Pleasant Valley Plant Farm

We are always able to enhance our dishes with  available dried herbs, at ever increasing prices, but just try fresh parsley, basil, sage, thyme, cilantro or any of the other flavors you prefer and you will be experiencing the highest quality, at its peak of flavor and value.

  Herbs are enhancement to rice, vegetables, soups, meats, cheeses, breads, virtually unlimited in their versatillity.  Try a windowsill herb garden, with marjoram, e-z leaf celery, and parsley, I like a large windowsill to begin with, 4-6' small pots with tray and I also place a layer of polished gravel in the tray and seat each pot into the gravel.  This allows me to water from the base. 

 My favorite herbs are, basil,marjoram, chives, garlic chives, e-z leaf celery, parsley, oregano,, oh wait, I guess I use and enjoy all of the culinary herbs and hope to always discover new ways to prepare and present each one.

Don't miss out on the fun of fresh chives, fresh cilantro, mint, all are just so much more flavorfilled when just picked!  That reminds me, baked potatoes this evening, good thing I picked some fresh chives this morning,

  I keep my fresh picked and washed herbs in a moistend paper towel in a paper bag in my crisper.  If I use them frequently, I will fill a cup partially with cool water and stand the fresh cut herbs upright as a bouquet and keep on a lower shelf in the fridge.  This is a constant at my house.

 When the old herbs seem like they are spent I trim, unpot, shake up the roots a bit, refill the pot and replant, then water thoroughly, till drops emit from bottom of pot, place back on tray and next watering apply a fertilizer, as per  instructions.  This refresh should last another 6 months

Herbs thrive by being trimmed, I really prefer a 6"pot, that really lets me have the fresh. as much as I cook:-)

Herbs dry so easy in a brown paper bag clipped to a string hung or on the edge of a hanging vegetable basket.   When dried you use less sage, or any of the herbs, as drying them concentrates the flavor.  Dried herbs need to be stored in dark dry recepticles, to maintain the flavor you can also freeze herbs in trays with water, when frozen you remove cubes and store in vacuum sealed bags.  This will allow use straight into stews or soups.  The herbs may be chopped or whole when frozen.