Earth to Table Herbs

With the term “locally grown” spreading faster than a patch of garden mint, what better way to support the cause than to plant your own culinary herbs? Not only does cultivating your own fragrant plants save you a pretty penny on store bought herbs, it also cuts down on waste and encourages you to be a more adventurous cook.

The best part about getting your hands dirty? You don’t need a sprawling garden to be successful—a tiny patch of earth by a walkway or a few potted containers on a windowsill is more than enough to get started. And early spring is the perfect time to plant. Here are six herbs sure to thrive indoors or out, plus recipes that showcase their unique flavors.

FRESH PEA SOUP WITH TARRAGON
Serves 4 - Vegan

Warm or chilled, this bright green soup is the epitome of spring. Tarragon has a strong, slightly anise-y flavor, so a little goes a long way in recipes.

1 Tbs. olive oil
2 medium leeks, white and light green parts thinly sliced (1 1/2 cups)
1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.)
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
3 cups fresh or thawed frozen peas
1 Tbs. tarragon leaves
3 radishes, thinly sliced

1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks, and sauté 7 to 9 minutes, or until soft. Stir in garlic, and cook 1 minute more. Add vegetable broth and 1 cup water, and bring to a simmer. Cook 15 minutes, stir in peas, and cook 1 minute more. Remove from heat, and cool 30 minutes.
2. Purée soup in blender with tarragon leaves until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or chilled, with sliced radishes on top.

PER SERVING: 139 CAL; 6 G PROT; 3.5 G TOTAL FAT (1.5 G SAT. FAT); 22 G CARB; 8 MG CHOL; 366 MG SOD; 6 G FIBER; 8 G SUGARS

TABBOULEH WITH MINT AND PISTACHIOS
Serves 6 - 30 minutes or fewer

Traditional Middle Eastern tabbouleh is more about the mint and herbs than the bulgur grains. The longer this salad sets, the better it gets, so make it up to a day ahead.

1/4 cup fine bulgur
3 Tbs. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. honey
1 1/3 cup finely chopped pistachios
1 cup finely chopped curly parsley
1 small cucumber, finely chopped (1 cup)
1 medium tomato, finely chopped (1/3 cup)
4 green onions, finely chopped (1/3 cup)
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh mint
3 Tbs. olive oil

1. Place bulgur in large bowl and add 1/3 cup boiling water. Let stand 5 minutes.
2. Stir in lemon juice and honey, and let stand 5 minutes more, or until all liquid is absorbed.
3. Fluff bulgur with fork, and stir in remaining ingredients.
4. Season with salt and pepper.

PER SERVING: 137 CAL; 3 G PROT; 10.5 G TOTAL FAT (1.5 G SAT. FAT); 10 G CARB; 0 MG CHOL; 107 MG SOD; 3 G FIBER; 2 G SUGARS

THREE CITRUS BASIL COCKTAIL
Serves 6 - Vegan

Basil lends a subtle herbal note to this citrus-berry cocktail.

2/3 cup sugar
4 large basil sprigs (1/2 cup firmly packed), plus more for garnish
2/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (1 large lemon)
1/3 cup fresh orange juice (1 small orange)
2 Tbs. frozen raspberries
1 cup gin

1. Bring sugar and 1/3 cup water to a simmer in saucepan. Stir in basil, and remove from heat. Let steep 30 minutes.
2. Pour lime juice, lemon juice, orange juice, and raspberries into blender. Strain basil syrup into blender, pressing on basil leaves. Blend until smooth, and strain into pitcher. Stir in gin.
3. Divide between 6 glasses filled with ice, and garnish with basil sprigs.

PER SERVING: 213 CAL; <1 G PROT; 0 G TOTAL FAT (0 G SAT. FAT); 27 G CARB; 0 MG CHOL; 1 MG SOD; <1 G FIBER; 24 G SUGARS

CHIVE AND WALNUT “CHEESE” BITES
Makes 28 bites - Vegan - 30 minutes or fewer

The VT staffers couldn’t get enough of these bite-size appetizers—and couldn’t believe they were made with tofu cream cheese. (Fresh chives mask the soy flavor.)

1 1/2 cups walnuts, divided
16 oz. tofu cream cheese
1 cup fi nely chopped chives, (4 bunches), divided
1/2 small shallot, minced (1 Tbs.)
1/4 tsp. smoked paprika

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread walnuts on baking sheet, and bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until fragrant. Cool, and grind finely in food processor.
2. Stir together cream cheese, 3 Tbs. chives, shallot, smoked paprika, and 3 Tbs. walnuts until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Scoop mixture into 2 tsp.-size balls. Roll half in remaining chopped chives and half in remaining walnuts. Serve immediately.

PER PIECE: 88 CAL; 2 G PROT; 8.5 G TOTAL FAT (1.5 G SAT. FAT); 2 G CARB; 0 MG CHOL; 98 MG SOD; <1 G FIBER; <1 G SUGARS

LEMON-ROSEMARY BUTTER COOKIES
Makes about 40 cookies

The rosemary and lemon aromas of these cookies will make your kitchen smell like an Italian bakery.

4 oz. (1 stick) butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. finely chopped rosemary
1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
2 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/3 cup corn flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup turbinado or sanding sugar for decorating

1. Beat butter, sugar, rosemary, and lemon zest with electric mixer 3 minutes, or until creamy. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla.
2. Whisk together flours, baking powder, and salt in bowl. Add to butter mixture, and beat until just combined. Shape into 2 1-inch-wide logs. Wrap in wax paper, and chill 2 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray 2 baking sheets with cooking spray. Slice cookies into 1/3-inch-thick rounds. Place turbinado sugar in bowl and press one cut side of cookies into sugar. Place sugar-side up on baking sheets. Bake 15 minutes, or until golden brown on bottoms. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

PER COOKIE: 48 CAL; 1 G PROT; 2.5 G TOTAL FAT (1.5 G SAT. FAT); 6 G CARB; 16 MG CHOL; 63 MG SOD; <1 G FIBER; 3 G SUGARS

OREGANO AND ASIAGO FOCACCIA
Makes 12 squares

Feel free to top the focaccia with sliced green olives or thinly sliced red onions and serve with olive oil for dipping.

1 1/2 Tbs. roasted garlic olive oil, plus more for greasing bowl
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 Tbs. fi nely chopped oregano, plus 1 Tbs. whole leaves, divided
2 Tbs. sugar
1 1/2 Tbs. salt
1 1/4-oz. pkg. rapid-rise yeast
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese

1. Rub large bowl with roasted garlic olive oil. Combine flour, chopped oregano, sugar, salt, yeast, and dried oregano in large bowl. Stir in 1 2/3 cup warm water, and continue to stir 2 minutes (dough will seem wet and sticky). Transfer to prepared bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in warm place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in bulk.
2. Line baking sheet with silicone baking mat or parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Stir cheese into dough. Transfer to baking sheet and spread to sides of sheet with wet fingers. Brush top with 1 1/2 Tbs. roasted garlic olive oil, and sprinkle whole oregano leaves over top. Let rise 1 hour, or until dough is level with sides of pan. Preheat oven to 450°F. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown on top and bottom. Cool 20 minutes on wire rack before un-molding and serving.

PER SERVING: 216 CAL; 6 G PROT; 4 G TOTAL FAT (1 G SAT. FAT); 39 G CARB; 4 MG CHOL; 929 MG SOD; 1 G FIBER; 3 G SUGARS

The proud owner of a three-plant-strong container garden on her fire escape, Nicola Nieburg looks forward to when she can let her green fingers loose on a patch of earth in the back garden of her dream house.