Culinary Uses for Thyme
The information that follows is excerpted from a longer post: The Ultimate Guide to Thyme. For additional information about Thyme such as its cultivation, medicinal uses, or its uses through history, please click HERE to access the complete original post. Other individual sections are listed below:
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| Thyme with Olives and Feta Cheese |
Of course, aside from all its potential medicinal uses, thyme is best known for its culinary uses. Thyme has a leafy-green flavor, with a slight clove aftertaste. It is one of the commonly known "fines herbes" of French cuisine. This is a combination of finely chopped herbs that may include thyme, parsley, chervil, chives and other herbs that are used for flavoring soups, sauces, and other foods. Fines herbes can also be used as a garnish.
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| "Fines Herbes" |
Thyme is often found in "bouquets garnis", which is another herbal flavoring device utilized in French cuisine. In a bouquet garni, a small bundle of herbs that may include thyme, parsley, bay leaf, and other herbs are tied together in a cheesecloth bag and suspended in various dishes during the cooking process to flavor them. This bag is removed prior to serving the dish.
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| "Bouquet Garni" |
Leaves and sprigs of thyme can be used in salads and garnishes and is a staple ingredient of many clam chowder recipes. Thyme works well with many foods, including meats such as veal, lamb, poultry, fish, poultry stuffing, pates, and sausages. It combines well with other flavors, too, and is great in stews, soups, stocks, breads, herbed butters, herbal mayonnaise, flavored vinegars, mustards, and bean and lentil casseroles.
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| Grilled Ribs with Thyme |
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| Dried and Fresh Thyme |
The flavor of thyme blends well with lemon, garlic, and basil. It works great with many vegetables and cheese, too, including tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, carrots, eggplant, parsnips, leeks, mushrooms, asparagus, green beans, broccoli, sweet peppers, potatoes, spinach, corn, peas, and rice. It is a chief flavoring in many French omelets and pairs well with eggs in other dishes, too. Thyme is also one of the flavorings of Benedictine liqueur.
Culinary thyme is generally the upright varieties, including common thyme and lemon thyme. All thymes are edible, though, so any can be used in cooking. Some thyme varieties that you may wish to experiment with to see if they impart unique flavorings to your dishes include nutmeg thyme, caraway thyme, and silver-lemon thyme.
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| Thyme on Red Rice |
Throughout history, thyme is an herb that has played a significant role. It represented style and elegance to the early Greeks, chivalry in the Middle Ages, and the Republican spirit during the French Revolution. For us today, it is a wonderful flavoring agent with an interesting past. No matter how you choose to use thyme in your home, this simple herb packs a bunch of punch.
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| Thyme Soup |
Several recipes that have thyme as one of their ingredients are listed below. Click on their links to access the complete instructions.
Be sure to let me know how you use thyme in your home and feel free to share any recipes that call for thyme!
Peace and Love Always,
Sources:
"What Are The Health Benefits Of Thyme?". Medical News Today. N. p., 2016. Web. 20 Nov. 2016
Photo Credits:
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| Thyme, Garlic, and Oil |
Sources:
Bremness, Leslie. RD Home Handbook: Herbs. Pleasantville: Reader's Digest Association, 1990. Print.
Brown, Deni. The Herb Society of America Encyclopedia of Herbs and Their Uses. New York: Dorling Kindersley, 1995. Print.
Clevely, Andi, and Katherine Richmond. The Complete Book of Herbs. New York: Smithmark, 1994. Print.
Cunnningham, Scott. Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs. St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 1992. Print.
Gips, Kathleen. Flora's Dictionary: The Victorian Language of Herbs and Flowers . Chagrin Falls: TM Publications, 1995. Print.
"Health Benefits Of Thyme: Medicinal Uses Of A Favorite Herb". Natural Society. N. p., 2012. Web. 20 Nov. 2016.
Kowalchik, Claire, and William H. Hylton, eds. Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs . Emmaus: Rodale, 1987. Print.
Kruger, Anna. An Illustrated Guide to Herbs. Stamford: Longmeadow, 1993. Print.
"Medicinal Thyme - History And Modern Uses". NaturalNews Blogs. N. p., 2016. Web. 20 Nov. 2016.
"Medicinal Uses Of Thyme | Off The Grid News". Offthegridnews.com. N. p., 2016. Web. 20 Nov. 2016.
Shaudys, Phyllis. The Pleasure of Herbs. Pownal: Storey Communications, 1986. Print.
Shaudys, Phyllis V. Herbal Treasures. Pownal: Storey Communications, 1990. Print.
"Thyme Leaf Benefits ". Anniesremedy.com. N. p., 2016. Web. 20 Nov. 2016.
Photo Credits:
Culinary Uses for Thyme Background: Photo Credit: Vintage spoons and thyme on a napkin by fahrwasser
Thyme with Olives and Feta Cheese: Photo Credit: Greek cheese feta with thyme and olives by pronina_marina
Food Icons: Image Credit: Designed by Freepik
Fines Herbes: Photo Credit: http://www.mangersantebio.org/3714/les-fines-herbes-a-table-toute-lannee
Bouquet Garni: Photo Credit: http://www.hgtv.com/outdoors/flowers-and-plants/herbs/diy-bouquet-garni
Grilled Ribs with Thyme: Photo Credit: grilled ribs by Ruslan Mitin
Dried and Fresh Thyme: Photo Credit: http://www.cakesandmore.in/2012/02/microwave-dried-thyme-confessions-of.html
Benedictine Liqueur: Photo Credit: http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/d+o+m+benedictine+liqueur+normandy+france
Thyme on Red Rice: Photo Credit: Rice red with paprika and thyme by zia_shusha
Thyme Soup: Photo Credit: Soup, scissors, and thyme on white textile and background by Paige French
Thyme, Garlic and Oil: Photo Credit: Black wooden serving board with bunches of thyme, close-up by nickola_che
Culinary Uses for Thyme Background: Photo Credit: Vintage spoons and thyme on a napkin by fahrwasser
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