Summer Savory

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Lately, more and more people have begun to understand just how limited—in both variety and nutritional value—our "modern'' diets have become. This realization has sparked a new and widespread interest in the culinary and therapeutic uses of herbs ... those plants which —although not well-known today—were, just one short generation ago, honored ''guests" on the dinner tables and in the medicine chests of our grandparents' homes. In this regular feature, MOTHER will examine the availability, cultivation, and benefits of our "forgotten'' vegetable foods and remedies . . . and—we hope—help prevent the loss of still another bit of ancestral lore.

The very name of this herb bespeaks flavor, and in fact, summer savory (Satureja hortensis) imparts a delicious taste to almost any dish the gourmet prepares. In medieval times it was added to pies and cakes for a touch of spiciness; today it's primarily used in soups, stews, and marinades, and with meats and vegetables. Although it's often referred to as "the bean herb"—being especially good with string beans, limas, navy beans, soybeans, and all types of broad bean—savory goes well with many other vegetables, such as cabbage, tomatoes, green peppers, asparagus, cauliflower, mixed greens, and rice. The versatile herb is also tasty in stuffings, sausages, and pork pie, and with chicken, fish, game meats, beef, lamb, and eggs (try it in scrambled eggs or omelets). Boiled with strong smelling foods like broccoli or sauerkraut, it helps prevent cooking odors. Steeped in vinegar or salad dressing, it lends an aromatic flavor. People on low-sodium diets may even find it an agreeable salt substitute.

Savory's uses aren't limited to the kitchen, however. Since the days of the ancient Egyptians who stirred the powdered herb into their love potions-it has been praised as a remedy for sore throats, dim vision, sciatica, palsy, intestinal disorders of various kinds, and the stings of wasps and bees. Nicholas Culpeper, the famous seventeenth century apothecary and author, valued it as a virtual cure-all and recommended that it always be kept on hand.