Secrets of the herb lady

Sun Sentinel (MCT) - From growing seeds on her windowsill as a child in Buffalo, N.Y., to selling plants for a living, Donna Torrey takes great satisfaction from bringing things to life. Especially herbs.

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"I love their smells. They make me happy," says Torrey, owner of Garden Gate in the Pompano, Fla., Citi Centre.

Herbs also appeal to her practical side. "I can't cook without them because food without herbs is boring."

Torrey comes by her cooking skills rightly. "My fondest memories are waking up on Saturday morning to my mother frying onions to use in her sauce," she says. "That was the beginning of my love of cooking."

Her Italian mother grew her own basil to use in that sauce, and Torrey still makes Mimi's Secret Tomato Sauce with home-grown herbs. "This is the best sauce ever," she says. The secret is combining fresh basil, onions and anchovies in a food processor with wine and then stirring that mixture into simmering tomatoes.

When Torrey's plants are producing a lot of basil, she preserves it in oil. She picks the leaves and then washes and dries them carefully. (Moisture can turn oil rancid, she says.) She packs the fresh basil into a clean, dry glass jar and covers the leaves with good quality olive oil leaving a small amount of head room in the jar. She caps it and refrigerates the oil to be used in sauces, dressings, pesto, bean dishes, soups and sautes for "amazing fresh flavor."

"I use the flavored oil in just about every darn thing I make," Torrey says. You can also flavor oil with parsley, sage and cilantro.

Another trick is to make herbal vinegars. She packs the herbs in a jar that she fills with apple cider vinegar and lets the mixture steep at room temperature for a couple of weeks. Then she drains the vinegar, packs it in decorative jars (empty wine bottles work well) and adds a sprig of the herb before corking or sealing. If you use purple basil to make the vinegar, it turns a pretty pink, she says.

The herb vinegar makes great gifts, she says.

It seems no matter what she cooks, Torrey adds a bit of fresh herbs. "Whenever I want a little snap I pick a little fresh and throw it in the pan."

She wouldn't think of cooking a chicken without flavoring it with thyme and rosemary as she does in her recipe for Roast Whole Chicken with Potatoes, Onions and Fresh Herbs.

Better yet, she plucks a few sprigs of delicate citrusy lemon thyme off a plant in her back yard to use in this recipe. "My whole yard is a garden, there's no grass," she says.

Even winter vegetables such as calabaza, pumpkin or butternut squash get great flavor when sauteed with a little honey and some rosemary, sage or parsley. Torrey serves Herbed Winter Squash as a side dish but suggests adding turkey sausage or chicken to make it a meal in a pan or serve it over pasta for a tasty vegetarian entree.

She also adds rosemary to roasted vegetables that she coats with oil and cooks at 375 degrees until tender and nicely browned on the outside. "You don't want to use too much rosemary because you can definitely overdo it. It has a strong flavor," she says.

Another favorite recipe of Torrey's is Beet Salad With Dill. This easy jewel-toned salad has wonderful fresh flavors and is loaded with vitamins. "I'm just starting to get to know this herb," she says as she experiments with it in her cooking.

Although supermarkets now carry a wide array of fresh herbs, there's no excuse for not growing your own. Especially in South Florida, Torrey says.

Herbs look decorative whether planted in the yard between other plants or placed in pots. Torrey prefers pots because she doesn't want her dogs_Big Al, a white German Shepherd; Herbie, a border collie mix named for the aromatic plants in her garden; and Katie, a black cocker spaniel_to trample them.

October through June are the best months for growing herbs outdoors or in pots in your garden or on a balcony. You can grow them through the summer, but you have to be sure the plants don't get too much sun and don't dry out, Torrey says.

When choosing plants for year round growing, avoid dill, cilantro and thyme, which do particularly poorly in summer.

To grow your own herbs, pick a spot that gets 4 to 8 hours of direct sun. Select deep pots that are 8 to 10 inches in diameter. Clay pots may look more decorative but they are porous and dry out faster than plastic ones. Fill the pots with good quality potting soil because herbs need to have good drainage.

"The main thing with herbs is you can't let them dry out," Torrey says. That means putting them near a sprinkler head or watering them regularly by hand to keep them evenly moist.

Torrey recommends placing the pots as near your door as possible so that when you are cooking it's easy to step outside and snip some.

