#herb shelf

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Growing Tip: Garden Rosemary

Growing your own Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus), you can really tell the difference, even with a plant you brought home from the garden centre! Its leaves are fatter, more fragrant, and the flavour is uncomparable! Like any herb you grow yourself, it is so tasty and powerfully scented that a little really does go a long way!

And the good news is, it is rather easy to grow, as well. One mostly need to be patient and very attentive to the weather!

I sowed rosemary seeds sparsely in a terracotta pot filled with a mixture of garden soil, potting soil and compost on top of clay marbles --good drainage is essential-- on 28th June (my birthday!)

Then, I watered regularly, but only when the soil was dry to the touch.

It took quite a while to sprout, in late July, early August, but once it did, it grew rather nicely, and by mid-August, I could snip off some of these soft, tender tops to cook with! This actually helps, and encourages the plant to grow further, sturdier and stronger. Don't hesitate, but be careful to cut just over the tiniest, youngest leaves, so they can continue to flourish and your Rosemary plant with it!

Tending to it is quite easy: water, generously, when the soil gets dry to the touch, make sure your plant gets a lot of light; and, when it rains abundantly, make sure the water does not flood your pot, as the Rosemary roots can rot if over-watered.)

I shall take my young Rosemary plant inside, to the Nursery, under a window, once it gets both wetter and colder (older plants may sustain the weather if planted in a well-drained area), but as long as there are sunny and warm days, it continues to thrive on the Herb Shelf, and bring heaps of delicious flavours to my dishes!

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Garden Herb Cucumber Soup

This deliciously cooling Garden Herb Cucumber Soup is inspired by a Midsummer Feast recipe in this month’s The Simple Things. Beautifully fragrant, it is the perfect way to open an outdoor celebration of the year’s longest day! Glad Midsommar!

Ingredients (serves 2):

3/4 large cucumber

1 garlic clove

a small bunch Garden Chives + more for garnish

a small bunch Garden Dill + more for garnish

2 fluffy sprigs Garden Parsley + a few leaves for garnish

1/2 lemon

salt and freshly cracked black pepper

1 cup kefir

a teaspoon olive oil

the small, softer leaves of fresh mint, at the top of your plant

Cut cucumber into thick slices. Save a couple for garnish, and add the rest of the cucumber slices to a blender.

Peel and halve garlic clove. Remove its core, and add to the blender, along with Garden Chives, Garden Dill and Garden Parsley. Grate in about a teaspoon lemon zest, and thoroughly squeeze in the juice of the lemon halve. Season, to taste, with salt and cracked black pepper. Finally, pour in kefir, and process until smooth and well-blended. Pour into serving bowl, and chill in the refrigerator, at least a good couple of hours.

Before serving, thinly dice reserved cucumber slices.

Serve Garden Herb Cucumber Soup very cold, drizzled with olive oil and garnished with cucumber dices and Garden Chives, Dill, Parsley and mint.

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Garden Herb Garlic Butter

This flavourful Garden Herb Garlic Butter, fragrant with freshly picked herbs from  the garden is delightfully tasty, and can be spread or melted onto a variety of things, from grilled meat to toasted bread! Happy Tuesday!

Ingredients (makes about ½ cup):

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

a dozen leaves fresh mint

2 fluffy sprigs Garden Parsley

2 fluffy sprigs

1/8 teaspoon fleur de sel or sea salt flakes

1 large garlic clove, minced

Spoon softened butter in a small bowl.

Chop mint leaves, Garden Parsley and Garden Cilantro finely. Add to the bowl, along with fleur de sel and minced garlic. Stir energetically until well-blended.

Then, spoon Garden Herb Garlic Butter onto one side of a strip of baking paper, and gently but firmly roll into a log shape, twisting the ends of baking paper. Place in the freezer, and chill, at least three-quarters of an hour, until hardened.

You can melt Garden Herb Garlic Butter on grilled corn, steak or fish, Sweet Potatoes, or Potatoes, toasted Sourdough bread...

