Garden Thyme
Truffles are fleshy, edible, potato-shaped ascomycetous fungi that grow underground. Most highly prized as delicacies and very expensive to buy are four species of the genus Tuber; namely T. melanosporum, the black truffle of Perigord, France, and the less aromatic. T. aestivum, T. brumale, and T. magnatum. Choiromyees meandriformis and Terfezia leonis from the family Terfeziaceae are highly prized as well.
The best quality seasoning is obtained from the black truffle which grows in the oak woods of southern France and northern Italy. Of all the edible truffles it is the most prized for its flavour.
The principal component of the volatile oil of thyme is thymol, which gives the herb its characteristic aroma and is responsible for its medicinal action. Thyme oil is a component of cough medicines and thyme’ is also added to toothpastes, mouthwashes and soaps, not only for its pleasant fragrance but also for its antiseptic properties.
Wild thyme is best distinguished from garden thyme by the flowers, which are stalked and arranged in dense panicles, whereas those of garden thyme are arranged in cymes.
Truffles were a great delicacy in ancient Rome, where they were shipped in large quantities from north Africa. The Romans roasted them or cooked them in red wine and ate them with olive oil. They were also used to flavour pts and stuffings. In the Middle Ages they were believed to stimulate sensuality.
The seeds germinate very rapidly and the seedlings may be used in winter to make a tasty and refreshing salad, the same as the seedlings of garden cress or mustard. Fenugreek grows best in a sunny location in a well drained sandy soil with ample lime. The seeds should be sown in spring directly in the ground where the plants are to grow and the seedlings thinned later on. The whole plants are harvested when about two-thirds of the pods are ripe and arranged in bunches to further ripen and dry. After this the seeds are hulled and dried. The seeds contain up to 3% mucilages, which are used in the pharmaceutical industry and to give a finish to cloth in the textile industry.
