doing thyme

In these days of Save the Whale, Greenpeace, door to door organic vegetable delivery and Goretex-assisted back to nature, you can create your own little piece of wilderness on your doorstep or windowsill.

Perfectly suited to all but the laziest of gardeners, the results from very little exertion are astoundingly satisfying. The peer points scored by embellishing your dinner with a clipping from your own personal undergrowth is immeasurable.

Whether buying ready-potted plants or growing them from scratch in a cup of carefully-tended mud, herbs are almost impossible to keep down.

Reeking of chic urban renewal, the Belmont Lane Association in the West End of Glasgow has reclaimed large pieces of land that were until recently waste ground. A sizeable portion of the ground has been dedicated to the cultivation of urban herbs.

Grown from seed they have produced a startling array of botanical wonders. There is a wide variety of mints - one of the most widely-known herbs - from the almost indestructible full-on flavour of spearmint through to the more subtle, furry applemint to the weird and exotic variegated pineapple mint.

From these comes one of the most commonly-used plant derivatives. Trendy cigarettes, toothpaste and chewing gum all rely on menthol to pep them up.

Lemon balm of several varieties spring forth from an old bath. The scent when rubbed is so powerful it could almost be fake. From July to September, balm is a Mecca for honey bees, planted by the ancient Greeks around the hives to encourage the bees to stay. Sage, thyme and rosemary of various strains grow in abundance on ground that up until two years ago was an unofficial tip.

This year BLA is branching out with less readily available species: salad burnet, a low-growing spiky-leafed plant with a slightly piquant cucumber taste and borage, more of a bush than a shrub, which can be used in sauces and salads. The wonderful blue blooms make a stunning edible garnish.

Lovage, requiring slightly more than on old teapot for a tub, grows about hip high with celery-tasting leaves and is a serious flavouring for stews and soups.

These culinary summer treats are all grown within a stone's throw of that weel-kent Glasgow night club, Clatty Pat's (or Cleopatra's, to give it its proper name). Which naturally leads us to Cleopatra and the Egyptians who, along with the Chinese, were among the first to document the use of herbs in everyday life.

Scrolls of papyrus have been devoted to the uses of coriander, a herb that was once the main ingredient in a seventeenth-century Parisian concoction which was of such ambiguous leanings it could be used as both a liqueur and a perfume. It has recently been enjoying its umpteenth renaissance as one of the major players in fusion cooking.

Although mass-produced for the European market in Cyprus, coriander grows like a weed even in the inclement Scottish summer. One of the most versatile herbs, you can utilise the roots, the shoots, the leaves and the seeds. All have different flavours and are suitable for different purposes.

Herbs are never the main component part of any dish, but can lift even the dullest ingredients to new heights. A sprinkling of herbs or, if you're feeling posh, a bouquet garni will impart an incredible amount of flavour. You have to be wary when using certain herbs as the distinctive flavour can overwhelm the dish.

l A profusion of herbs will be on offer at the Scottish National Garden Show, which The Herald is delighted to be supporting. It takes place at Strathclyde Country Park from Friday, May 29, to Sunday, May 31. Tickets are available in advance from the Hotline on 0990 900123 (national rate)

herb menu:

the starter

mexican herb and seafood broth

2 pt fish stock

1 medium onion, finely diced

3 cloves garlic crushed

1/2 stick cinnamon

fresh chilli (optional)

salt and pepper

1/2 pound of mixed farm fish

2 oz fresh basil

2 oz fresh coriander

2 oz parsley

1 tbsp fine chopped fresh chives

method

Saute the onion and garlic in a little olive oil before adding the stock, chilli and cinnamon. Simmer gently for 20 minutes then remove the cinnamon. Lightly cook the fish in the broth for a few minutes until it is still slightly translucent in the middle.

Remove the cooked fish to a warmed serving bowl. Chop the herbs finely and stir into the broth, or, if you have one of those hand-held blenders, puree the herbs through the soup. Remove immediately from the heat, check for seasoning, then spoon carefully into the serving bowl. The soup will become an almost iridescent green with the flavours of the herbs intensifying the longer the soup rests.

Serve with crusty bread and a glass of chilled wine. This is the perfect way to enjoy the panoramic view through the foliage of your urban herb windowsill.

and to drink . . .

Argentinian wine was little heard of until the late 1980s, largely because the entire country indulged in the vino themselves, swallowing 76 litres a head each year. These days they have reduced their intake to a mere 56 litres, allowing the rest of the world a taste. Now it is starting to rival that other South American wine giant, Chile.

The Co-op's Argentinian Sauvignon Torrontes Mendosa 1996, currently at a promotional #2.99, is bright and zingy, and perfect for quaffing on summer nights. It is blended from a mix of Sauvignon and Argentina's secret grape weapon, Torrontes, believed originally to come from Northern Spain.

Torrontes adds a spicy, aromatic dimension to the Sauvignon, which is more than capable of standing up to the varied flavours of summer herbs. It is produced in the Penaflur winery under the supervision of Peter Bright, one of the world's leading wine makers. Don't be put off by the strange label: the tango is still a very big deal in Argentina.

Colin Clydesdale, Restaurant Chef of the Year, and

Carol Wright, pictured above, are chef and greeter

respectively at Stravaigin, Gibson Street, Glasgow.