Taste the World: Herbes de Provence

Taste the World is a collaboration between the Scarsdale Library and Apiary at the Library.  Each month we will provide a small amount of a different spice or spice blend from a different part of the world.  Cook with the spice and join us for a Zoom discussion of what we each made.  Participants will share tips, recipes and opinions of how their sampling the spices went. 

In June we will be cooking with Herbes de Provence. 

Herbes de Provence, an essential component of French and Mediterranean cooking, is a mixture of dried herbs that adds a distinctive flavor to dishes such as chicken, roasted vegetables, grilled fish, salads, tomato-based soups, and stews like ratatouille.

Herbes de Provence originated in the southeastern region of France, where summertime herbs are plentiful and used in daily cooking. But it only became familiar in America during the 1970s, after Julia Child began teaching home chefs around the world about French cooking. At this time, commercial varieties of the mixture began popping up in grocery stores, making the herb mixture more accessible. While you can purchase herbes de Provence in most supermarkets, it's just as easy to make your own. Plus, you can adjust the amounts and ingredients according to personal taste.

There are many herbs (and spices) that can collectively be called herbes de Provence, but the basic recipe includes fennel, marjoram, parsley, rosemary, tarragon, and thyme. Other recipes include (or omit) basil, bay leaves, savory, chervil, sage, oregano, mint, and lavender. (From Spruce Eats with a recipe to make your own).

Here are a few sources for recipes using the spice mixture:

Here's How Herbes de Provence Can Make All Your Food Taste Like France

25 Recipes Using Herbes de Provence (Taste of Home)

Food52 recipes

You will receive an email when your kit is ready to be picked up.  

You will receive an email with the Zoom link approximately an hour before the discussion starts.