createDrowning in basil
Help - I am drowning in basil, cilantro, mint and parsley and don’t know what to do with all the fresh herbs that I am growing in my garden. Does anyone have a suggestion. I cut the plants back but the herbs go bad before I can use them all?
I was inspired to plant a small patch after reading on of writers on Great Grub about his garden. Also, I wanted to save some money and this seemed like a quick and easy way to cut on costs at the super market. So for a grand total of $9.50 we planted some herbs and vegetables in our garden. And now I have more herbs than I know what to do with. I am saving money. but I hate to waste. Does anyone know how I can keep them from going bad in the refrigerator?
This is excellent advice. But please note that the paper bag method of drying herbs is recommended in humid climates. Here in dry Southern California everything including herbs dries out so fast that we can skip that step.
Drowning in herbs… what a wonderful image. Here are a few thoughts:
Herb butters: finely chop any one of the herbs (or combination) and work into some butter (I would say about a 4 to 1 ratio of butter to herbs). Lay the butter on some cling wrap and work into a “sausage” say an inch or two thick. Twist the ends tight. You can then freeze the butter and slice off medallions from time to time to place on a cooking steak, a piece of fish, into a pasta sauce, whatever you like.
Dried herbs: The traditional method of drying herbs is tying and hanging upside down in paper bags. I find it just as effective to finely chop some herbs and leave them in a bowl next to the stove. (I learned this trick from Andrew.)
Pesto: I love using all sorts of combination of herbs in my pesto. Click on this link to find some great recipes.
Salads: Add herbs to any salads for an extra little kick. Or, with parsley, you can make a salad using it as the main leaf. It tastes like Spring! Or what about basil, tomatoes, avocados and mozzarella cheese drizzled in balsamic vinegar and olive oil?
Nutrition: Herbs are surprisingly high in nutritious benefits. Sprinkle them on any plate of food for a bit of extra nourishment for your family. Looks good, does good and tastes great.
Hope this helps a little. Have fun.