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Heirloom Basil Seeds
Called the "royal herb" by ancient Greeks, this annual is a member of the mint family. Fresh basil has a pungent flavor that some describe as a cross between licorice and cloves. It's a key herb in Mediterranean cooking, essential to the delicious Italian pesto, and is becoming more and more popular in American cuisine.
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Heirloom Catnip Seeds
Catnip is a flowering herb valued for its healing properties in a wide range of maladies. Catnip is indigenous to Europe and is now naturalized throughout the United States. It can be identified by the dozens of small white flowers with small purple spots covering its flowering, spiky top. The aromatic herb is a member of the Lamaciae or mint family. Catnip is harvested in the summer and fall, and dried for medicinal use.
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Heirloom Chive Seeds
Related to the onion and leek, this fragrant herb has slender, vivid green, hollow stems. Chives have a mild onion flavor and are available fresh year-round. Fresh chives can be snipped with scissors to the desired length. They're delicious in many cooked dishes but should be added toward the end of the cooking time to retain their flavor. |
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Heirloom Cilantro Seeds
The bright green leaves and stems of the coriander plant. Cilantro has a lively, pungent fragrance that some describe as "soapy." It is widely used in Asian, Caribbean and Latin American cooking and its distinctive flavor lends itself to highly spiced foods.
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Heirloom Dill Seeds
This annual herb grows up to a height of about 3 feet and has feathery green leaves called dill weed, marketed in both fresh and dried forms. The distinctive flavor of fresh dill weed in no way translates to its dried form. Fresh dill does, however, quickly lose its fragrance during heating, so should be added toward the end of the cooking time. Dill weed is used to flavor many dishes such as salads, vegetables, meats and sauces.
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Heirloom Fennel Seeds
The fennel base and stems can be eaten raw in salads or cooked in a variety of methods such as braising, sautéing or in soups. The fragrant, graceful greenery can be used as a garnish or snipped like dill and used for a last-minute flavor enhancer. |
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Heirloom Garlic Seeds
A member of the lily family, garlic is a cousin to leeks, chives, onions and shallots. The edible bulb or "head" grows beneath the ground. This bulb is made up of sections called cloves, each encased in its own parchmentlike membrane.
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Heirloom Garlic Chive Seeds
An herb similar to chives, but with a decidedly garlicky nuance, both in aroma and flavor. Garlic chive leaves have long, thin, flat stems, whereas the stalks with flowers are round and more closely resemble regular chives.
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Heirloom Marjoram Seeds
Marjoram can be used to flavor a variety of foods, particularly meats and vegetables. Because marjoram's flavor is so delicate, it's best added toward the end of the cooking time so its essence doesn't dissipate. |
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Heirloom Oregano Seeds
This herb, sometimes called wild marjoram, belongs to the mint family and is related to both marjoram and thyme. Oregano is similar to marjoram but is not as sweet and has a stronger, more pungent flavor and aroma. Because of its pungency, it requires a bit more caution in its use.
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Heirloom Parsley Seeds
This slightly peppery, fresh-flavored herb is more commonly used as a flavoring and garnish. Though there are more than 30 varieties of this herb, the most popular are curly-leaf parsley and the more strongly flavored Italian or flat-leaf parsley. Fresh curly leaf parsley is widely available year-round, while Italian parsley must sometimes be searched out in gourmet produce markets.
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Heirloom Peppermint Seeds
The plant is harvested when the oil content is highest. When ready for harvest, it is always collected in the morning, before noon sun reduces the leaf essential oil content. This generally takes place shortly before the plant blooms, which occurs in the summer or during dry, sunny weather. The United States is responsible for producing 75% of the world's supply of peppermint. |
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Heirloom Sage Seeds
This native Mediterranean herb has been enjoyed for centuries for both its culinary and medicinal uses. The name comes from a derivative of the Latin salvus, meaning "safe," a reference to the herb's believed healing powers. The narrow, oval, gray-green leaves of this pungent herb are slightly bitter and have a musty mint taste and aroma.
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Heirloom Thyme Seeds
A perennial herb native to southern Europe and the Mediterranean. Thyme is widely used in cooking to add flavor to vegetables, meat, poultry and fish dishes, soups and cream sauces. It's a basic herb of French cuisine and integral to bouquet garni. |
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