Kitchen Garden Notes - My herbs

I've mentioned the herbs in my garden several times and people have commented on them. However, I've never actually shown you any of them so here is my collection and a few tips on what herbs to have and what to use them with.

When picking herbs for the first time it is tempting to go mad and buy lots of herbs you like the look of. You then get them home and find you don't really know what to do with them. You keep watering them but because you aren't using them they start to get leggy or woody so you stop watering them and they die. If you use dried herbs start from there in your selection. Quite often garden centres and nurseries sell herbs in two different sizes. Unless you are planning to use large quantities of the herb save your money and buy the smaller pot. With regular watering herbs grow quickly and before long they will be the size of the larger pot.

I don't plant my herbs in the ground as I don't have the space. Instead I re-pot all the herbs I buy into bigger, ceramic pots. As they are outside my back door by the kitchen they are always handy to get to rain or shine. If you suddenly decide your tomato sauce bubbling away on the hob could really do with some fresh oregano you are more likely to snip some off if you just have to step outside rather than traipsing across a soggy lawn.

The rosemary is the oldest herb in the garden. We originally cut a piece of the lawn out to make a fruit and herb area. Wind, rain, sun and snow – the rosemary keeps green and keeps growing through all of these. Every so often we have to cut it back by hacking some of the branches off. Yes, it doesn't mind such brutality. I use it in both sweet and savoury dishes. It goes really well with lamb but also in a sausage and apple casserole. It want to use it in cakes I find it is really nice with lemon as in gluten free lemon and rosemary polenta cake.

I can't tell you how old this chive plant is. It was certainly bought in a supermarket which I then planted outside. I leave this out all year round. In the winter it does do a good impression of being dead but once spring comes it starts to look edible again. When it starts to look a bit scraggy it likes a bit of a haircut and it is soon back growing again. It's great for sniping over salads as a quick garnish but I particularly like it in potato salad with chives.

This mint is new this year. I find it is one of the few herbs you can buy in the supermarket which will survive on a kitchen window sill and in the garden during the summer. I would avoid planting it in the ground as it grows very quickly and spreads. I like to cut a sprig of it and put it in a pan of salad or new potatoes. It also makes a very good pesto.

The other mint is a lime mint. I saw it at the garden centre at RHS Wisley last year and simply fell for it. I used it in a strawberry and mint meringue. I was very naughty and left it out all winter but the mild weather was kind to it. Certainly not an essential herb but surely I'm allowed one frivolous buy?!

I make a lot of tomato sauces to go with pasta and always put some herbs in to flavour it. I have two varieties of oregano. The first is the standard plain green type. It goes well in cooking as it has a strong flavour.

The second variety is a pretty, variegated oregano. It has a slightly milder flavour which means it really nice cut up and served raw in salads.

Another herb I have two of is thyme. It goes so well with chicken whether you are roasting it or putting it in a casserole. The stems can be a little woody so I would advise you take the leaves off by running your finger and thumb up the stalk.

The other thyme is a lemon thyme. It really does have a distinct citrus taste. I find this really handy as I don't always have lemons in the house. It has a lot more leaves on it than the common one and in fact looks a lot more healthier!

For pork dishes the classic herb pairing is sage. I chose the variegated variety simply because it looked prettier than than the plain green one. If I use a mixed herb combination for something like lasagne I use rosemary, oregano, thyme and sage.

Bay trees can be terribly expensive and quite often only used for ornamental purposes. I searched high and low for bay that was a reasonable price and found this one for £3.99. Use it to make your own bouquet garni with the other herbs to flavour stocks or soups. I like to put a couple into beef casseroles in the slow cooker.

My favourite herb is basil and for the first time this year I have grown some from seed. It's quite a tricky herb to maintain. As a Mediterranean herb it likes the sun but dries out quickly and goes very limp. However it also doesn't like to be overwatered. I think this little collection needs to be re-potted soon and brought into the kitchen from the greenhouse. Tomato sauce, pesto and mozzarella beckon for this little lot.

The only herb I don't have at the moment which I like to have is parsley. My dad was growing some to give to me but the local squirrels got to it first. I guess they decided to use it as natural breath freshener...