Loving Fresh Herbs
One of the things I love about spring/summer/fall, is that I can use tons of fresh herbs when I cook. There’s nothing better than a roasted chicken with fresh lemon thyme, or fresh chives added to a final dish. I do keep a few herbs as potted houseplants for winter use, but the herbs just taste so much fresher and better when they’re outside getting some real sunlight and rain.
I think my most favorite herb would have to be lemon thyme. It’s so fresh and delicious, tasty on anything I add it to. I use this herb all the time in so many things, it’s especially good added fresh to rice and vegetable dishes.
Each and every year I add a new herb or two to my gardens. This past week I found a fuzzy leaf oregano ‘Dittany of Crete’, not sure what this will be like for eating texture wise, but I do love the way fuzzy leaved plants look.
What’s your favorite garden fresh herb?
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to Tweets that mention Loving Fresh Herbs | Chiot’s Run — Topsy.com's comment
At the moment, my peppermint is treating me very well; I harvest this regularly and make hot and cold mint teas for sprog and myself (just sipping on some now). I’ve a bergamot plant which I’ve currently planted in its permanent position and I’ve thrown a few of those leaves into the mint as well which was very nice indeed.
to Rose's comment
Like Rose, peppermint and spearmint are aplenty in my garden. I’ve been drying batches outside all week since the weather has been hot and sunny. Interesting, they seem to dry “better” that way than in the dehyrdator. The fragerance just makes me want to keep taking it all in. Oregano and lemon balm are other favorites, the lemon balm making a nice addition to almost any meal, especially all the greens that I’m getting.
to Mangochild's comment
Parsley is my absolute fave. I’m lucky enough to have it self-seed in a shady area. There never seems to be a shortage in the warm months!
to Chris's comment
Sage, sage, and more sage. Especially Berggarten sage. I just took advantage of the cool weather here to do a pot of fagioli alla Frantoiana in a slow oven, my favorite aroma therapy.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_MZpzdOp74CQ/SGI21UyGpGI/AAAAAAAAAGo/hs2AZY-T2rA/s1600-h/IMG_0354.JPG
to marcyincny's comment
Thyme. I absolutely love the smell.
No. Wait. Lavender. I absolutely love the smell.
Uh. Hold on. Rosemary is fantastic.
But…I just can’t choose a favorite.
Have you tried orange thyme? I was considering getting the seeds and giving it a try.
to MAYBELLINE's comment
Perenial Basil, because it attracts lots of bees to my garden and I love the smell when cooking all those pasta, mediterranean dishes and the fact that it’s the one basil that doesn’t die back and i can have the one plant for years. But of course one isn’t enough :) Trying a basil infusion to get rid of aphids, that I read on some blog.
Then the pink flowering Rosemary is super too, because I think it has a slightly different aroma to the other ones and suits my cooking again.
to Norma's comment
Though I love all the fun herbs in our garden, I would have to say cat mint. Just watching our kitties go nuts over fresh leaves is a blast, and in the winter we make fun little toys from our dried herbs for them.
For me… Chives!!
to Aubrey's comment
Lemon-thyme…growing it for my first time this season…love it! I *thought* I was growing it more for looks but have fallen in love with the flavor.
to Katie's comment
Italian parsley, cilantro, shizo, cinnamon basil, thai basil, lemon thyme, rose geranium, lemon verbena. I have a hard time picking one favorite. They are all equally important!
to Sustainable Eats's comment
Oh my… do I have to pick a favorite?… I love most all herbs. I guess if I have to choose, then I would choose the oregano that my Greek in laws brought me from Crete, Greece. I dont know the exact name, but… OMG!!!.. it is simply divine.
I have had it growing in my herbs garden for about 3 years now, and it over winters great, and gets bushier and bigger every year.
to Teresia's comment
Cilantro! Appropriate for breakfast (omelets), lunch (fish tacos), snacks (chips and salsa) and dinner (enchiladas)!
to Morgan G's comment
Basil and Cilatro are my favorites. I grow basil, cilatro, oregano, sage, dill, and parsley.
to Kay's comment
Summer savory followed by parsley and lemon thyme. I cook with them almost every meal.
to Lynn's comment
Last summer I started growing ‘Cuban Oregano’, which is also a fuzzy leaf oregano. I was curious how people typically cook with ‘Cuban Oregano’, so I did some research on it, and this is what I have found:
Can be used (fresh or dried) in tomato based sauces (for use on any type of meat), or if ground fine – use in egg, macaroni, potato salads, fresh cut leaves can also be used (if cut fine) in tossed salads.
Perhaps ‘Dittany of Crete’ has similar uses.
Here is my blog post from when I got it and and took a picture of it.
http://stellhomestead.blogspot.com/search/label/Cuban%20Oregano
to Andres's comment