Growing Herbs: Oregano

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Oregano is one of the more popular herbs grown in the garden. It's practically synonymous with Mediterranean cuisine including Italian, Greek and Spanish. This herb livens up a variety of dishes and is easy to grow. Oregano is often confused or used interchangeably with sweet marjoram since they are from the same botanical family of origanum. They do taste similar, however, oregano is more pungent while sweet marjoram is more delicate and well, sweeter. Each brings a unique flavor to dishes and deserves to be treated separately rather than interchangeably. When choosing plants, oregano will bear the name origanum vulgare while origanum majorana is sweet marjoram. 

Growing and Harvesting Oregano

Oregano is hardy to zone 5 which means that it's not hardy here in Minnesota. However, that means it's perfectly suited for container gardening to grow inside the house as well as out. My personal preference is definitely for  fresh oregano. Prior to trying this herb fresh, I just didn't care for it. This is something to keep in my mind when trying herbs. If you don't like it dried you may find fresh is a completely different experience. The opposite can be true as well. 

Oregano is easy to grow, preferring full sun and average, well-drained soil. It can be started from seed about 6 weeks before the last frost. It can also be propagated by cuttings or root divisions if you are growing as an indoor/outdoor perennial in a container. It's a low growing, mounding plant which makes it ideal for borders in the garden. It's mounding habit also makes it perfect for container combos as a filler plant. 

Oregano needs to be harvested before it flowers. Harvest throughout the season for fresh use once the plant is at least 4-5 inches tall. Stems can be cut back to the ground and will encourage a fuller plant and more oregano!

While oregano dries easily and preserves much of it's flavor, it's much better used fresh (in my opinion). The herb can be dried by hanging bunches of stems in a cool, well-ventilated space to dry. As always, oregano can be chopped and mixed with water to be frozen in ice cube trays for use throughout the winter. Oregano also preserves nicely in butter. Mix finely chopped leaves in softened butter for use on bread with Italian dishes. It will keep several weeks in the refrigerator. 

Using Oregano

Oregano is most commonly used in spaghetti sauces and on pizza. It's pungent flavor is perfect for these dishes. However, oregano can be used in any tomato-based dish as well as pasta and rice dishes, eggs, chili, salad dressings, vinegars, beans, chicken, mushrooms, peppers and zucchini. 

Easy recipes include baked chicken breasts seasoned with garlic and oregano or add fresh oregano to olive oil for bread dip. Check allrecipes.com for their collection of recipes featuring oregano.

Photo Friday: Winter Wonderland

 

I'm taking a break from my spring reminiscence to take a moment to appreciate the beauty that is winter. Certainly one of the most gorgeous winter sights is when trees and plants are covered in frost. I guess we all know where the idea for flocked Christmas trees came from!  I think days like this also highlight how important it is to vary shape and texture in the garden for winter interest. They might not look like much most days in the winter, but on days like this? Yeah, you'll be glad you took the time to think about it when planning your garden. 

Growing Herbs: Thyme

Not only is thyme a delicious and versatile herb in the kitchen, it's also a hardy, easy-to-grow perennial that is indispensable in the garden. Use creeping thyme in rock gardens, to edge pathways, under roses or any place you need a good ground cover. Taller, upright varieties work well in borders, herb gardens and containers. Beautiful and edible! That makes thyme a must have plant for the garden. 

Growing and Harvesting Thyme

Thyme is incredibly easy to grow so much so that it can be considered to grow itself. It prefers those hot, dry areas of the garden where other plants might suffer. Plant thyme in full sun and don't fertilize. This herb actually prefers poorer soils. 

With over 100 varieties of thyme to choose from there is bound to be a cultivar perfect for your garden. The most common types are creeping thyme, which makes an excellent ground cover, lemon thyme, which has a stronger lemon scent and common thyme, which is an upright variety. 

In addition to adding fantastic fragrance to the garden, thyme flowers in colors ranging from pink to purple and sometimes white. Once thyme has flowered, trim plants back by half to encourage new growth and to keep the plant from getting too woody. 
 
Because of our snow cover during the winter months, thyme planted in the garden is obviously unavailable for fresh use at that time. However, thyme propagates easily by cuttings. In the early summer, pot up cuttings to bring inside during the fall and to enjoy throughout the winter.

