Of all the culinary herbs that you grow, which are your long-time favorites?

Please say why: how you use them, etc.


and......do they have flowers?


Do you dry them?


thank you


xxxxxx

Of all the culinary herbs that you grow, which are your long-time favorites?
any basil and rosemary and I don't ever have to dry them now that i live in a desert





I used to have chives but my younger cat eats to the nub so never last ;D
Reply:Coriander. I love it. Chop up two tomatoes, red onion and coriander( I have at least two tablespoons), squeeze the juice of one lemon or lime on it, add teaspoon of brown sugar, some salt and pepper and mix well and put it in the fridge for 15 minutes. I have this with any curry instead of rice. It is refreshing, healthy and yummy, try it!
Reply:Mine are curry leaf trees and lemon grass. Apart from being full of flavour, they are hardy and need very little care in the Indian climate. Besides, they have healing qualities.





Curry leaves make a great garnish. I heat a little cooking oil, then add a large pinch of mustard seeds. When they crackle, I put in some curry leaves and a couple of pieces of dried red pepper. I either stir this garnish into cooked vegetables or saute vegetables in it.





Curry leaves are very good for the liver and also regulate blood pressure. However, they are said to need an oily or acidic base to be effective. We sometimes leave them steeped in buttermilk for an hour or so for a refreshing drink. .





Lemon grass is a popular addition to Indian tea (chai). We boil it in the water along with the tea leaves. The grass can also be dried and preserved. Sometimes we put dried, chopped-up lemon grass along with the tea in the storage bin.





Lemon grass soothes the throat and cheers you up!
Reply:Spicy Globe Basil - incredible scent, delicious in salad





Lemon Thyme - salad, soup, chicken





They all flower. If you want to use the herb for cooking, Don't allow it to flower. When they go to seed, they stop producing leaves for cullinary use, go dormant for a while....
Reply:I loved growing marjoram, it has little flowers but you're not really supposed to let them go to flower. I hung them upside down. The only thing I miss about having a house is the garden. I used to fry whole fish in butter with the herbs, so good.
Reply:Rosemary - the scent is just awesome and the purple flowers are an added plus. I use them when baking chicken, making tomato sauce, and on the grill barbecuing chicken or pork.





Peppermint - the scent is invigorating and it's so easy to grow. I just add a few springs to hot tea or use the leaves as garnish in desserts.





Basil - my all time favorite. I pick the leaves and put them in soups and sauces. They're also great when added to fresh tossed salad with balsamic vinagrette dressing.
Reply:my wife grows rosemary


She started with a small amount and it loved our soil and is growing like crazy.


When ever we need some we go outside and snip some off
Reply:My chives are blooming right now. I use them in salads, some soups or sauces, on top of my potatoes......





I have a chocolate mint that tastes great, tolerates neglect, and smells wonderful. It blooms sporadically.





I love my lemon basil, especially with seafood. It blooms sporadically.





hmmmm, not sure if this is classified as an herb: I have a nice busy orange habanero plant that has produced peppers nearly continuously for two year now. I keep it in a pot by my front porch. It's blossoms are small, but the peppers look great. My husband loves the peppers with any food that needs some heat. My neighbors come by and take peppers anytime they want. (I live in Florida, so I leave it outside year-round unless we have a rare hard freeze warning.)
Reply:cilantro and thyme love those. I use them on chicken for pesto, corn bread all types of cooking. so far I only use them fresh, I have never dried them. I grow about 15 different herbs all together though.