By Taylor Sutton, MS, RDN, LD, United Supermarkets Dietitian
We sell a variety of culinary herbs and love to enjoy their benefits from fresh to dried but in this case we are going to talk about a few of the fresh ones we love having in our gardens or pots in our kitchen window sill that make life a little more fresh and inspiring. Let’s talk about a few that are growing really well right now and that you still have plenty of time to plant yourself and harvest for the rest of the season and will come back next year. Never fear though, if gardening isn’t your thing, herbs are year round at the grocery store and enhance the flavor of so many dishes.
Parsley
Parsley is greatly underrated and we need to change that. It’s an herb that is widely used in middle-eastern, mediterranean, brazilian and American cuisines. It’s often used as a garnish but can also be used as part of building the base of flavors. The main tasting notes of parsley are a peppery flavor with a touch of earthiness. It contains many beneficial nutrients like flavonoids, antioxidants, luteolin, folate, vitamin C and alpha and beta carotene.
Mint
Mint is a perennial herb. This means it will grow back every year. When you plant it, be sure to put it in a container as it will choke out most other plants because it acts as a weed almost. Mint has been a recent obsession in salads for us but it is used across the world and can bring a great depth to any dish. It has a sweet almost fruity like quality and doesn’t have just culinary uses but also a few medicinal benefits. Try using it in boiling water as tea for an upset stomach or to aid in digestion.
Basil
Basil is another perennial her. Be it starting from seed or purchasing a transplant, basil is hands down the most used spice in our kitchen and homes across the United States. Torn in a salad, made into a pesto, or cooked into a sauce it’s applications are endless. If you are growing this with us we’ve got a few tips for you: (1) don’t let it flower, pinch those off and (2) keep pruning them to establish more growth from the plant over a longer period of time. Basil loves the Texas heat so plant them late march thru May to establish a good root system so you can have a good supply. There are so many different varieties of basil and we encourage you to plant the one you will actually be eating!
Lavender
Lavender has been used for centuries in culinary forms as well as medicinal ways and the same is true today. We love making lavender simple syrups to spraying it on our pillow in the evening for a restful night’s sleep. The research is all over the board on what it may help with from anxiety and depression to upset stomach so use this as a way to experiment with and talk with your care team before incorporating it. Its taste is unique in that its floral qualities are the highnotes and the back notes are of mint and rosemary as they are in the same family.
Chives
Chives have an onion-like taste since they are in that family of garlic, leeks, scallions, and shallots! If you are growing these with us they are a perennial and being in Texas there is only a very small window in which they are not thriving! They will come back year after year if you keep them under good care. When they flower, which is typically 3 years after planting, those are also edible but if you don’t want chives all over your garden eventually you’ll want to eat or cut those as soon as possible as the seeds will spread.
Easy Gremolata
Ingredients
- 1 c. Parsley
- 1/4 c. Mint
- 1 Tbsp. Garlic
- Salt and Pepper as desired
- 1/2 Small Lemon, juiced
- 1/4 c. Olive Oil
Directions
1. Mince all herbs and add to a bowl.
2. Add salt and pepper as desired, olive oil and lemon juice and zest and combine.
