Native to the Mediterranean, aromatic thyme grows wild on the sunny hillsides of Greece and Italy, but for centuries it has also been found growing throughout most of the world. A perennial shrublike herb with an earthy, woodsy aroma, thyme has been popular through the ages for both culinary and medicinal purposes.
Ancient Greeks and Romans used thyme for its antiseptic properties as well as an aphrodisiac, a symbol of courage, elegance and style. If put in a pillow, it was also believed to stop nightmares.
In early England, many believed that fairies reside and play in patches of wild thyme and that by planting thyme you would invite them into your garden. In Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Oberon, the King of the Fairies, speaks of “knowing a place where the wild thyme blows “¦”
A member of the mint family, there are more than 100 different varieties of thyme (Thymus), with common garden thyme (Thymus vulgaris) being the most pungent of all. Common garden thyme has tiny gray-green leaves and grows about 12 inches high. Other varieties have the flavors and scents of lemon, lime, orange, coconut and caraway. If you find a thyme plant marked English thyme, it is actually common garden thyme (Thymus vulgaris).
French thyme, which is a close cousin to English thyme, has slightly grayer leaves and is a little less hearty than its English cousin. There are also variegated varieties that feature edges with golden or silvery-white hues. Woolly-haired thyme is quite unusual and is covered with silky, silvery hair. Creeping thyme (Thymus drucel), which is also known as “mother of thyme,” is usually used in the garden instead of the kitchen. This variety is great as a ground cover or planting between stepping-stones. If you have an area that receives light foot traffic, you can use the creeping thyme as a garden pathway, and you will be rewarded every time you step on it, for it will release its scent when it is bruised.
Thyme bears tiny flowers in early spring and summer in either white, pale pink or lavender, depending on the variety. Many local nurseries provide a good selection of thyme, and I have found many varieties at Green Gardens Nursery in Pacific Beach, including a new variety I recently purchased for my herb garden, lime-scented thyme.
Most varieties of thyme grow to between 6 and 12 inches high, and the compact, attractive plants are quite suitable for small spaces and container gardening. Virtually pest- and disease-free, thyme requires very little attention and is easy to grow. The herb requires little water; in fact, watering your thyme plants only when they become completely dry will produce plants with a higher concentration of essential oils. Thyme prefers to grow in sandy, dry soil and in a sunny, warm location. Each spring, feed your plants with diluted fish emulsion or seaweed extract or use a light feeding of bone meal ” all organic, of course. As you harvest your thyme and pinch off the stems, the pruning will encourage new growth ” a win-win situation!
After about three or four years, thyme plants will become quite “woody” and present more woody branches and fewer leaves. At this time, you may want to divide them or cut them back a few inches from the ground, or it may be time to replace them with fresh new plants.
Harvest your thyme throughout the year, but it is at its peak of flavor during the hot summer months and makes a great addition to summer barbeque marinades. Used as a flavorful addition to many recipes, thyme is one of the main ingredients of a classic bouquet garni, which calls for thyme combined with bay leaves and parsley. It is also the key element to Herbes de Provence, where it is used in combination with lavender and other aromatic herbs. As with most woody, aromatic herbs, they are very strong, and a little goes a long way.
When you are ready to use your thyme leaves, they may be stripped from their stems and chopped or the leaves may be used whole. You may also use the entire thyme sprig with its leaves attached in soups, stews or braised dishes. As the food cooks, the leaves will fall off the sprigs and flavor the dish; just remove the stems before you serve. I use whole sprigs of thyme for marinades and garnishes.
Try some thyme in your garden this spring, and it will provide you with great flavor and maybe a visit from the garden fairies!

Marinated Goat Cheese and Roasted Olives with Thyme
(Adapted from recipes by Michael Chiarello and Alice Waters)

Marinated Goat Cheese:
6-oz. log of goat cheese
Half cup, extra-virgin olive oil
6 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
4 strips of lemon zest
Freshly cracked pepper, to taste
Slice goat cheese into half-inch-thick slices. Place the goat cheese in a shallow glass dish and drizzle with the olive oil and turn to coat completely. Sprinkle the sprigs of thyme, lemon strips, garlic and pepper over the cheese slices. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or up to one week. When ready to serve, remove the cheese from the oil.

Roasted Olives:
2 tab. extra-virgin olive oil
4 – 6 large garlic cloves, unpeeled and lightly crushed
6 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 cups pitted Kalamata olives
4 lemon zest strips
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Sauté the garlic cloves in the olive oil until the garlic begins to sizzle and lightly caramelize. Add the thyme sprigs and continue to cook for one minute, over low heat. Add the lemon strips and pour the mixture into an ovenproof dish. Bake approx 8-10 minutes. Remove garlic before serving.

Serve the warm olives with the goat cheese and slices of toasted baguette. Garnish your serving platter with sprigs of fresh thyme and lemon slices.