Grow Your Own Italian Herb Garden

There are many possiblities when growing your own Italian herb garden, whether large or small. Growing your own Italian herb garden is an excellent way to spruce up your cooking. Italy is home to some of the most delicious herbs in the world.

The following list are some essential herbs for every Italian herb garden.

Basil is a well know Italian herb and useful in many Italian recipes. Basil will not only add flavor to many Italian cuisines, it is useful in the garden to other plants. Planting basil next to your peppers and tomatoes will actually improve their flavor. Plus, basil will also repel flies and mosquitoes.

Parsley is a more difficult hard herb plant to grow but it's useful for many Italian dishes as well as many other types of cuisines. Many generations ago before their were breath mints it was found that eating fresh, raw parsley after a meal eradicated the bad breath left over from enjoying a flavorful cuisine. The tradition arose to serve parsley on a small dish after the meal. The tradition lives today by using parsley as a garnish on a variety of meals.

Oregano is a beautiful herb in your garden as well as an essential herb for Italian cooking. As oregano matures it produces small, pretty purple flowers and the herb is actually the most flavorful when the flowers start to bloom. Oregano is great for many dishes including pasta sauces and meat dishes.

Fennel is used in cooking both with the plant and its seeds. Fennel seeds are popular in pizza and sausages, while the bulb is cooked as a vegetable and can make a wonderful side dish.

Rosemary is another herb, like basil, that is essential for every Italian herb garden. It can grow into a shrub and resembles and evergreen tree. Rosemary grows little blue flowers than attract bees. It's a tough perennail herb, but should be protected from frost. Rosemary has a strong flavor and fragrance, so you need very little for cooking. Try it in your roasted potatoes or meat dishes.

Probably the most used herb in Italian cuisines is garlic. No Italian herb garden would be complete without this useful herb. Garlic cloves can be planted and will thrive in just about any garden with very little attention. They can be stored to be used at a later time after they are harvested by freezing them or pickling them to store in the refrigerator.

Sage is the popular herb of Thanksgiving turkey, stufing and gravies. Sage has a strong flavor, and like rosemary, only a little is needed to add flavor to your cooking. This herb is a good choice for your Italian herb garden because it is easy to grow and propagate into new plants.

These are my recommended herbs you use to start your garden but there are many Italian herbs you can choose from and no need to limit yourself to just these. I like these herbs because they are also fragrant and beautiful growing in your Italian herb garden.

Cook with Your Own Italian Herb Garden

Nothing taste better than cooking with freshly picked herbs from your own Italian herb garden. I have been cooking with my own herbs for years and I promise you...it makes a difference!

If you have never grown herbs before, you will find they are actually quite easy to grow. I like to group my herbs in themes and have one pot that is all Italian herbs. I harvest and cook with them throughout the growing season, then preserve them for use during the winter months.

Here are a few of my favorite Italian herbs:
 

1. Basil – 3 to 6 plants, depending on your taste for it. For a constant supply of fresh leaves, plant consecutively over the growing season. For fresh basil and tomato salads you’ll need at least two cups of fresh leaves to serve 4 people.

2. Greek Oregano – this hardy easy to grow herbaceous seasoning will flavor almost everything. Plan on 2 plants to start if you enjoy Italian cooking.

3. Chives – 2 to 3 plants can be found in various flavors. Delicious in fresh salads, on potatoes and in a variety of dishes

4. Flat Leaf Parsley – 4 to 6 plants, or try a few plants of cilantro as a variation

5. Rosemary – 1 to 2 plants will get your garden started and as they grow you’ll have plenty of this pungent evergreen each year. If you live where Rosemary cannot winter over, consider using a container, or plan to harvest and dry for the winter. Delicious in rosemary garlic roasted potatoes, or place a few springs inside poultry before roasting!

6. – Marjoram – 1 to 2 plants will provide plenty of this tasty herbaceous plant for your seasoning needs. Use the leave fresh and harvest the soft seed heads for winter flavoring.

7. Mint – 1 plant at least, in a container so as not to take over the garden. Personally, I keep one peppermint and one spearmint, and use them both prolifically.

All of these Italian herbs are easy to grow and can be grown in container gardens as well. Try adding some fresh Italian herbs to your favorite dishes and see what a difference it makes.

Learn more about growing your own Italian herb garden and enjoy your own fresh herbs throughout the year.

