Well we survived the whirlwind of birthdays, graduations and anniversary parties that made up the last few weeks.
Hubby’s graduation day was a success but I am still recovering from all of the planning, preparation and activities surrounding the day. It was wonderful having so many friends and family here to celebrate with us. A BIG thank you to all who helped make the day such a special one!
In the midst of all of our preparations for the party we did some work on our yard, including prepping our garden area and planting our annuals and a few more perennials. This is also the time of year I plant my herb garden.
There is nothing more frugal for the gourmet cook than planting your own herbs. For the price of a small bunch of cut herbs from the grocery store, you can buy a whole plant that will give you more than enough herbs to last you through the summer and with proper preservation into the fall and winter.
I have my tried and true herbs that I plant annually, as well as perennials that keep on giving year after year.
My four favorite annuals are:
Greek Oregano
Thyme
Tarragon
And the crowning glory of my herb garden
Basil
I found this beautiful basil plant at Lowe's this year. Look at it!! It’s only the beginning of May and it already looks this beautiful. I think this basil plant will be a winner.
I use all of these herbs in several recipes but none more than my basil. I LOVE basil. I use it in pesto sauces, on homemade pizzas, on bruchetta. I love mozzarella, tomato and basil salads and always add some into my spaghetti sauces. To me it’s just the most versatile herb there is.
My two favorite perennials in my garden are rosemary and mint.
Rosemary
Rosemary will grow into a beautiful shrub; doing double duty as a culinary helper as well as a great addition to your landscape.
Mint on the other hand, you will want to plant far away from your perennial beds unless you want it to take them over. It is extremely invasive. It needs to be kept in its own pot or if you have lots of land, like we do, you can plant it in a remote location. We planted ours down on the edge of our property by our garden beds.
I have several varieties, and always have it available for a mojito…yum!
For about $10 you can grow several of your own herbs, which will give you an abundance of flavor in your recipes. I will be sharing several of my favorite summer recipes over the next few months that incorporate all of the above herbs. I hope you will consider going out this weekend and purchasing your own herb plants. Whether you live in an apartment or in the country like we do you can find a spot for an herb garden….so get planting!
Enjoy!
