Last Updated on May 12, 2023 by Ellen Christian
Are you looking for ways to use herbs from your herb garden? If your herb garden has gone crazy, you may have more herbs than you know what to do with. While we do dehydrate some of them, we always have far more than we can use up. Of course, there are lots of different types of herbs you may have in your garden. So exactly how you use them will depend on the type.
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Ways to use Herbs
The 4th of July in our home generally means a parade and a cookout with friends and family. By July 4th, the warmer temperatures have finally arrived in Vermont. Everyone is ready to spend time outside. The grill gets dusted off and I look forward to a break from cooking when my husband fires it up.
I don’t totally give up cooking on the 4th of July. My husband would be happy with a plate loaded with only meat. I like a bit more variety so I take care of the extras. One of my secrets to delicious summer cooking is to add herbs. Here are a few ways to use herbs that I do every year.
Deviled Eggs
Deviled eggs are one of my favorite ways to use herbs. Sometimes, I sprinkle chopped parsley or chives over the top. Other times, I add basil or dill. This herbed deviled eggs recipe is one of my family favorite picnic recipes. We make so many that I use an egg taker to keep them all neat.
Herb Frittata
If you enjoy quiche or omelets, you need to try my herb frittata. Unlike a quiche that requires crust and cheese or an omelet that requires folding, a frittata is a simple, healthy egg dish with eggs and vegetables. I usually make it when I have extra tomatoes and add fresh basil. You can experiment with whatever herbs you like. Serve small slices as an appetizer. You can keep them warm in your slow cooker if you’re serving a lot of people.
Make Jelly
I know you’re probably wondering if there are jellies made with herbs but there are. My Greek Oregano Jelly is delicious on crackers with cream cheese. It’s got a bit of a bite to it like a horseradish jelly does. It’s also delicious on homemade bread.
Make Pesto
I don’t eat a lot of pasta but one of my favorite recipes that does use pasta is my homemade pesto. Of course, you can also use it to top chicken breasts or tilapia if you prefer not to eat pasta. Either way, it can be made and then frozen until you need it. We make a large batch and keep it warm in a warming pan.
Add it to a Salad
There’s no reason you cannot add chopped herbs to your salads whether they are pasta salads, potato salads or vegetable salads. My cucumber salad with dill is a favorite because it requires very little preparation. Or, try adding it into tuna salad or egg salad. Or, try my Greek tomato salad.
Homemade Salsa
We put out a huge bowl of homemade salsa along with a bag or two of corn tortilla chips. This is an easy gluten-free snack for anyone that cannot or does not want to eat gluten that is present in may picnic foods.
Make iced tea
Do you have a lot of peppermint or spearmint in your garden? Make a big jug of homemade iced tea and add a few sprigs to the pitcher. Mint iced tea is one of my favorite summer beverages. You can add it to lemonade as well. We do that with my homemade lemonade with stevia. Or try infused water with fresh strawberries and sprigs of your favorite herbs.
Preserve it
If you still have too much left over, you can always preserve it. Here are a few ways to use up too much fresh mint and a few ways to use up too much fresh basil.
If you’re gearing up for the 4th of July, don’t forget to stock up on supplies.
- These fun patriotic napkins are the perfect accent for any cookout, get together or bbq to celebrate America’s independence.
- The summer sun is a nice change from the cold winter air, but your drinks don’t have to overheat when you have these festive Independence Day-themed drink huggers to help keep your canned beverages cool.
- These land of the free because of the brave napkins are a great reminder of why we’re able to celebrate our amazing country.
- This Patriotic Stars and Stripes Flannel-Backed Tablecloth lets you turn any table or surface into a patriotic landscape.
- Everybody loves confetti! Make sure you have this Large Confetti Cannon on hand in every Fourth of July celebration you will ever have.
What are your plans for the 4th of July?
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Ellen is a busy mom of a 24-year-old son and 29-year-old daughter. She owns six blogs and is addicted to social media. She believes that it doesn’t have to be difficult to lead a healthy life. She shares simple healthy living tips to show busy women how to lead fulfilling lives. If you’d like to work together, email info@confessionsofanover-workedmom.com to chat.
Oh I love the idea of adding mint to iced tea! I love iced tea, but have never thought of adding mint! I have to get some added to my garden quickly!
It’s one of our favorite summer drinks.
I love the idea of using your own garden to save money and get the freshest food for your family! You’ve convinced me that it will be fairly easy too!
Awesome! Would love to know how it goes!
I have planted many herbs in my backyard this summer Ellen, all in round planters. I have parsley, sage, lemon grass, and mint. I saw on facebook that many of these herbs help to keep all sorts of pesky bugs away because they do not like the smell of them. (I like that) because those bugs love to chomp on me all the time.
I hate those bugs too!
I love this ideas. Most of the time I make homemade salsa. My family loves it. Fresh herbs makes any recipe taste the best!
Very true!