Herbs de Provence

Herbs are one of the kitchens magic ingredients. They can take a simple dish to new heights! You may be wondering why you see a picture of fresh lavender and yet I’m talking about herbs….trust me, it will all come together.

First, I want to address the fresh vs dry herbs debate. Fresh herbs are easy to grow and add a special fragrance to anything you put them in. I love them and use them every day. I am often asked, what about dry herbs, are they as good as fresh? I have even known a few chefs who scoffed at the notion of using dry herbs, which is a mistake I don’t want you to fall victim to.

Dry herbs have their place in every kitchen because they are their own product. Any time you are going to be simmering something for a long period of time, the concentrated flavor of dry herbs will get you where you want to go much better than fresh herbs can. The golden rule of fresh herbs is to add them at or near the end of cooking to preserve their flavor. Dry herbs can be used earlier in the process and help you build your flavor profiles. Also, dry herbs will hold up when you are roasting veggies or meats in the oven, whereas most fresh herbs wilt and loose their flavor. I love all herbs but I do have a special favorite when we are talking about dry herbs, Herbs de Provence. Yes, I’m getting to the lavender part.

This special blend of herbs was used by Provencal grandmothers of generations past and the blend varied by what combination or ratios were collected or available in the fields around the home or even what grandma herself prefered. It was in the 1970’s that a standard ratio for the blend was established and the marketing of what we now know as “Herbes de Provence” began.

When I roasted some vegetables recently and wanted some dry herbs to toss in with the olive oil, I realized I was out of my favorite blend, Herbs de Provence. It is a lovely bouquet of Savory, Fennel, Thyme, Basil, Rosemary, Lavender flowers and more. It represents all of the herbs that would be grown in Mediteranean areas of France. It has such a unique blend of lovely herbaceous goodness capped off with a hint of floral freshness that you can use it in many ways, making it a good mix to have in the kitchen.

Normally I don’t buy ‘blends’ of herbs, rather. I simply mix my own. I want to get through my herbs before they dry out so buying blends when I could use what I have doesn’t make sense, plus, the blends are typically far more expensive. But this one is so unique and special, I splurge and go for the French version. I only buy good quality Herbs de Provence ensuring I get a product that is full of flavor because the essential oils havn’t dried out . You can definitely make your own, just be sure you use a recipe that contains lavender flowers…it’s just not the same without it!

Here is a basic blend using dried crushed leaves, not powder:

3 Tbs Oregano

3 Tbs Thyme

1 Tbs Basil

1 Tbs Sage

1 Tbs Savory

2 Tbs lavender flowers

1 tsp Rosemary

1 Tbs ground Fennel (optional)

Once you have your mixture you can use it for so many things. Flavor your EVOO with it to sauté fish, chicken or vegetables. Marinate chicken, pork or turkey in it for roasting. Sprinkle and roast vegetables and potatoes. Use it in stews or soups. Marinate olives in it. Sprinkle a bit in your eggs before you cook them. You will love it, it’s and amazing tastes of what I imagine the French Mediteranean countryside to smell like.

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Herbs de Provence
Monday, 05 October 2009

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Herbs de Provence

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