Thursday, June 23, 2011

I beg your pardon, I like
my lovely little herb garden

A couple of weeks ago my husband and I planted our herb “garden.”
   It's really herbs planted in individual pots and placed in our backyard.
   One of my favorite things to do in the summer is to go outside in bare feet in the grass and raid our beautiful garden, picking sprigs of herbs to use in summer dishes.
   This year we planted basil, oregano, tarragon, chives, rosemary, thyme, sage, flat-leaf parsley and mint.
   We find ourselves using these fresh herbs in dishes all summer long. (In cold months, we buy our herbs from the supermarket.)
   Here are some summertime dishes that put the fresh herbs we plant to marvellous use:

Basil
Cucumber, Mint and Basil Soda
Zucchini Basil Soup
Summer Garden Tortellini
Orzo with Tomatoes, Feta and Green Onions
Ray's Cafe Salmon Burger with Basil Mayonnaise
Penne with Zucchini, Fresh Herbs and Lemon Zest
Spicy Grilled Shrimp

Chives
Strawberry and Spring Onion Salad
Warm Bread with Garlic-Herb Butter
Soft Scrambled Eggs with Fresh Ricotta and Chives
Herb Pita Crisps
Shrimp Salad Rolls with Tarragon and Chives

Mint
Limoncello and Mint Sparklers
Mojitos
Mintade
Penne with Zucchini, Fresh Herbs and Lemon Zest
Cucumber, Mint and Basil Soda

Oregano
Grilled Lemon-Oregano Chicken Drumsticks

Parsley
Chorizo and Tomato Salad
Antipasto Pasta Salad
Penne with Zucchini, Fresh Herbs and Lemon Zest
Warm Bread with Garlic-Herb Butter

Rosemary, Thyme and Tarragon
Spaghetti with Tomatoes and Tarragon
Shrimp Salad Rolls with Tarragon and Chives
Tuscan Potato Salad
Thyme Lemonade

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