Most of the fruits and vegetables that appear in our grocery stores these days are the products of a long history of agriculture, and many do not even closely resemble their wild counterparts. In many cases, they are more edible, but much of their nutrient and phytochemical value has been lost. In her article, Breeding the Nutrition Out of Our Food, Jo Robinson discusses why this has happened, and how we can begin to recoup the losses. One simple way is to eat more herbs!
"Herbs are wild plants incognito. We’ve long valued them for their intense flavors and aroma, which is why they’ve not been given a flavor makeover. Because we’ve left them well enough alone, their phytonutrient content has remained intact".
Here is a two delicious recipes that I love from Yotam Ottolenghi that incorporate a healthy dose of herbs:
For those of you following the low FODMAP diet, herbs are a wonderful way to add flavor when you can't use garlic and onion! (For the recipes above, substitute with garlic oil, brown rice or quinoa for the grains, and omit the cashews or substitute with another nut)