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Fresh herbs are tasty—and healthy, too.
It’s time to start mapping out your garden, and be sure to leave space for herbs. They’re the best way to add flavor and nutrients to your meals. Those dark, leafy greens add anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, as well as vitamins K and A (for healthy bones, eyes, skin and more), plus iron and potassium, to name a few. With a little forethought, it’s easy to stroll out to your garden; grab a handful of parsley, basil or cilantro; chop it up; and toss it into your salads, soups and stir-fries.
But what do you do when your herb garden explodes with too much parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme? Give them a quick rinse and dry, pluck them from the stems and put them in a food processor with some fresh garlic, onions and olive oil. Pulse the ingredients together until they’re chopped into small pieces. Then put them into Ziploc freezer bags in small portions, flatten them out and freeze. When you need a boost of flavor, simply break off a few pieces of the herb blend and you’ve added the flavors of your garden to your meals year-round. Use them as marinades, salad dressings or added to sautéed veggies.
A few of my favorite herb combinations:
- Cilantro, ginger, garlic, lime juice and olive oil (add a slice or two of jalapeno for a kick)
- Basil, mint, dill, garlic, onion and olive oil
- Rosemary, sage, thyme, basil, garlic and olive oil
- Rosemary, basil, garlic, onion, lemon juice and olive oi
Amy Goetz is a FoodE Expert for Lunds & Byerlys Woodbury. She helps customers with recipe ideas, teaches cooking classes, and plans events. She writes about food and recipes.
