Nothing accents and adds bursts of flavor to your summer BBQs, light brunch appetizers, and comforting winter dinners like some fresh homegrown herbs! Not to mention, all the hard work and patience you've put into growing the herbs will add an extra bit of pride and a sense of satisfaction to your meal! Go ahead and pat yourself on the back, you deserve it!
Whether you're going to use the fresh herbs you've grown from one our culinary herb kits, or dry them and save them for later use, we have some yummy recipes for you to try! 
Basil Pesto Parmesan Pizza
A scrumptious meal that's perfect for a light lunch or appetizer!
First things first, you need to make pesto! Of course, you can just buy the pesto, but then what are you going to do with all that fresh basil lying around?
to make the pesto you will need:
- 2 cups loosely packed fresh basil from your garden!
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup olive oil, or more to your liking.
- ½ cup raw unsalted pine nuts. *If you are looking for a cheaper alternative, you can also use walnuts or cashews!
1.Add the parmesan, nuts, and garlic in a food processor or blender, and blend for about 30 seconds, or until ground finely.
2.Next, add the basil, salt, and lemon juice. Start the blender, and slowly drizzle in the olive oil. If you want the pesto a bit thinner, you can add in a little bit more oil to your liking. The recipe makes about 1 cup of pesto.
Now let's put the pizza together!
- Pizza dough for however many pizza's you want
- Your favorite cheese for pizza
- 2-3 sliced Roma tomatoes ( see our tomato kits!)
- grated parmesan cheese
- pesto
- salt and pepper
- Pre-heat oven to 450F
1.Roll out your pizza dough if needed, then place it on a non-stick baking sheet or pizza stone. If you are using a pizza stone, you will want to pre-heat it with the oven first.
2.Using as much of the ingredients as you like, spread the pesto on the dough, sprinkle on the cheese, then place the sliced romas on top. Sprinkle with parmesan, salt, and pepper.
3.Pop your pizza into the oven, and bake for 7-10 minutes, or until the crust and cheese are a light brown.
4.Now for the challenging part.. let it cool until it's cool enough not to burn your mouth!
Cheddar and Thyme Cookies
A delightful snack to companion holidays or special events
You will need:
- 6 oz quality white cheddar block cheese
- 1 ½ tbsp fresh thyme or 1 heaped tsp of dried thyme
- ½ cup unsalted, softened butter
- 2 tsp cracked black pepper
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
Let's make those cookies!
- Start by shredding the cheese with a grater.
- Put in a bowl the black pepper, salt, thyme, cheese, and butter. Mix them with a mixer or better on medium speed until the cheese is well mixed with the butter, and the butter is creamy.
- Slowly add in the flour, mixing it in at low speed until it is clumpy. Ensure there are no dry spots.
- Form the dough into the ball, but be careful not to knead it more than absolutely needed. Slowly turn the dough ball into a long "log" shape, about 7 inches long, wrap in plastic wrap, then pinch/knot the ends to help hold its shape.
- Place in fridge to chill. It can take up to an hour. If you are making it ahead of time, you can keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days!
- Remove from fridge, and cut into 1/4" circles ( you should get about 20 cookies).
- Place the cookies on parchment paper and let them chill for 20-30 minutes in your fridge.
- Preheat your oven to 350F
- Remove cookies from the fridge, and place on a parchment paper-lined baking pan/tray.
- For soft cookies, bake for 10-12 minutes, removing them once the bottom ends of the cook start to get some color.
- For crispier, harder cookies, bake for 15-20 minutes, removing them when the tops start to turn golden brown.
- Remove from oven, and let them cool for a few minutes, before removing them from the pan onto a cooling rack, and let them cool completely.
- Repeat steps for any remaining uncooked dough, just be sure to let the pan cool down before reusing or use a new one.
- Cookies will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge!
Creamy Cilantro-Lime Grilled Chicken Tacos:
These are the perfect meal for.... well...you know tacos are perfect for every meal and occasion! If anyone says otherwise, do you really need that kind of negativity in your life?
You will need for the Cilantro-Lime marinade:
- 1lb boneless chicken thighs/breasts
- 2-3tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 2 limes, for juice and zest
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
Mix everything, minus the chicken, together in a bowl. Place the chicken in an airtight container or bag, then pour the marinade over it. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes.
For the creamy cilantro-avocado sauce
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 3 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp. Sriracha
- 1 avocado
- 1 garlic cl
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup water
- salt/pepper to taste
Combine everything minus the olive oil in a blender/food processor, pulsing until well blended. Put the blender on the lowest setting, and drizzle in the oil until your desired smoothness.
Suggested toppings, all are optional, pick your favorites!
- corn or flour tortillas
- cheese
- pico de gallo
- coleslaw
- sour cream
- lime
- cilantro
Time to fire up your grill!
1.Remove the chicken from the marinade and pop it on the grill. You will want the internal temperature of the chicken to reach 165F, which takes about 8 minutes on each side.
2.Once it's done cooking, remove from grill and chop into bite-size pieces.
3.Heat your tortillas up on the grill if you desire. Add your chicken, toppings of choice, drizzle the cream sauce over everything, and garnish with fresh lime juice...and more cilantro if desired!
Lemon-Parsley Tabbouleh with Quinoa
A mouth-watering, zesty side-dish or lunch, with a twist on the original tabbouleh!
You will need:
- 2 cups finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1/2 cup minced mint
- 2 minced cloves garlic,
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 8 ounces feta
- 3/4 cup diced red onion
- 2 cups diced tomato
1.Cook quinoa per instructions on package. Once its cooked, allow it to cool until it is barely warm to touch.
2.Stir the tomatoes, parsley, mint, garlic and onions into the warm quinoa.
3.Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, pepper, and salt.
4.Pour over the quinoa mixture, and slowly stir until well combined. Add more salt/pepper to taste, top with feta, and you're ready to eat!
You can serve right away, or let prepare it a day ahead and really let the flavors mix!
Well my stomach is rumbling away! I hope you get to try these recipes and enjoy them!
Happy Herb Cooking!
