While fresh herbs are available in most grocery stores, usually found in the cooler-produce section, I find that I don't use them fast enough and they wilt or spoil. They can also be expensive, especially if you're constantly buying them.
That being said, I recommend growing herbs! It's so easy! There's almost no maintenance, they don't take up a lot of space, and you have them on hand whenever you need them. The "start-up" cost can be as little or a lot as you want. You just need a planter of some sort, soil, and the herbs. I bought hanging planters at IKEA, and potting soil and herb starts at Home Depot. You can find herb kits too! (Seriously, the internet is an amazing place). It doesn't have to be expensive and it looks so pretty.
I keep 4-5 types year round (except when I'm moving and the hubby accidentally kills them ...): thyme, oregano, rosemary, sage, and mint (peppermint this year, but I had spearmint last year). This year I planted basil too. I find that these are the herbs I use most in my cooking, though the mint is more for adding a little something extra to fun beverages. Gavin loves minty sun-tea.
The picture above is butter, garlic, with fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage. It's from my favorite Stanley Tucci recipe for roast chicken (which I think I covered in a separate blog post). I'd never used sage in anything but it totally makes this dish. It smells amazing! And chopping the herbs is easy enough -I just pop them into my XL garlic zoom and the work is done in seconds. Tip: tear bigger leaves into smaller pieces first.
So jump on Pinterest for ideas, or just wing it at to your local garden store, but get yourself some fresh herbs ASAP! It'll change how you cook, and the satisfaction of using something you grew yourself is too good to pass up.
Enjoy!
Karie