To harvest thyme, simply cut entire stems from the plant. If using as garnish or on the grill, leave stems intact. If using for seasoning, strip leaves from stems and add to dishes. 

Thyme can be dried by placing whole stems in paper bags. Once herb is dried, remove leaves and store in an air-tight container. Thyme can also be frozen by placing whole stems in zip top bags or frozen in ice cubes for use in soups and sauces. 

Using Thyme

There is almost no dish that can't be improved by thyme. It works well with any meat including wild game, vegetables, tomatoes, black, kidney or pinto beans, and potatoes. Lemon thyme works especially well with fish and vegetables while common thyme is perfect for beef and venison. Use it in soups, sauces or infuse vinegar and oil with thyme for use on salads. 

Check allrecipes.com for their collection of recipes featuring thyme. Food.com also has an enticing recipe for Oven-baked Pork Loin that looks delicious and easy. 

Next week: Oregano, you can't have Italian food--or pizza!--without it.

Gardening Around the Web: Better Paperwhites

Paperwhites are a bulb that is commonly grown indoors around Christmas time along with amaryllis and sometimes tulips and crocuses. You can often find kits to grow these flowers throughout the winter months, which given our snow cover can be a really nice treat. 

In the past, I've had some paperwhites from a kit. They grew easily and very well. So well, in fact, that the plant outgrew its container and constantly toppled over from the sheer height of the plant. 

I ran across this article the other day: Drunken Paperwhites. My first thought was that it had to do with the top-heaviness of the plant and its tendency to tip over after a certain point. And it was to a point, but it was so much more than that. The author sited a study that found watering paperwhites with an alcohol solution stunted the growth of the foliage without stunting flower production making them more suitable to indoor containers. Brilliant! The study used any hard spirit (vodka, gin, whiskey) but will also work with a solution of rubbing alcohol. Whew! 'Cause who wants to waste the good stuff on a plant!

Apparently, it works! The only difference was that bulbs in a shallower container weren't as stunted. Curious. Still, an easy solution to have manageable indoor bulbs that don't topple over every time you walk by and lots of blooms, too!

Photo Friday: Jack Frost Brunnera

 

I can't say enough about this shade plant! What's not to like? This Jack Frost brunnera is one of my first plants to bloom in the spring and lasts well into June. Perfect little blue flowers! Once the flowers are done the silvery foliage adds sparkle to the shadiest area of the garden. And because it's a spring bloomer, it's a perfect companion plant to the later blooming hostas. 

Growing Herbs: Sage

In addition to smelling and tasting great, sage has gorgeous foliage that works well in planter combos along with flowers. Foliage colors rage from gray-green to chartreuse to purple as well as several multicolored varieties. Sage is easy to grow and combines perfectly with rosemary and thyme (thusly, the song, I guess). 

The botanical name for sage is salvia and you will notice if you grow salvia varieties such as 'Black and Blue' or 'Hot Lips' that they, too, have that wonderful sage smell. However, these salvias we grow for their ornamental use don't have quite the flavor of salvia officinalis or common sage. 

Growing and Harvesting Sage

I've found conflicting information regarding the hardiness of this perennial herb. Some sources say zone 4, some say zone 5. I think it's safe to say that it's marginally hardy in this area. However, if you want fresh sage year round, it's best to plant it in a container that can be brought in for the winter. Sage will do very well in containers either alone or with companion plants. It's a woody perennial that is best replaced every 3 to 4 years whether overwintered in a container or in the garden (similar to rosemary). 

Sage can be grown from seed but you won't be able to harvest it the first year. A better solution is to purchase a plant from a reputable nursery or propagate from cuttings. Sage is a good companion plant for most other plants. Because it has similar water, sun and soil needs, it grows well with rosemary. Sage helps to repel the dreaded cabbage butterfly so plant or place near broccoli, kale and cabbage. 

Sage prefers full sun although can take a light shade. A good rule of thumb for our area where we don't have a lot of trouble with heat is to ensure this plant gets at least 6 hours of sunlight a day. Soil should be average fertility and well drained. This herb, similar to rosemary, will suffer if over-watered. The good news is, once established, it's drought tolerant. 

