| Fennel | | | | Cooking and serving |
| Used for soothing indigestion and wind, fennel has a | | | | Pierce the skin of a joint of lamb and poke in some |
| pleasant aniseed-like taste and has been an ingredient | | | | rosemary sprigs before roasting. Add dried rosemary |
| in baby's gripe water. Fennel is among the seeds | | | | to burger mixtures and to meat marinades and |
| chewed after an Indian meal to aid digestion and | | | | casseroles. |
| therefore makes a good digestive herbal - or bedtime | | | | Sage |
| - tea. Studies have shown it to be antispasmodic, | | | | This herb is used to treat menopausal symptoms such |
| explaining why it helps stop digestive spasms or gripes. | | | | as sweating and hot flushes. Its traditional use for |
| Cooking and serving | | | | insomnia and anxiety has been supported by research |
| Fresh fennel is excellent in fish dishes, especially those | | | | into its major constituent thujone which has a calming |
| that are steamed or poached. Also good with | | | | and antispasmodic effect. It is also used as a |
| potatoes - try it in potato salad. | | | | treatment for memory problems. |
| Parsley | | | | Cooking and serving |
| Traditionally a herbal 'blood cleanser' and diuretic, | | | | Sage and onions are a classic combination with |
| parsley is a great source of coumarins - a variety of | | | | sausage meat for making excellent stuffing. Less well |
| phytochemicals (natural plant substances) that are still | | | | known is the fact that sage works well with apple in |
| used in modern medicines to thin the blood and reduce | | | | pork dishes, and with sautéed or casseroled |
| the risk of heart disease and strokes. | | | | liver. |
| Cooking and serving | | | | Thyme |
| Add lots of dried or chopped fresh parsley to fish | | | | In folklore, thyme is the 'longevity' herb; not surprising |
| cakes, soups and salads - and liquidise in smoothies. | | | | since scientific studies have associated the traditional |
| Parsley is essential for Tabbouleh, the Middle Eastern | | | | Mediterranean diet (where thyme is eaten daily) with |
| bulgur wheat salad that consists of chopped mint, | | | | longer, healthier lives. Medical herbalists use the herb as |
| spring onions and is dressed with olive oil and lemons. | | | | an antibacterial and 'expectorant' for helping loosen |
| Rosemary | | | | phlegm in colds. |
| Probably because of its antioxidant content, rosemary | | | | Cooking and serving |
| has traditionally been used as a tonic and energy | | | | Add to meat marinades and sprinkle over tomatoes, |
| booster. Like sage it is currently being researched as a | | | | peppers and courgettes before grilling or roasting to |
| potential 'memory herb' for possible use in early stages | | | | serve Mediterranean style vegetables. Add to diced |
| of dementia. In traditional herbal medicine rosemary has | | | | onions and sauté as a basis for Bolognese |
| been used to improve memory and mental | | | | sauces or shepherd's pie and mince recipes. |
| performance. | | | | |