrant and could hold its own among the other herbs. My window boxes hold three kinds of thyme: common thyme (Thymus vulgaris), silver thyme, and creeping thyme. (See photos.) For some reason, my “herb garden” was very prolific this year, which means I will be making many dishes and dressings using thyme.
Historically and medicinally, thyme, from the Greek word thymon, meaning courage, has been recorded as far back as 3000 BC, and was used as an antiseptic by the Sumerians. In Greece, thyme has been used in massage and bath oils, as incense, and even as an aphrodisiac. More recently, it has been touted as a headache remedy, especially after imbibing too much alcohol. Healing with the Herbs of Life, a wonderful book by Lesley Tierra, notes that thyme is a warming herb that can be used to stop coughing and also is considered antibacterial and anti-fungal with antiseptic properties, as the Greeks discovered thousands of years ago.
From a culinary perspective, thyme may not be as attractive as some of the other herbs, because there no large blossoms are displayed on this plant and its flavor is not as distinctive as other herbs, such as tarragon. However, according to www.sally’s-place.com “thyme is an invaluable element in the kitchen: it blends with and enhances many other herbs without overpowering them.” (For more detailed information on thyme, go to Sally’s Place, which I used for much of the information.)
The recipes in today’s Kitchen Nutrition posting use thyme as well as some of the other herbs from my garden. However, with three thyme plants overflowing my window boxes, thyme did command top billing. I hope the recipes deliver the subtle, but delicious taste of thyme from my garden to your dinner plate.
Ingredients
1 to 2 cups cooked green beans
1 to 2 cooks cherry tomatoes or tomato wedges
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
3-4 scallions, washed, tripped and sliced or 3-4 slices of leek
2-3 Tbl. Herbs: Thyme leaves, Snipped Chives, Oregano leaves, etc.
Olives for garnishing (optional)
Dressing – Combine the following:
1/ 4 lime or lemon juice
1/4 cup macadamia oil
1/4 olive oil
dash of tamari soy sauce or Braggs Aminos
one garlic cloves, minced
Directions
1. Combine all the veggies: green beans, tomatoes, cucumber, and scallions in a medium-sized bowl..
2. For thyme and oregano, strip leaves from stalks with thumb and forefinger. Snip chives into very small pieces. Add to salad.
3. Prepare dressing and pour over salad right, tossing gently. Serve chilled on a bed of lettuce. Garnish with olives, if using.
Variations – Use your own favorite vinaigrette, use other herbs of your liking, add sprouts or sesame seeds.
Ingredients
One medium cucumber, peeled and sliced (organic, if possible)
2-3 thinly sliced red onion
lemon or lime juice
ginger juice (if available)
thyme
sesame seeds
Directions
This recipe has no definitive amounts for the dressing. I merely sliced the cucumber in a shallow bowl, then added the juices and herbs to cover, and let the dish marinate for a couple of hours in the refrigerator. I sprinkled on the sesame seeds right before serving.
(This recipe appeared last week in Peek to Pique.)
Ingredients
One ripe medium to large organic cucumber, peeled and sliced
(You can remove the seeds if they cause gas.)
one ripe avocado, peeled and sliced
2-3 tsp. fresh thyme
2-3 tsp. fresh dill
1-2tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. minced garlic
dash of soy sauce (optional)
salt & pepper to taste
water
grated carrot or fresh parsley for garnish
Directions
1. Place about 1/2 cup water in the bottom of a blender or food processor.
2. Add cucumber and avocado and puree.
3. Add herbs, garlic, salt and pepper, and soy sauce, if using, and puree again. If too thick, add more water until soup is pourable.
4. Chill and serve garnished with freshly grated carrots or parsley
Variation: For a spicier soup, add a dash or two of hot pepper and ginger.