Potager Gardening - Basil - Edging Plant

In French cuisine, basil is a very important herb. Torn basil leaves are added to salads of sliced tomatoes, seasoned with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and virgin olive oil, accompanied by a crusty baguette. One of the most famous basil dishes is pesto.

The bouquet garni or "garnished bouquet" is a bundle of herbs tied together with string and used to prepare soup, stock and stews. The herb bundle is boiled with the other ingredients and is removed before serving.

A bouquet garni includes parsley, thyme and bay leaf. The recipe may require more herbs including basil, burnet, chervil, rosemary, peppercorns, savory and tarragon.

Potager Gardening - Parsley - Filler Plant

Parsley grows best in moist, well drained soil, in full sun. It's usually grown from seed. Mature plants can be purchased from local nurseries. Plants grown for their leaves should be spaced about 10 cm apart. Parsley attracts swallowtail butterflies who use the plants as a host plant for their larvae.

Fine Herbes is a classic French herb seasoning mix and is easy to make at home. Use equal parts chopped:

• tarragon
• chervil
• chives
• parsley