Gourmet Gardener: The spice of life
They say variety is the spice of life, and when growing your own food, there is nothing more satisfying than harvesting a variety of ingredients to enhance your home cooked meals.
Garlic is the cornerstone of flavour when it comes to spices, but there are other more exotic spices that can be successfully grown here in Ireland.
The majority of spices that are used in culinary practices are in seed form. The aromatic nuggets of seasoning can be collected when plants are allowed to flower and bear seed.
A garden allotment can be used for traditional vegetables but I am hoping the following might inspire you to spice up your patch and use some plants in a new way.
Coriander
Also known as cilantro, coriander is a classic herb grown during the summer months. It is also a staple ingredient for most curry recipes and therefore used in abundance in many kitchens. The spicy aroma is rich and citrusy and can be used as whole seeds or crushed into a powder form.
To achieve this end product, you can simply let the coriander plant bolt. This means allowing the plant to flower. Exposing the plant to hot, dry conditions will put the plant under stress and therefore encourage it to flower faster.
Once the seeds emerge, leave them in situ to dry out, turn brown and then collect in a paper bag.
Mustard
Mustard greens are one of the easiest salad crops to grow in this climate. Similar to coriander, the seeds can be collected after the plant is allowed to flower. You can use the seeds to prepare mustard sauces, or use as whole in curries, fresh or dried. The leaves can also be used in salads, making the plant quite versatile in the kitchen.
Saffron
One of the most expensive spices in the world is saffron. Strands of saffron are derived from the female reproductive organ of the Crocus sativus, which is a variety of crocus bulb that flowers in autumn.
The red stigmas when harvested can be used to add delicate flavour and colour to dishes. The strands can be easily extracted using a pair of tweezers – however, as each plant only produces a few, it does take a large number of corms to yield a small amount of saffron, hence the high value.
The middle east is predominantly where this spice is grown, but it can be successfully grown here also.
Fennel
Fennel is an aromatic herb which belongs to the carrot family. Once the architectural golden flower heads are left to dry in striking umbrella structures on the plant, the seeds can be harvested to make the spice.
Fennel seeds are full of flavour, aromatic, sweet and warm in taste and used in Middle Eastern, Italian, Indian cooking.
It is said that this spice can aid digestion.
Others
The home grown spice cupboard doesn’t have to stop there.
Ginger, cumin and paprika can also be grown with a little extra heat and light. These spices require a longer growing season and are best grown indoors or in a glasshouse but well worth the effort.
Introducing plants to your garden for culinary uses can be exciting and extremely rewarding when you take stock of a meal prepared with little to no food miles.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tara Kate Linnane is passionate about sustainability and growing all things edible. Together with her husband Barry, she has embarked on a journey of designing edible spaces and getting others started on their gardening adventures.
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