herbs

Are you sick of watching bundles of leftover herbs languishing in your crisper? Fret not, there's an easy solution: plant an herb garden. Resilient and low-maintenance, most herbs can grow indoors or outside — a backyard, deck, or balcony are ideal, but a sunny countertop will suffice — leaving little reason not to break out the potting soil, a trowel, and some seeds or herb starts. You'll not only waste less, but will be inspired to add fresh herbs to dishes more often, a boon for both your conscience and your palate. Before you rush off to the nursery, keep these step and tips in mind.

• Assess the situation to determine what sort of set-up is ideal. Do you have a backyard? How long do you plan to live in your current home? If you can dedicate a corner of your backyard to the venture, and aren't planning on uprooting any time soon, consider a raised bed, either store-bought or DIY, which will provide enough space for a vast variety of herbs. If you're looking for a smaller-scale solution, terracotta or ceramic pots are a great alternative.
• Consider what herbs you cook with most often. It can be easy to get carried away when browsing seed catalogs or the herb start section of your nursery. Plant only what you'll realistically use in order to avoid waste; you can always add more to the mix later. Herbs like basil, parsley, mint, thyme, rosemary, and cilantro are most practical, but consider chives, dill, tarragon, oregano, or more-exotic varieties like Thai basil, marjoram, or savory if you think they'll be a worthwhile addition.
• Gather up the necessary equipment: Even if you're going the raised bed route, consider separate terracotta planters to restrict the growth of plants like mint that tend to grow rabidly, lest they overrun your other plants. You'll also need potting soil, a sturdy trowel, seeds or herb starts, a hose with a sprinkler attachment or a watering can, and a pair of gardening gloves. If your herb garden will live by a sunny window, make sure to buy planters with a saucer to collect excess water and avoid messy cleanup; alternatively, try one of these clever indoor setups.

Keep reading for the rest of the steps.

Ever buy a bunch of herbs for a recipe, only to use a tablespoon and find an icky bag of dried-out leaves two weeks later? This has been a long-standing problem in my house, and I've been determined to find a fix for it.

This week, the herb of immediate concern is cilantro. As a major cilantro lover, it's a staple in my kitchen, so much that I always keep it around. I use it as a go-to for my frequent Southwest-themed meals, but there's a lot one can do with the flowery, lime-like herb; it's a fixture in Indian, Persian, and Chinese cuisines, among others. If you've got cilantro odds and ends, here's what I'd recommend.

1. Surprise your taste buds with a cilantro martini.
2. If you're a cilantro lover, make it the star of a creamy soup.

For five more suggestions, keep reading.

Ever buy a bunch of herbs for a recipe, only to use a tablespoon and find an icky bag of dried-out leaves two weeks later? This has been a long-standing problem in my house, and I've been determined to find a fix for it.

First up: dill. The delicate-looking weed is one of my favorites — I love its grassy, bright, almost lemony flavor. Because it's so zingy, dill works well with classic pairings like seafood and lemon, but there are also plenty of other ways you can use up the fronds in odds and ends. Here are some of my favorite ways.

1. Use it to create another dimension of flavor in stuffed cabbage rolls.
2. Add a few fronds at the end of cooking to brighten up chicken noodle soup.

For four more suggestions, keep reading.

Whenever fresh herbs aren't on hand, know that you can turn to your dried stash; just adjust your measurements. Dehydrated herbs actually have more concentrated flavor, meaning you'll need less than if you're using fresh varieties. Use the 1:3 ratio when substituting dried herbs for fresh ones. For instance, one teaspoon of dried oregano equates to three teaspoons (or one tablespoon) of fresh oregano. It should also be noted that it's better to add dried herbs at the beginning of the cook time, so they have time to infuse flavors in a dish. Have you ever substituted dried herbs for their fresh counterparts in a pinch?

Summer begs for lazy days spent enjoying fresh fruits and vegetables, which is just as well since there's a lot of in-season produce to eat. Complement the flavors of your garden by adding fresh herbs to your next bowl.

Citrus Chickpea Cilantro Salad

This bright citrus chickpea cilantro salad from FitSugar reader Sprint2theTable takes a cue from Indian-inspired fare, and is a great way to use up that bunch of cilantro you bought for taco night.

Pizza Salad with Fresh Herbs

So much healthier than a greasy slice, this pizza-salad with fresh herbs and feta combines all the best pie flavors — including those from fresh basil, parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme — into a 400-calorie, extra nutritious salad.

Keep reading for more herb salad ideas.

Now that corn is officially in season, I can't get enough of those sweet, juicy ears. Packaged in their own wrappers, corn on the cob is nature's entry into the food-on-a-stick category, making it the perfect accompaniment for Summer grilling. With a Mexican street snack and another South-of-the-border-inspired version under my belt, I decided to head across the Atlantic for my next corn attack, drawing inspiration from France's prolific use of fresh, fragrant herbs.

Some people have green thumbs, but mine is decidedly black. So rather than turning to an abundant herb garden, I turned to the organic section at my local grocer for rosemary, sage, chives, and lemon thyme, which highlighted the wonderful citrus notes from the added lemon zest and juice.

In this recipe, quantities aren't important. Just grab a handful of your favorite herbs, mince 'em, and toss 'em in with the butter. They'll play up the sweetness of the grilled corn and possibly send you back for a few seconds. For the recipe, just keep reading.

Ever buy a bunch of herbs for a recipe, only to use a scant stem and find the rest wilted with dehydration a week later? This has admittedly been a long-standing problem in my kitchen, and I'm determined to cultivate a solution for it. This week I've addressing a fresh herb I have an ongoing problem forgetting to use: chives.

Although chives may be a perennial hardy in the garden, once they're in your crisper, don't expect their delicate, slender scapes to last over a week.

Before they devolve into a sorry state bound for the compost bin, be sure take advantage of chives and their light onion flavor. A few examples:

1. Start the day off right with a classic pairing of smoked salmon, cream cheese, and snipped chives.
2. Use them to add pungency to any mashed potatoes or any other potato dish.

Keep reading for more chive serving suggestions.

With Spring in full bloom, there's no better time to inject the aniselike flavor of chervil into a tired recipe for a new taste of inspiration. Closely related to carrots and parsley, this herb has been around for thousands of years. But while its flavor has been a longtime staple in European cuisine, chervil is a relatively new herbal pleasure in most American kitchens. Sometimes called "the new parsley," lucky for us, this lovely lacy herb has been popping its cute head up in high-end kitchens all over the country.

When purchasing chervil at the market, be sure to choose stems that stand proud and tall with vibrant green leaves. And like most herbs, chervil's flavor is best fresh. If you're planning on using it in a cooked dish, be sure to add it near the end of the cooking process for the best results. Interested in how to incorporate this cute herb into your next meal? Keep reading for a few recipes starring chervil.

Ever buy a bunch of herbs for a recipe, only to use a scant stem and find the rest wilted with dehydration a week later? This has admittedly been a long-standing problem in my kitchen, and I've been determined to cultivate a solution for it. This week I'm addressing an aromatic I have a chronic problem forgetting about: scallions.

When they're fresh, green onions have a biting smell and are resilient to the touch, but days later, the exact same stalks will take on a muted brownish hue, made slimy thanks to dehydration, and hunched over in sadness and neglect.

Since they age quickly, the key is to make sure you use them up before they get to such a sorry state! Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to do that; scallions have a mild pungency that's versatile enough to go into just about every savory dish. A few examples:

1. Slice green onions as thinly as possible, then toss a handful into a garden salad.
2. Make a four-ingredient ginger scallion sauce to drizzle on eggs, chicken, and fish.

For four more suggestions, keep reading.