Standard Cooking Methods For The Home Chef

http://www.italian-cooking-made-easy.com/cookingbasics.htmlby Corey Martin

Figuring out how to take a recipe from paper to finished meal is a skill that many people strive to master but only some will ever get there. One thing that is important is taking the time to read the whole recipe from start to finish before you begin cooking. It is too easy to miss something important that can have a huge impact on the final meal. By putting the time in upfront you can guarantee that the final product will be what you expect.

Standard cooking techniques are quite important to the success of your cooking endeavor. As you become more familiar with them your chances at success will greatly increase. You will also have an easier time getting the meal just right. There are a couple of specifics you should be knowledgable about, which will grow over time as you cook more foods.

Broiling is a cooking technique that is accomplished by using a high heat source to heat or brown the top of the food. Some foods can be completely cooked using this method but the majority of them are not usually prepared this way. If you are using a broiler to do this you just need to remember to not put the food real close to the heat. Try to leave at least 4 inches between the food and the heat source.

The process of steaming vegetables has always been popular with health minded people as the food tends to retain a large amount of the healthy nutrients. It is very easy to do and simply means cooking the food over a little bit of water until it is ready.

You can also saute your vegetables by cooking them over high heat in a uniquely designed pan. This method of preparing the food can be combined with certain spices or flavors to give it much more flavor than other methods. Many specialty recipes call for sauteing to a certain degree.

Your food can also be boiled or simmered using a pan and some water. This is a common method that people use on a daily basis to get their food cooked to perfection. As with most of these methods, it is important to follow the instructions completely to avoid over or under cooking which would rob you of the flavor you deserve.

It doesn't matter which one of these various cooking methods you use, or whether or not you use them in combination with one another, you need to practice until you can do them in your sleep. Also try to become familiar with how your oven specifically works. Learn which temperatures are ideal and what length of time works best, as well as find the dishes that your family likes the most. You will certainly find those recipes that are easy to prepare yet still taste excellent, but don't forget to mix it up from time to time. Just follow the instructions on any new recipe and you will have success cooking it. With time you will begin to really enjoy cooking a meal every single day.

About the Author:
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Learn about Easy Italian Cooking Techniques....

Herb Garden Plants

Herb garden plants come in annuals, perennials, and biennials like other types of plants.

Some annual herbs are basil, summer savory and cilantro. These herbs will not live through a frost and need to replanted every years from seed or starter plants. Perennials like sage and winter savory can survive colder temperatures and will return year after year. Biennial herbs are plants that form leaves in their first growing season and flowers and seed in the second season, then die. Biennials herbs grow for a couple of seasons and produce their leaves and roots the first season, and flowers and seeds the next year. Examples of biennial herbs are parsley, burdock, salvia and caraway.

Before planting your seeds, prepare the soil by making sure it is well drained. Till the soil and add compost and sand if needed for drainage and nutrients. Sow the seeds in shallow rows. Top with a little soil, tap firm and water until moist. Try covering the garden with paper or wet burlap to protect the seeds and keep them moist until they germinate.

Herb garden plants can be categorized into 4 types: culinary, aromatic, ornamental and medicinal. Each category has a different purpose, although many herbs fall into more than one category. Culinary herbs are used for cooking and are probably the most commonly grown type in home herb gardens. The strong aroma and flavors of fresh culinary herbs adds tremendous flavor while cooking and only requires you use a small amount of these herbs.

Aromatic herbs are grown for their pleasing fragrance or aroma. Oils from aromatic herbs like lovage, mint, and rosemary can be used to make different types of perfumes, toilet water, or other various scents. Parts of aromatic herb plants used intact can also be used in the home to scent linens or clothing. A fun way to use aromatic herbs is to dry them for your own potpourri. Popular choices for homemade potpourri are lavender and lemon verbena.

Some herbs have been used for centuries to heal the body. These are known as the medicinal herbs. Present medical knowledge recognizes that some herbs are beneficial to one’s health, others are overrated. Herbs should be used with caution because some herbs can be harmful and some dangerous when eaten.

The ornamental herbs are grown for their beauty and not for their aroma, healing properties or for cooking. Many of these herbs have bright flowers and beautiful green foliage that adds beauty to any garden. Many have whitish or various light colored flowers like valerian which has crimson blossoms and borage and chicory which grow gorgeous blue flowers.

Although herb garden plants can be divided into categories, many will fall into more than one category. For instance, mint can be used for cooking, teas, fragrance and even pest control. By having an understanding of the different types of herbs and how they are commonly used, you will be able to pick the best herb garden plants for your own garden.

Learn more about Herb Gardening here...