Do you ever have one of those days? You
know, the day where nothing happens according to your plan?
Today is definitely that day.
My plan for the morning involved
sharing with you a recipe for Herbs de Provence.
It's heavenly. It's romantic. I mean,
honestly—doesn't just saying “Herbs de Provence”
transport you to a lavender field in—well, Provence?
Plus, it tastes delicious.
And I'm still going to share it with
you.
But here's the thing: this morning, as
I went to the garden to harvest the herbs I needed, I encountered a
small problem.
Savory is MIA.
Now, I know our gardens are a
bit...unruly. OK, they're jungle-like at the moment. The lemongrass
towers over the thyme. The basil battles the rosemary for space. The sage is
strangled by the oregano. Fighting through the herbs and weeds—and
not finding the savory--I decided that it must be hidden. I moved
vines, pulled weeds, looked under leaves.
Nothing.
I searched all four herb gardens...no
savory. Either some critter decided to have a savory snack—or the
competition in the garden got too fierce for its survival.
No problem. I decided to head over to a
nearby nursery.
No savory.
OK, I went to a not-so-nearby nursery.
No savory.
I considered driving to a
much-further-away nursery...but the sudden torrential downpour
inspired me to stop by the grocery store instead.
No savory. I hoped for a fresh packet—but they didn't even have dried savory.
I came home, ate a handful of Lucky
Charms (I know, it's disgusting), and decided this:
My Herbs de Provence will not include
savory. But—the recipe I'm giving you will.
Honestly, if savory is going to be that
difficult—well, then I'm going to boycott it. (However, I'm going
to start some more from seed this afternoon.)
While I often preserve produce, I tend to
neglect harvesting herbs to store. I'm spoiled, I suppose—I cut
herbs as I need them for meals. Still, preparing a mix of some of our
favorite herbs saves time, plus the flavor evolves as it ages.
Although Herbs de Provence sounds
pretentious, it's really a simple blend of dried herbs typical to the
Provence region of France. The blend can be used to flavor grilled
foods, such as fish and meat, or added to vegetables and stews. You
can also infuse oil with Herbs de Provence.
My herbs—minus the savory—are
drying. I typically use fresh herbs when cooking, but the dried herbs
will store well for up to six months.
Herbs de Provence
Adapted from The Complete Illustrated
Book of Herbs
Ingredients
4 tablespoons dried rosemary leaves
3 tablespoons dried sweet marjoram
leaves
2 tablespoons dried thyme leaves
3 tablespoons dried savory (if you can
find it!)
2 tablespoons dried lavender flowers
1 teaspoon dried sage leaves
Crush the herbs using a mortar and
pestle or large knife until very fine. Combine the herbs and place in
an airtight jar. Store in a cool, dark location.
The best part of creating Herbs de
Provence? Your hands smell divine for the rest of the day!
Enjoy!
XO ~
Julie (who is now going to plant more
savory seeds)
I don't have marjoram ...wanna trade mon ami??
ReplyDeleteI think we need to arrange a swap!
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