Add Some Spice to Your Life

 

It might be cooling off outside but your kitchen is about to get hot. Gretchen Sterling from the Pasadena Certified Farmer’s Market explains, “We’re talking about herbs. We always want to use fresh herbs.” With fresh herbs you can add some flavor to your dinners and some pep to your plates.

 

Although it’s winter, you can still get fresh herbs at the local farmer’s market. “We can find marjoram and oregano and different flavors of thyme. Lemon thyme is really good on chicken or in a salad,” said Sterling. Fresh herbs make a tremendous difference in the flavor of your meals.

 

When cooking with fresh herbs there are a few tricks to make your meals restaurant-worthy. Fresh herbs go a lot further in a dish then dried herbs so be careful not to over season. If you crush the herbs directly before adding to a recipe it will release a great burst of flavor.

 

If you are cooking a dish, such as a stew, that will simmer for a while you can add a bay leaf or whole herbs to the pot. You just need to remove before eating. Tie them up in cheesecloth to make it easier to discard before serving.

 

You can still find fresh herbs at the Pasadena Certified Farmer’s Market. The Market is located at 2925 Sierra Madre Boulevard in Pasadena. Their number is (626) 449-0179. You can visit them online at www.pasadenafarmersmarket.org.