They grow easily. You can have them in spring, in summer and in winter. They are good for your health. And they make every dish better. So there is really no need to hesitate any more! Here is some advice on using the herbs of the garden.
As an infusion or in cooked dishes, herbs have a thousand virtues.
Rosemary
Likes warm climates but withstands frost (it will hold on through autumn and winter depending on the region)
Our two favourite ways of using it:
- as a tea, steeped in boiling water, to cleanse the liver
- on crisp sautéed potatoes, to make rustic, aromatic potatoes!
Bay
It is not, in fact, a herb but a tree. But its leaves are used just like herbs!
Like rosemary, it is rather a Mediterranean tree, though it puts up with cold places all the same.
Our two favourite ways of using it:
- as an infusion, as an antiviral to kill off flu or winter illnesses! And to soothe stomach cramps.
- in stews, meat dishes and other cooked dishes, for its fine fragrant taste
Parsley
Parsley seed can be sown almost all year round (as it is slow to come up, soak the seed in water beforehand to speed up germination). To keep it going through winter, cover it at ground level, pot it up indoors or put it in a greenhouse.
Note that the leaves, the part we eat, are very rich in vitamins A and C.
Our two favourite ways of using it:
- as a tea with lemon juice, to load up on vitamins. But also as an emmenagogue.
- as a vegetable in tabbouleh, finely chopped
Thyme
It is very much a Mediterranean plant!
Our two favourite ways of using it:
- as a tea to soothe coughs and sore throats, chronic or passing. But also to help digestion, paired with rosemary.
- on every Provençal dish! It is the herb of Provence par excellence.
