There are two main varieties, winter savory and summer savory. Summer savory is milder in taste than the winter savory.
Savory, none of the two varieties, is not recommended for pregnant women.
Savory goes well with beans, peas and lentils and it is known as the bean herb in some areas in Europe.
Winter Savory is a small leaf, stiff steamed sub-shrub, similar to thyme in appearance. It produces pale purple to pink flowers in June.
Summer Savory is a half hardy annual that produces one widely branching stem. It has small leafy clusters of lilac, pink, or white in the summer. It has narrow leaves and a hot, spicy scent.
Summer savory will add spice to your favorite meats and vegetables. It's used to make sausages and stuffing.
Use winter savory sparingly in soups, meat or fish dishes. Winter savory enhances flavors in beans, peas and lentils.
Sow summer savory in late April, thinning and pinching off the shoots to encourage bushiness. You can uproot the entire plant to dry and use in the winter. During the summer, cut and dry the stems before flowering.
Use summer savory for the stuffed pork roast recipe and winter savory for the roasted zucchini.
Stuffed Pork Roast recipe
5 lbs round pork roast
1 large carrot, same length as roast
2-3 medium onions, chopped fine
2 Tbs dried parsley (or 4 Tbs fresh parsley)
1 Tbs mustard (add a little dry mustard also)
salt and pepper
½ teaspoon sage
½ teaspoon summer savory
For the Stuffing: Mix the onions, herbs and spices with mustard.
Cut an "X" in the lengthwise center of the roast. Press stuffing into the meat using the carrot. Leave the carrot in.
If using an oven, place roast in a roasting pan, with some water and onions, and same spices as above to add flavor while roasting. Roast for 2½ hours at 350° F.
Roasted zucchini recipe
1 lb zucchini, each cut lengthwise twice, and then cut in half across the middle
1 Tbsp fresh minced garlic clove
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp herbes de Provence
For the herbes de Provence: mix together crushed dried leaves of winter savory, thyme, rosemary, basil, tarragon, and lavender flowers.
Preheat oven to 450° F. Place a rack on the top position in the oven.
Place the zucchini pieces on a cookie sheet, with the skin down.
Mix the garlic in with oil in a small bowl. Brush garlic oil over the entire zucchini pieces. Place in the heated oven on the top rack. Bake 5 minutes, zucchini should be starting to brown, if not, allow to bake, checking ever 2-3 minutes until light browning. Remove one piece and test for how done they are. The zucchini should be cooked, not mushy. Remove from oven and place in a bowl.
Mix in herbes de Provence and sprinkle over the baked zucchini. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Savory substitution - if a recipe calls for savory and you don't have it, substitute 1 Tbs chopped fresh savory with:
- 1 tsp dried savory
- 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme + 1 tsp chopped fresh mint - varies the flavor
- 1-2 tsp chopped fresh sage - flavor varies
- 1 tsp dried herbs de Provence - adds other flavors.
The best way to appreciate its spicy flavor is cooking with the food, not adding it to the end of the cooking time as most herbs.
Use savory in the way you would use sage. Use savory to condiment salads and stewed vegetables or potatoes. Savory goes well with poultry and game birds.
Savory also goes well in a salad, to flavor tomatoes or green leaves.
