Team up with herbs for winter snacks

Carol Stein Grows It

When I bought my bay laurel sprout a few years ago, the grower said to keep it in a pot in a sunny outdoor location for at least three growing seasons and bring it indoors in the winter.

The first winter, I decorated it with red ribbons and tiny white lights that warmed the leaves, enhancing the fragrance. Last winter I left the burgeoning bay outdoors, still in its one-gallon pot. The cold damaged a few leaves, but selective spring pruning prompted healthy new foliage. It's time to find a place for it in the garden this winter.

Most perennial herbs fare better when I give them a winter start by planting them between Thanksgiving and mid-February. It's sometimes difficult to find live perennial herbs in garden shops this time of year, especially ones that go dormant, such as thyme, chives or sage. But even dormant herbs like a wintertime head start.

You'll see a lot of rosemary plants now, pruned to resemble miniature Christmas trees and sold in gaily wrapped pots. If you receive one, don't keep it indoors past the holiday season. Remove the paper to prevent standing water and place the pot in a sunny spot outside until you decide where to plant it.

Rosemary needs well-drained soil, full sun, and six to eight feet of growing space. It won't take long for even a small plant to fill that space. To keep it as a container plant, transplant it into a pot one size larger, using loose, well-draining soil. Water it sparingly all winter. If freezing weather is predicted, be sure the roots are moist to prevent cold damage.

Whatever herbs you choose, provide sunshine and well-drained soil.

Perennial herbs are my favorites because they're the best all-around plants to grow -- low maintenance, wildlife friendly and pretty enough to brighten flower beds and containers.

In containers especially, choose herbs with similar soil, sun and moisture needs. For full sun and scant watering, try any combination of lavender, rosemary, fennel, thyme, oregano and marjoram. In partial sun and moister soil, group parsley, camomile, chives, lemon balm, mint, sage, sweet woodruff, winter savory, lemon grass and lemon verbena.

Don't be afraid to prune perennial herbs frequently. They really don't mind.

Debbie Moose cooks it

When deciding what herbs to plant, consider your favorite flavors and styles of food. Look at your spice rack or favorite cookbooks for clues, if you need them.

Some herbs are good team players, while others are divas that take over a dish. The first kind combine easily for a blend of flavors; the second demand to be the stars of the show.

I think every cook should plant the team-player herbs: thyme, bay leaf, sage, marjoram and basil. These can be combined to add subtle flavor or amped up for a stronger taste.

Be sure to buy bay laurel, not the stronger-flavored California bay, which has narrow, pointed leaves. Carol and I both love the flavor.

Team-player herbs also come in fascinating varieties for experimentation. Try lemon thyme, which has a light, herbal citrus flavor. Or lime basil, which plays well in Thai and other Asian dishes that also use the anise-flavored Thai basil.

And we all need some divas: rosemary, tarragon, mint, Greek oregano (make sure it's genuine origanum vulgare hirtum with white flowers in the summer), cilantro and dill.

These herbs are more difficult to combine because of their intense flavors, so plan accordingly when cooking.

Many fresh herbs can be added at any point in the cooking process. However, adding fresh herbs at the end, so they are minimally cooked, provides a stronger flavor. Sage and rosemary are at their best when cooked because of their texture when raw, and cooking mellows the assertive flavors.

If you plant rosemary, you'll be looking for every way possible to use it -- it grows like a weed.

This recipe for roasted pecans with rosemary makes a great snack for holiday parties or to keep on hand for unexpected guests. Kept in an airtight container, the nuts will keep for at least a week. The recipe is from my cookbook, "Fan Fare: A Playbook of Great Recipes for Tailgating or Watching the Game at Home."

Recipes

Rosemary-Garlic Pecans