Ontario Herb Mixes for the Seasons

"There are no gardening mistakes, only experiments." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Hello followers! Have I mentioned yet that Kev and I are trying out our green thumbs this spring? We started plants by seed and have been growing them in the window sill. In early April we planted baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, basil, garlic chives, sage, mint and cilantro. Two weeks later we added Brussels sprouts and eggplant to the family. We call them our babies. Alright, I call them our babies, not Kev. They seem to like it here and I can't wait to have our herb garden ready to use (it is getting there!)! After hardening them off for the last few weeks, today I'm going to plant out the Brussels Sprouts, eggplant and tomatoes. Oh my babies, I hope you like it in the outdoors! When I first moved to Toronto 4 years ago, my room mate's Mum gave us a house warming present. A herb garden! We kept it on the window sill in the living room. The herbs must have liked it there, because it became unruly quite quickly! So, what I started doing was snipping the herbs, chopping them up and putting them in containers topped with oil. I would do two types of mixes and use them, according to the season. Here's what I would do!

Simple and Tasty Recipe:

Ontario Warm Weather Herb Mix

fresh basil, chiffonade (rolled and sliced)
fresh parsley, finely chopped
fresh dill, finely chopped
fresh chives, finely chopped
oil, olive or vegetable


Ontario Cold Weather Herb Mix

fresh sage, finely chopped
fresh rosemary, finely chopped
fresh thyme, finely chopped
fresh parsley, finely chopped
oil, olive or vegetable

.mix the herbs together and put in a container with a tight fitting lid
.top with the oil and store in fridge for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months

You can do anything with these mixes! Let's discuss the warm weather herb mix first! Toss pieces of your fave fish or chicken  with a dollop of herbs, some sea salt, a splash of freshly squeezed lemon juice, then roast in the oven. If there are leftovers, make a sandwich filling for the next day by breaking up the fish and adding a little mayo. Spread some of the herbs on a piece of bread, top with grated cheese and broil (actually, the cold weather herbs would also be great!). Toss some in with your cooked veggies or stir some into a mayo/sour cream mix with some chopped garlic for a great dip! Or into your fave potato or pasta salad!
The cold weather mix is just as versatile! Season chicken or pork with salt and pepper, brush on a little grainy Dijon, top with the herb mix and roast. Add some to your fave stuffing mixture. Remove your roasting potatoes 5 mins before they are done and toss with the mix and some chopped garlic, throw them back in the oven till done. Add some to sauteed mushrooms for a kick. Oh yes, mix either herb mix with softened butter and you have a tasty compound butter, to top on just about anything, including baked potato or steak Anyhoo, I think you get the point! Enjoy!