HERBS: SAVORY
Summer savory Satureia hortensis LABIATAE Winter savory Satureia montana
A beloved culinary herb of ancient Greece, savory has an annual variety, summer savory, as well as the perennial or winter savory. Both have similar flavour, and winter savory is the kind I have found best to grow. It is evergreen, of a spreading rather low habit of growth, with woody little stems on which appear tiny starry white flowers in spring and early summer. It has a pleasant aroma when the leaves are crushed, and a special affinity for beans, peas, and the squash and marrow family. A sprig added to the water when steaming chokos will make you wonder why they are still such a lowly vegetable. Remove the sprig after cooking, as the hard stem is not very palatable. The herb is used in sauces and to flavour herb vinegar and the softer leaves can be stripped from the stem and added sparingly to soups, too. It will stand longer cooking than most herbs, with no deterioration in flavour.
Open sun suits savory well, and moderate conditions, and it is easily grown either from seed or hard-wood cuttings, taken in summer or early autumn.
Savory was taken to America by early British settlers, and has naturalized well. Crushed leaves rubbed on a bee-sting alleviate the pain. Try a few well-bruised sprigs of savory steeped in white wine for a refreshing tonic drink. If the flavour of basil is too strong for you in a recipe, substitute savory. If you are partial to young button squash or the dark green zucchini, slice them thinly, saute quickly in butter to which a savory sprig has been added, and serve immediately.
An unusual conserve can be made using the herb. It goes equally well with cold meat as a garnishing jelly or on toast as a jam. Try it drizzled over ice-cream too, as a piquant sauce. Top the dish with a sprig of fresh applemint or pineapple mint.
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Tags: Herbal