I'll ask my gardening question too--herbs?

Re: I'll ask my gardening question too--herbs?

• Hey Jellisy

  April 2011

  We plant a variety of herbs - usually the ones we use in cooking most often - mint, cilantro, basil, parsley, rosemary, oregano, thyme. (Some like rosemary, lavender,  oregano and mint are perennials).  Think about the ones you use dried in cooking or the ones you are always kicking yourself for having to buy fresh and focus on these.  To preserve then, we dry some of them, but mostly we throw big bunches in the food processor with some olive oil and make a very basic pesto (no nuts and cheese although I quirt in some lemon juice) and then freeze those in ice cube trays and store in zip lock bags.  I just take a cube out and use it when he herbs aren't in season to flavor soups, strews, pasta, etc.  If I want real pesto, I take a handful of the cubes and after they defrost re food process with nuts and chees to make the pesto.   
  

  From December 29, 2011

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• kastle

  April 2011

  Oh, you should totally try some of the fun basils out there.  Like Lemon Basil.  Would give a slight spin on your caprese.

  I grow a lot of herbs.  I've got 6 different kinds of thyme now, 3 different oreganos, rosemary, lavender, 2 mints (kentucky colonel & chocolate), lemon balm, lemon verbena, 3 basils (purple opal, thai, & genovese), parsley, cilantro.....and I think that's it.

  Are you in NoVA?  There's a great herb nursery in Chantilly called Debaggio's. They have a huge selection of just different kinds of herbs.

  I do dry some (I have a food dehydrator), but I also do a variation of heyjellesy wrt freezing.
  

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• Gigs2000

  April 2011

  Thanks!  You both are very helpful!  I am definitely going to check out that nursery, and I like the idea of freezing some of the herbs. 

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