Why Would You Choose to Grow an Italian Herb Garden?

Italian food is popular. Most home chefs prepare Italian cuisine without even really being aware of it. Dishes such as spaghetti, pizza and pesto are common. While a mixture of Italian herbs can be found on most grocery store shelves, using fresh herbs can take an ordinary dish from merely good to spectacular. To keep fresh herbs on hand, many people take the time to plant an Italian herb garden.

Italian herb gardens are designed to provide cooks with the herbs commonly found in Italian cuisine. Chives, chervil, sage, thyme and marjoram are all used when cooking Italian dishes, making them an excellent choice for use in your Italian herb garden.

Chives can be used in a variety of ways. Their delicate flavor pairs well with soups, casseroles, salads, butters and vinegars. Chives can be harvested once they reach a little over half an inch. Snip leaves near the soil working from the outside of the plant inward. Since chives do not store well, it is best to harvest as needed.

A relative of parsley, chervil is sometimes mistaken for it at first glance. However, the flavor is distinctly different. It is often used in fish and chicken dishes and in herb butters. When put into vinegar and allowed to steep, it will imbue it with delicious flavor. It is harvested as needed by snipping outside leaves and working your way in. Take care to harvest before leaves turn a purplish color. The concentration of flavor is greatly reduced once the leaves change color.

Aside from the most commonly known use as an ingredient in stuffing, sage is often used in Italian cooking to flavor meats and cheeses. It works well with rabbit, pork and poultry. Leaves can be pinched off when needed. Sage is most flavorful just as it is starting to bloom.

Thyme is one of the more delicately flavored Italian herbs. It is best suited to be used with mild flavored meats such as veal, but can stand up to more robust flavors as well. It does not do well in intense heat so it is commonly used in soups and slow cooking. For peak flavor, harvest thyme just as it begins to flower. Leaves can also be snipped whenever needed for a dish.

A close cousin of oregano, marjoram is sometimes used in place of oregano in Italian cuisine. It is often used in seafood sauces, salad dressings, soups and with poultry. To harvest, clip branches at the bottom set of leaves. Blooming has an effect on flavor. Early harvest well before blooms will result in a mild flavor while harvesting close to the begin of blooms gives you a more distinct flavor.

With these fresh herbs on hand, you will be able to take your cooking to a whole new level. Additional Italian herbs can also be added to your garden. Before long, you may be surprised when friends, family and neighbors are asking you how they can plant their own Italian herb garden.

Nova Person is an herb expert, who's been reaping the benefits of having her own Italian Herb Garden for over 20 years. To find more information about How to Grow an Italian Herb Garden, and herb gardening in general, please visit her site at http://growherbsinfo.com.