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Cold Mint and Cilantro Courgette Soup

It’s not even the tenth of June yet and the temperature is 29°C, the sun is hot and blinding and I can’t remember the last time it rained... The heat lingers at night, too! And if I’ve already officially started my salad season, we might as well begin our cold soup season, too, to help us cool off! This Cold Mint and Cilantro Courgette Soup, fragrant with garden herbs and bright green in colour is a most excellent way to begin! Happy Friday!

Ingredients (serves 2):

1 1/2 large courgettes, rinsed

1 large garlic clove

1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

a dozen leaves fresh mint

2 fluffy sprigs Garden Cilantro

1 heaped tablespoon cream cheese

1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Cut courgettes into slices into a large saucepan.

Peel garlic clove, and add to the courgettes, along with coarse sea salt.

Bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, cook, about 10 minutes until just tender.

Remove from the heat, and immediately drain courgettes in a colander, saving their cooking water. Allow both to cool completely.

In a blender, combine cooled courgettes and garlic clove. Tear in mint leaves and Garden Cilantro sprigs. Add cream cheese and black pepper.

Blitz, gradually adding about 2 cups of the cooled courgette cooking water, until beautifully smooth.

Pour into serving bowl, and chill in the refrigerator, at least 3 hours.

Serve Cold Mint and Cilantro Courgette Soup with toasted Sourdough and a drizzle of good olive oil, if you wish.

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Garden Herb Parsnip Soup (Vegetarian)

On a chilly and rainy Autumn day, there is nothing more comforting than a warming bowl of soup. Even more so, when you have braved the ceaseless drizzle to dig up parsnips in the Veg Patch and pick aromatic herbs on the Herb Shelf to make this delicious Garden Herb Parsnip Soup! Happy Thursday!

Ingredients (serves 1):

180 grams/6 ounces Parsnips

8 sprigs Garden Parsley

8 sprigs Garden Chervil

1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt

3 cups water

1 heaped tablespoon crème fraîche or sour cream

freshly cracked black pepper

If you have just dug out your Parsnips from your Kitchen Garden, thoroughly scrub and rinse them under cold water. But you don’t need to peel them. Cut Parsnips into thick slices and place them into a medium saucepan.

Pinch off the stalks from Parsley and Chervil, and add to the saucepan. Add coarse sea salt and cover with 2 cups of water. Bring to the boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium, cover with a lid, and simmer, 20 minutes, until Parsnips are tender.

Remove from the heat.

Finely chop half of the Parsley and Chervil, and add to the saucepan.

Using a hand-held blender, process, gradually adding remaining water until smooth. Add crème fraîche, and process once more.

Return saucepan over medium-heat until the soup is well-warmed.

Serve Garden Herb Parsnip Soup hot, with a dollop of crème fraîche, a sprinkle of black pepper and remaining Parsley and Chervil.

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Tuna Sandwich

A little while back, I had a salad recipe for each day of the week. This week, I might do the same with sarnies! This Tuna Sandwich, made with a few ingredients and freshly picked herbs makes a tasty picnic, especially enjoyable by the water. Happy Tuesday!

Ingredients (serves 1):

60 grams/2 ounces tinned tuna

a small bunch fresh Chives

1 small fluffy sprig fresh Parsley

1 1/2 heaped tablespoon crème fraîche or sour cream

1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

a teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 small or 1/2 large freshly baked Baguette

Spoon tinned tuna into a small bowl. Finely chop Garden Chives and Parsley. Add to the tuna, along with crème fraîche, black pepper and lemon juice. Give a good stir until well-blended.

Halve Baguette, without cutting through completely. Generously spread tuna mixture on both sides, and close sandwich. Wrap tightly in cling film and foil. Chill in the refrigerator, at least two hours before eating.

When you’re bringing this Tuna Sandwich for a picnic, make sure you carry it in a cooler bag to keep it chill until you find a beautiful spot to eat it! It goes well with a juicy tomato, or crisps, and a body of water nearby!