What grows in this Chef’s herb garden? Only the necessities for my hungry palate! Find out what flavors I plant every spring to maximize the flavor on every plate I make.

Grow your own flavor too!

 

After the last touch of chilly weather, the sunshine decided to come out and give us a bunch of beautiful, warm days. We took advantage and tackled the landscaping at our house. With all that work done, I needed a new project. An herb garden was on top of my list of easy projects with quick rewards. Longer days, more sun, and warmer temps signaled not only that Spring is here, but its definitely time to start planting!!

So short while ago, I popped a buncha seeds into some extra pots I had laying around. A little water, a little love….and Boom!!! My happy little herb garden is growing up nicely.

 

Basil

Well hell, I am 100% Italian! My last meal on this planet will consist of Prosciutto, fresh Mozzarella, Sundried Tomatoes and Basil Pesto. I usually have a few big plants growing so I can make lots and lots of pesto. One of our favorite go –to dinners is Pesto Parmesan Baked Chicken….don’t worry, I’ll share that recipe as soon as my basil is big enough to make a batch. I also love to use pesto in mayonnaise, its makes an amazing Roast Beef Panini, or folded into Asiago Cheese Mashed Potatoes.

Cilantro

I can never get enough texmex, thai or indian food, so I would be remiss without it. Quite often, I use it to doctor up some of my favorite semi-homemade meals in a pinch. I often toss a bottle of Tikka Masala marinade onto cubed chicken and simmer it until tender. Some fresh cilantro chopped on top, and it tastes like I slaved for hours. A few leaves folded into store-brand salsa and it tastes like I just made it. I use it in my Mojo Pork marinade, Coconut Lime Rice,  Caribbean Black Beans, or my all time favorite condiment, Chimichurri.

 Scallions

I gotta have these flavorful badboys, except I didn’t plant them from seed. Instead, I used the root ends that most would throw away as scrap. A few days in a cup of water, and the roots grew long and strong. I dug them into a corner of one of my pots, and off they grew. I just continually cut off the top few inches for use, and they keep on growing me more. We love each other, those scallions and I.

Thai Basil

Although I’m already growing its Italian cousin, this bad boy deserves a place in the garden too. This easy to grow beauty makes those pots of homemade chicken stock rival any good take out Pho in a pinch. I love to make a quick flavorful Thai Pork Stir Fry with Holy Basil, ground pork and the addition of garlic, chilies, soy and a bit of fish sauce. Good stuff over rice or even rolled in a lettuce cup.

 

Mint

If you like a good mojito as much as I do, then this has got to be in your herb garden. Just note, it is best to plant mint in a small pot first, then plant that into a bigger pot. I has a strong tendency to spread through any soil it touches, and takes over a small garden quickly. This helps it to stay smaller and prevent the mint takeover. In fact, my mint is already so prolific, I need to start adding it my evening tea, maybe some homemade lemonade, and everything else I drink.

Arugula

Yeah, yeah, I know it’s not an herb, but I grow it anyway. I always grow lots of fresh Arugula. I use it very frequently, and I plant enough to make sure I can harvest some of the tender, flavorful baby leaves every week. Sometimes I load up my salad with the leaves, other days I sauté them and add to a frittata. Most often, I use these intense, flavor packed leaves in my homemade version of Carpaccio, an Italian “raw” beef salad. I could eat mountains of that stuff…..I’m drooling just thinking about this. Follow for more info on what I consider to be the next new superfood.