Cooking with Fresh Herbs and Flowers

Chances are, the last meal that made your taste buds dance was a product of impeccable seasoning. There’s also a good chance that some of those herbs and plants responsible for the delectable cuisine are plants you could easily be growing in your very own home.

There comes a certain amount of pride knowing that the ingredients you’re cooking with come from your own garden. Plus, there is the satisfaction in passing through the produce isle and knowing that what many people are paying for each time they want it, a simple packet of $.50 or $1.50 seeds provided you with the same thing, but for the entire season.

When removed from the confines of a restraining planter box and reawakened with new intent in the kitchen herbs and plants can transform a dish and create an intoxicating blend of flavors.

Originally I had anticipated putting together one article that addressed a handful of these herbs and plants and how to incorporate them into your cooking and be done with it. After further consideration however I realize that there are way too many fun ideas and culinary uses and health benefits these plants hold to be briefly skimmed over. As a result, this post serves as more of an introduction to an ongoing series of posts to come, that will each address a specific herb, or plant, and how to harvest, cook and store them. And what would a cooking article be without a few recipes? Stay tuned to learn how to harness the power of your green thumb and bring your recipes to life with fresh new ingredients.

Beginning Your Garden:

Before you brush off the thought of growing your own herbs, understand that this can be done whether you live on a farm in the suburbs or an apartment in the city, my garden happens to be a resident of the latter. While I’m not a professional gardener by any means, here are some tips I’ve found useful in my experience.

There are two ways to start your garden; from seed or from seedling. Whichever you choose depends on the length of time the growing season lasts in your area of the world and whether the climate will provide your seeds the conditions they need to begin to sprout and grow. Living in Las Vegas with warm springs and hot summers, either way works but some years provide a more prolonged bout of warm spring weather, in this case seeds are my preference. Otherwise, stick to letting the professionals get them started and simply adopt a little seedling and transplant it.

If this is your first stab at gardening I suggest beginning with something simple, basil for example is great for starters. It grows rather quickly and wilts when it needs water, thus providing visual cues for the first-time gardener.

When selecting which herbs to plant, be sure to check your planting location. The main requirement for growing herbs is growing them in the proper light. Most prefer full sun as long as normal temperatures don’t rise too high. If this is the case search out a spot that receives partial sun or morning sun and afternoon shade. Water is the next necessity – make sure you are providing your herbs with a moderate amount of water on a near daily basis.

There is a plethora of vegetables, flowers and herbs to choose from to plant with the end result leading to cooking purposes, so go crazy and don’t be afraid to experiment. And if you kill your first plant, don’t worry, there’s always next season or an indoor option available.

While’s you’re waiting for the details of cooking with various herbs, flowers and plants, here’s some of the plants you can look forward to learning how to cook with; basil, chives, rosemary, mint, parsley, zucchini, roses, sunflowers, nasturtiums and hibiscus.