Gardening

Thyme: From pot to cupboard

August 20, 2023 annbh356Leave a comment

five sprigs of time on a wood background

Just as menus change seasonally – from crisp salads with freshly picked mixed greens and vibrant plump berries to hearty, wintery weather stews – my choice of herbs also shifts. Dried dill is among our often-used winter herb adding a smidge of flavor in a vegetarian quiche or a sprinkling of color to fresh Spätzli. Whereas thyme is a nearly daily summer additive on lightly sautéed yellow squash or roasted green beans (each later garnished with 25-year-old balsamic vinegar), it tends to be rare in my winter recipes.

Regardless of the season, basil and oregano are cooking staples and each has, for years, transitioned from backdoor terracotta pots to the kitchen shelf. For the first time and in an effort to prolong the lazy days of summer and its menus, I dried some of the potted English thyme. It took two harvestings as the first snipping of tiny, dried leaves filled less than a quarter of one 5-ounce glass bottle. With the words of the brilliant songwriter Jim Croce in my head while carefully monitoring the oven drying so as not to char the fragrant herb, I have thymus vulgaris in a bottle.

Gardening

Fresh to Dried

August 6, 2023 annbh3561 Comment

close up of lavender with a bee on a bloom in a blue pot sitting in river gravel

With two large written notes, one on the stove dial and the other on the oven door handle, I carefully monitored yesterday’s oregano harvest as it dried in the oven at low temp. Two fragrant bottles of dried herbs are now tucked on the cupboard shelf ready for future Italian menus after having paid attention – this time.

Earlier this gardening season, I destroyed three pans of oregano leaves. Not right away, of course, which made my brain fade all the more irritating. I had spent a morning washing and de-stemming the little green leaves and then I repeatedly checked the drying process from green to withered to brittle before leaving the baking pans in the oven to cool. Later, focused on an afternoon task of making the next day’s rhubarb pecan scones, I set the temp to 450 degrees, totally forgetting the resting herbs until a scorched smell eventually reached my senses.

Still suffering from the indignant memory of oven burnt oregano, I dried the lavender with a more time-tested method. Left to air dry on racks over many days, I captured the fragrance of potted lavender in sachets which will protect my wool knitting projects until they can find perfect homes.

Gardening

Backdoor garden

June 28, 2022June 28, 2022 annbh3562 Comments

The potted herbs clustered around the backdoor are mid-summer hearty and offer a veritable Pantone spectrum from dusty silver sage to vibrant Genovese basil – my version of “50 shades of green.”

The basil crop is the best I have ever grown although, as to what might be different, I cannot claim credit as a variety of factors are equal – bought at same greenhouse as previous years, planted in the large Italian terracotta pot that formerly held a St. Thomas, V.I. lime tree from Dad, and tucked under the wind chimes on the left side of the doorway. Every day with easy morning sun and cool afternoon shade.

In an attempt to capture the lazy summer day in a jar, this morning’s task included harvesting and drying fresh basil. Great for aromatic hearty winter stews or tasty marinara sauce garnished pasta.

Happy Gardening and Bon Appétit!

PS – Ever the librarian, my backdoor crop in alpha order: basil, bay leaf, dill, nasturtiums (although technically not an herb but an edible flower – both leaf and blossom), oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, tarragon, and thyme.