Hanging up the Herb Harvest

Hanging up the Herb Harvest

Thank you to everyone who came out to Farmers’ Market last week in spite of the change in hours and vendor locations.  If you came late and missed us, please come back this week, as we will be back to our normal hours, which are from 9:00am-Noon. 

            This week I have been preparing for frost.  So far, as I write this, I have been spared, but I don’t think I will continue to be lucky for much longer.  I still have a lot of beautiful flowers out in the field, but have been cutting a lot of them to hang up to dry.  Many of the flowers I plant, such as celosia (cockscomb) and globe amaranth, hold their color when dried.  I have bundles of flowers hanging from a string across the entire length of the dining room.  It is such a cheerful sight.

            I have also cleared out my herb beds.  The tarragon nearly took over half of a bed this year.  I need to work harder at keeping it cut back next year so it doesn’t overwhelm all of the other plants.  I also need to work on finding more uses for it.  If you have any suggestions, I’d be glad to hear them. 

            Perhaps, I just need to create a separate bed for the tarragon as I did the different kinds of mint.  I knew before I planted them how much they would spread.  The peppermint and spearmint will be used in my hot tea all winter.

I was glad to find a variety of rosemary, called ARP Rosemary, which is hardy in our zone.   Last year it over-wintered nicely but it was also a very mild winter so I’m anxious to see how it does this year.  I often try to grow rosemary in a pot in the house during the winter, but have not yet made through a winter without killing one.  I think this year I probably won’t even try and will rely on what I hang up to dry for my winter supply. 

The last herbs I was hanging on my drying line were heavy bundles of sage.  However, they proved to be a little too much.  The string broke and it all came crashing down.  I had to find heavier twine and hang everything back up.  No harm was done and the dining room looks and smells lovely. 

            I also helped my friend Nora Daniel harvest her basil the other night.  We stopped when we had filled four trash bags full of the plants.  I think she has a grandiose plan to make lots of pesto for the freezer with all of the basil, but after spending one whole evening picking the leaves off the stems and not getting even halfway through one trash bag, I have a feeling not all of the basil will be made into pesto.  I think I’ll suggest she too string up a few lines at her house for herb drying.  I foresee all of her friends receiving packages of dried basil for Christmas.

            Looking for recipes using fresh herbs, I came across the following at www.wholeliving.com.  I would never have thought to add mint to my salad greens.

Grilled Chicken with Mint and Radish Salad

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon for drizzling
• 1/4 cup lime juice (from 4 limes), plus 1 teaspoon for drizzling
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cups mixed salad greens
• 1 cup fresh mint
• 4 radishes, very thinly sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• Lime wedges, for serving

Combine chicken, oil, lime juice, and garlic in a bowl. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat a grill or grill pan to high. Grill chicken until cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Combine greens, mint, and radishes. Sprinkle with salt, season with pepper, and drizzle with oil and lime juice. Serve with chicken and lime wedges.