9 Tasty Ideas That Will Inspire You to Grow a Home Herb Garden Today
What’s the simplest way to transform your cooking? Fresh herbs. Whether basil, mint, oregano, or thyme, herbs lend a burst of color and flavor to your favorite dishes. While a bunch or two is easy enough to pick up at the grocery store, herbs are also easy to grow at home. The benefit of growing them yourself: They bring fresh life into your kitchen that doubles as eye-catching decor.
With a curated selection of plants and design-minded accessories and home decor, Greendigs is a one-stop-shop for a distinctively green home. Their attractive, fragrant, and incredibly versatile herb plants allow anyone to elevate their kitchen and recipes. Your herb plants are pre-potted, shipped straight to your door, and arrive with all the essentials they need to grow happily in your space. We especially love how Greendigs has paired complementary herbs into dynamic duos: They grow well together, enhance each other’s flavors, and team up to improve some of our favorite dishes.
Greendigs’ expertly curated herb duos offer a little something for dishes and drinks from all over the globe for those skilled in the kitchen, or an easy way to incorporate fresh herbs for those just starting out, whether you choose the savory Sage & Thyme Poultry Duo, sweet Basil & Oregano Italian Duo, or fragrant Mint & Lavender Cocktail Herb Mixer. Here are just a handful of our favorite ways to use them in our everyday cooking:
1. Make a Bouquet Garni
Bouquet garni is a fancy French way of saying “herb bundle.” Fill a cheesecloth bag with sprigs of sage and thyme from the Poultry Duo and drop the bag into a simmering pot of soup, stew, or stock. It will lend lots of rich, earthy flavor, and the bag can easily be removed from the pot before enjoying.
2. Make Spa Water
Turn your regular water into spa water with Greendig’s Mint & Lavender Cocktail Herb Mixer. Sweet mint and lightly earthy lavender add lots of herbal flair to plain old H2O. Simply clip sprigs of both with these Artisan Shears and add them to a pitcher to naturally infuse the water.
3. Chop for a Garnish
Greendig’s Basil & Oregano Italian Duo brings true Mediterranean flavor to just about anything. That’s because sweet, savory basil and spicy Italian oregano are a versatile power couple. One of our favorite ways to show off this pair? Chop the leaves and use them as a show-stopping garnish for garlic bread.
4. Freeze Into Cubes for Later
Sage and thyme are both hearty herbs that freeze well. Pluck some leaves from the sprigs of the Poultry Duo, pop into the wells of an ice cube tray, cover with olive oil, and freeze. Transfer the frozen cubes to a zip-top bag for easy storage in the freezer. To use, pull one or two out, drop in a hot skillet, and fry eggs or sauté potatoes in your delicious herb oil.
5. Muddle a Mojito
Use your Cocktail Herb Mixer to make a lavender mojito! Muddle the sweet mint for your drink, then rub together lavender buds and granulated sugar in a small bowl until fragrant to make a sweet and floral lavender sugar to rim your glass. Just don’t forget to water your herbs when happy hour is over: This handcrafted Evergreen Watering Can makes the task easy.
6. DIY Some Herb Salt
The Italian Duo of course feels right at home with any and all classic Italian dishes. Try blitzing leaves of basil and Italian oregano with salt in a food processor and sprinkling the herb salt over caprese salad. It lends a whole new dimension to the dish.
7. Tie Up a Basting Bundle
Greendig’s Sage & Thyme Poultry Duo is meat’s best friend. The Mediterranean matchup is earthy, peppery, and slightly lemony. While it’s a natural complement to poultry, it pairs well with beef and pork, too. Tie the sage and thyme into bundles and use for basting any of your favorite meats while cooking or grilling.
8. Infuse Lemonade
Make lavender-mint spiked lemonade with the Cocktail Herb Mixer. Infuse simple syrup with sweet mint and lavender, then use the fragrant syrup to sweeten homemade lemonade. This refreshing drink can be enjoyed as-is or turned into a cocktail by spiking it with vodka or gin.
9. Mix Into Softened Butter
Making your own herb butter couldn’t be easier. Reach for basil and Italian oregano leaves from the Italian Duo, chop them, and mix them into softened butter to use on everything from bread and noodles to roasted potatoes. Once you’ve made a batch, it’s sure to become a regular habit, so to support the growth of your herbs, try the Vita™ Grow Light.