WHEN IT comes to seasoning and flavouring foods, the leaves of eschallot, thyme, basil and other such herbs can turn a simple dish into an unforgettable masterpiece. Although this is more a column about gardening than about cooking, the two activities intersect ever so often; and that intersection is most palatable when cultivation of culinary herbs and their use in preparing, cooking and flavouring foods come under consideration. Hmmmmm!
Eschallot, thyme and basil are well known to most Guyanese housewives and cooks. But how about dill?
Dill is the name of an herb that can make your cooking look and taste like the handiwork of a genius. In other words, dill makes food unforgettable.
Dill, whose scientific name is Anethum Graveolens, is a member of the carrot family, and is an erect, freely branching, annual herb with finely dissected, lacy, blue/green foliage.
To the fortunate few Guyanese cooks in the know, dill leaves and seeds are a tasty flavouring for fish, lamb, new potatoes and peas, whether fresh, frozen or dried. Dill is also the principal flavouring in pickles, and is used to add zest to both potato and egg salads, even as it flavours vinegars and sauces for fish.
Dill goes well with cabbage and other boiled vegetables. Often, the seeds are used for these purposes, but the leaves serve equally well. Fresh dill leaves provoke excitement in salads, and add a new dimension to delicious broiled fish. Dill should, however, be used at the end of cooking, because that process will destroy most of its flavour.
And this herb can be grown and kept for culinary purposes in just a little space in your own garden.

Naturalized citizen
Native originally to southwestern Asia, dill is now naturalized in many parts of Europe and the northern US. Dill is a very popular flavouring in northern, central and eastern European countries.
Dill is almost indispensable in Russian and Scandinavian cooking. In India, ‘Sowa’ dill, which is more pungent than the European and American varieties, is an essential ingredient in curries.
Mr. Hans Neher, local horticulturalist, says: “We love dill; we have them at the # 1 Plant Shop.”
Dill is tolerant of most climatic conditions, and is easy to germinate, so it causes few problems for novice gardeners.
The soil should be prepared by digging to a spade-and-a-half depth, because the long tap roots of the dill need to be able to grow without hitting solid soil. Plant harvesting time is eight weeks after sowing.
The dill plant grows about 3-5 ft (0.9-1.5 m) tall, and sometimes gets top-heavy and falls over.
The flowers are yellow, and are borne in large, rounded, compound, umbrella-like clusters in which all their stems originate from the same point on stiff, hollow stems.
All parts of the dill plant are strongly aromatic.

Recipe of the Week…
A highly f(l)avoured dill dish
This classic chicken soup has celery, carrots, onions, garlic, and rice. Sherry wine adds depth, but may be omitted.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Ingredients:
•4 medium celery ribs, sliced (about 2 cups)
•4 large carrots, sliced (about 2 cups)
•2 medium onions, chopped (about 1 cup)
•1 tablespoon olive oil
•4 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
•3 quarts of chicken stock with roasted vegetables
•4 halves of chicken breast, with ribs cooked and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
•2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill weed
•½ cup dry sherry wine
•2 cups uncooked long-grain white rice
•Salt and freshly-ground pepper

Preparation:
In a large pot, cook celery, carrots, and onions in olive oil until soft and beginning to brown. Add garlic, and cook for 5 minutes.
Pour chicken stock into pot; let simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.
Add the cooked chicken pieces to the pot. Add dill, sherry wine, and rice to pot. Cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes more. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

For growing your own Dill, contact the # 1 Plant Shop in Sheriff Street (Tel# 227 8094).