Brad's:

Latin name: Thymus vulgaris

Common names: Thyme, woolly thyme, lemon thyme and English thyme

History: Greek poets and scholars wrote of the wonderfully scented thyme and the Greeks used springs of thyme as sweet-burning incense in their temple prior to thyme being used as a culinary herb.  It wasn't until the 12th Century that the English began using thyme extensively in their cooking, primarily for fish.

Growing: Thyme is best grown from seed indoors or under glass outdoors.  Thyme requires very little care but does require plenty of sun and the soil needs to be well drained, dry and preferably sandy.  It is best to plant new Thyme plants every two years.

Uses: To dry Thyme, tie the cut stems into loose bundles.  Hang them in a shady, airy spot.  When dry, the leaves may be stripped by hand or stored in tightly covered containers.  Use Thyme not only in cooking, but also as an aromatic by boiling in water.  The flowers may be dried separately and put into potpourri, sachets and tea. The sprigs of older plants may be used as kabob skewers by stripping the leaves from the sprig and soaking the sprigs in water for about 15 minutes before using.

Comments from Your Host,   Brad

Thyme is member of the mint family.  With over 400 varieties of Thyme, this is a wonderfully flavorful and multi-faceted herb.  Just laying a few springs across fish or lamb chops will infuse the flavor just enough to give you the hint of Thyme.

Recipes using Thyme:

Bouquet Garni

Beef Stew

Herbed Pork Roast

Lobster Bisque

Chicken Broth

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I would appreciate your passing it on!