Herbs from the Garden

There are no flavors as great as freshly picked herbs. We have a deer issue in our area, so I include herbs that flower. Although they tend to get huge and I rarely use them, I grow leeks in my garden as the deer do not seem to want to cross over the tall leeks. I am planting more and more herbs. My garden has lots of Lemon Thyme forming a carpet and newly planted sage has taken off. I love spearmint and basil too, but keep it in pots in the front of my yard to protect plants eaten by deer.

I have frozen herbs and I also dry some, but even in winter, I can find some fresh Thyme and kale.

Fall Veggie Spaghetti

We love vegetables in our spaghetti instead of meat. I include tomatoes (canned these days as the deer eat anything that I plant but for herbs), a can of no salt kidney or other beans labeled no salt, sliced mushrooms, thin sliced zucchini, garlic, herbs such as fresh lemon thyme and basil, cinnamon, tumeric, and today I added a few tablespoons of a butternut squash that was not as naturally sweet as usual. I included half of a jar of a prepared sauce from the grocery store and the small bit of baked butternut squash gave the sauce some body and a very smooth texture.

I will always add some baked winter squash to future sauces as it thickened the sauce and added a hint of sweetness. Sometimes, I add a bit of honey to the spaghetti sauce.

Spices and Herbs

I do not know where I have been, but I just read a 2013 report about contamination in spices and herbs. I am thinking about throwing all of mine out and only using real items like fresh garlic and ginger until I can dry herbs from my garden next summer. I had no idea about this, but can dry sage and lovage from my Mom's house, where I planted an herb garden for her. At my house I always have thyme and oregano coming up in huge batches trying to keep the deer away.

I bought spices yesterday and now really hate to use them. Where have I been? Here are references to some of the reports I somehow missed, but for sure I am going to dry my own herbs and make my own spices next year. More work, but then what are kitchen and dining room tables for anyway if not to dry leaves from the garden which will become my spices?

FDA Draft Risk Profile: Pathogens and Filth in Spices - Pdf of report dated 2013

I just threw out all of my spices but for whole nutmeg, fresh ginger, fresh garlic, whole cinnamon stick. I will have to dry my own spices next year from the garden. My husband agreed after I showed him the report and he held the garbage bag for me. Guess no more complaints about bland tasting food in this house. Can not take the chance of catching anything, especially from my own spice cabinet.

Deer eating up your garden, flowers and plants?

It was a cold 6 months of winter and now spring is here and we are starting our gardens for the yummy vegetables or will we have some? Most probably many of us are "sharing" our flowers and vegetable plants with the local deer herds. Yes, I mean "herds" of deer.

One came to me while I was mowing my lawn, after he ate the neighbors geraniums -- yes, they were sprayed with deer repellant, but we have no sure solutions in my area and we are using much Irish Spring soap and physical barriers like herbs, and objects to try to alter the path of the deer. They love my day lilies and I had to hide my tomato plant among leeks, basil, stakes of soap.

Luckily, the deer do not eat my Italian Heirloom Kale and that is most of my garden this year as they cleaned out my tomato plants last year, right down to the ground!

Here are some photos of the soap inside cut up onion bags and pantyhose! Can you find the lonely tomato plant surrounded by leeks, basil, and small bags of Irish Spring soap?

 

The deer is headed for my day lily garden!

 

You can see my kale plants, luckily the deer leave the kale for us to eat and we love it on sandwiches instead of lettuce, in smoothies with banana and almond milk, and sauteed for a few minutes. 

Kale is also great added to any soup in the fall. Kale also freezes well.