Two women seeking equality in a state where some couples are more equal than others.

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Balcony Garden: Making Good Choices

Rebecca and I don't have very much outdoor space right now. In fact, our balcony gives us less room than we had on our patio in East Lansing, so we had to be very strategic about what to grow. At some point, we'll hopefully get some window boxes to hang off the railing, but we haven't yet.

So what do I have growing right now? I settled on fresh herbs, partially because the markup is so high and the grocery store and also because herbs, no matter how hard I try, don't last long in my fridge. It also helps that I don't usually need very much of a given herb for a recipe (unless I'm making pesto).

Which herbs made the cut? In my case:

Purple and sweet green basil - add kick and roundness to Mediterranean and Asian dishes
Chives - If you're looking for a hint of onion flavor but you can't be bothered to cook down onions, or you want to add a hint of brightness
Parsley - I haven't used this one as much as I should, partially because it had a rough start, but it's also great for Mediterranean dishes, garnishes, or even as a substitute for cilantro
Oregano - I could use a couple more of this one, as mine got root bound and hasn't been growing much, but it's great for Mexican or Mediterranean foods
Rosemary - great for French or American cooking. This is a perennial, so I'll try to keep it indoors when the weather gets cool.

Why not cilantro? In my experience, cilantro is difficult to grow, and it goes to seed very quickly. I didn't want to deal with such a diva.

There are lots of other herbs I would love to incorporate once we expand our space a little more. These are just suggestions - think about which herbs you use (fresh or dried) that might be better if you could pick them the same day.

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