Grilled asparagus, salmon and thyme. See recipe below. (C) Photo Bit245/DepositPhotos.com
The city’s biggest event of the year is a week away and the grills are fired up and rarin’ for the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race weekend, followed by Memorial Day.
A few easy-to-grow herbs add lots of flavors and zest to grilled foods. Woody herbs, such as rosemary, almost always do well when grilled. Herbaceous herbs like basil burn easily and are best used in aluminum-pouch dishes or as fresh after the food has been cooked. Here are four herbs to consider.
Rosemary
Many Midwest gardeners grow tender rosemary in a pot. (C) Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp
Although this flavorful, aromatic plant is not winter hardy here, rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) does perfectly fine in a pot, which can be brought indoors for winter, if desired.
For this time of year, though, grow rosemary outdoors. It is a woody plant and slow growing, so if you intend to use rosemary a lot, plant more than one of the largest plants you can find in the pot.
Grow rosemary is full sun. Water when the top layer of soil feels dry to the touch. Snip off branches or portions of branches as needed. Fertilizer usually isn’t necessary. At the end of the season, snip off branches and remove and dry the leaves for winter use if you don’t want to bring the plant indoors.
Thyme
Thyme (pictured is Aureus) does well in a container or in the ground. Photo courtesy Ball Hort>
Another woody plant, thyme (Thymus spp.) easily doubles as an aromatic ground cover or as a trailing plant in containers. Grow thyme in full sun in the ground or in a pot. Although it is fairly drought tolerant, it benefits from watering during dry spells. Snip off branches as needed. This is a perennial herb that winters over well in the ground. Thymes come in many flavors, including lemon and orange.
Tarragon
This woody, perennial herb has a sweet, anise flavor and is used frequently with chicken, fish, eggs or vegetables. Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus) is a rambunctious spreader. Grow in full sun. Tarragon is usually grown in the ground, but it can be used as a trailing plant in a container for summer.
Tarragon is a member of the Artemisia family, which was the 2014 Herb of the Year. © Andris Tkachenko/iStockphoto.com
Dill
An annual herb that is easy to grow from seed, dill (Anethum graveolens) adds a clean flavor to many grilled dishes. This is one of the herbs you’d want to use in a pouch dish because it burns easily. Grow dill in full sun. Be prepared: Dill is a food source for swallowtail caterpillars. In a container, dill adds a frilly texture.
At 18-inches tall, ‘Fernleaf’ dill does well in a container. Photo courtesy All-America Selections
Lemon-thyme asparagus
• Heavy-duty aluminum foil
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 pound asparagus, ends snipped
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon thyme
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon basil, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
Spray two sheets of foil with cooking spray. Add half the asparagus to each sheet. Blend herbs and divide between asparagus packets. Add 1 tablespoon butter to each packet. Fold foil over, lengthwise, pressing both sides together. Fold and seal each end. Repeat with second packet. Grill over indirect heat for 5 to 7 minutes, turning once. Open carefully — the steam will be hot!
Source: motherearthliving.com
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