Easy Herbs to Grow and Eat

Easy Herbs to Grow and Eat

Chive flowers

Basil

  • Scented basil is a key part of Italian cooking and a perfect companion to tomatoes. Eat your own basil in omelettes or as a pesto sauce.
  • Growing from seed on a windowsil in a 3″ pot is easy peasy
  • Pick leaves as needed, pinching out the top encourages growth

Parsley

  • Curly parsley is best used as a garnish and with cold dishes.
  • Flat leaved parsley is used with hot dishes according to Jamie Oliver.
  • Grown from seed Parsley will last through winter as it is a short lived perennial

Coriander

  • With a strong warming taste and very aromatic Coriander can be added in stir fries, couscous and other dishes just before serving.
  • Grow from seed

Mint

  • Mint is available in several flavours all with that refreshing minty taste to accompany new potatoes.
  • Crushing the mint stems brings out extra flavour but chopped leaves are traditionally used in mint sauce with lamb.
  • Mint can be grown from seed but I would buy a plant of your chosen mint type.
  • Mint is long lived and can spread rapidly via stolens under ground.

Chives

  • See them in flower above. Use the edible flowers to decorate a dish
  • A mild onion flavour makes Chives useful in potato salad, cheese sauce and egg dishes.
  • Sprinkle on cheese sandwiches or make a herb butter to serve with steak or chops.
  • Grow from seed and cut leaves as needed.
  • Chive plants will regrow each spring and flower in June.

Buying Herb Seeds

  • Thompson Morgan have a good selection available on this link.
  • Try the windowsill variety pack as a starter.
  • Do not use all the seed at once but resow every few weeks to keep a steady supply of tasty aromatic plants.

Read about Winter herbs or Herbs for Drinks, Pillows and Baths

One thought on “Easy Herbs to Grow and Eat

  1. Herbal plants used in the Ayurvedic system of medicine are facing extinction.

    Definite cause of concern, as Ayurveda is increasingly being used around the world to treat various disorders such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, ulcers and many others.

    Some herbs that have been identified are – Ulteria salicfolia, Hydnocarpus pentandra, Gymnocladus assamicus, and Begonia tessaricarpa.

    Conservation of traditional herbs and plants should become a high priority for all. Challenge
    becomes more severe as many of these herbs grow in the wild and are not cultivated.

    Planet Green (a discovery.com venture) reported on this earlier this month.

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