Winter Herbs

Recently I had lamented that a dish would have been just that much better with the addition of some fresh Italian parsley. One of my readers, Rosie Hawthorne, who is blessed to live in a mild climate wondered why I just didn't grow my parsley in a protected South-facing location. Rosie, I hope that this post will answer your questions about my winter herbs.

This is what is left of my basil, Italian parsley and oregano. If I am lucky, the oregano will survive the winter.

This pot contains my thyme, chives and another oregano plant. I had to replace the oregano last spring as the original plant had died. The thyme and chives are several years old.

More Italian parsley grew in the middle pot.


As you can see, the pots sit next to the south side of the house near a protected corner. This is the best that I can do with the outside plants. I can plant my peppers and tomatoes earlier in pots on the deck than I could in the ground as this is a more protected area. They also last longer in the fall until it gets too cold.

Since bay plants cost so much, I brought this pot in (which also contains sage). Unfortunately, the plants don't get enough sun inside and I have difficulty getting them enough water.

The rosemary's new growth is spindly, indicating that it is not getting enough light. This is also another plant that requires a lot of water. Both pots are sitting in front of an east-facing door in a room that also has several south-facing windows.

All I can do is to hope to keep these alive until they can go back out on the deck in the spring.

Maybe I should consider getting a small portable greenhouse for my herbs.

I broke down and bought a bunch of Italian Flat Parsley for $1.49 at my regular grocery store. I placed them in water and put them in the fridge to keep the leaves fresh.

Look at the tag in the picture: now I know why Sandra Lee insists upon calling the stuff 'Flat Parsley', as if her fat aunt Bertha had sat on the plant, thus flattening it.

Herbes de Provence, Part Deux



My dear friend Rosie Hawthorne of Kitchens Are Monkey Business blog fame has requested that I blog the process of making a batch of Herbes de Provence.



Despite what you may have heard, there is no one recipe for making this herb blend. Traditionally, each homeowner in the Provence region of France would simply add the herbs that they had growing in their gardens at that particular time.



For this particular batch, I had basil, dill weed, flat-leaf (or Italian) parsley, oregano, rosemary, sage and thyme. Cut your herbs early in the day before the essential oils have dissipated in the heat of the day. Use twine or rubber bands to secure the bunches. Hang upside down to dry in a cool, airy location that does not receive direct sunlight.

I cut fresh herbs yesterday morning for another batch of Herbes de Provence. Here I have (left to right) thyme, flat-leaf parsley, sage, oregano, basil and rosemary. I really need to make a dedicated herb drying rack. But until then, this works for me.

Other herbs that are traditionally used in Herbes de Provence include lavender buds, marjoram, bay leaves, chervil, tarragon, summer savory, and even mint. Now, some people insist that lavender must be added for it to be an authentic Herbes de Provence. But, as this is my house and my lavender plants all died, this batch is lavender-free.

Allow to dry for several weeks until thoroughly dry.

Once dry, strip the leaves from the stems and pulse in a mini food processor until finely chopped. Alternately, the herbs can be chopped using a knife. I will warn you that dry rosemary can be a bit difficult to chop with a knife as it is very stiff and it will tend to jump around on the cutting board.

Store in an air-tight container for up to a year. Keep in a cool, dry, dark place.

Herbes de Provence works nicely in egg dishes, as well as with potatoes and meat. Experiment with your own blend to find your new favorites.

Sorry, Rosie, but this herb blend was gerbil-free.* Every time I tried to plant the gerbils, they kept digging themselves out and running off.

*Just an inside joke for those of us who love to make fun of Sandra Lee and her mispronunciations on Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee.