I think normally a kitchen garden is a a garden for your kitchen, not in your kitchen, but gardening in Central Oregon is tough. Even in ideal conditions my thumb, like my plants, tends to start green then quickly fade to a yellowish-brown. My goal to eat better for less has inspired me to give gardening another try. I’m starting small though, with herbs in my kitchen window.
I seem to buy at least one package of fresh herbs a week. Fred Meyer sells packages of organic herbs from Snoqualmie River Ranch for $1.99 which normally fits into my budget. My favorites are the “medley” packages that include three different types of herbs for making salsa (oregano, cilantro, chives) or for preparing meats like poultry (rosemary, sage, thyme). Even when there’s a medley that matches my recipes for the week, though, the packages hold more than I need and some ends up going to waste. This is particularly true with the big bunches of cilantro and parsley; I’d like to say I’m really good about drying or freezing the extras, but so far that has not been the case.
Soon I’ll be able to snip a few stems of cilantro, a bit of basil, or a piece of parsley when I need it. I have little pots of oregano and Thai basil, too. I’m hoping my thumb stays green this year. I’ll keep you posted.
