We use a ton of herbs in the summertime at the inn. In our case, we simply cross the street to our riverside garden and snip off what we need right before we use it. The intensity of freshly picked herbs can't be faked. Having a few herbs planted in pots or in a garden plot can revolutionize your cooking for the season.
For anyone looking to do their own herb garden, here's what is absolutely essential:
Basil
A regular genovese strain is the workhorse of basil varieties, but a tiny variety such as pistou makes for easy and attractive presentation. Having purple or opal basil on hand is great, too.
Parsley
I always plant flat-leaf parsley because the flavor is more pronounced and it's better for use in cooking. Curly parsley is only good for whole-leaf garnish, and who does that anymore?
Cilantro
Your cilantro will always bolt (go to seed) before you want it to. There's no stopping it. Resign yourself to the fact that it's going to seed and, when it does, you'll have some fresh coriander seed, which is a really excellent thing to use on roasted chicken or in spice blends.
Mint
Always plant your mint in a place that you're okay giving over to the mint forever, because it will be there forever. Make sure to plant the stuff away from the rest of your garden, otherwise it'll spread and take over space you want to keep for other plants. Actually, just leave it in a pot instead of putting it in the ground. That's really the best way to contain it.
Chives
Whether you plant regular chives or garlic chives, you'll end up with some really pretty flowers at some point. The best part about these little pretties is that they taste fantastic, not quite as strong as the chives themselves, but that's good since they're so large.
Rosemary
This evergreen is finicky about growth and we've had some hardship with it over the years. If you can put this one in a pot that you can bring inside over the winter, it'll grow and grow year after year into a big, bushy tree. You're going to need to prune the new shoots in the early years of its life to encourage it to grow thicker instead of tall and straight.
Thyme
Plant the thyme as a border decoration. The creeping, viney nature of it is a positive in that environment. Plus, it pokes out pretty little flowers. I always like to have some lemon thyme as well as regular garden thyme for flavor contrast.
Oregano
This herb is a beast. It's the only thing that lasted the winter aside from the kale. When I use fresh oregano (which is not as aromatic as dried, strangely), I usually toast it over an open flame before I take it off the stem. This gives the oils in the leaves a jolt to wake them up.
You can keep adding things to your herb garden... Tarragon (good with fish or if you're planning on making béarnaise sauce), chervil (the anise flavor of tarragon mixed with the grassiness of parsley), shiso (an Asian herb in the mint family that's great used in lettuce wraps), catnip (you might have a cat...I do...)... the list goes on. Herb seeds are cheap and plentiful. Grab a few packs and see what you can do with them!
