Country Living – Creativity in the Herb Garden

Well, we don’t live in the country yet, but this year I was bitten by the gardening bug. Texas had a beautiful spring which made me want to get out and plant something. Up

Fresh basil makes delicous pesto

to this point, the only herb I had was one rosemary plant and one mint plant but now I have parsley, basil, oregano, sage and thyme growing happily off the back patio. Since we’re eating more of a raw food diet now, the herbs are a wonderful addition to new recipes.

There’s something gratifying about walking out the back door and gathering herbs for a special recipe. I raise all my plants organically too so I know they are especially good for us.

I’ve discovered too that gardening, cooking and knitting have something in common. They all offer opportunities for creative expression and possibilities for endless experiments. I’ve found that people who are creative in one area find pleasure in multiple hobbies very easily. Sometimes I even need to put down the knitting needles and do something different for a while (hard to imagine-lol).

The heat of Texas makes basil go crazy! When I lived in Oregon, I’d try growing basil every year but it never did much. It was just too cool there at night, I think. This spring, I planted one basil plant in with a container tomato and I’ve been cutting it back weekly, using it in salads and other recipes. I even made my own pesto for the first time, using my new Vitamix.

Last weekend, I hosted a family barbecue and made a pasta salad using all my own herbs for the seasoning. I also tried a recipe for shrimp salad from Martha Stewart’s Living with my herbs and it was terrific! It’s nice to present tasty dishes to your family and tell them “I grew all these herbs right outside!”

One healthy BBQ tip I picked up recently too is that if you marinade your meat in herbs before barbecuing, it neutralizes the cancer causing compounds that form on barbecued meat.

Sage is delicious with chicken

Here’s a great recipe I got from the back of a package of Bob’s Red Mill organic Whole Grain Quinoa. If you haven’t tried Quinoa, it has a rather nutty taste and is filled with fiber, iron and all 8 essential amino acids. I got the gluten free variety because my husband needs a gluten free diet.

Quinoa Tabouli

I first had a tabouli salad like this in a Lebanese restaurant and loved it. Mine turned out very similar to the recipe in the restaurant. The fresh herbs make it a delicious summery salad.

Ingredients

2 cups cooked and cooled Bob’s Red Mill Quinoa
1 cup chopped parsley (from my own garden!)
2 Tbs chopped fresh mint or 1 tsp dried
1 clove garlic minced or pressed
1 Tbs fresh basil or 1/2 tsp dried
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground White Pepper (I used regular pepper)

Simply toss all ingredients together and chill for one hour or more to let flavors blend and so the liquids are absorbed into the quinoa.

Oregano and thyme

I’ve also made tabouli in the past using diced cucumbers, tomatoes and green olives. There are lots of variations but tabouli is really tasty and good for you.

If anyone in your family needs a special diet, I highly recommend the book Pure and Simple – Delicious Whole Natural Foods Cookbook. Vegan, MSG Free and Gluten Free

Order from Amazon with free shipping

Don’t let the vegan part scare you, you can always serve grilled chicken or whatever with the recipes. I have lots of cookbooks that I don’t use all that much but I’ve really made many of these recipes and my husband has loved them!

About 4 months ago, my husband and I decided to start eating green smoothies and more of a raw food diet so all my gardening efforts are paying off now. To do the green smoothies, you pretty much have to invest in a Vitamix but in the end you save money. Have you ever bought a refrigerator full of veggies with all the best of intentions to be healthier, then ended up throwing most of them away because you never got around to eating them. Since I got the Vitamix, I fill the frig with veggies and then toss them into the Vitamix and blend. That thing will blend anything to a smooth smoothie.

We feel more energy, we sleep better and we’ve lost some weight.

The Vitamix website offers lots of recipes and info on green smoothies, a whole food diet and more, which is free. You can also get free shipping with this link too.

If you’d like to know more about container gardening, GardenGuides.com has lots of great info!

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