The Value of Herbs in a Localvore Lifestyle

In Barbara Kingsolver's book, "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life", she writes about her family's year-long effort to grow, purchase and eat only locally produced food. She started with the small resolve not to buy any more bananas. Now she and the coauthors of the book; family members, Steven L. Hopp, and her daughters Camille and Lily are passionate spokespeople and supporters of efforts to reign in the unjustifiable costs of food offerings in stores and schools. Though it was not a particular emphasis of her work, it occurred to me that growing and using more herbs would be a great compliment to this endeavor because it would not only add greater varieties of flavor but boost nutrition as well.

Regard herbs not as delicacies to use sparingly, but as high-value food that can be seasonings for meats, vegetables and baked goods. Herbs can also be used in infusions of hot water, honey and simple syrups.

My first suggestion is to greatly increase quantities of herbs you grow. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to do more work in the garden. For example, you can plant a few mint plants in full sun or partial shade and they will increase substantially in a year or two. Plant both peppermint and spearmint and enjoy the variety. My experience with the other mint varieties (such as chocolate mint) is they are great fresh but don't retain their delightful flavor once they’ve been dried.

Grow herbs that do well in your climate. By the time the cool weather of November arrives, you can have large canning jars full of an abundance of high-quality herbs ready to be used generously throughout the winter, like dill, savory, tarragon, parsley, sage, oregano, and thyme. Think of places to grow herbs that you may not have considered before: window boxes, pots, hanging baskets and even rooftops. You might consider a small greenhouse where you can store cold-sensitive or exotic herbs during winter.

Though it is easier to grow herbs that do well in our climate you could take your conservation efforts further. Try growing your own lemon, lime and bay trees and even ginger and lemongrass.

If you don’t grow your own, take advantage of the abundance of basil, parsley, garlic, etc. at farmers markets and stock up. Make and freeze your own pesto for later use. The quality is excellent!

Barbara Kingsolver made special note of the amount of labor necessary to harvest adequate quantities of produce to last the year. You will need some time to process your herbs. You will have to be available to harvest your herbs at their peak of flavor, which may be a different time for each one, but all you have to do with most of them is let them dry out of direct light, strip the leaves off their stems and store them in glass jars.

Roots like horseradish are usually unearthed in the fall. You can grind the root fresh with some vinegar and salt and store in the fridge for a while. Store extra roots whole in moist sand in a cool dark place.

Herbs like parsley, basil and chives can be frozen in convenient portions that you can add to soups, sauces and stews. (They don't look pretty, but they retain their flavor and nutrition.) I make lots of seasoning and tea blends with dried herbs that are ready to sprinkle or steep anytime.

You can extend the herb growing season in lots of ways. Plant the rosemary that is so hard to overwinter in the warmest place you can find, in good soil near a foundation or south wall of your home or other structure (some species overwinter better than others) or in a pot that you bring inside for the winter. Sage, thyme, lavender and salad burnet are evergreen and though their flavor is not at its best in the winter, you can still pluck leaves to use.

Let’s not stop at the herbs that have food value. Many medicinal herbs can be cultivated to ease health problems in the home which means fewer trips to the pharmacy and doctor.

CULINARY HERBS Basil Thyme Mint Tarragon Bergamot Chives Caraway Oregano Thyme Lovage Sage Rosemary Cayenne Dill Fennel Garlic Shallots Horseradish Chamomile Lemon Verbena Salad Burnet

MEDICINAL HERBS Echinacea St. Johns Wort Comfrey Valerian Lemon Balm Calendula Lavender Catnip Skullcap Horehound Pleurisy Root Rue Ginkgo Tree Rose Yarrow Willow Dandelion

Having dried herbs on hand will guarantee that the last potatoes, onions and hard-skinned squashes of February won't be bland and boring meals that you have to endure to prove the point that you refuse to purchase foods that cost more than you are willing to spend; environmentally, ethically, economically and politically.