How to make compound chive butter at home with fresh chives from the garden, garlic and chive flowers. A mixture of butter, herbs or spices, compound butter is a lovely condiment to many dishes.From a fresh piece of crusty bread to grilled steak, salmon, scallops, lobster, or stirred into a risotto or mashed potatoes, compound chive butter is nice to keep on hand in your refrigerator at all times. You could even use it in this comforting garlic pull apart bread. I’m really ...
Herbs & Spices
How To Dry Oregano
How to harvest and dry oregano from the garden, without a dehydrator, traditional and oven methods included.Native to the Mediterranean oregano is an essential herb in Italian cuisine, used to flavor everything from pizza to pasta and sauces with its unique peppery warm flavor. The dried variety has a stronger more intense aroma then the fresh herb.How To Dry Oregano, Traditional Method:Use your garden sheers and harvest entire stalks of oregano after the flowerbuds form, at the ...
Basil Oil Recipe
A quick guide on how to make basil oil at home. A simple recipe you can whip up in your blender or food processor in less than 5 minutes, and lasts for many days in the refrigerator.Just like making pesto but without any nuts. No need to blanch the leaves either. All you need is fragrant fresh basil, a good quality extra virgin olive oil and maybe a squeeze of lemon juice for a little zest. Perfect for dipping, to use as a salad dressing, drizzled over tomatoes and mozzarella di bufala, ...
Lavender Guide – Facts & Uses
“There’s a few things I’ve learned in life: always throw salt over your left shoulder, keep rosemary by your garden gate, plant lavender for good luck, and fall in love whenever you can. “ -Alice Hoffman Lavender is in full bloom in Southern California. Taking a quick jog up the hill even on a gloomy day has become a pleasure, if for no other reason than the beautiful sight of lavender bushes in almost every front yard. Someone once said: " As rosemary is to the Spirit, so Lavender is to the ...
7 Interesting Facts About Mint
7 Interesting Facts About Mint ! The more I learn, the more I realize how little I really know, and the more I realize how much I really don’t know, like these 7 interesting facts about mint.I hope that makes some kind of sense because this applies to everything for me, from cooking to health to shopping for shoes. No kidding, I think that If I never picked up a book again I would think I know it all.And I do know a lot, especially about food and cooking, but man, there is so much ...
Thyme Varieties For Cooking
There are quite a few thyme varieties for cooking out there. Thyme is one of my favorite herbs to cook with and plant in my containers, but in all honesty I stick to 2 maybe 3 varieties in my herb garden. As I was harvesting my thyme today I remembered reading about all these different species of thyme available to cooks and gardeners.I came across 8 thyme varieties for cooking as I was planning my own little herb container garden. But the ones I absolutely must have on hand ...
Basil Walnut Pesto Recipe
A classic Italian basil walnut pesto sauce consisting of a rustic basil leaf puree, garlic, olive oil and traditionally pine nuts, both versions included. Tough I mostly use walnuts or pine nuts, it can also be made with hazelnuts, pecans and even almonds.The authentic Genoese pesto also contains parmigiano-reggianno cheese, of course you can leave it out and keep it vegan! Traditionally it is a sauce made by hand in a mortar with pestle where leaf by leaf of Genoese basil gets crushed ...
Lemon Thyme Salad Dressing Recipe
This lemon thyme salad dressing happened because summer and salads go together like the ocean and the beach. It's hot and sunny and we are a little bit more self-conscious about our bodies. So for the most part we try to eat healthier during the summer months. I plant a few herbs in the garden in the spring, so right about now they are at their peak. Of course I must to have fresh Basil, Chives, Parsley and lots of Lemon thyme or Thymus Citriodorus in fancy terms ha! I add them to salads of ...
12 Cool Facts About Basil
Basil is by far my most favorite herb in the world. I use it in everything from pesto to my favorite tomato arrabiata sauce, to salads to vinaigrettes and fruity smoothies. I even make little bouquets of flowers mixed in oregano, purple and green basil sprigs to keep on my kitchen counter.Not to mention, salads and pizza and even tea. Who doesn’t like basil ?! Here are some cool things and facts: 1. Basil is native to tropical Asia and belongs to the mint family. 2. Sweet basil is also ...
What Are Peppercorns ?
What Are Peppercorns - a Lesson in Spices! FAQ: So What Are Peppercorns ? Peppercorns are the dried fruit of the pepper vine! Here are some cool facts you'll love to learn about peppercorns:1. Black Pepper is produced from immature green berries that are briefly fermented and then dried until it becomes wrinkled and dark brown to black in color. 2. Ground pepper looses its aroma quickly so you should only purchase organic whole peppercorns and grind them as needed. ...