Easy Growing: Organic Herbs and Edible Flowers from Small Spaces

Easy Growing: Organic Herbs and Edible Flowers from Small Spaces

Growing a handful of herbs and edible flowers adds sparkle to dozens of meals year-round. Fortunately for us, these plants are not fussy. They’re simple to grow and will fit into any space you can provide, including a crack in a broken patio stone, the step next to your front door, or a windowsill. In Easy Growing, Gayla Trail—author of Grow Great Grub and creator of the top online gardening community, YouGrowGirl.com—shares the tips, ideas, and know-how you need to raise delicious organic edibles wherever you can squeeze in a planter.   Herbs give big rewards with a small amount of work—even the most inexperienced, space-strapped gardener will have success. This handbook includes:    • Guidance on choosing the right plants, designing dazzling in-ground gardens and striking edible containers, and growing herbs indoors year-round    • Ins and outs of growing fifty different plants and hundreds of varieties, from warm and aromatic Mojito mint to peppery nasturtium flowers, from fruity lemon verbena to exotic cinnamon basil, and more    • Handy tricks for winterizing plants and extending the outdoor growing period    • Simple recipes for cooking with and preserving your harvest: Herb-Encrusted Goat Cheese; Homegrown Bloody Mary Mix; Lavender Shortbread; Orange, Rosemary, and Honey Ice Cream    • Upcycling projects based on reusable materials   Perfect for novice gardeners and longtime enthusiasts looking for inspiration, Easy Growing is a fun, power-packed resource for creating a delicious herb garden anywhere. Featured Recipe: Chive Blossom Vinegar Chive blossoms are a short-term crop that come and go in the spring before you can bat an eyelash. Capturing their mild chive flavor in a good-quality vinegar is the perfect way to enjoy them well past their season. Makes 1 cup 1 cup chive blossoms - 1 cup white wine or white Vinegar Harvest the chive blossoms in the spring just after they open. To prepare the chive blossoms, snip off the stems and gently jostle them in a bowl of cool water to remove all dirt and debris. Pile the wet blossoms into the center of a clean, dry kitchen towel, pull up all of the corners to create a sack, and shake vigorously until the blossoms are dry. - Stuff a clean pint-sized Mason jar with the clean blossoms. - In a small saucepan, gently warm the vinegar over medium-low heat. Do not bring to a boil. Pour the vinegar over the blossoms, making sure to submerge them completely. - Once the liquid has cooled, cover the jar with a lid made of nonreactive material such as glass. Alternatively, protect a metal canning lid by first placing a square of waxed paper between the jar and the lid. - Store in a cool, dark cupboard for a week or two and strain into a second, clean or sterilized jar when the vinegar suits your taste buds. Variations Frankly, all herbal vinegars are delicious--experiment with several edible flowers, leaves, and seeds and keep a medley of flavors on hand. "Easy Growing: Organic Herbs and Edible Flowers for Small Spaces is a scrumptious book. Blogger Gayla Trail, author of You Grow Girl and Grow Great Grub, knows what to share and how to show it so that anyone—from beginners to experienced gardeners—will want to dig right in." - BookPage GAYLA TRAIL is the creator of the hit gardening site and online community YouGrowGirl.com. She is a regular contributor to magazines and frequently speaks on urban gardening, ecology, and community at major garden events. Her work as a writer and photographer has appeared in the New York Times, O, the Oprah Magazine, Newsweek, ReadyMade, Domino, Budget Living, Sierra magazine , Gardening Life, Los Angeles Times, Life magazine, and more. She is the author of Grow Great Grub and You Grow Girl: The Groundbreaking Guide to Gardening .