Filed under: Gardening, How-To
Marie Viljoen
I have been growing summer savory (Satureja hortensis) for three years. After the first flowering I never had to buy another plant, as it self seeds very easily and pops up all over my container garden. In May, I identify the seedlings, decide how many I want to keep, and weed the rest out ruthlessly. In mid-summer it makes pretty little white flowers which are irresistible to bees.
Summer savory in June. Photo: Marie Viljoen
For a flavor-popping herb sauce for grilled portobello mushrooms, chop a whole cup of fresh savory leaves -- you can use the tender stalks, too; add a crushed clove of garlic, and cook both very gently in about four tablespoons of butter. After five minutes, add a squeeze of lemon juice, cook another minute or so for it to caramelize a bit, and pour over grilled mushrooms just before eating. Try this sauce dribbled over a good steak, or over toasted pieces of sourdough bread, too, as an unconventional snack with drinks. Otherwise use summer savory as you might thyme: inside a roasting chicken, chopped up with some lemon zest as a fresh herb rub for ribs (in winter I use the seeds as part of a rub), or underneath a roasting leg of lamb.
Three stages of chicken paprikash. Photo: Marie Viljoen
Recently, when looking up summer savory's botanical name, I learned that this a favored herb in eastern Europe, featured prominently in Hungarian, Romanian and Bulgarian cooking. Ever since, I've included a few sprigs in my chicken paprikash recipe, taught to me by an ex-Hussar, in his late 80's. He did not use borsikafű in his recipe, but it is an excellent addition.
In late October, I collect what remains of my savory plants and dry them in the oven at a gentle 200 degrees. Then I strip the seeds and leaves to keep in a clean mason jar through the winter. I'm not much into dried herbs, but I fell in love with this one's intense, optimistic flavor and I include it in everything from those rubs for pork ribs to a table seasoning of the seeds, with salt and pepper. It has become an indispensable part of my culinary arsenal.
Summer savory seeds. Photo: Marie Viljoen
As with most herbs, summer savory wants full sun, six hours or more, and well-drained soil. It's a small plant, rounding out at about eight inches. One plant is not enough as the leaves are less concentrated than those of thyme, for instance, so at least three are necessary for regular use. After your first season, it'll be multiplying like rabbits.
This useful herb is not always available at nurseries, though it deserves to be, so you might have to buy your summer savory seeds online.