After you check out seeds and grow your cool season herbs, here's some fun things you can do with them. Find even more in books like this one:
National Geographic Complete Guide to Herbs & Spices
Calendula: The petals can be used in fish and meat soups, rice dishes & salads.
Chamomile: Dried flowers can be steeped in boiling water for 10 min (1 cup water to 2 tsp flowers), then strained and served. This tea is said to soothe, relax and invigorate.
Chives: Snip leaves onto salads (green, potato, pasta or cabbage) and baked or fried potatoes.
Cilantro: Chop or whir in a blender with tomatoes, onions, peppers and other spices for a delicious salsa.
Dill: Particularly tasty combined with sour cream, yogurt and butter. Chop leaves and add to salads, potatoes, meat and fish. Add raw or at the last minute because the oils dissolve with heat.
Fennel: Leaves and stalks taste great with fish. The seeds are a tasty addition to sausage dishes.
Parsley: Snip it into sauces, butter, dressings or just about any dish.
Sage: Improves digestion of foods, so it is often used with sausage and fatty dishes. Start small and add to taste; it can overpower a dish.
Most of these seeds can be sown Sept-Feb (except for Parsley and Sage: Sept-Dec). If there aren't seeds at your library, you can search the catalog with the name of the seed plus the word seed. Find out more about the Seed Library!