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Just as you feed your family, you need to feed your herbs. Torrey recommends an organic product such as Black Hen or fish emulsions. But there's no need to go out of your way to buy special products. If you have any kind of plant feed on hand, just give it to your herbs. "They know what to do with it," she quips.

However, if it's a granular product, you need to feed the herbs every couple of months; if it's liquid, feed them every couple of weeks.

Most herbs, other than parsley, can be grown from seeds, but it's easier and faster to buy small plants. Basil and dill are particularly easy to grow from seeds.

When you harvest your herbs, cut the leaves from the bottom first on any plant that grows in sprigs from a center stem (parsley, cilantro). Other herbs (basil, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, oregano) that grow upward on central stems should be cut from the tips. Chives, however, should be cut from the bottom as you do grass, Torrey says.

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GROW YOUR OWN HERBS

Here are Donna Torrey's favorite herbs and how she suggests using them plus some growing tips:

Basil: There are many different types to consider including cinnamon ("spicy"), Thai ("spicier"), lemon basil (it "snaps") and purple ("beautiful"). Use in tomato sauces, soups with bean and tomato bases, chicken dishes, fresh salads, salad dressings and pesto. Also, basil doesn't like the cold so if it gets below 45 degrees, you should cover it or it will wilt. However, once the weather warms up it will probably perk up again, Torrey says. Basil tends to reseed itself so you don't need to keep replanting it.

Chives: These are very easy to grow. Garlic chives are a perennial with white flowers that tends to keep growing without needing to be replanted. These taste great with eggs on a Sunday morning, Torrey says. They grow better in South Florida than onion chives.

Cilantro/culantro: Cilantro grows well in the winter in warmer areas. But culantro grows year round and reseeds itself. Although they are not related, they have very similar flavors. Use in fresh salsa with tomatoes.

Dill: Doesn't grow well in summer but does fine in winter. Try it with beets.

Italian oregano: Tastes like marjoram to be used with chicken and in soups as well as tomato sauces.

Parsley: Fresh parsley is so much better than dried, Torrey says. Curley parsley grows better than Italian parsley in warmer areas, but it doesn't do well in summer. Add sprigs to green salads, use in chicken soup and in chicken dishes.

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Rosemary: Has a strong flavor that's good with roasted vegetables, lamb and chicken.

Sage: A must for the holiday turkey and stuffing but use all year with chicken and sauteed in butter it makes a simple but delicious pasta sauce, Torrey says. It's easy to grow from fall until spring.

Spearmint: Torrey uses it for tea, in mojitos and tabbouleh. "It's so refreshing and very easy to grow all year," she says, stipulating it grows best in cooler months.

Tarragon: With a licorice-like flavor it works well for making vinegar and is good in egg dishes, sauces (think bearnaise) and for roasting chicken. Easy to grow all year round.

Thyme: Doesn't grow well in summer in warmer areas. Distinct flavor that goes well with chicken, turkey and in soups. Caribbean cooks use it in bean recipes. Lemon thyme has a delicate lemon flavor.

Nasturtiums: OK, they aren't herbs but edible flowers. They grow well in the South Florida garden in the winter and into June. They only germinate when the temperature is under 70 degrees. Torrey recommends an Alaska Mix that grows in clumps in pots and hangs over the edge instead of being on a vine. "They are fun to grow and for kids to pick and eat," Torrey says. Just be sure to avoid pesticides.

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HERBED WINTER SQUASH

Donna Torrey's Tips: This makes a tasty side dish. Or, if you prefer, serve it over cooked pasta with grated Romano or parmesan cheese on top, as a tasty vegetarian entree. For a more robust dish, sliced cooked turkey sausage or leftover cooked chicken can also be added. Calabaza is easier to peel if you cut it into strips before trying to peel it.

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, sliced into half moons (See NOTE)

4 cups (˝-inch) cubes peeled calabaza, pumpkin or butternut squash

3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, sage or parsley

1 teaspoon sea salt, or more to taste

Fresh-ground black pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon honey

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced onions and cook 5 minutes until soft, fragrant and lightly browned.

Add squash cubes, herbs, salt and pepper. Stir to coat squash and cook, covered, over medium-low heat, stirring periodically, 15 minutes until fully tender. (As the squash simmers it will exude juices that will help to steam the squash. You don't want the liquid to evaporate too quickly so adjust the temperature accordingly.)

When the squash is tender, add the honey and mix gently to combine. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, 5 minutes before serving. Makes 4 servings.

