December, 2006
Indoor Herb Garden — Spicing Up the Kitchen in Winter
By Libby Mills, MS, RD, LDN
Today’s Dietitian
Vol. 8 No. 12 P. 48

The weather outside may be frightful, but the season’s cooking can be delightful—and flavorful!

December 22 marks the winter solstice, which brings shorter, colder days and hibernation. Though it’s a time of turning inward when the green of summer is long gone, a desire for flavor and freshness persists.

Traditionally, herbs were dried to continue summer’s flavors with the culinary comforts of winter. But today, consumers have become accustomed to readily available fresh herbs in the supermarkets year round.

Renowned chefs, cooking shows, and popular recipes have educated consumers about the culinary uses of these “aromatics” and have broadened the acceptance of these healthy alternatives to fat and sodium in our western diet.

But purchasing fresh herbs can be frustrating because the quantities usually exceed the amounts recommended in recipes. What to do with the remaining herbs challenges even creative cooks. Incorporating the leftover herbs in enough foods in a short enough time to avoid burnout is no easy task. More often than not, most of the fresh herbs are tossed after much pondering or burying the herbs in the back of the refrigerator.

Furthermore, most consumers must plan when they will purchase fresh herbs and which ones they will have on hand. Timing this effort with culinary inspiration is rarely in sync.

To experience the value of fresh herbs any time, there is no substitution for the winter kitchen herb garden. Personalized to individual preferences, the indoor kitchen herb garden translates into more creative, flavorful, healthy cooking. This economical and sustainable practice fosters a culinary relationship between foods of the past and future.

Farmer in the Kitchen
Free from the variable environmental extremes, the production of an indoor herb garden is based on light, space, desired look, purpose, yield, and reliance on human care.

Light
Sunlight is key for photosynthesis, a plant’s ability to manufacture its own food and grow. The best location for a winter herb garden is close to a window with at least six hours of light. “Southern exposure is best,” says Bunnie Geroux, founder of the Ohio Herb Education Center and herb visionary responsible for making Gahanna the “Herb Capital of Ohio.”

Artificial light (40-watt fluorescent tube lights) can supplement inadequate daylight. Most herbs can flourish with a combination of light sources. The more the plants rely on the artificial source, the longer the exposure time should be extended.

The real challenge with indoor gardening is the balance of light and available space. Shelves ideally minimize forfeited floor space and maximize growing surfaces. Lighting can be mounted under shelves roughly 6 inches above the plant.

Maximizing available resources of space, light, and soil, as well as the growing and harvest time, is key. The continuous process of seeding (approximately every two weeks) in less lit areas and then transplanting and moving seedlings to well-lit areas to mature is known as crop succession. After harvest, seedlings replace the mature plants. Typically, indoor plants are not allowed to go to seed because this wastes time and space for plants that could be cultivated and used for harvest.

Nutrients
Most herbs prefer a slightly acidic soil with a pH of 6-7. This is the acidity of most commercial potting soils. But, self-testing is common with an inexpensive kit. The pH determines the nutrients’ bioavailability.

Good soil—or loam—is a mixture of organic matter, clay, and sand. Mirroring native Mediterranean terrain, sand makes for better drainage of water, circulation of air, and easier root development. Preformulated seeding mixtures won’t support a growing plant.
The organic component might be wood chips, pete moss, or manure (possibly pasteurized for safety). One or more organic ingredients in combination with perlite and vermiculite make up common commercial blends of potting soil.

The organic matter provides essential soil nutrients—nitrogen for healthy stem and leaf growth, phosphorus for good root growth, and potassium for overall good plant health and immunity. Other beneficial trace nutrients present in soil include calcium, magnesium, zinc, and molybdenum.

As the three essential nutrients are all used vigorously by the plant and can be washed away with watering, feeding may be beneficial to container herbs. Liquid fertilizers add synthetic nutrients while compost and compost teas add organic matter. Fertilizers and teas are commercially available, but be sure to follow manufacturers’ directions.
Home compost can include dried leaves (humus), grass clippings, vegetable scraps, herb stems, and finely crumbled eggshells.

Containers
Choose containers generous enough for root system development. The root structure anchors, stabilizes, and supports the plant. Bear in mind that once the container is filled with soil and moistened with water, larger pots can become very heavy.

Small containers restrict the plant development and may dwarf its height and limit its spread. Small or shallow containers are fine for seeding, but the plant must be transferred to fully mature.

Terracotta, ceramic, plastic, and wooden containers are all fine. Irregular shapes, however, will not allow the root system to develop evenly.

Good drainage is important for container growing success. Create drainage by drilling or punching holes in the bottom of plastic and wooden containers; layering terracotta chips, gravel, or small rocks in the bottom of the pot; or placing a well draining plastic pot in a larger decorative ceramic pot.

Planting
Seeding for outdoor herb gardens takes place in the spring but can begin as early as late winter if the seeds are started indoors. The controlled indoor environment makes sowing for container plants possible year-round. However, using the controlled indoor environment makes planting possible year-round.

Seeding can start in trays or small containers or in the pot in which the plant will grow. In moist soil, seeds are placed in shallow holes or ridges, then lightly covered with 1/4 to, at most, 1/2 inch of soil. Plant seeds far enough apart to easily transplant or allow full development of the root structure and foliage. Keep extra seeds in an airtight container.

Moisture and warmth are the germination ingredients. Until the plant surfaces, no light is needed. In unused cabinets, atop refrigerators, and under beds are perfect places, reserving well-lit window areas for seedlings and plants. Loose plastic covering may increase the warmth. Avoid disturbing germination and root formation by using a spray bottle to keep the soil moist.

