Growing winter herbs

When growing edibles, it’s healthier to use natural methods to get rid of insect pests in the garden.

Treat insects such as mites, mealy bugs, scale, whitefly and aphids with remedies made from low-toxic or potassium soap-based sprays.

Tackle leaf-eating caterpillars with Bacillus thuringiensis, sold as Dipel. This naturally occurring bacteria will slowly kill most offenders.

Control insects, including caterpillars, thrip and leaf-miner, using an insecticide containing spinosad, a substance that is derived from a soil fungus.

Try plant-based rather than petroleum-based oils to smother insects such as mites, aphids, mealy bugs, whitefly and scale.

Use pyrethrum in a spray bottle to target pests while sparing beneficial insects. It breaks down quickly and has a low toxicity.

Encase an infested plant in a small plastic bag, tie it around the base, and pull the whole plant out.

Or you can just cut off the affected stem.

Grow your own herbs so they’re handy when you need them, instead of having to make a special trip to the corner shop or supermarket.

Follow on for the pick of the winter crop.

The bay tree has dark-green leaves and features lemon flowers in spring, followed by black berries in autumn.

It can be trimmed to shape and grows well in a large pot. If left unclipped in a garden bed, it will form a small tree.

Grow in well-drained soil in a sunny spot.

Feed in spring with old cow manure, a complete fertiliser or Dynamic Lifter to promote growth.

Bay tolerates frosts down to about -5°C. In very cold areas, plant in a pot and put under cover in winter.

Pick the leaves fresh as needed, or freeze or dry them.

Cooking tip

Fresh and dried bay leaves don’t break down when cooked, so it’s best to remove them from a dish before serving.

In the kitchen

Use in soups, stews and slow-cooked casseroles.

Add to spaghetti bolognaise and beef bourguignon.

Flavour vegetable and chicken stock with bay leaves.

Enhance the taste of custards and rice puddings with a leaf.

An attractive perennial with grey/green leaves and purplish-blue flowers, sage reaches about 900mm high.

Grow in a sunny position in well-drained soil.

Cut off the finished flower stalks in spring to keep the plant bushy and encourage more leaves to grow.

Feed in spring and summer with a complete plant food.

Pick the leaves when needed. Sage leaves keep their flavour well when dried.

In the kitchen

Top soups with crisp-fried sage leaves.

Partner sage with duck, potatoes and pumpkin.

Use as an ingredient in stuffings.

Add the flowers to dishes to make a pretty garnish.

Perennial thyme makes a great edging plant and also loves pot culture.

There are many varieties, but common thyme (Thymus vulgaris) is the most popular.

The small leaves are highly aromatic and pink flowers cover the plant in spring.

Lemon thyme has a mild lemon taste and ‘Pizza’ thyme leaves smell of a blend of thyme and oregano.

Grow in well-drained soil in a sunny spot. Don’t overwater and feed in spring and summer with a soluble plant food.

Cut back in spring after flowering to encourage new leaves. Replace plants every 3-4 years or propagate new plants by division in spring.

Pick fresh stems as you need them, leaving behind tough, woody parts.

Remove the leaves from the stems before using.

In the kitchen

Flavour chicken and fish dishes, lamb soups and stews with common thyme.

Partner lemon thyme with fish and chicken. ADD ‘Pizza’ thyme to cheesy Italian dishes. COMBINE anchovies and tomatoes with thyme leaves. FRY mushrooms in a little butter with thyme leaves.

This herb is a biennial and when established, you can pick the leaves for many months.

You can grow flat-leaf parsley, which is also known as continental parsley, or curly leaf parsley.

Seedlings are available in nurseries throughout the year.

Grow in a sunny position. Parsley has a long taproot and likes soil that is enriched with compost or manure.

Fertilise monthly with a soluble plant food.

Regular watering will encourage more leaves to grow.

Pick sprigs of parsley as soon as the plants are established and branching freely. The more you pick, the more prolific the growth will be in the middle of the plant. Parsley is best used fresh, but it can also be frozen.

In the kitchen

Add to soups and stews.

Combine with egg dishes.

Add parsley to tomato sauces.

Partner with mushrooms.

Use parsley as an ingredient in Middle Eastern tabouli, Mexican salsa verde, French persillade and Italian gremolata.

A native to Mediterranean hillsides and coastal areas, rosemary produces lots of blue flowers that are irresistible to bees.

It reaches a height of about 1.8m and is ideal for pots.

Prostrate cultivars can be grown in hanging baskets or used as groundcovers.

Grow in a sunny position in well-drained soil.

Add dolomite to the soil before planting and don’t overwater.

Feed in spring with a three-month, controlled-release fertiliser.

Prune after flowering.

Pick fresh leaves as needed. Excess leaves can be frozen.

In the kitchen

Sprinkle over roast vegetables and oven-baked tomatoes.

Add rosemary to tomato soup.

Combine with lemon quarters for stuffing chicken.

Partner rosemary with lamb.

Strip leaves off stems, soak the stems in water for an hour and use as skewers for prawns or kebabs.

Use the flowers as a garnish.

Bay leaf sweet baked custard pots

Preparation time 10 minutes

Cooking time 50 minutes

Ingredients 2 cups (500ml) milk

8 bay leaves, fresh or dried

3 large eggs

½ cup (110g) sugar

1 HEAT the milk and the bay leaves in a large saucepan over a low heat. Simmer for 10 minutes to infuse the flavour.

2 PREHEAT the oven to 150°C. Place a large roasting pan in the oven and half-fill with boiling water to make a bain-marie.

3 BEAT the eggs with the sugar in a large bowl using electric beaters or a whisk. Gradually pour over the hot milk, beating continuously.

4 STRAIN the mixture into six ½-cup ramekins or ovenproof cups or dishes. Rinse any milky scum off the bay leaves and choose six attractive leaves, poking one into each ramekin.

5 ADD the ramekins to the bain-marie carefully and bake for 40 minutes or until the centres are no longer wobbly and liquid looking.

Serve warm, or chill overnight before serving cold for a stronger bay leaf aroma.

Preparation time 15 minutes

Cooking time 45 minutes

Ingredients 1kg boneless, skinless chicken thighs, halved

Olive oil spray

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

250g button mushrooms, trimmed

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tablespoon plain flour

½ cup (125ml) white wine

2 cups (500ml) salt-reduced chicken stock

3 fresh bay leaves

8 sprigs fresh thyme

3 wide strips orange zest

Juice of 1 orange

Leafy salad and crusty bread, to serve

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Trim the fat from the chicken thighs, spray each lightly with olive oil and season with pepper.

Heat a non-stick frying pan, then brown the chicken in batches over a medium heat.

Transfer the chicken to an ovenproof pan or casserole dish.

Reduce the heat in the frying pan to medium-low, add the olive oil and heat for 30 seconds.

Add the mushrooms, cook for 2-3 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender, stirring occasionally.

Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Sprinkle in the flour, then stir for 1-2 minutes so the flour coats the mushrooms and the flour browns lightly.

Add the wine and stock, scraping up any residue from the base of the pan.

Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils.

Pour over the chicken and add the bay leaves, thyme and orange zest and juice.

Cook for about 30-35 minutes or until the chicken is tender. Stir once or twice during the cooking time, adding a little more stock or water if needed.

Serve the chicken with salad and crusty bread.