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Per serving: 210 calories, 46 percent calories from fat, 11 grams total fat, 2 grams saturated fat, no cholesterol, 30 grams carbohydrates, 7 grams total fiber, 10 grams total sugars, 23 grams net carbs, 2 grams protein, 301 milligrams sodium.

NOTE: To cut an onion into half moons, slice in half from top to bottom. Lay one half on its cut side on a cutting board. Slice crosswise into half moons. Repeat with the other half.

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ROAST WHOLE CHICKEN WITH POTATOES, ONIONS AND FRESH HERBS

Donna Torrey's tip: This recipe is easy, but the herbs make it special. Serve with a simple salad adding fresh basil leaves to the mix of greens for even more flavor.

6 Yukon gold potatoes, cut in wedges

1 onion, cut in wedges

1 (6-inch) sprig fresh rosemary, needles removed from stem

1 teaspoon sea salt, divided

1 (3- to 4-pound) whole fresh chicken, organic if possible

2 tablespoons melted butter, optional

6 (3-inch) sprigs fresh thyme or lemon thyme

1 / 4 teaspoon paprika

2 tablespoons dry red wine

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place potatoes around outside of roasting pan and place onions in the center. Sprinkle vegetables with rosemary and 1 / 2 teaspoon salt. Wash the chicken and pat it dry with paper towels. Fill the breast cavity with thyme sprigs. Brush chicken with melted butter, if using. Rub remaining salt over outside of chicken. Sprinkle with paprika.

Place the chicken atop the onions in pan. Add wine to pan.

Bake about 1-Ľ to 1-ľ hours until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thigh meat registers 165 degrees, and the chicken is nicely browned. Remove from oven, tent with foil and let sit 10 minutes.

Cut the chicken into pieces and serve the meat, potatoes and onions with pan juices. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Per serving: 426 calories, 39 percent calories from fat, 18 grams total fat, 6 grams saturated fat, 105 milligrams cholesterol, 31 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams total fiber, 2 grams total sugars, 28 grams net carbs, 33 grams protein, 292 milligrams sodium.

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BEET SALAD WITH DILL

Donna Torrey's tip: After you trim off the beet greens, save them to use for another meal. You can saute or boil them. Or try chopping and adding them to soup. Don't waste them; they are loaded with vitamins. For gardeners, beet skins and cooking water can be composted.

3 fresh beets with tops, trimmed

Water

˝ sweet onion, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Sea salt, to taste

Place beets in a pot of water and bring to a boil. Cook 45 minutes until tender. Drain and run under cold water as you slip off their skins. Cut beets into 1-inch chunks and put in a clear bowl. Add the onions, dill, oil, vinegar and salt.

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Toss to mix well and serve at room temperature or chilled. (Will keep refrigerated for a two days.) Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Per serving: 50 calories, 64 percent calories from fat, 4 grams total fat, .5 grams saturated fat, no cholesterol, 4 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram total fiber, 3 grams total sugars, 3 grams net carbs, .6 grams protein, 27 milligrams sodium.

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MIMI'S SECRET TOMATO SAUCE

Donna Torrey's tip: This sauce goes well over pasta, meatballs, chicken, sausages, steak or whatever. "This is the best sauce ever," Torrey says.

2 (28-ounce) can crushed or pureed tomatoes

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

Water

1 small carrot, shredded

2 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

2 (1-ounce) bunches fresh basil, tough stems removed

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, sliced

6 cloves garlic, chopped

1 / 2 (2-ounce) can anchovies, drained

2 tablespoons dry red wine (can substitute water)

In a nonreactive large saucepan or Dutch oven, combine tomatoes, carrots, honey, salt and 1 bunch basil (left whole). Fill tomato paste can with water and add to tomato mixture. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer.

Meanwhile in a skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add onions and garlic and saute 5 minutes until golden. Add the second bunch of basil (whole) and cook until wilted. Add the anchovies and cook until they break apart. Put this mixture with the wine in a food processor fitted with the metal blade and use on/off pulses to chop (do not puree). Add to the tomato mixture. Continue to simmer 1 hour. Makes 10 cups.

Per (1 / 2 cup) serving: 66 calories, 33 percent calories from fat, 2 grams total fat, .3 gram saturated fat, .9 milligram cholesterol, 10 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams total fiber, 3 grams total sugars, 8 grams net carbs, 2 grams protein, 346 milligrams sodium.

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