Quote of the Day: William Carlos Williams
“In summer, the song sings itself.”
~ William Carlos Williams
The other evening I was out trying to capture the beauty of a summer evening. I planted a ton of chamomile this year, so I would have a great harvest for teas. I’m disappointed that the plants are tall and leggy, and not looking too nice in the location I have them. However the other night the light was just right and they were definitely singing the song of summer. I think this captured the mood that evening beautifully.
What’s singing to you in your garden right now?
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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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Time to Stock the Herb Pantry
It’s that time of the year to start think about harvesting and drying herbs for your spice rack. If you’re trying to eat healthier adding herbs and spices to your food is a great way to do this. Many herbs and spices contain more antioxidants than fruits and vegetables.
Last year I waiting until late in the fall to harvest my herbs, but it’s really something that you should be doing all summer long. Herbs are at their peak of flavor and nutrition right before they bloom. This past week I noticed that my oregano patch was perfect for harvest. This past winter I ran out of oregano because I didn’t harvest and dry quite enough. Since oregano is one of my favorite herbs to use in the kitchen, I’ll harvest a few times to make sure this doesn’t happen again.
When I harvest herbs I usually cut sprigs that are about 6-10 inches long and I tie them into bundles. I hang these bundles in our warm attic for a week or two until they’re dry, then I store the herbs in glass jars.
Oregano is like a wonderherb. It’s full of powerful antioxidants and all kinds of goodness. I like to drink oregano tea or add lots of it to tomato soup when I’m feeling a cold coming on, it often clears it right up. I won’t repeat all the benefits here, read this or this for more info.
Do you dry homegrown herbs for your pantry?
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The First Seedling of the Season
I haven’t officially started and seeds yet. My light tables aren’t put together in the basement yet, I haven’t even ordered all of my seeds yet -yikes. Am I behind? Not really, I’ve been deliberately trying to restrain myself from starting things too early. Seedlings do so much better when you can get them planted outside when they’re the right size. So starting them too early often doesn’t do any good and may actually be bad for the plant in the long run. I will be starting some lettuce this week, I think by the time they’re big enough the cold frame will be warm enough to transplant them. I think spring will come a littler later this year so I’m holding off as long as I can to get the seed starting going.
I did “unofficially” start a few seeds for the Amsterdam Seasoning Celery I got from Renee’s Garden. A few days ago, I sprinkled them in a post I had by the back door that nothing was growing in (failed attempt to propagate a houseplant). The first seed germinated yesterday! I think this will make an excelling winter gardening plant. Fresh celery taste all winter long from a pot in the dining room! I can’t wait to see how this herb does. Celery sseedling are the tiniest of all I think, I should have put a penny by this so you can see how small they are.
Have you been starting seeds yet?
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Harvesting Herbs for Tea
This week I’ve been out harvesting a lot of my herbs for warming winter teas. I should harvest them all summer long, but I get busy and always forget to do it until winter threatens. I carry a big bowl around with me and snip the fresh herbs. I keep them all separate in small paper bags that I’ve saved.
I think I picked about 2 pounds of herbs for tea this winter as well as a few savory herbs for seasoning (I also like savory tea on occasion) and some medicinal herbs.
What herbs made it into my harvest bowl?
-Catmint
-Blue Stocking Bergamot
-Anise Hyssop
-Peppermint
-Mountain Mint
-Lemon Balm
-Chamomile
-Lavender
-Greek Oregano
-Fennel Seed
-Genovese Basil
-Broad Leafed Plantain
-Comfrey
I was even able to harvest a small handful of chamomile. I had one volunteer plant that I harvested a good amount of blossoms from earlier in the summer. These few flowers are from a plant I started later in the summer. For some reason I didn’t have much luck with my chamomile this year, since I love chamomile tea I hope I have a better harvest next year!
I also have a few potted herbs that I bring in as houseplants, these include: rosemary, lemon thyme, lemon verbena and chives. All of these we will enjoy fresh all winter long.
Do you dry herbs for seasoning & tea?
