This time of year is always rewarding; almost overnight things seem to morph from “expanse of wood chips” to “a zillion shades of green.” The days are getting long, temperatures are slowly warming, and perennials and quick-germinating herbs and flowers are responding by popping up everywhere. With a few notable exceptions (looking at you, bindweed), most…
Herbs
Herbs To Boost Immunity in Rabbits
Sick rabbits, by and large, are dead rabbits in my experience. Dead rabbits – when they die before you harvest them for meat – are a waste of your precious time, resources, and wear you down psychologically. I detailed my struggles with meat rabbits in 2017. My research indicates that herbs, more than anything, are…
The Tartine: Your Formula For The Ultimate Easy Summer Sandwich
In the summer I follow a little formula that allows me to convert fresh-picked veg into easy open faced sandwich meals. The following formula will never go wrong in building a good summer tartine: Good bread + Good spreadable cheese + Cooked firm vegetable topping and/or fresh sliced ripe tomato + Fresh herbs = Delicious tartine.
When And How To Use Dried Herbs – Kitchen Tips Everyone Should Know
Look, I’m pro-fresh-herb. I love giant huge bunches of cilantro, I consider it a crime that parsley isn’t used as a vegetable, I’ll drink chimichurri sauce by the shot glass. Who has two thumbs and loves fresh herbs? This girl. And yet – there is a place for dried herbs. Usually, that place involves a big…
Green Herb & Peanut Pork Meatballs in Lettuce Cups
Great news! My publishers have given me permission to share several recipes, photos and tips from my soon-to-be-released book! The Hands-on Home is now so close to launch that it’s time to start promotion – which means giving you guys a little taste of what’s inside the book. These herby, peanuty pork meatballs are one of my…
DIY Herbal Teas (The Giant Tutorial)
I’m a Seattle-girl to the core, so I’m not giving up my coffee any time soon. But I also have a big, soft place in my heart for a steaming mug of herbal tea, especially when I can grow and dry the herbs myself. The Basics Herbal tea isn’t technically tea, since it doesn’t contain…
Toxin Free DIY Citrus Cleaner
As you may have noticed by my Meyer lemon obsession, it’s citrus season, and I couldn’t be happier. As I’ve mentioned before, any pretense of locavore principles goes out the door for a case of mandarin oranges or a perfect, juicy grapefruit. While I’m paying the karmic debt for the food miles it takes to…
Three Simple Steps To Bring Beneficial Insects To Your Garden
You want beneficial insects. All the cool kids have them. Beneficials can protect your crops from “bad bugs”, pollinate your fruit, and have intriguing bug sex on your flowers (and some times, on your beer bottles). But how do you get our beneficial buggy friends to party at your house? Most gardeners know that certain…
Duck Egg Fettuccine with Oyster Mushrooms and Herbs (Plus the Mushroom Kit Winner!)
As promised, today is the day to announce the winner of the Back to the Roots Oyster Mushroom Giveaway. In a few weeks, our lucky winner is going to be sporting some serious Fungus Among Us action, just like this: But first, an idea for what you can do once you harvest your can’t-get-fresher-than-this mushrooms….
The One Edible You Must Grow
Herbs. If you grow nothing else yourself, if you buy all your lettuce and tomatoes and chard and cucumbers at the market, promise me you will at least grow your own herbs. Now I might be bit biased because I did my culinary externship at a restaurant known for its herb-enhanced cuisine, but I can’t imagine…
Rosemary Salt Rubbed Pork Chops
The pork chops aren’t from the garden, obviously. But this time of year you need to be grateful for what you can harvest. And a year-round flavoring in my kitchen is garden-grown rosemary. I step outside the kitchen at least once a week and snip from the rosemary hedge alongside the house. I’ll cut a…