Herbs for cooking are plants whose leaves, seeds, fruits, flowers, or other parts are used fresh or dried for flavoring food. (A spice–broadly speaking–denotes a flavoring derived from the seed, fruit, bark, or other parts of a plant grown in warm, tropical regions.) A “potherb” is a plant you cook in a pot. Herbs generally…
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More Best Herbs for Container Growing
Culinary herbs that grow well in containers include basil, chives, cilantro, dill, common fennel, garlic, lemon balm, mint, oregano and marjoram, parsley, rosemary, sage, French tarragon, and thyme. Herbs require well-drained soil, so use a good potting mix for container growing. (See the How to Grow instructions below for each herb.) Because culinary herbs are…
Best Herbs for Container Growing
Many useful culinary herbs grow well in containers. Basil, chives, cilantro, dill, common and Florence fennel, garlic, lemon balm, mint, oregano and marjoram, parsley, rosemary, sage, French tarragon, and thyme are excellent choices for container growing. Grow these culinary herbs in pots near the kitchen door or on a windowsill so they are readily at…
How to Dry Herbs
The herbs you grow and dry yourself will be far superior to those you buy packaged. Herbs with woody stems and thick or tough leaves are best for drying and hold their flavor—thyme, rosemary, oregano, sage, and lemon verbena are good choices. (Herbs with soft leaves and stems such as basil, dill, parsley, chervil, and…
Lemon Herbs to Grow and Cook
Lemony herbs—lemon flavored and scented—are easy to grow and add a tangy zest to many dishes. Fresh leaves are commonly torn and added directly to salads and main dishes as seasoning or garnish. Leaves and some flowers can be steeped in teas or blended into oils and vinegars. All can be preserved for later use….
Bees and Herbs
Bees in the garden are a good thing. Bees pollinate about 75 percent of all of the food crops in the world. Many culinary herbs will attract bees to your garden. Grow herbs and you will get double-duty attracting pollinators and bringing flavorings to the kitchen. Many herbs can be harvested cut-and-come-again, leaves, flowers, and…
Celery Cooking and Serving Tips
Celery can be eaten raw or cooked. Celery brings texture and a mild flavor to salads, hors d’oeuvres, soups, stuffings, stews, and stock. It can be steamed, braised, or sautéed and served as a side dish. Celery tastes best when it comes to harvest in cool weather, late spring or in autumn. How to Choose…
Cooking and Serving Chayote: Kitchen Basics
Young and tender chayote can be served finely sliced raw in salads, or it can be served puréed, or diced in soups or stews, or sautéed, steamed, boiled, stir-fried, deep-fried, and baked. Chayote has a mild cucumber- to apple-like flavor and crunch and can be prepared just as you would a summer squash. The mild…
How to Grow Bananas
Bananas can grow and fruit where conditions are right. Fruiting banana plants require temperatures that average about 80°F during the day and about 70°F at night. Constant humidity of about 50 percent and daylight around twelve hours each day are ideal. Bananas will fruit in less than ideal conditions but the quality of the fruit…
How to Grow Chervil
Chervil is a demure herb with a delicate myrrh-like fragrance. Use the finely divided leaves fresh in salads and as a flavor enhancer for fish, chicken, and egg dishes. Dried chervil leaves are an ingredient of fines herbes, the French culinary staple that also includes chives, parsley, and tarragon. Chervil can be used in place…
