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Thanks to all customers for sharing your thoughts on our nursery
on Google, Facebook and Yelp. "Love this place," wrote Kellyn
Leanne Smith on
Facebook. "The people are awesome and you find
many interesting plants you can't find at your run-of-the-mill garden
center!" We appreciate it, Kellyn.
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Footage of the 'haze' of purple martins at the Wells Fargo by
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Central Texas Gardener (KLRU-TV): Therapist Billy Lee Myers
Jr. talks about how gardening affects our well-being. On tour, a
visit to the beautiful gardens of Kati & David Timmons. Saturday
Cuban Oregano: Herb of a Thousand Names
by Mick Vann
Cuban oregano (Plectranthus amboinicus), is known as “the herb
of a thousand names”: orégano brujo in Cuba and Puerto Rico,
Indian borage, Mexican mint, Mexican or Spanish thyme, broad-
leaf thyme, allherb, húng chanh in Vietnam, big thyme in Grenada,
“queen of herbs”, and panikoorka in Kerala.
Medicinally it is used for treating sore throats, coughs, and con-
gestion, relief of rheumatism and flatulence, lactation stimulation, etc.
Native to southern and eastern Africa, it grows all over the tropics
worldwide and comes in two versions: a green and white varie-
gated variety, and a solid jade-green variety.
The leaves are succulent and thick and can get quite large (3” x 3”).
The raw taste is bitter and somewhat peppery, while cooking it
mellows, deepens, and sweetens the flavor. The fragrance is like
an assertive cross between oregano and sage, with a tinge of thyme.
In the kitchen it is used in Vietnamese and Indonesian soups,
Jamaican jerk sauces and marinades, and in India whole leaves are
battered and fried and eaten with chutney.
They love it in Cuba, sautéing it with garlic before adding it to a pot
of black beans cooked with bay and cilantro. Cuban roast pork lechon
sandwiches often use a garlic mayonnaise flavored with Cuban
oregano. They use it with pork, lamb, and goat.
It goes into meat and chicken stuffings, and Cuban picadillo features
the herb, along with onions, garlic, tomatoes, apples, and almonds.
For a great salad dressing or marinade try 2 teaspoons minced Cuban
oregano with a quarter cup of cider vinegar, a cup of olive oil, 3
cloves of minced garlic, a dash of Worcestershire sauce, a pinch of
sugar, and salt and pepper.
It is used in the commercial food trade; if you see the term “oregano-
flavored” on a label, it probably refers to Cuban oregano.
To grow Cuban oregano, consider it evergreen in Zones 10-11, but it
really doesn’t care for the cold; it does okay in a pot through the winter,
but cut back on the water and make sure it gets excellent drainage.
The foliage is attractive, and looks great in a hanging basket. It has
tubular, lipped blooms in lilac-pink, mauve, or white.
It prefers moderately fertile soil that drains well, and likes dappled
light or morning sun; grown indoors it prefers bright light with shade
from direct sun. It is relatively pest-free but can get the occasional
spider mite or mealybug, which can be blasted off with a strong
stream of water. (Cuban oregano at the nursery: 4.5" pots for $3.59)
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Cuban Black Beans
by Mick Vann
1 lb. Goya black beans, soaked in water overnight in refrigerator to soften, drained
3 tablespoons olive oil
¾ pound garlic sausage, sliced thinly (Johhny G’s makes excellent local sausage)
1 large onion, diced
1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded, diced
4 large garlic cloves, peeled, diced
2 teaspoons minced Cuban oregano
2 quarts chicken or pork stock
2 quarts hot water
2 dried bay leaves
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
½ teaspoon cider vinegar
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Minced Cuban oregano and scallion for garnish
Cooked white rice for service (optional)
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In a 6 to 8-quart stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and
sauté the sausage until browned. Remove the sausage to drain on a
paper towel and add the sofrito (onions, bell pepper, garlic) and
sauté 3 minutes. Add the Cuban oregano and sauté another 30
seconds. Add the reserved sausage, soaked and drained beans, the
stock, and the water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and
simmer the beans for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until beans
are soft but not mushy. It may be necessary to add a little water as the
beans cook down. Carefully season the beans with salt and pepper,
tasting after each addition. Serve in a bowl and garnish with a little
bit of minced Cuban oregano and scallion. Do not overdo the raw
Cuban oregano. To make the dish into “Moros Y Cristianos,” a
popular Cuban New Year’s Day good luck dish, serve the beans
over white rice.
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Mick Vann: food writer, cookbook author, restaurant consultant,
horticulturist.
Visit the website:
www.itsaboutthyme.com
