Take a look at our latest Scotherbs news stories and see which events we will be attending soon.
Scottish Food Fest - Sunday 21st September 2008
Scotherbs will be at the Scottish Food Festival in Cochrane Park, Alva on Sunday 21st September 2008 exhibiting with around 50 other Scottish food and drink companies.
The Scottish Food Fest will be the culmination of Scottish Food Fortnight, an annual programme of events established to raise awareness of the quality and variety of food and drink on offer from Scottish producers and to change the habits of Scottish consumers in terms of what we eat and where we buy from.
The Scottish Food Fest will be open to visitors from 12pm to 6pm and includes demonstrations from the country’s leading chefs, activities for children and their families and live entertainment from the Central FM road show.
Further details can be found at
www.scottishfoodfortnight.co.uk
Purple Basil is Pick of the Crops for Antioxidant Qualities
Those looking to boost their antioxidant intake should look no further than the delicious herb, purple basil. Basils in general have all been found to contain high levels of the essential oils contributing to antioxidant qualities but the purple has been found to pack more of a nutritional punch when it comes to fighting free radicals in the body.
A buzz word in modern health and nutrition, antioxidants are chemicals in plants and plant extracts which protect us from free radicals in the atmosphere, so called because they assist in preventing the radicals causing oxygen based damage to cells. The consumption of antioxidants has been strongly linked to the prevention of various diseases and is proven to be an important part of an optimal diet.
Experts say, “The deeper the colour, the healthier it is.” which certainly applies to fruits and vegetables such as blueberries, kale and beets, all nutrient packed foods. The same seems to be true with basil. An unusual variation of the peppery leaf normally associated with Italian cooking, purple basil can offer twice as much antioxidant benefit than its paler, green sibling. Scientific studies have shown that herbs in general are a concentrated source of antioxidants and an additional three sprigs per portion of salad can be enough to make a difference to the body.
Purple basil can be used in a variety of ways to up antioxidant intake. In salads, soups, sandwiches and as part of main meals, a handful of chopped purple basil will not only add colour and taste but will be a valuable source of nutrition too. Purple basil pesto, is becoming a very popular alternative to the traditional green as consumers become more willing to experiment with the unknown.
Not a commonly available herb, purple basil is still a well kept secret in foodie circles, which can only be kept for so long. The benefits, versatility and taste of this unique Mediterranean gem will no doubt propel it to become a mainstay in the diet of nutrient conscious consumers for a long time to come.
Rosemary Enjoying a Renaissance for the Barbeque
With British summer time in full swing, the Mediterranean garden herb Rosemary is enjoying a renaissance as a valuable addition to the back yard barbeque. As a plant, Rosemary is an attractive and easy to maintain shrub which performs a duty as a natural repellent of a variety of insects and garden pests and its uses in barbequing are many and varied.
Managing Director of Scotherbs, Fiona Lamotte, explains, “There are many ways to incorporate fresh rosemary into a barbeque feast. As well as in marinades, rosemary is also fantastic for making a meat brush by tying a few sprigs together and using for basting prior to and during cooking, this is particularly lovely if left to soak in beer or wine before using.”
Fiona continues, “Another great idea for using fresh rosemary on the barbeque - and a really popular trend at the moment - is to soak the stripped wooden stalks in water and use these as skewers for meat and vegetables which gives the food a really aromatic and smoky flavour. Also, placing rosemary sprigs in with barbeque coals will create a lovely woody aroma, infusing meat and vegetables with a delicate herby taste and the scent will go further to ward off insects than ordinary barbeque smoke as the natural oils in the rosemary are a repellent too.
As with all fresh herbs, rosemary will add something different to a meal time as a fantastic natural flavouring.”
16 June 2008
Royal Highland Show, 2008
Scotherbs will be at the Royal Highland Show from Thursday 19th June - Sunday 22nd June. Visit us at the Tesco stand on Avenue O, stand number 586.
See full details of the show HERE
28 April 2008
Herb Grower Launches National Project for Children
Scotherbs launched a new Herb Project Pack in twenty local primary schools last week. The pack has been developed on behalf of Scotherbs by Robyn Nisbet, 20, from Ednam near Kelso, a third year student of Food and Consumer Sciences at the University of Abertay, Dundee whilst on an industry work placement with the company.
ARCHIVED ARTICLES
January 2008 - Scotherbs On The Move
March 2008 - Scotherbs MD Awarded Nuffield Scholarship
March 2008 - Scotherbs Scoop Local Business Award
May 2008 - Scotherbs Spreading the Word on Fresh Herbs
