White Hat: Green Thumb!

The ‘pitch’

One man’s chore is another man’s indulgence, the main difference being our attitude to the procedure and the results we gain from it (washing the car, off to the gym anyone?). So how do you pitch the prospect of growing your own herbs to a busy head chef (averaging 12 hours a day) for use in their commercial kitchen? Dan Hunter, head chef of The Royal Mail Restaurant in Dunkeld, Victoria (winner of the 2010 AHA Award for Best Restaurant: Country) says, “It’s important to factor in the enjoyment you can get from growing these plants”, and as for the costs? “Compare a bunch of herbs for $3 to a packet of 200 seeds for $3”. Okay, so now we have the attention of our Italian readers—there is a savings to be had!

Speaking of Italians, we approached Geoff Hudson from The Italian Gardener (www.theitaliangardener.com.au) who explains, “Herbs start to lose flavor and appearance immediately after they have been picked”. So what, we ask, are the advantages to growing your own? “They are always fresh and consistent. You know their origins. The ability to pick your own herbs is a great advantage. Farmer’s market produce is good and will last a week or so, but supermarket herbs can sit in a cool room for weeks. There is no wastage and the flavours are more pungent, so you use less of the produce”. Bells ringing yet?

Sowing seeds: Annuals & Perennials

Simply put, perennials are plants that last more than two years whilst annuals germinate and flower and die all within a year (or a season). This distinction might help you structure the arrangement of your pots or garden. Hudson suggests chefs begin with perennials such as sage, thyme and oregano or annuals like basil, parsley, coriander, dill, chives and chervil (all so good for taste and garnish). Dan Hunter suggests getting started with those used commonly, such as parsley (annual) or thyme, sage and rosemary (perennials). Although—if you excuse my pragmatism— why not cultivate the herbs you’re already using to define your own comparison?

We talked to Frances Jackson, the general manager of Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens, who explains that annuals (such as basil and dill) require a lot of water and a lot of sun. For those who wish to cultivate their own quality herbs, you will need to be able to access as much sun as possible; a minimum of ¾ day (or 6-8 hours) in open sun is preferred or difficulties may arise. Hence, a rooftop terrace, Jackson says—for urban restaurants— is ideal.

Herbs to avoid

Hudson says, “They are all worth giving a go, it’s just annuals need more work as they need to be replanted each year”, whilst Hunter’s word of advice is, “Stay away from mint, as it will tend to take over a garden. Tropical herbs can be difficult if you live in the South. Frost can be difficult for things like Coriander, but the worst thing you can do is to allow any herbs to go to seed”. On this, Jackson reiterates, “the challenge with all herbs is to stop the plant from flowering”. By tip-pruning, or picking leaves by hand and cutting above the node, you can avoid this. “Flowering is only a problem with annuals not for perennials”, she says, “and thyme and Rosemary require good drainage so they don’t get wet feet”.

Note on irrigation: when planting, use water crystals in the potting mix. They create a good reservoir and keep your potting mix damp. Don’t allow your soil to dry out, keep moist. Some herbs wilt faster than others and may require more frequent watering, particularly during hot weather, and if grown in containers. Herbs bounce back from wilting, but try to avoid it.

Specifics to get started

In most cases, for herbs to be grown at a restaurant, pots can be accommodated more readily than the space required for a garden. For commercial use, the medium sized pot (400mm diameter) is recommended and square pots are more spatially efficient. There is no advantage to using bigger pots. “No more than four plants per pot”, says Jackson, “plants compete for space, and any more means they won’t grow as well, but Rosemary only needs one plant per pot”.

“Perennials”, she says, “need a good potting mix and a complete fertilizer (plant food that contains all three primary nutrient elements: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) such as Osmocote®. For commercial kitchens, stay away from using ‘poo pellets’– which can be a health problem. Use a coated fertilizer pellet instead”.

When planting, seedlings are recommended over seeds but if you can’t get seedlings, cultivate your own seedlings from seeds, and transplant them into those rooftop pots you have selected for your ‘garden’. The main reason being, that not all seeds grow to seedling stage so it’s best not to gamble on your allotted commercial pot space. The flipside to this though, Hudson says, is that “Many good varieties are not available in Australia, such as the Italian heirlooms produced by Franchi”. So to really ‘roll up your sleeves’ in the cultivation of your own flavours, commit to nurturing seeds into seedlings and access the forty odd varieties of herbs (some with over 200 years of pedigree) with the click of a button at The Italian Gardner website. Pretty good value for an average spend of $4.50. Maggy Beer is a fan, saying “Some of my favorite meals have come from produce grown from seeds from the Italian Gardener… the result is exactly what I remember seeing in markets in Tuscany”.

Can the customer taste the difference?

Hudson says “The difference in quality is enormous, it’s a total graduation from supermarket to good supplier to growing your own. You are guaranteed consistency of flavor so will always know the intensity and will generally use less. There is no waste, and they are on hand always”.

The ‘customer question’ here is tricky. Do we want our customers to taste the difference? Or will we temper the intensity of these herbs in our alround balancing of flavour? Like any outstanding produce—especially a vibrant herb—your customer will notice its flavour and presentation if used well. Yet, the crux of BISTRO’s investigation has been aimed more at unearthing the benefits to growing herbs that the chef and her kitchen might gain, which the customer will also gain by default.

To grow your own herbs simply to cut costs might not be the best approach; some patience and care is required to nurture nature. However, to grow herbs in order to regain a tighter rein on your menu—its flavours and commercial engineering—at the same time as reaping those soothing rewards that a spot of pottering in the garden is known to bring (to either chef or their apprentice!), is perhaps the best way to gain the ultimate satisfaction of the endeavor.

Step by step

• Assess current herb budget (and fridge space) for comparison
• Determine perennial/annual prospect for your chosen herbs (and best care instructions)
• Order seeds (The Italian Gardner) to rear as seedlings and start planning your ‘garden’
• Or, purchase seedlings to plant 4 per 400mm square pot in sundrenched roof or alcove
• Use water crystals, potting mix and complete [coated] fertilizer such as Osmocote®.
• Water seedlings and tip-prune by hand as you go, cutting above the node.
• Factor in 20-30 minutes care per day for your ‘free’ herbs (after set-up costs)

Convinced? Tempted to turn your hand? Below are two websites with more information.

The Italian Gardner

http://www.theitaliangardener.com.au/

Botanic Gardens Trust, Sydney Australia

http://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/plant_info/Plants_for_gardens/growing_herbs

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“If you are a chef that knows nothing about fairly diverse herbs, you ain’t no chef that I want to know!” An exuberant Jamie Oliver on the MasterChef Invention Test, Sunday 20th June 2010.