I took this photo a few weeks ago when we first planted our herb garden, and now it’s growing like crazy! We have basil, thyme, rosemary, sage, many types of mint, lemongrass, parsley, cilantro, chives, and lavender. It’s a chef’s dream!

One of the joys of summer for me is going to the garden and picking fresh herbs and getting creative with my cooking. I like to call it Flavor Matchmaking: taking fresh herbs and spices to creating new taste sensations with your dishes.

In this summer lunch, I did just that. I turned up the music, relaxed, and visited with friends while cooking. They wanted to help me, so it was a group effort and a wonderful way to catch up…cooking, cutting, chopping, and conversation.

I created 5 little salads using fresh herbs from my garden. Here’s what you see:

Red beets with fresh dill and chives

White beans with garlic, onions, rosemary and thyme

Mini cucumber and tomato salad with fresh mint and parsley

Green peas and asparagus with chives and cilantro

Fresh radishes with sea salt

For our main course, I marinated 2 pounds of swordfish, using:

1/4 cup of chopped rosemary, thyme and parsley + ½ teaspoon of fresh or dried lavender

3 cloves garlic, chopped

Juice of one lemon

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

I grilled the fish just until opaque, about five minutes on each side.

I Served it with fresh lemon and garnished it with more herbs from the garden…A perfect June meal!

Even if you have no outdoor space, you can grow fresh herbs in your home. They can sit right in your window sills and they will bring so much joy to your cooking!

*The original blog was called Flavors in Love. All material has been transferred and some has been edited for easier reading, and archiving.