An Herb Garden Companion

As you may have read previously, Chris and I have been growing some herbs on my balcony in pots for everyday cooking. When Chris' mom was visiting, she taught us how to cut the herbs, dry them, and freeze them for future use. I for one certainly was worried what I would do when she left and we were left to our own devices in caring for our little garden. This was quickly remedied by Chris' mom (and sister!) who sent me (as a birthday gift) this great little guide to growing your own herbs and using them called "Your Backyard Herb Garden". It covers everything from growing your herbs to using them in cooking and crafts. I'm especially interested in the handy chart on pests and molds to watch out for. In short, this is exactly what we needed to keep our little garden thriving and keep cooking with our herbs through the winter season. Thanks for the awesome gift!

Our First Homegrown Herbs

About 5 weeks ago, Chris and I planted a few herbs on my patio in an attempt to grow some of the food we eat. We planted basil, oregano, mint and rosemary. Last week we used the rosemary in a balsamic rosemary garlic marinade for some portobello mushroom burgers. This week we collected our first samples of the basil, oregano, and mint. Fortunately for us, Chris' mom was here this weekend and gave us some good tips on how to preserve some of the herbs for use in winter. After cutting and washing, you can either freeze the leaves for use later on or you can dry them on a cutting board or hung upside down. Once dried, store in an airtight jar. I think our first use for the oregano and basil will be some homemade pizza, while we might use the mint in some mojitos this weekend. As someone with a thumb that is more black than green I was worried about growing usable quantities of these herbs and spices but found that they're easier to grow than weeds. (It's more likely though that Chris learned a lot about gardening from his mom and has been keeping them all alive.) The biggest bonus of growing your own herbs and spices though has to be that it's much cheaper than buying them in the supermarket, fresh or dried. And they taste better! Anyway, here are some pictures of our first homegrown herbs.