By Taylor Sutton, MS, RD
United Supermarkets’ Lifestyle Desk
Summer is a time for both big and subtle fresh flavors. Herbs are an excellent addition to any main or side dish. Not only do they add flavor, but they all deliver some sort of nutritional value as well. Use culinary herbs to enjoy their benefits from fresh to dried, but in this case we are going to talk about a few of the fresh ones we love having in our gardens or the pots on our kitchen window sill.
So, let’s talk about a few that are growing really well right now! Don’t worry, you still have plenty of time to plant these yourself to harvest for the rest of the season (and a few that will come back next year).
Parsley
Parsley is greatly underrated and we need to change that. It’s an herb that is widely used in middle-eastern, mediterranean, brazilian and American cuisines. It’s often used as a garnish but can also be used as part of building the base of flavors. The main tasting notes of parsley are a peppery flavor with a touch of earthiness. It contains many beneficial nutrients like flavonoids, antioxidants, luteolin, folate, vitamin C and alpha and beta carotene.
Mint
Mint is a perennial herb. This means it will grow back every year. When you plant it, be sure to put it in a container as it will choke out most other plants because it acts as a weed almost. Mint has been a recent obsession in salads for us but it is used across the world and can bring a great depth to any dish. It has a sweet almost fruity like quality and doesn’t have just culinary uses but also a few medicinal benefits. Try using it in boiling water as tea for an upset stomach or to aid in digestion.
Basil
Be it starting from seed or purchasing a transplant, basil is hands down the most used spice in our kitchen. Torn in a salad, made into a pesto, or cooked into a sauce it’s timeless. If you are growing this with us we’ve got a few tips for you: (1) don’t let it flower, pinch those off and (2) keep pruning them to establish more growth from the plant. There are so many different varieties of basil and we encourage you to plant the one you will actually be eating!
Lavender
Lavender has been used for centuries in culinary forms as well as medicinal ways and the same is true today. We love making lavender simple syrups to spraying it on our pillow in the evening for a restful night’s sleep. The research is all over the board on what it may help in from anxiety and depression to upset stomach so use this as a way to experiment with and talk with your care team before incorporating in extremes. Its taste is unique in that its floral qualities are the high notes and the back notes are of mint and rosemary as they are in the same family.
Chives
Chives have an onion-like taste since they are in that family of garlic, leeks, scallions, and shallots! If you are growing these with us they are a perennial and being in Texas there is only a very small window in which they are not thriving! They will come back year after year if you keep them under good care. If they flower, those are also edible but if you don’t want chives all over your garden eventually you’ll want to eat or cut those as soon as possible as the seeds will spread.
1 Sheet Pan Gnocchi Dinner
What You Need
- 1 lb pkg Gnocchi
- 1 pint Cherry Tomatoes
- 1 pkg “Fresh-cut” Onion
- 1 frozen bag Mixed Bell Peppers
- 1 Tbsp. dried Thyme
- 1 Tbsp. dried Oregano
- 1 Tbsp. Basil
- 3 Tbsp. Olive Oil
- Salt and pepper as desired
- Optional Garnish: fresh herbs like basil and thyme, parmesan cheese
How It’s Made
1. Preheat oven to 450.
2. Pour everything on a pan and mix.
3. Bake for 20 minutes.
4. Option garnish with fresh herbs and parmesan cheese.
