This is flu season, and there is no reason that you can’t make good tasting dishes with herbs that help you fight the flu.  MUSHROOMS, are great for immune fighting properties.  GINGER, reduces pain and fever, suppresses coughing and has a mild sedative effect.  It also has superior anti-nausea along with anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties.  HOT PEPPER, helps to keep the respiratory system open.  MINT, is a superior digestive aid, relieves indigestion, and suppresses coughs.  SAGE, contains astringent tannins that help treat sore troats.  Except for the mushrooms, the rest can be made into a tea, or you can make a  GARLIC-MUSHROOM-ONION CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP.  Start with chicken, broth, noodles, lots of garlic, at least one whole onion, celery, ginger parsley, mushrooms, and HOT RED PEPPER.  I put in a whole pod, to make it really spicy.  It will really make you feel beter.  The Herb Lady

Dill is a wonderful herb.  Use the leaves to enhance fish, eggs, rice, salads, and just try it on potato salad.  It is great.  Use the pungent seeds in pickles, vinegars, and soups.  Dill can also be used in a salt free diet, as it is rich in mineral salts.  Make dill water for indigestion, hiccups, insomnia, and colic.  Infuse 1/2 ounce seeds in 1 cup boiling water, then strain.  1 tablespoon per adult.  Don’t forget the Dill Dip for the football parties, or the holidays.  Can be dried or frozen.  It is the greatest.  The Herb Lady

Although this herb is a hard herb to grow in the south, for the heat, and humitity, which it does not  like, I have grown it and used it. Tarragon has a sweet peppery flavor.  It enhances flavors of fish, pork, beef, lamb, poultry, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, onions, musrooms, cauliflower, broccoli, beets, peas, parsley, lemons, oranges, rice, and barley.  Use in sauces, omelets, and in vinegar. For maximum flavor add to dishes during the last 15 minutes. Has been used to stimulate the appetite, relieve colic, and to relieve a toothache.  It may be used as an antifungal as well. Its a great herb. The Herb Lady

I decided on lemon grass for this month because I’ve had many people ask me about this herb and its uses.  Use it in Thai or Vietnamese dishes, cut in 2 inch pieces, cook, and remove before serving.  Flavor rice with lemon grass to keep it from being so bland; chop tender stalks in salads, or add to fish or poultry dishes for flavor.  Use the leaves in herbal teas for a stomach soother or can be used as an effective insect repellant and fungicide.  I think this is a herb that can be experimented with.  I hope this makes you want to try something different.  The herb lady

Here are some herbs that make interesting teas.  Lemon verbena, lemon balm, and lemon grass, make pleasant tasting tea.  They can be added to black or green teas to replace the slice of lemon in the ice tea.  Try mint leaves in tea for decoration; basil in tomato juice in the morning, lovage in the evening in a Bloody Mary; borage used in hot or cold teas gives a “lift” after a hard day.  I hope you have fun with your drinks.  The Herb Lady

June is ice tea month, so I am going to tell you how to make a proper pot of herb tea.  1.  bring water to a boil. Rinse out a glass tea pot.  2.  toss in herbs, using 2 tablespoons of fresh herbs, for each cup of water.  3. Pour boiling water over herbs, cover and steep for about 5 min.  Taste it every few min.  Strain the herbs out as soon as the taste gets to the desired strength.  Can be frozen in ice cubes for flavoring favorite beverages.  Add leaves to ice cubes for flavoring and decoratation.

Parsley is a slightly peppery herb.  It helps spice up soups, stews, omelets, stuffing, and can be used as a garnish.  Parsley is rich in vitamins C and A.  Can also be used to relieve bad breath, and aids in digestion.  Parsley can be used fresh, dried or frozen.  Storage note:  Frozen parsley is superior to home dried.

Oregano has a hot, peppery flavor.  Greek oregano is the very best of the oregano plants, with the best taste.  Where you taste oregano the most is pizzas, and spaghetti with tomato sauce, but it also enhances omelets, quiches, stewed beef, pork, poultry, wild game, onions, potatoes, and eggplant.  It can also be used for coughs, headaches, tonics, and used as a stimulant.  An Italian blend of herbs are: oregano, basil, rosemary, majoram and can be used in any tomato dishes, so give it a try.  The Herb Lady

Marjoram has a distinctive savory flavor.  Marjoram is suited for thick stews, vegetable soups, pasta, fish, game, beef, and chicken, but don’t limit using it for just these foods.  When cooked it enhances the flavor of other foods or herbs.  To increase its potency, use generous amounts and include the stems which are more strongly flavored.  I use it in all my pea, bean, and tomatoe dishes.  It is also good in omelets and cheese dishes.  This is one of my most favorite herbs.  The Herb Lady

Feburary is heart month, so the herb for this month is garlic.  Garlic is a herb that can spice up any dish and goes well with any meat.  Everyone knows that garlic is a healing food.  That is possesses amazing endowments for healing.  Good for the heart, blood pressure, cancer fighting, and stimulating the immune system, so to help your heart and your health try this San Francisco Chops recipe.   The Herb Lady