Wednesday 4 May 2016

Spring Herbs

Well I must say that today has truly felt like a spring day. The sun hasn't stopped shining and there hasn't been a drop of rain all day - somewhat of a novelty after the very wet bank holiday weekend! Definitely a garden day; the perfect opportunity to pot a few more herbs to use in my cooking.

Herbs are not a revelation for many of us but they are an integral part of many of my dishes - when used fresh they add extra depth and perfume to food and are a great way to experiment with new flavours.

Starting your own kitchen garden is probably one of the most easy things to do; even if you are limited on space it is still super simple. I use basic terracotta pots, each individually labelled in a sunny but sheltered spot on the stone steps by the front door. I grow what I know I will use; mainly classic herbs such as rosemary, basil, sage and coriander; but occasionally I do like to mix-it up a bit by planting new less available herbs to try in dishes.

This year I've planted 'borage'; the leaves have a cucumber-like taste and are apparently lovely in salads; and the bright blue edible flowers have a sweet honey taste which can be used to decorate desserts and cocktails (and who needs an excuse to sample a pretty cocktail?!).

The draw for me is the satisfaction of eating something which I have grown myself instead of buying it from the supermarket. Herbs are so easy (and cheap!) to grow and flourish for the majority of the year. You don't even have to buy new pots; old tins, tea caddies, jars and ceramic dishes all work as lovely new homes for most herbs. - fabric is so pretty for indoor growing!

So take advantage of the nice weather, get outdoors and try planting something new; something that you can use in your cooking, in your dishes, something where you can say 'I grew that' and most importantly something which tastes great!

No comments:

Post a Comment