Herb

Since herbs are plentiful this time of year, why not use them to make a variety of simple herb butters? You can even freeze the butters to enjoy in the cooler fall months ahead. You can buy fresh herbs at the grocery store or farmer’s market, or even grow them yourself in a small herb garden, or in pots on the windowsill.

Use these tasty butters on everything from grilled steaks, fish, and chicken, to cooked vegetables. And don’t forget to slather some on a big chunk of fresh bread. Yum!

To make herb butters, chop the herbs very fine (and pulverize the seeds). Cream the butter. Then blend in the herbs and seasonings. Roll the herb butter into a log, then wrap the log in waxed paper. Store in the refrigerator, or put in the freezer (for up to 6 months).

Try the following herb butter combinations:

BASIC HERBAL BUTTER
2 sticks softened butter
1 Tsp. chopped, fresh green basil
1 Tbsp. chopped, fresh marjoram
1 Tbsp. chopped, fresh chives
1 tspo. chopped, fresh rosemary
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

PARSLEY HERB BUTTER
1/2 c. softened butter
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. chopped basil
1/4 tsp. oregano
Pepper to taste

ROSEMARY BUTTER
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 sticks softened butter

Variation: To make pretty pats of these butters, spoon softened herb butter into candy molds and freeze. When the butter is frozen, pop it out of the molds. Store the butter pats in the refrigerator.

1d mark iv
1d mark iv body
canon eos 1d mark iv
canon 1d body only
canon 1d mark iv
canon 1ds mark iii
eos 1d mark iv
nikon s70 best price

These days going organic doesn’t always mean a trip to your nearest Whole Foods or the Sunday morning farmer’s market. Plenty of urban farmers are utilizing small and medium sized containers for growing their herb gardens. This means if you have a sun filled backyard, open porch or kitchen windowsill you can start growing your own fresh herb garden.

* Many Container Options Are Available. Because herbs don’t require deep soil to grow, there are a variety of plant container sizes that can you can utilize for your herb garden. An oblong window box is great for planting varieties of plants. Just make sure there is “breathing room” between the plants. And check the labels to see which plants work best in the same type of moisture environment.

Another option is to separate the plants into their own individual pots. You can use terra cotta, plastic or ceramic. If your containers will be indoors, look for pots that match your kitchen décor. For the more artistic, you can even paint your pots with pictures of the herbs. That’s a great way to know what’s growing inside. An important tip to keep in mind is whether or not you’ll be moving these containers around in colder weather. If so, consider the size and weight so you can make the moves as simple as possible.

* Drainage Is Essential. No matter which container you choose it is important that there is proper drainage. If the pot doesn’t come with holes, simply poke a few in the bottom and make sure you have a tray underneath to catch the access water. Herbs can survive a few days of “drought conditions” much better than drowning. Also, when watering, try not to hit the plants directly with water. This will prevent a potential build up of fungus. Any decent potting soil that allows for drainage but also holds moisture is best for your herb garden. You can find varieties of this type of soil at any home, garden, or department store.

* Let the Sun Shine. As with all plants, your container herb garden will need plenty of sun. They should be soaking up the rays at least 4-5 hours each day. You should factor this in when it comes to placement. Having your plants close to your cooking is ideal so you can just snip and simmer away.

* Harvest Time. Allow your herbs to grow several leaves before you begin taking your sample and be sure to leave enough behind so that your herbs will continue to thrive. And since most herbs are perennials you’ll be able to use them all year long. I recommend pruning your herb plants even when you don’t use to keep them flourishing. These cuttings can be dried and used at any time.

* Picking Your Herbs. The best way to decide which herbs to grow is to merely think about your favorite recipes. What do you like to sprinkle on top of chicken, pork or in soups? Basil, rosemary, thyme, oregano and cilantro can all add fragrant tastes to any dish – and the fresher the better.

And herbs don’t mind living amongst other fruits and vegetables so why not grow a variety of colorful – and spicy – chili peppers in the same container. Just imagine a simmering pot of tomato sauce finished off with a couple of clippings from your handy herb garden! Boy, that’s what I call, “good eating!”

While many people choose to grow their herbs inside or in a window box, if you have the space available a larger herbal garden may be a good option for you. Since herbs are both beautiful and useful, they are a great addition to any garden.

Herb garden designs depend on a variety of factors. Things like available space, desired style, desired herbs and other factors will dictate what you can do with your herb garden designs. Perhaps the most important factor in herb garden designs is aesthetics. The style of your garden should complement the style of your home as well as reflect your personal style.

In the past English style herbal garden designs have been quite popular, and are still the preference of those who like neat rows and symmetry. There is something nostalgic and appealing about neat hedge rows that frame lovely flowering herbs such as lavender, or small shrub plants like rosemary. They usually feature some type of center focal point in the middle, whether it is a statue, or garden furniture or a fountain.

Perhaps one of the best herbal garden designs for a small space is a design that uses tiered planters. The reason this works well for smaller areas is that the footprint of the area used is small but as the tiers in the raised planter boxes move up, you gain more planting area.

Another of the most popular herbal garden designs is the more modern design of the square garden. It is laid out in a similar fashion to the English style garden but is more open. Where the English garden is usually bordered by short neatly manicured hedges, the square garden is not. English herb garden designs usually feature paths that are covered in small pea gravel, but square herb garden designs feature paths that are covered in pavers of some type.

When you are planning your herb garden one of the critical factors is the variety of plants and where you will put them. Some of your herb plants will grow tall if you allow them to, while some will become very shrub like, being full and low to the ground. Some will require more sunlight than others and some will require more water than others. So when you are choosing the variety of herbs that you want to grow it is important to plan accordingly. Just choosing the herbs that you would like most to have in your kitchen and then planting them can result in problems.

Herbs can also be planted in your existing flower garden if you have one, and they often make beautiful additions. But you will want to be careful as the plant food and pesticides (if you choose to use them) that you would use for flowers are much different than those used on edible plants. The products used for flowers are highly toxic if ingested, so erring on the side of caution is always best.