Herb Garden, the key to a great meal
Just outside my back door, off my kitchen, is a small planter formed by the sidewalk between our detached garage and our home. The space between the two buildings is about 6 feet and the planter is approximately 2 feet deep by 4 feet wide. I usually have a container or two of herbs in this small space. As the 6 hours of sunlight in this area seam perfect for this use, this year I have planted the entire bed as an herb garden.
Against the, south facing, garage wall, for height and color I have digitalis, which is not useful as a cooking herb but a beautiful, tall purple flower formally used as a heart medication. In front of the digitalis I have Parsley and Italian Parsley which are useful in a variety of foods. Great in soups, add freshness and spark to salads, and a wonderful addition to many dips and sauces.
I have two containers of Mint. People are often surprised by how much mint I can use! Mint is delicious finely chopped and blended with yoghurt as a dip for pita bread. Several leaves, or even sprigs, dropped into a glass of tea will add flavor and freshness to iced tea. A salad of fresh local greens, mint leaves, mango and roasted chicken with a light vinegrette is a refreshing change for a light dinner.
I have also planted Cilantro (Coriander) which I use in my Asian, Moroccan, Indian and Mexican dishes. I love ethnically influenced foods and enjoy a low sodium diet so my flavor comes from much spice and a variety of herbs and one of my favorite is Cilantro. Coriander makes the difference between good and great, try some of this easy to grow herb in your garden.
At one time I shunned Sage as I only associated it with Thanksgiving and the, too old, dry spice in my mother's cupboard. I have since learned a variety of ways to use this wonderful, fresh herb and so I have planted two varieties of Sage. First the traditional, green leaf variety and then a variegated Dalmation Sage. Sage is a wonderful addtion to the dinner lineup. I regularly enjoy fresh Sage tossed with olive oil and my favorite pasta, a finish of freshly grated reggiano, a frew grinds of pepper and voila a delicious, fresh pasta to enjoy on the patio. Another of my favorites is to put a can of cannelini beans, 4 to 6 sage leaves, pinch of salt, pepper and 4 to 6 tablespoons in my food processor for a delicious, low fat, low sodium, high fiber dip to enjoy with pita bread. Yum!
Oregano grows abundantly in my herb garden, a delicious addition to my pasta sauce. I will be making much sauce this summer to make use of all the tomatoes I have planted. But beyone the tradional uses for Oregano, I also use a sprig or two in a fresh salad. I strip the tender leaves from the woody shoot and this makes a great addition to a fresh summer salad. A couple of stems, washed and placed in a jar of olive oil will give you a delicious Oregano Infused oil which will form the nice base for a salad dressing or pasta toss. This weekend I made a wonderful batch of spiced nuts using Oregano. These delicious nuts kind of tweak the brain and are very addictive. Try 2 cups walnuts, 2 cups pecans, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons chopped oregano tossed together with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring often. Awesome taste!
Rosemary is another of the mainstays of my herb garden and kitchen. Though I don't use as much of other herbs, I really do enjoy Rosemary. I like to use Rosemary when roasting a chicken. A few stems in the cavity add a wonderful aroma and delightful scent. I also like to use Rosemary when grilling chicken, soak the stems and skewer small pieces of chicken on them and place on grill. Or a few stems under the skin of a whole bird that I put on the spit looks lovely and adds a wonderful Mediterranean taste to the meat.
I cannot recommend highly enough to explore the world of fresh herbs. They are easy to grow, need little tending and once you get the hang of using them you will find you cannot live without them. When I first started growing fresh herbs I did not know how to use them but I experimented and found new and increasing ways to enjoy them. Now, the only problem with my fresh herb garden is that I tend to cut too heavily and don't have enough.
Against the, south facing, garage wall, for height and color I have digitalis, which is not useful as a cooking herb but a beautiful, tall purple flower formally used as a heart medication. In front of the digitalis I have Parsley and Italian Parsley which are useful in a variety of foods. Great in soups, add freshness and spark to salads, and a wonderful addition to many dips and sauces.
I have two containers of Mint. People are often surprised by how much mint I can use! Mint is delicious finely chopped and blended with yoghurt as a dip for pita bread. Several leaves, or even sprigs, dropped into a glass of tea will add flavor and freshness to iced tea. A salad of fresh local greens, mint leaves, mango and roasted chicken with a light vinegrette is a refreshing change for a light dinner.
I have also planted Cilantro (Coriander) which I use in my Asian, Moroccan, Indian and Mexican dishes. I love ethnically influenced foods and enjoy a low sodium diet so my flavor comes from much spice and a variety of herbs and one of my favorite is Cilantro. Coriander makes the difference between good and great, try some of this easy to grow herb in your garden.
At one time I shunned Sage as I only associated it with Thanksgiving and the, too old, dry spice in my mother's cupboard. I have since learned a variety of ways to use this wonderful, fresh herb and so I have planted two varieties of Sage. First the traditional, green leaf variety and then a variegated Dalmation Sage. Sage is a wonderful addtion to the dinner lineup. I regularly enjoy fresh Sage tossed with olive oil and my favorite pasta, a finish of freshly grated reggiano, a frew grinds of pepper and voila a delicious, fresh pasta to enjoy on the patio. Another of my favorites is to put a can of cannelini beans, 4 to 6 sage leaves, pinch of salt, pepper and 4 to 6 tablespoons in my food processor for a delicious, low fat, low sodium, high fiber dip to enjoy with pita bread. Yum!
Oregano grows abundantly in my herb garden, a delicious addition to my pasta sauce. I will be making much sauce this summer to make use of all the tomatoes I have planted. But beyone the tradional uses for Oregano, I also use a sprig or two in a fresh salad. I strip the tender leaves from the woody shoot and this makes a great addition to a fresh summer salad. A couple of stems, washed and placed in a jar of olive oil will give you a delicious Oregano Infused oil which will form the nice base for a salad dressing or pasta toss. This weekend I made a wonderful batch of spiced nuts using Oregano. These delicious nuts kind of tweak the brain and are very addictive. Try 2 cups walnuts, 2 cups pecans, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons chopped oregano tossed together with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring often. Awesome taste!
Rosemary is another of the mainstays of my herb garden and kitchen. Though I don't use as much of other herbs, I really do enjoy Rosemary. I like to use Rosemary when roasting a chicken. A few stems in the cavity add a wonderful aroma and delightful scent. I also like to use Rosemary when grilling chicken, soak the stems and skewer small pieces of chicken on them and place on grill. Or a few stems under the skin of a whole bird that I put on the spit looks lovely and adds a wonderful Mediterranean taste to the meat.
I cannot recommend highly enough to explore the world of fresh herbs. They are easy to grow, need little tending and once you get the hang of using them you will find you cannot live without them. When I first started growing fresh herbs I did not know how to use them but I experimented and found new and increasing ways to enjoy them. Now, the only problem with my fresh herb garden is that I tend to cut too heavily and don't have enough.
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