Kitchen Herbs

Everyone should have a kitchen herb garden. Mine is on my back deck, just steps from my kitchen door, but even a few small pots on your kitchen window sill will provide you with fresh herbs to liven up your meals and beverages.



Thyme

Thyme is probably my favorite herb. I grow English thyme (Thymus vulgaris) but it comes in ten different culinary varieties. It compliments chicken, lamb and shellfish and is delicious in tomato and mushroom dishes. My favorite recipes that use thyme are chicken salad and stuffed mushrooms.


Sage

Sage, like thyme, comes in a number of culinary varieties. I grow common sage (Salvia officinalis), the classic flavor you'll find in stuffing. It compliments chicken, pork and any savory dish that uses cream. My favorite recipe that uses sage is pork chops with sage cream.


Chives

Chive come in three varieties, common, garlic and giant. I have common chives (Allium schoenoprasum). Chives complement fish, potatoes and eggs. One of my favorite ways to use chives is to add the flowers to green salad.


Oregano

Someone is an overachiever

Oregano comes in three culinary varieties, Greek, Mexican and Italian. I have Greek oregano (Origanum vulgare hirtum). Oregano is most commonly used in tomato based sauces and soups but it also compliments chicken, lamb, eggs and steamed fish. Oregano is more commonly used dried since fresh it is quite strong flavored. I like to add a few sprigs to my chicken soup.


Parsley

Parsley comes in three varieties, curly, Italian flat leaf and the less common root parsley. I grow Italian flat leaf parsley (Petroselinum crispum neopolitanum). It has more flavor than the curly variety. Parsley is most commonly used as a garnish but it has its own distinct flavor and compliments meats, sauces, eggs and soups. My favorite use of parsley is in tabouli.


Mint

Mint comes in as many as eighteen varieties. I grow spearmint and chocolate mint. Mint is commonly used in tea and to flavor beverages, fruit salads and desserts but it is also a wonderful foil for dishes that contain coriander. I like to steep mint in bourbon for mint juleps, make mojitos and use it in my marinade/sauce for my peanut chicken.


Marjoram

There are two varieties of marjoram, pot marjoram and sweet marjoram. I grow sweet marjoram (Origanum majorana). Marjoram is related to oregano but is sweeter and milder. It can be used along side oregano but really shines in delicate dishes such as pan seared veal, steamed sole and mushroom consommé.


Bay Laurel

Bay laurel comes in six varieties. I grow the most common, sweet bay (Laurus nobilis). Bay leaf is most commonly used to flavor soups but one of my favorite ways to use them is to throw a couple on the hot coals when I'm grilling chicken.


Basil

2013

Basil comes in approximately 15 culinary varieties all of which are cultivars of Ocimum basilicum. I grow Italian Genovese and Purple Petra. I grow so much basil that it won't fit in a pot so I grow it in my main garden. Basil is used in Italian dishes and it is wonderful on fresh tomatoes. My favorite use of basil is in pesto.


Lavender






There are nearly forty cultivars of lavender. I grow English Tall Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) in my flower bed. While lavender is more typically used in sachets and perfumes I feel it is underutilized as a culinary herb. It is one of the herbs in herbes de Provence and it lends itself well to baked goods. My favorite uses for lavender are in lavender simple syrup and lavender jelly.


These are the herbs that I am growing in my garden. What are your favorite herbs? Do you use herbs in unusual ways?