Herb Garden
Saturday, March 22nd, 2008Whether your backyard is a sun drenched farm or you live in a one-bedroom apartment on the tenth floor, growing your own herbs is easy and rewarding. Supermarkets’ high prices for rosemary and oregano become a thing of the past,
and you can finally perfect your bouillabaisse and pot-au-feu when your bouquet garni is just steps from your stove.
The reasons go beyond convenience and money saved. The taste of fresh, homegrown herbs can invigorate your recipes and give depth where the dried versions fall short of that complete, well-rounded flavor.
The Basics
Rosemary, oregano, sage, thyme and mint can survive dry, hot, summer dirt, as well as damp, cold windowsills. These herbs are hearty and adaptable, not to mention ubiquitous in your recipes. All they need is a little dirt, a little water, and direct sunlight if you’re feeling fancy.
Given how easy it is to grow these herbs, not to mention the culinary benefits of having them fresh, getting these plants started when you move houses or apartments should be an urgent need. After cleaning the fridge, but before unpacking your shoes.
The Next Level
Basil, tarragon, chives, cilantro, dill, and parsley are more delicate in disposition, needing a bit of care to ensure proper soil and drainage. Without healthy sunlight, these herbs can be minimal producers.
But the pleasures of fresh pesto, homegrown cilantro in your carnitas tacos, and crackling chicken skin with lemon and fresh tarragon can convince us to kick the dog off the bed and coo our sensitive, potted herbs to sleep at night.
The Exotics
Many herbs don’t make it into the the kitchen nearly as often as they should. High prices and rarity can stigmatize them as “special occasion” herbs, but if you’ve got a garden and a decently green thumb (give or take a shade of brown), there’s no reason to not grow them at home.
Shiso, lemongrass, and hoja santa fall into this category. These plants are certainly not native to our backyard, but we’ll be working hard this spring to make sure our tom yum and mole verde have that fresh punch of flavor that you can only get with homegrown herbs.