Lil' baby herbs...koochie koo!

So far my little 4th grade science experiment seems to be working. Just a few days after beginning my herb garden, little sprouts have begun to form!

The basil seeds are sprouting. Mmmmm, I can taste the pesto already!

This tarragon will go marvelously with a nice juicy steak...in about a month or so.

I'm so excited. The other seeds have not sprouted yet but a few of them look almost ready. I think the coriander will be the next to start showing signs of life and it will be on its way to becoming cilantro. Ooh, I have so many recipes that call for cilantro, it bugs me that I still have to buy it while I wait. Patience, patience...

Posted by LittleBrownBird at 5:42 PM
Labels: In My Not-So-Secret Garden

2 comments:
moonmystic said...
I always loved those experiments!
June 11, 2008 9:05 PM
jealousydesign said...
oh, so fun to see! I need to get started with my plants to.
June 11, 2008 9:09 PM

Spice Cabinet Woes!

I'm hoping to figure out a way to organize this mess. I have the tiniest kitchen and only this tiny cabinet to store all my spices. As you can see, I use A LOT of spices when I cook. Very few of these go unused.

A close up of the scene of the crime!

I spend most of my "cooking" time looking for the spice or dried herb that I need. And when I open the cabinet, tiny bottles go flying into my sauce pans! I don't exactly have a user-friendly kitchen.

My New Herb Garden

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

I love cooking with fresh herbs. But I hate buying them at the grocery store. I mean, are they kidding charging $3.89 for a tiny package of fresh basil?! Yowza! Times are tough. $3.89 is ALMOST a gallon of gas these days. (And don't get me started on that!) So, it's time to cut back somewhere.

I will be planting my own herb garden in a couple of big pots on my patio since my townhome association doesn't allow such planting in the yard.

Who knew 4th grade was important?
As best that I can remember from left to right, starting at the top: Mint, Sage, Rosemary, Lavender, Cilantro/Coriander, Basil, Tarragon, Dill.

I'm starting my herb garden the way I learned in 4th grade. Lay the seeds out on a wet paper towel and cover. They should start sprouting in a few days.

Coriander is the seed form of Cilantro.

Basil seeds.
These are so cool! Just about 2 minutes under the wet paper towel and already they begin to transform. Don't these kind of look like caviar at this stage?

I do admit to having a brown thumb when it comes to gardening so this might be a bit of an adventure at best. At worst, I'll be starting this over again next week. I can't wait to start cooking with these though. They say food tastes better when you make it yourself. I'm hoping the same is true when you grow your own herbs.
Posted by LittleBrownBird at 9:31 AM
Labels: In My Not-So-Secret Garden

1 comments:
Jewelry on Etsy Team said...
Hey-- I just found out a great trick-- on the really tough-thick shelled seeds-- nick it with a knife or sand a bit with a nail file-- the water will activate the sprouting process MUCH faster!!!Fish
June 12, 2008 10:49 AM