One of my favorite things about spring and summer is the herb garden. I have a small plot of dirt out the back next to the porch in which we grow sage, mint, oregano, rosemary, basil, parsley, and nasturtiums, and lavender borders one side. It’s fragrant, pretty, and adds flavor and fun to our summer meals.

I use fresh herbs of one form or another almost every day. Whether it’s adding fresh thyme to salad dressing, chopping oregano for pasta sauce, frying sage leaves for a garnish, making a unique dessert with lavender flowers or muddling mint into a mojito, fresh herbs make meals more fun.

Sage

Sage is a perennial plant. The silver gray-green and velvety leaves come back year after year. We use the leaves in our favorite roasted cauliflower recipe, under the skin of roasted chicken and turkey, and fry them up whole in a little olive oil for a delicate crispy garnish.

Mint

Mint, also a perennial, can get out of control if you don’t keep on top if it. There are various varieties with various intensities of flavor. We have two varieties and use it mostly in the summer for beverages, in a particular chicken salad, and sometimes when making ice cream. Mint is also excellent as a garnish for fruit desserts (though not fried).

Oregano

Another perennial. While the oregano hasn’t gotten out of control in the garden, I do have plenty. If you need any, come on over! Oregano is an ingredient in many of our regular pasta dishes. We also have dried oregano at the end of the summer for use throughout the winter.

Rosemary

Rosemary is one of our favorite herbs. While it is not hardy in our area of the country, it can be used some places as a decorative shrub. As such, we put it in fresh every year. One of my favorite ways to use fresh rosemary branches are as skewers for grilled lamb kebabs. I also like fresh rosemary leaves in pizza dough and in a favorite pasta dish.

Basil

I don’t know about you, but I cannot get enough basil. It’s an annual, and we grow a lot of it every year. There’s the pesto factor, of course, and caprese salads and sandwiches, but it’s also tasty snipped into a green salad for a little extra bite. Try it in strawberry-basil ice cream while you are at it.

Parsley

Chopped fresh parsley is an ingredient and/or garnish in so many dishes. We grow both flat leaf and curly parsley every year for just this regular purpose.

Nasturtiums

Yes, you can eat nasturtiums. The flowers are a peppery, pretty addition to summer salads. Nasturtiums are an annual, and don’t take to transplanting well, so plant your seeds where you want them to be for the summer. This summer I planted them around other flowering plants in my hanging baskets; they should cascade down somewhat. I should be able to pick one or two from each basket for salads through August.

Lavender

Lavender is such a lovely border plant, and it has a subtle but wonderful flavor when used in culinary manner. One of my favorites is lavender crème brulee. I think I’d like to try lavender ice cream this summer, too. I understand that lavender can be a substitute for rosemary in breads. But also be aware that a little goes a long way with lavender – better to err on the side of too little than too much.

Lavender Crème Brulee

4 cups heavy cream
1 tbsp dried lavender flowers
8 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar, divided

Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter the custard cups (six to eight of them, depending on their size) and put them in glass baking dish, then put that dish into a larger baking pan or cookie sheet (for easier management later).

In a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat, heat cream and the lavender flowers to a simmer. Remove from heat. Allow lavender flowers to infuse with the cream for 5 minutes. Strain to remove lavender flowers.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar until light and creamy. Temper the egg yolks with some of the hot cream, then slowly add the yolk-cream mixture back into the cream. Divide custard mixture among the custard cups.

Meanwhile, bring a kettle of water to almost boiling. Place the custards in the pan (and on the larger sheet/pan) on the oven rack, then carefully pour the hot water into the pan so that the water goes half way up the sides of the custard dishes.

Bake for about an hour or until the custard is set on the edges but slightly jiggly in the center. Check regularly as you approach the cooking time.

After removing the custards in the pan from the oven, let them cool in the water bath. Remove the custards from the water bath and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours before serving.

Before serving, sprinkle remaining sugar evenly over the surfaces of the custards, then put them on a baking sheet and set under the oven broiler (or use a small butane torch) for several minutes until the sugar caramelizes and creates a delectable golden shell. Refrigerate for another 10 minutes and serve.

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