Urban vegetable gardening has long been popular, and now more and more people are growing their own herbs for many of the same reasons they first planted tomatoes or corn in their backyards. As with vegetables, freshly-picked herbs are superior in flavor to their dried counterparts. You can grow the herbs needed for exotic cuisines or special dishes that may not be readily available in local produce markets. If you have the space, you can produce the quantities necessary for lots of pesto, sachets, potpourri, holiday gifts and serious cooking. Any surplus can be shared with friends, or dried and stored for future use. As with most other food crops, herbs grow best in well-drained soils with lots of organic material and not too much fertilizer. Over-fertilizing can lead to lush plants with little flavor, increasing plant size but not the essential oil content which is the basis for each herb’s characteristic taste. Organic based fertilizers or well-composted manures work well if applied with a light hand. Soil pH should be neutral to slightly alkaline. If sunny ground space is limited in your yard, consider growing herbs in pots or window boxes. As long as you provide sufficient root space and water frequently, herbs will grow well under these conditions. Those containers can be an attractive addition to your landscape, or you can locate them near the barbecue or kitchen where they’ll be most accessible.

Summer Pasta Dish with Fresh Herbs

We suggest this recipe for a simple summer pasta dish using fresh herbs. No sauce is needed, just make a combination of at least 3 (but not all) of the following, totaling about 1½ cups for one pound of spaghetti. Strip the herb leaves and finely chop with shallots, combine with olive oil and butter in a bowl. Cook (in salted water) and drain the pasta, immediately add it to the bowl with herbs, oil and butter. Season with pepper and toss well. Crispy bread crumbs make an optional topping.

Enjoy!

Combine at least 3 of the following herbs, totaling about 1½ cups.

• 8 sorrel leaves
• 3 lovage leaves
• 6 to 10 basil leaves
• 4 summer savory branches
• 6 long marjoram branches
• 12 thyme or lemon thyme branches
• 12 large parsley branches

• 3 small shallots
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons butter
• salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 16 ounces spaghetti