Thursday 9 July 2015

Five On Friday

The mini heat wave was indeed mini, a short lived sunny interlude which was enjoyed immensely but we are back to a typical British summer.  Cloudy and showers with sunny intervals seems to be the forecast for the next few days.  I am leaving shortly for a visit to my daughters and to see Bertie for the weekend so I will catch up with everyone on my return.

Summer means reaping the harvest of the garden and spending copious time weeding, to that end my five on Friday post is once again garden orientated.  This week I have chosen to share five herbs that I enjoy in my garden.  I use a lot of herbs in cooking, so they are a great addition to the kitchen.

First up is mint, we have tried many varieties but favour the common garden mint which is a perfect accompaniment to new potatoes.


 
Lemon thyme is another favourite that I use a lot.  It is great chopped up in scrambled eggs for something a little different, a thyme butter is perfect for rubbing on chicken or pork for added flavour.
 

 
 




 
 
Chives is next up, it has been a little slow to get established but I do have several pots.  It is my go to herb for salads in lots of forms but particularly potato salad.  It is great with cheese and adds flavour to sour cream for baked potatoes.
 


 
 
I have several containers all around the garden of lavender and I must confess I rarely use it for cooking but I grow it to dry out for gifts.  I dry the flowers and use to make lavender bags for the airing cupboard and drawers.
 
 
Last but not least is basil, a great addition to any Italian style meal it goes particularly well with tomatoes so is great added to any tomato based sauce.  Once again I grow it in pots and is a great asset to the kitchen.
 


 
Five herbs that each have their own personalities but are a great addition to even the simplest of meals.  Have you got a favourite go to herb?  I am once again joining Amy at Love Made My Home for the Five on Friday post, pop over and see what everyone has been up to.  Hope you all have a wonderful weekend, I will catch up with you when I get back.
 
See you soon.
 
 
 
 
 
 

36 comments:

  1. I like cilantro. I am not sure what Megan planted in the garden for herbs....I think rosemary and thyme but no sage. :0} Have a good weekend!

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  2. I use normal mint for tea. Your pots of herbs look very healthy. Hope you have a great weekend x

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  3. As I showed today I am not much good with mint, but I have all of those other herbs and use them, it is great to have your own herbs on hand for when you want them isn't it. I have never used lavender in cooking either, but I do like to pick bunches to dry in the house! Thank you so much as always for joining in. I hope that you have a great weekend and enjoy your visit to see Bertie. xx

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  4. Enjoy your weekend with the family. I've grown basil in the past but that's about as far as my association with herbs has got.

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  5. I can smell them from here! Have a good week :-)

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  6. Rosemary is the one we use most often, but I fear our fingers are not as green as yours. Have a lovely weekend. x

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  7. How great your herb garden is!, I am not so good with growing herbs but really enjoying eating them!xx

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  8. The photos of your herbs look great , and I bet they taste so good.
    Enjoy your visit to Bertie.

    luv
    irene
    xxxx

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  9. Green...it's the colors of your five !
    Have a lovely weekend !
    Anna

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  10. Lovely Five on FridayI think Basil is the herb we use the most, followed by mint. I do use corriander too for carrot soup. I love lavender and although have eaten lavender flavoured things like scones or cake have never made anything with the lavender from the garden:)

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  11. Herbs make such a great addition to the garden and to cooking. I use regular thyme, especially in the winter, and would love to try the lemon version. Basil is the summertime herb for me - so delicious with garden tomatoes (for which I'm still waiting) and mozzarella cheese.
    Happy weekend.

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  12. Hello. Thank you for sharing such great ideas for these herbs. I'm going to try adding mint with potatoes; sounds wonderful. Right now I'm growing sage and rosemary in my garden. Enjoy your weekend. I'm sure you will have fun. Take care, Pat xx

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  13. I absolutely love the smell of chives, it is such a delightful smell. I have some lemon balm growing in my garden at the moment and I love that smell too. I love cooking with basil and tend to have a pot on my windowsill. Have a great weekend! xx

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  14. We've been in a rainy pattern here in New York as well but the sun is out today and the skies are bright blue. Thankfully, the humidity has dropped a bit as well. Enjoy your weekend with Bertie!!! xo

    ~ Wendy

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  15. I enjoyed this!
    Mostly because I have no talent when it comes to this...
    So I appreciate those of you who do!!!
    Thank you for sharing,and have a wonderful weekend!

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  16. Hi Lorraine, great to see your herbs, they look so nice! One herb I Always buy is fresh coriander, but so far I haven't managed to grow it from seed. I love adding fresh herbs to my cooking.
    Enjoy your weekend,
    Ingrid xx
    Myfunkycrochet.blogspot.be

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  17. Hi Lorraine! I love all the pictures!! I love adding mint to meat! Yummi, it is delicious and I will try mint with potatoes. I love chives as well!! Lavenders are so beautiful! I want to have a vase of it!! My favorite herb is basil! I love it on pizza, tomato sauce, sauces and everything!!

    Thanks for sharing with us!

    Sandra xx

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  18. I love Chives and have lavender growing in pots too. I should grow some Basil as we love using it xx

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  19. Hi Lorraine - Lovely pictures. I have some herbs growing in pots on my fence. Joan at www.aviewtothefells.com

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  20. I love herbs too! I'm planning to grow lots of lavender next year and love your idea to use in gifts after drying! I have mint and love it too - especially in my iced tea. I also have parsley which adds freshness to just about any savory dish. But my absolute favorite is cilantro! I grow it and put it in lots of Mexican dishes I love to make - especially guacamole and homemade salsas. Yum! xo

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  21. We have lots of herbs: rosemary, thyme, and chives growing wild. We also have lemon balm which is lovely as a tea, very refreshing. We have fennel which we use in curries or again this too makes a pleasant drink. I would like to dry our lavender but I'm not really sure exactly when it should be picked. Barbara xx

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  22. Your herbs are wonderful! Many of them are our favorites.

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  23. Love having fresh herbs for cooking. I didn't plant any this summer; it was so cold for so long and never got to it, now regretting it. Love all you mentioned, and I would add rosemary, one of my favorites.

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  24. I've never have tried lemon thyme before. Your herbs look good

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  25. Your herbs look so healthy! Well done! Lemon thyme and mint are two of my favorites, both in hot tea and lemonade.
    Amalia
    xo

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  26. My favourite's are mint, and parsley. Enjoy your trip. :) x

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  27. Your herbs are doing so well. I have rosemary and basil, both Thai and sweet basil and other herbs as well. Currently the heat wave is not being kind to them.

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  28. Mmmmmm lively, I try and always have a pot of basil on the kitchen windowsill, the smell is divine :)
    Have a great weekend,
    Jillxo

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  29. Oh for goodness sake. LOvely ! Not lively.

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  30. Oh, I love those herbs. Thank you for sharing.

    Greetings from Portugal

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  31. I love your gardening posts! I need to grow chives next year because I spend all summer buying it. You have also inspired me to try lemon thyme too - I love things that have scents in the garden. Have a great week xx

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  32. Your herbs look lovely and healthy. Mine start okay but then get a bit wild and woody!

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  33. I have herbs dotted all around the garden, and now hanging baskets! There is nothing like popping out and picking a few to enhance our food is there. My favourite is coriander, it never survives though and I have to keep replacing it. I love it with curries! Take care xx

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  34. These herbs look wonderful, and being able to use them fresh from your own gardens makes all the difference!
    Wendy

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  35. Your herbs seem to be thriving! Well done. I just have a rosemary and a basil plant and have enjoyed using both to flavor chicken and pasta.

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