Formation of the second set of leaves is the time to transplant into a container. Using a fork or your hand, turn out the plant and place it in a hole made in the soil of a prepared pot. Press the soil around the plant’s existing soil. Moisten with tepid water and allow the plant to adjust in indirect light.

Rosemary, bay leaf, sage, and mint from established plants can be grown from stem cuttings. Choose a vigorously growing sprig, cut at an angle below the leaf joint, remove lower leaves, and push the bare stem into sandy potting soil. Moisten and keep out of direct sun until new growth is present. “I have been able to root almost every herb from a shoot,” says Geroux. “I stick the stem into root tone before planting and then use plastic to create a little greenhouse.”

Water
As the herb reaches maturity, the roots will become thick in the lower half of the container. The perfect way to know whether it is time to water is to feel for dampness using a simple finger test. Sink your finger into the soil approximately one third of the way into the pot. The roots should never be allowed to stand in water, so water only when the soil is dry.

Though plants may grow to a good size, repotting isn’t necessary if they can go a couple days without watering. Repotting may be necessary if the root density prevents easy penetration.

Tools
Keep it simple. Use old kitchen spoons for a trowel, a meat fork for loosening soil, a knife for pairing, and a pencil to make dibber holes for seeds. A spray bottle and scissors will also be needed.

Though you can buy plastic covers (propagators) for seeding in trays and pots, you can also cover your pot with plastic wrap or a clear plastic bag propped open above the plant with wire or sticks and then sealed with a rubber band.

You may want to label your trays and containers using permanent markers and plastic tabs cut from old milk cartons or popsicle sticks as you go.

Control pests such as aphids and mites by mixing a soap and water solution and spraying the plant.

Preference Assessment
Choosing herbs can be as easy as identifying culinary trends and herbs available at the grocer or local nursery.

Personal preferences and taste sensitivities are subjective. The citrus-parsley flavor of cilantro loved by many in Middle-Eastern, Mexican, and Asian cooking tastes “soapy” to others. Identifying flavor preferences is the first step in choosing herbs for a winter container garden.

To evaluate herbal flavors and aromas, begin by categorizing each herb as “mild,” “delicate,” “medium,” and “strong.” Categorizing herbal flavors gives even the novice cook a starting point for developing culinary skills. When unsure of an herb, begin experimenting with one herb at a time. Start with small quantities—perhaps 1/2 teaspoon of a fresh herb for a recipe serving four—and increase the amount incrementally to taste.

Combining herbs is easy when one “strong” herb is used in combination with two other herbs: two mild or one mild and one medium in flavor intensity.

Design
Classic kitchen must-haves include chives, thyme, basil, oregano, parsley, sage, and sweet marjoram. Prioritizing which herbs are most desired begins the indoor garden design process.

“A few herbs don’t do as well inside, like tarragon,” shares Geroux. “Sage can get too large.” To best utilize space, combine several plants in a pot. This also creates beautiful living displays of aromatic textures and maximizes the variety. Gain greater yields by giving preferred plants more space. Combine plants based on like soil, water, and light needs and different growth heights and shapes.

Combining ground covering plants such as oregano and trailing thyme with bushy grasslike chives and broad-leaved basil fully uses soil and growing space. Balance the plant arrangement by using the basil as the off-centered highest point, offset by the chives and surrounded by the oregano and thyme.

Pot favorite ethnic flavor combinations include French: chervil, parsley, thyme, and rosemary; Mexican: cilantro and chilies; Italian: basil, marjoram, oregano, parsley, and rosemary; and Greek: oregano, mint, garlic, and dill.

Great Tastes From a Small Space
The leaves of the herb are used in cooking. Harvest what is needed from the base of the leaf. Stems otherwise discarded can be buried in the soil to add organic matter.

Washing of the leaves is minimal with an indoor garden. Free of pesticides and environmental pollution, the culinary gardener has the security of knowing exactly how the herb was cultivated.

Becoming both cook and cultivator reconnects consumers with traditional methods of food preparation and flavor development. Basic, everyday food takes on new flavor with easy combinations. Use bay leaf, rosemary, and parsley in soups and sauces and chives, basil, and marjoram in frittatas, salads, and lighter dishes.

Like traditional scratch cooks, contemporary fast-scratch cooks can add a special signature to macaroni and cheese, biscuits, bag salads, and frozen and canned vegetables. The ready-to-harvest herbs inspire creativity with any meal.

There are numerous ways to preserve fresh herbs—drying, infusing into oils, steeping into teas and vinegars, freezing in usable cubes of pesto—conveniently perfect for cooking. Add to yeast breads and freeze before the final rising stage.

Herbal cooking is also bridging traditional practices and giving foods new creativity. Expect the unexpected. Steep lavender, basil, lemon verbena, rosemary, sage, tarragon, or mint for ice creams, sorbets, puddings, and custards. Use rosemary, mint, or sage to flavor jellies and juices.

Use a blend of herbs for rubs, marinades, dressings, chutneys, relishes, and catsups. Combine apple and mint with pork and lamb, galangal and orange for fish and pork, winter perslane (miners lettuce) in stir-fries, and nigella and fenugreek in curries. And for a sweet ending, combine cardamom and white pepper with chocolate.

— Libby Mills, MS, RD, LDN, is a speaker, an author, and a wellness consultant.

Resources
Chef Talk. Available at: http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4682. Accessed October 8, 2006.

Combination Plantings Equal Culinary Pots. A Pinch Of… Available at: http://www.apinchof.com/comboplant1024.html. Accessed October 8, 2006.

House Plants, an excerpt from the Texas Master Gardener Handbook. Texas Agricultural Extension Service. Available here. Accessed October 8, 2006.

A Magick Garden. Available here. Accessed October 8, 2006.

Spoczynska JOI. The Indoor Kitchen Garden: Vegetable Growing in Limited Space. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.; 1989