Herbs

First off I'll start by letting you know where the farmer's markets are in Houston, and I really hope you get a chance to check them out. It's much better supporting your local farmers livelihood and produce, it's going to be fresh mostly, if not all, organic, and homemade. There is one called the Urban Harvest Farmers Market and it's located on 3000 Richmond Avenue, but apparently you cannot see it from Richmond. It is in a parking lot, between Kirby and Buffalo Speedway; the cross street is Eastside; for more information visit http://www.urbanharvest.org/programs/market/index.html. Next up is the Houston Farmers Market located at 2100 University BLVD in Rice Village; for more information visit http://farmersmarket.rice.edu/. One more is the Midtown Farmers Market located at 3701 Travis St, in and outside of T'afia Restaurant, http://www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets/M14420. Most of the farmers markets are only open either Saturday or Sunday, rain or shine, for about 4 hours in the morning. The one in the rice village has a late evening market on Tuesdays as well. But check them out!! You're always sure to find much better stuff than in somewhere like Kroger at much better price as well.

Now on to herbs! We were going to build me a big herb garden in the backyard that I would be able to use for my cooking instead of buying the expensive stuff at HEB. ( I don't think there's anything nicer than cooking with herbs you picked straight from the garden ) However, I'm leaving Houston in June, and that's just about when everything will be ready for picking so I won't be here...so all in all there is not point building a HUGE herb garden that I'm not going to be around to use. So instead we got a small rosemary plant, some chives, thyme, and spicy basil, and planted them in pots. Herb gardens can be tricky because each herb might be different. For instance some like full sun all day, while others might need shade part of the day, some may need lots of water, while others don't. I believe that the best way is to know what herbs you cook the most with, and then go based on the climate of where you live. I'll talk about some of the most popular herbs.

1) Cilantro, very popular in Mexican and Indian cooking, is best grown in cool climates (not so good for Houston summer weather!) It doesn't like to go over 75 degrees. It needs sun either in the early morning or late afternoon, but should be shaded at the hottest part of the day.

2) Chives are members of the onion family and you can eat the whole thing, they also don't take up that much space. They're great because they can be grown in any type of soil, like direct sunlight, or partial shade, and although they can withstand water for awhile, it's best not to plant them in a dry place.

3) Thyme is a very popular herb to pair with chicken and full of fresh flavor. Thyme can be grown in sunny environments, and can also stand up to harsh winters. It's very important that you don't over water thyme. It should do very well in Houston climates, but during the summer, I wouldn't keep it in direct sunlight during the hottest parts of the day.

5) Rosemary is extremely popular in cooking used with beef, lamb, soups, stews, potatoes, vegetables, and even some desserts. Rosemary doesn't do so great in cool climates, but more like ours, more of a mediterranean one, with plenty of drainage.

6) Basil is also another very popular one, and probably everyones favorite. Basils great because it can grow in direct sunlight with partial shade. They can grow in dry soil conditions, and they really only need to be watered once a week, when it's been dry.

7) Bay is not a herb you eat, but one you infuse with, such as pasta sauces, soups, stews, inside of chickens, but always removed before eating. Bay bushes absolutely hate the cold and like rosemary originated in mediterranean climates so it does like sun and heat.

These are just a few of the thousands of herbs out there, but these are really the most popular ones in cooking, and the ones that will do best in Houston, maybe not so much cilantro but if your garden gets a lot of shade give it go. If you don't want to run the risk of building a herb garden and having everything die, or your not sure because each herb acquires different soil, or amount of water, or amount of shade or sunlight, start off in pots, one for each herb, and see how that goes. Gooooood luck! :)