
DATE: Wednesday, August 20, 1997            TAG: 9708210702

SECTION: FLAVOR                  PAGE: F1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY ANN WRIGHT, SPECIAL TO FLAVOR 

                                            LENGTH:  149 lines

PUCKER POWER WHETHER YOU BEG THEM FROM A NEIGHBOR OR GROW THEM YOURSELF, LEMON-FLAVORED HERBS ARE A POTENT LATE-SUMMER TREAT THAT PERKS UP FISH, CHICKEN, VEGETABLES AND DRINKS.

REFRESHING, tangy, lemon-flavored herbs are a late-summer treat and easy to grow. Whether perking up fish or chicken, adding zing to vegetables or chilling in drinks, lemon flavors seem made for the season.

Barbara Brawley, a Virginia Beach Master Gardener who frequently lectures on herbs, is so fond of citrus nuances that she has devoted a sunny area of her garden to lemon herbs - lemon balm, lemon thyme, lemon basil, lemon grass, and lemon verbena. An accomplished cook as well as gardener, she flavors vinegars and oils, makes herbal liquors and enhances exotic cuisines with her own herbs.

``The best way to enjoy your herbs is to use them,'' says Linda Xenakis, owner of Linda's Garden located at the Virginia Beach Farmers' Market. ``The mistake most people make is not harvesting their herbs often enough. Thyme develops tough woody stems if they're not cut back frequently. Basil wants to flower and set seed and then die when its reproductive cycle is complete.''

Here is a rundown of several lemon-flavored herbs. Because of their uniqueness, cut versions of these herbs are generally not available in grocery stores. To get them, you'll need to cultivate your own, beg or borrow them from a gardening friend. Seeds or plants are usually available through area garden centers.

LEMON BALM

(Melissa officinalis)

This plant has one of the highest oil contents of any herb, making it especially flavorful. Brawley uses it to flavor lemon tea cake and to make an accompanying lemon syrup. She also makes New York Ice with lemon balm, cuts it up and stirs it into softened cream cheese for a spread for nut bread and uses it to add a pleasant fragrance to tropical drinks.

``You can also bury it in a jar of sugar the way you do vanilla pods or scented geranium leaves,'' says Brawley. ``It gives the sugar a wonderful flavor and fragrance.''

Lemon balm has been used for ages as a medicinal herb. The Herb Society of America's ``Encyclopedia of Herbs and Their Uses'' refers to lemon balm's anti-viral and sedative properties. A cup of lemon balm leaves steeped in boiling water for 10 minutes and sweetened with honey is said to be a refreshing way to scare off a threatening cold. Drink it hot in winter or over ice in summer.

Lemon balm is a perennial and exceptionally easy to grow. Cut frequently to keep it from flowering and scattering its seeds around your garden.

LEMON THYME

(Thymus x citriodorus)

``Lemon thyme is fabulous in tuna salad whether it's made with fresh or canned tuna,'' says Brawley.

``It also makes a terrific mayonnaise. For years I made homemade herb mayonnaises, but I've found I can get much the same effect with prepared mayos. Mix equal parts of freshly minced thyme and mayonnaise and some garlic chives and you'll have a wonderful dressing for fish or chicken.''

``Harvest thyme often so that the stems don't get wiry,'' Brawley says. ``You have to be brutal and cut it often.''

She also uses lemon thyme for flavored oils and vinegars. Lemon thyme oil is wonderful in salad dressings or as an accompaniment to fish or chicken.

``The rule of thumb for an infused oil is to bake the herb and oil uncovered for an hour at 300 degrees and then cool for a half-hour. Strain the oil, discarding the thyme and chives, and store in the refrigerator.

``I use canola oil because it has no flavor of its own and absorbs the full flavor of the lemon thyme,'' says Brawley.

Thyme is a perennial that thrives in hot, dry neglect. It's a perfect pot plant for forgetful people. It also works well planted in pathways between paving stones.

LEMON BASIL

(Ocimum basilicum var. citriodorum)

``Lemon basil goes to flower so fast that you're constantly harvesting,'' says Brawley. ``That means you're always cutting some to make pestos and vinegars.''

Lemon basil is a live-hard-and-die-young annual, bent on flowering, setting seed and shuffling off its mortal coil. Its life span can be extended by pinching out the flowers, which make delicious additions to seafood salads. Lemon basil originated in Indonesia and is a lovely component of Vietnamese cooking.

To make vinegar, fill a jar with two cups basil leaves and cover with two cups white-wine vinegar. Cover and let stand at room temperature for at least a week and as much as a month before straining and discarding leaves. Decant vinegar into a decorative bottle containing a fresh stem or two of basil.

``Feel free to mix herbs in making infused oils and vinegars,'' Brawley says. ``When I give workshops on cooking with herbs, I'll often have a mixture of things left over. Rather than let it go to waste, I'll put them together for some interesting combinations of flavors.''

Basil is a wonderful companion to tomatoes, both in the kitchen garden and chopped up in mayonnaise for a truly sublime tomato sandwich. Unlike most other herbs, it needs frequent watering.

LEMON GRASS

(Cymbopogon citratus)

``Lemon grass is fun to experiment with,'' says Brawley of the grass essential for Vietnamese cooking. ``I love to put it in a chicken I'm roasting along with a sprig of rosemary. I use it in stir-fries. The leaves make a delightful tea.''

Cut stems of lemon grass almost at the soil level. The coarse outer leaves can be cooked with food to impart a lemon flavor, but remove before serving. The leaves and stalk are frequently used in potpourris because they hold their scent long after drying.

Slit the base of the tough grass stalk to get at the tender inner part used in stir-fries. This is usually within the bottom three or four inches of the stalk.

In the garden, lemon grass forms attractive clumps between two and three feet tall. It is a tropical plant, but it can be over wintered by cutting it to the ground, digging it up, potting it and keeping it in the garage.

Brawley skips that step by rooting the lemon grass she buys at area markets in water that she changes daily. She pots the sprigs when little root nodules appear.

LEMON VERBENA

(Aloysia triphylla)

Herb fanciers go rhapsodic on lemon verbena because of its extraordinary citrus power. Verbena has the strongest lemon flavor of all the lemon herbs. It dries almost instantly after being cut, making it an easy herb to preserve.

Cut a branch and strip the leaves as they start to crinkle. Store the dried leaves in a jar for lemon flavor throughout the winter. Sprinkle a couple of leaves over fish or chicken before cooking. Fresh lemon verbena is the essential ingredient in Barbara Brawley's favorite homemade liqueur.

Verbena is a deciduous shrub that can survive Tidewater winters fairly well. It is a native of Chile widely distributed by the Spanish, who valued its scent for perfume. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

MOTOYA NAKAMURA/The Virginian-Pilot

Cut versions of lemon herbs...

Graphic

LEARNING MORE

The Herb Society, a member club of the Herb Society of America,

meets from 1 to 3 p.m. the second Sunday of each month at the

Norfolk Botanical Garden. Barbara Brawley is the membership

chairman; call her at 481-2041.

The Herb Club meets at 2 p.m. the last Sunday of each month at

St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Norfolk. Call Bev Credle at 722-0653.

The Norfolk Botanical Garden frequently has classes on herbs.

Barbara Brawley and fellow-enthusiast Billi Parris are holding a