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| Mint, Chives, Oregano, and Thyme growing outside my back door |
This is the season for planting. So it is the perfect time to begin planning for some great summer meals, and nothing quite compares with having fresh herbs just outside your door. Thanks the Food Network and countless other cooking programs, there is plenty of inspiration for preparing great dishes in your own kitchen. And having easy access to fresh ingredients is essential for this.
The following herbs require very little maintenance, and are perennial in a moderate climate. But they do require an area with abundant sunlight. And if you do not have much area in your yard, these also grow well in containers.
1. Rosemary
This plant requires no maintenance after it gets rooted. But it does require an area that is somewhat dry. It will grow year-round in most climates. This makes a perfect complement to roasted potatoes and lamb.
2. Thyme
Another no-maintenance plant. It is the staple of many recipes. Just note that for many recipes, particularly stews and soups, you just need to toss in a stem and them remove it before serving. You don't even have to chop it up! It also comes in several varieties of flavor. I currently have the "regular" type as well as Lemon Thyme. It will grow through the winter in moderate climates.
3. Sage
Also grows year-round and is great with poultry, pork, and pasta, as well as many other things that do not start with a "P".
4. Mint
Mint grows like a weed. Not only is it no-maintenance, but it is hard to get rid of once it gets going. So be careful with this one. Unlike other herbs, it is very invasive and really should have its own space. So don't mix it in with your other herbs and plants (as I did). This plant does recede during the winter but will return with a vengeance in spring. There are many varieties to this plant. I currently have 4 kinds growing in my garden: Spearmint, lemon balm, lime balm, and catnip. And I always know where the catnip is because it stays flattened by the neighborhood cats, as well as my own cats (its like a drug to them. They love to roll around in it). These are of course great compliments to many entrees, sides, desserts, and even beverages (think tea and Mojitos!!!!).
5. Parsley
This is a slowly growing herb, and will die out over winter but should return in the spring. Although this could be considered an annual since it may or may not survive the winter. It stays quite contained and does not need much space.
6. Tarragon
Great with fish, as well as many other dishes, this versatile herb grows quickly in the spring and will last all summer. It dies out in winter but should return each spring. It will also spawn new clusters of plants through the years, although it does so at a very slow pace.
7. Chives
The green onion's little brother... great with potatoes and many Tex-Mex dishes, chives grow well in summer and recede in the winter. But they should return in the spring.
8. Oregano
This is a staple of Italian and Greek cooking, and loves spring and summer climates. It is a perennial plant and will come back each spring. It also it a great herb to dry, which makes it easy to store.
9. Stevia
Not quite a staple herb, but I include it here since it is easy to grow and comes back each spring. Although I'm still not quite sure how to use it yet. It is used as a sugar substitute since it has a very sweet taste. So one thing I have tried is using it as a substitute for simple syrup in mojitos (Yeah... mojitos again. Wonder why that keeps coming up??). It works well for this purpose since you can just include it with the mint and lime balm leaves and muddle them together. It adds a flavor of sweetness.
The following are annuals, which must be planted each year. This is the "optional" list, since these do require some work each year, either through replanting or harvesting. But these each have some unique characteristics or roles to fill to your kitchen.
10. Cilantro
This herb is essential in Mexican cuisine, but it also complements many Thai & Asian dishes as well. So it is ironic that it likes cooler climates and dies out in the heat of summer. It has a very short growing season in the spring (at least in my Georgia climate), usually for about 2 months in April and May. The plant spouts to seed quite rapidly, and dies out shortly afterward.
I planted my first and only Cilantro plant many years ago. It lasted about a month, then died. I did not get much from it that year, so I thought it was a waste to try to plant it each year if it was not going to last. The following year, the seeds from that one plant sowed themselves and sprouted many new plants. And each year since they have multiplied to the point where I now have a forest of Cilantro plants each spring. So yes, it is an annual. But you should really only need to plant it once. Plan ahead for this one.... several years ahead, and be patient.
One other note - the cilantro seed is called coriander, and can be ground into a fine spice. So you can actually harvest some of the seeds for that purpose. And why not... you will have plenty of seeds.
11. Basil
This is an annual plant, and has several varieties. The most common is "sweet" basil. But I have also grown Thai and spicy globe basil. It likes warmer weather and will grow from spring to late fall. But it does need extra watering in dry periods.
Basil is a common ingredient in Greek and Italian cuisine, as well as Thai and Vietnamese. If you grow tomatoes and keep some fresh mozzarella on hand, then you can always make a caprese salad -- one of my favorite summer appetizers. And nothing beats freshness! At the end of the growing season, you can harvest the plants before they die out, and make pesto. And whatever pesto you don't use, you can freeze for use later.
Basil does produce many seeds, and some will sprout the following year. But not as reliably as cilantro. So I always plan to buy and plant new plants each year.
12. Dill
This seems to be the most difficult herb to grow. Like cilantro, it doesn't seem to last long and seems to like moderate temperatures. You also need several plants to produce enough stems to harvest. So this is one herb which I tend to have to buy from the grocery store, especially for recipes which require it in bulk. But... I still try to grow it since it is always nice to have some outside your door. One advantage of having the plant is that the "heads" or blossoms are used in dill pickle recipes, and you can't buy those in stores. So if you grow any cucumbers, then you should at least grow several dill plants if you have any plans of pickling them.
That's my list. And now is the time to plant. If you do then you will reap the rewards throughout the summer as you add some savory flavors to your meals. And as I said before.... Nothing beats Fresh!
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