Top 5 Must-Have Garden Herbs
This year, I planted garden herbs! The idea came after feeling frustrated going to the grocery store to buy separate herbs and having them go bad before I could use them. I knew that planting a small herb garden would be the solution. Gardening is also something that is close to my heart. My grandpa was a gardener and owner of a greenhouse in St. Jacob’s. From a young age, I enjoyed beautiful flowers, nurturing plants and watching them grow. Therefore, this June, I sauntered into the grocery store to buy fresh potted herbs to transplant into larger outdoor planters.
In my blog today, I’ll share my top 5 favourite garden herbs along with cool ideas for using them in your diet.
Top 5 Reasons to Enjoy Garden Herbs:
- Convenience of having them easily accessible instead of going to grocery store.
- Powerful flavour boosters to dishes; allowing you to cut back on salt.
- Add a punch of colour to your foods for appealing presentation.
- Herbs contain polyphenols, which are plant antioxidants, helpful for fighting diseases like cancer and heart disease.
- Bright green-coloured herbs also contain vitamins, A, C and K along with potassium and folate.
Andrea’s Top 5 Garden Herbs:
| Italian Parsley | Basil | Chives | Mint | Rosemary | |
| Description | Most common herb in culinary arts Comes in two types: Italian and Curly parsley (less flavourful) | Known as “king of herbs” or “royal herb” | A close relative to garlic, shallot, leek and scallion | Many different types: spearmint and peppermint are most common They can aggressively spread in the garden Fresh icy, refreshing taste | Fragrant herb with needle-like leaves Native to the Mediterranean regions |
| Flavour Profile | Mild, grassy, peppery and slightly bitter | Spicy anise flavour with slight peppery notes | Delicate onion flavour with a hint of garlic | Fresh icy, refreshing taste | Piney, floral and sweet |
| Uses | Add to almost anything as a garnish Sauté with oil and garlic to make a tomato sauce Include in Greek Lentil Salad or Tabouleh Combine with oil and nuts to make a gremolata or pesto | If cooking with basil, always add it at the end Caprese Salads Make pesto or cold gremolata to spread over fish, meat, potatoes Topping for hot or cold pasta, bruschetta, pizzas, stuffed peppers, etc Add to fresh salads or make watermelon, basil bocconcini skewers | Add to egg dishes like omelettes, eggs benedict, deviled eggs, quiche Pairs well with potatoes, cheese and sour cream Add to fish like sole, smoked salmon Topping for savory soups like pea soup or lobster chowder Homemade chive butter or chive-infused oil | Infuse water with mint, lasts for 3 days in fridge Often used with lamb, veal and pork dishes Add to desserts and sorbet as garnish Refreshing beverages like lemonade or a mojito Add to salads, pesto, tabouleh, quinoa dishe | Add to savoury dishes like grilled chicken, roasted lamb, steak, etc Topping for foccacia bread Crunchy rosemary roasted chickpeas Infuse with olive oil Roasted veggies like rosemary roasted red skinned potatoes, with rosemary or savoury lentil salads |
| Storage | Place cut parsley stems in water upright. Can store at temperature If storing in the fridge, loosely place plastic bag over top of parsley in water. Parsley in fridge lasts up to two weeks | Basil is ideally stored at room temperature Here are tips to preserve basil by freezing, puree and put into ice cubes or drying | To store chives, wrap in a damp paper towel in a plastic bag for a few days in fridge Freeze chives by laying them on parchment paper in the freezer and then transferring to a plastic bag for storage | Store standing in water in fridge with loose plastic bag on top Dampen leaves in a paper towel and store in plastic bag in fridge Freeze in ice cube tray to add to beverages or smoothies | Loosely wrap in damp paper towel and store in airtight plastic bag Freeze chopped rosemary into ice cubes, infuse oil with it, or dry leftover herbs |
Bottom Line:
Overall, if you are into gardening or looking to experiment more in the kitchen, consider planting a herb garden. It’s not too late to start now or plan for next spring. Be sure to choose your herbs based on your preferences, ease of use and your outdoor conditions, like sun exposure. My favourite herbs include: Italian parsley, basil, chives, mint and rosemary. What are your favourites and how do you enjoy using them in your diet?
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Andrea D'Ambrosio is a Registered Dietitian, health-enthusiast and adoring foodie. She started Dietetic Directions as a way to share science-based information mixed with inspirational content for lifelong change.
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Hi! I’m Andrea,
Dietitian, health-enthusiast and an adoring foodie. I started Dietetic Directions as a way to share science-based information mixed with inspirational content for lifelong change. I’m all about eating well and loving life.
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