What are the herbs de provence used for?
I kinda recall hearing this on a cooking show, but don't remember the details. Nancy

We like to sprinkle it on steaks when we grill them. Very nice!

According to one of the TV cooking shows, the recipe is 2 tablespoons each of dried savory, rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, marjoram, and fennel seed.

Thanks tempusflits, for the suggested amounts of herbs. Apparently you can use any number of combinations if herbs.

This what P Allen Smith had to say about herbes de Provence:

"Herbes de Provence is an essential ingredient in my summer kitchen. The flavor is a natural fit with so many of the dishes of the season. Mixed with olive oil, Herbes de Provence is perfect for roasted chicken or potatoes. I love to sprinkle it over homegrown tomatoes with salt, pepper and a little feta cheese.

This herb blend originates in Provence, France, down in the southwest near Italy. It is an assortment of herbs that reflect the traditional, native herbs commonly used by cooks from this region. Common herbs are thyme, fennel, sage, summer savory, rosemary, coriander, basil, anise, mint and tarragon. Lavender is sometimes added to the blend, especially here in the U.S.

Traditional cooks in the region don't have a "mix". Instead they use the herbs as needed to suit their tastes. Spice wholesalers are responsible for the dried blends commonly found in stores.

You can easily prepare Herbes de Provence with the herbs growing in your garden. During the summer months use them fresh as a bouquet garni for soup or stew. The traditional French bouquet garni is a small "bundle" of herbs tied together with cotton string or put into a sachet or tea strainer and added to the recipe. This method makes the removal of the herbs much easier before serving the dish. It is usually comprised of parsley, thyme and a bay leaf but you won't stray from tradition if you just use what you prefer. Herbes de Provence are also delicious chopped and sprinkled over any number of fresh veggies.

Be sure to prepare a dried blend at the end of the growing season to use during fall and winter.

My Herbes de Provence recipe includes sweet marjoram, thyme, sweet basil, rosemary and lavender. In addition to tasting great, these herbs are some of the easiest to grow."

I hope this information is helpful to those who have not used herbes de Provence.

jude

Thanks for the inspiration, Jude. I tend to use one or two herbs at a time in my cooking, but I may experiment with this. I've certainly heard the blend called for in French recipes. The inclusion of oregano surprises me, and I've never cooked with lavender. Time for new cooking adventures, I think.

I've never cooked with lavender either, other than putting it in sugar to flavor it. I have bunches of recipes using it. Most are probably desserts and I don't make desserts that much. I know there's lavender jelly and lavender ice cream but haven't tried either.

I would think that rosemary has such a strong taste a person might not want to put as much of it into a mix until you tasted it. You're right, it is time for new cooking adventures......and experimenting until you find the mix that's right for you.

jude

Here's a recipe:

1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon savory
1/2 teaspoon lavender flowers
1/2 teaspoon oregano or basil
1/4 teaspoon sage

Combine all ingredients. Add some to butter, to soups, on potatoes, on rice, pasta, fish and bread. Rub some on an oiled chicken and roast as usual. Cut up red, yellow and green capsicums, eggplant, zucchini, squash, leeks (shallots or any onion) into bite sized pieces. Pour a little olive oil over and sprinkle on 2 teaspoons of the mixture. Stir to mix the oil and herbs evenly. Bake at 200�C for 15-20 minutes.

Proportions will be the same whether you're using fresh or dried herbs to make the blend. Mind you, it's not written in stone that you HAVE to use these proportions! Experiment.

Make sure you use the flowers of Lavandula angustofolius (English lavender) - not the camphory-flavoured French or Italian varieties.

I'm not a big fan of basil in herbes de Provence but I do recommend mint. While it is generally not considered "authentic" the addition of lavender has a slight astringency offering a certain je ne sais quoi. Lots of info on the blend at the link below with several recipes for the blend and recipes using it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Herbes de Provence Recipes

Fresh or dried? What is your preference? I'm thinking of making some up as late xmas gifts! Nancy