Q&A for How to Match Herbs and Spices to Vegetables

Sweet potatoes are versatile and can be cooked many ways. You can use butter and cinnamon sugar and maybe even a little ginger for a sweeter dish; or maybe garlic, black pepper and oregano or rosemary for a more savory one. They'll work with just about anything you can think of.

It's mostly up to personal preference and it depends on what kind of sweet thing you're making. Basil can work well with things like strawberries, sometimes black pepper is good in sweet things too. For the most part though, I think you'd want to use things like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and maybe cardamom.

Maybe rosemary or basil. Just zucchini and sage sounds like a tasty combination already, though.

Fennel works well with leeks, tomatoes and gourds, among other vegetables.

I make my vegetable soup with bay leaves and thyme usually. Start with a good base of onion, carrot, celery and garlic sweated. If you want just vegetables and no meat, you can add mushrooms that have been well caramelized to give umami. Otherwise, add chicken stock and other vegetables in cooking order. Add the stems from parsley or some chopped parsley at the end. We always serve soup with chopped parsley or cilantro, chopped fresh hot pepper and lime. Dry oregano can be added, depending on the soup.

Stuffing is good with sage, salt, pepper, hot pepper flakes, garlic onions, and celery. Thyme is a good addition as well.

Bok choy, carrots, or Daikon radishes will work. Fennel stalks or cardoon can also be used but they need to be cooked much longer.

No. It will take a little longer, but how much longer will depend on if you've used a larger pan or split it into two or more pans. Check it every few minutes after the normal cook-time until it looks done.

Cilantro goes well with sautéed corn! I also enjoy mixing garlic, diced tomato, and cilantro with fresh corn sautéed in butter.

You could try ground flax seeds, which are highly nourishing, or ground bran (like Grape-Nuts; not bran flakes, which have too much sugar).

Cloves or allspice would often work in place of those spices. However, there is no exact substitute for ginger, especially if cinnamon is off the cards. Use cloves sparingly as they are very strong in flavor.

If you are blending the soup, toast a couple of teaspoons in a dry pan over a medium heat, and add it after you have blended the soup. If you're keeping the vegetables whole, then you can either toast the cumin powder and add it about five minutes before serving (the earlier you add it, the less you will taste it).

Green beans can be matched with the following herbs: Parsley, thyme, sage, rosemary and basil. Other lesser known herbs such as savory will also match well.

Herbs that match well with celery include: Mint, oregano, basil, cilantro, marjoram, rosemary, sage, chives, parsley and thyme.