My Herb Garden

The kiss of the sun for pardon,
The song of the birds for mirth.
One is nearer to God's heart in the garden
Than anywhere else on earth. -- Dorothy Gurney

This was on an embroidery sampler my mom did that hung in our home when I was a child. She has since passed it on to me, at my request, and it now hangs in my living room.

When I was single, I didn’t mind apartment living, but one of the main reasons I wanted a house was so I could have an herb garden. I grew herbs in pots on my porch of my apartment, but it wasn’t the same.

The first summer after we got married and moved into our home, I got out my shovel and dug up an 8’x8’ patch of land and planted my herb garden. I have since planted a vegetable garden and strawberry garden as well, but my herb garden holds a special place in my heart. I love planting the seeds for the annuals each spring and watching them sprout up out of the ground. I enjoy watching them all grow and flower and breaking off the leaves to take in their various fragrances. The best part of all is eating them. Here are some of the recipes we have been enjoying this summer using my fresh herbs:

Salsa

"That’s the best salsa I’ve ever tasted!" (quote from Don’s 7-year-old nephew, Daniel)

5 roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped (I also made it once with 3 larger tomatoes)
5 green onions
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp. hot pepper sauce
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
4 small garlic cloves
1 tsp. salt

Put all ingredients in food processor and pulse to desired consistency.

Rosemary and Thyme Bread

1 1/3 cups water
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary (or more to taste)
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme (or more to taste)
4 tsp. butter
2 tsp. salt
4 cups bread flour
4 tsp. dry milk
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. active dry yeast

Put all ingredients in bread machine as directed by manufacturer and choose Basic setting.

Pesto Sauce

3 cups packed fresh basil leaves
4 cloves garlic
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup pine nuts

Combine all ingredients in food processor and blend to a smooth paste. Serve over hot cooked pasta.