THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, April 27, 1995 TAG: 9504260033
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F1 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Morsels
SOURCE: Ruth Fantasia
LENGTH: Medium: 55 lines
BY THE time Easter is over, the delight of spring has already waned.
After all, you can only eat so much lamb and asparagus.
Watermelons, garden-ripe tomatoes and strawberries are weeks away. We're in the culinary doldrums.
But after a winter of chicken cacciatore made with dried oregano and basil, the same recipe made with fresh herbs seems like different dish. That's the magic of freshly grown herbs.
Fortunately, fresh herb plants are abundant this time of year.
The International Herb Association has declared May 8 through 14 National Herb Week, and fennel is this year's featured plant.
Fennel, with its mildly licorice taste, gives Italian sausage its distinct flavor. It's also a popular seasoning for fish dishes, the association reports.
If you're unsure how to use fresh herbs or want a good place to buy them, the Herb Society of America - Tidewater Unit is sponsoring its fourth Herb Education Day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 6, at Tidewater Community College's Chesapeake Campus. The event features a day-long plant sale, workshops and seminars.
Herb Society member Billi Parus will teach ``Culinary Delights From Your Herb Garden'' from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The class, which costs $10, includes the preparation of pestos, marinades, butters, jellies, honeys, vinegars, sugars and cakes.
``Thyme for a Picnic,'' also $10, will be taught by members Carol Kohler and Carol Jordan. It will include a tasting and a lecture on making herbal dishes for the picnic hamper.
Other workshops will include growing herbs in Hampton Roads, herbal wreath-making and herbal decorations. Call Barbara Brawley at 481-2041.
Garden's herb series
Norfolk Botanical Garden will offer a series of herb classes again this summer.
The workshops, scheduled monthly from June through September, include ``Cooking With Herbs'' (June 14), ``Gourmet Seasonings'' (July 19), ``Chutneys and Salsas'' (Aug. 16) and ``Herbal Liquors'' (Sept. 13).
Last year's series was so successful that the Botanical Garden gained a reputation for ``the best nosh in town,'' says education director Sybil Kane.
Each class costs $10, but you save $5 if you sign up for all four. To register, call the NBG education office at 441-5838. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
[Herb gardens]
by CNB