As with all herbs, fresh leaves are best. Pinch off flowers throughout the growing season to preserve flavor. Older leaves will have a stronger flavor than younger ones. When cutting leaves for use, never take more than a quarter of the foliage at one time. Because sage has such a strong flavor, a little goes a long way. 

Sage can be dried by hanging bunches of leaves in a cool, dark place. Once dried, strip leaves from stems and store in an airtight container. Fresh sage can also be frozen by removing stems, washing and drying leaves and putting in freezer bags. Alternately, sage can be chopped and mixed with water to be frozen in ice cube trays. 

Using Sage

Sage is almost synonymous with poultry, and more specifically, with stuffing. It also goes well with soups, stews, sausages, pork, ravioli, bean, cheese and tomato dishes. Sage is a great addition to turkey burgers along with apple sauce, savory, thyme and celery salt. Mix all ingredients in a bowl, form into patties and throw on the grill. Delish! Amounts are based on your tastes but I've found about a cup of apple sauce per pound of meat and more seasoning is better.

Check allrecipes.com for their collection of sage recipes. My favorites to try are the Turkey Scallopini and Squash Ravioli or the Parmesan Sage Pork Chops from Food.com


Next week: Thyme...to finish the song and also because it's a great looking perennial that tastes great, too!

Photo Friday: Spring Tulip

 

Since winter is indeed in full effect, it's time to review last season in pictures!  What better way to counteract our snow than with pictures of flowers that will soon be here again? 

I love this tulip! It's a variety my daughter picked out to plant in front of her bedroom window. It's a late season type which means it usually blooms in May and sometimes into June. And the way it looks with the lysimachia is gorgeous. And it detracts from the ever present weeds as well...

Growing Herbs: Parsley

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Most people are familiar with the curly parsley many restaurants use as decorative garnish on dishes. Perhaps for this reason, it has become one of the most under-appreciated herbs. I know for myself, until I started actually cooking with fresh parsley, I didn't really see the value of it. While the curly variety is pretty and has a fresh, crisp flavor that complements many salads and sauces, Italian flat leaf parsley is more fragrant and less bitter. It also holds up to cooking better and is therefore well-suited to hot dishes. 

Parsley is the perfect complement to many dishes. It's mild flavor also blends well with other herbs such as chives, tarragon, rosemary, thyme and coriander. In addition, parsley is rich in vitamins A and C and is known to reduce inflammation, inhibit histamines and lower blood pressure among other nutritional and health benefits. 

Growing and Harvesting Parsley

Parsley can be grown in either full sun or partial shade. Soil should be well drained and have average to rich fertility. Parsley grows readily from seed yet prefers not to be transplanted. Plant seeds where you intend to grow them or if you plan to plant seeds earlier indoors, use peat pots that can be planted directly into soil to prevent transplant shock. 

As with most herbs, parsley grows well in containers and can be kept handy by the kitchen for easy use throughout the summer season. In the fall, the container can be brought in (parsley, while a biennial, is better treated as an annual due to bolting the second year. Also, it's not wholly hardy in our zone) for use through the winter months. With its compact foliage, parsley is an attractive addition to container combos and mixes easily and beautifully with flowering plants. Parsley is a good companion plant to many plants including tomatoes and roses.
 
Parsley is most flavorful when used fresh. Cut stems as needed throughout the growing season. Most often the leaves of the plant are used but the stems can be used as well in the same way. Stems are most useful in soups and sauces. 

Parsley can dried although it does not have nearly the flavor of fresh. Dried parsley should be used within a few months of drying while the leaves are still green. It can also be finely chopped, mixed with water and frozen in ice cube trays for use in cooking throughout the winter. Parsley can be frozen simply by storing clean, chopped parsley in zip top freezer bags. 

Uses for Parsley

Parsley is the perfect herb for egg dishes and also complements potatoes, salads, soups, vegetables, pasta, chicken and fish. Pesto is easy to make by blending 2 cups of Italian flat leaf parsley, 2/3 cup of olive oil, 1/4 cup of pine nuts, 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese and 2 cloves of garlic in a blender. Pesto can be frozen and is delicious on pasta and breads. 

One of my favorite parsley recipes is asparagus gremolata. This simple dish bursts with flavor without over powering the asparagus. It's quickly become very popular in my family. See allrecipes.com for the their collection of parsley recipes for more ideas. 


Next week: Sage, beautiful, fragrant and delicious!