What to do with all those herbs in the garden or patio? Here are eight herb mixes that are easy to make and way better than what you find at the store. Mixing your own herbs and spices eliminates industrial materials like silica dioxide, making this a healthy natural choice. You can triple any of these recipes and fill a little spice jar to use later.
Before we begin, if you want to learn more about growing your own herbs then have a read of this post from the archive: Top 12 Must Have Herbs To Grow In Your Kitchen Garden
A lot of these herb and spice mixes call for dried herbs. To learn how to dry your own homegrown herbs, read “11 Tips For Harvesting & Preserving Fresh Herbs” and scroll to #7.
Sweet Earthy Broth Mix
Add this to a few pot pies or a stockpot full of chicken soup.
– 1 tsp Dried Marjoram
– 1Tbsp Dried Lovage
– 1Tbsp Dried Oregano
– ¼ cup Minced Fresh Parsley
– Dash of Pepper
– Dash of Turmeric
– Pinch of Smoked Pepper Flakes
Also add to the broth: 2 Garlic cloves and 1 Whole White Onion cooked tender in 2Tbsp olive oil.
Rustic Red Chicken Rub
Use this rub on fresh Chicken from the yard and roast in the oven. This recipe is for one whole chicken. Triple the recipe and save it in a spice jar.
– 3 sprigs of fresh thyme – strip the leaves off the stalk with your fingers until you have 2 tsp of leaves. Do not use the stalks.
– 2 sprigs fresh chopped Rosemary – chop the whole sprig, stem and all.
– 1 Tbsp dried Oregano
– 1 Tbsp Paprika
– 1 tsp fresh ground pepper
Stevia, Borage and Fennel Salad Sprinkle 
Put some of those rare herbs to use! This is great on a vinaigrette salad, allowing the sweet stevia (right), cucumber-like borage, and earthy fennel to really come through. You may use fresh or dried herbs, I prefer fresh.
– 10 Fresh Stevia Leaves, finely chopped
– 10 Fresh Borage Leaves, finely chopped
– 2 Fresh Fennel Fronds, finely chopped
Timichurri
Based on the Argentinian “Chimichurri”, this oil based marinade is used on just about anything. It is best on grass-fed beef steaks or venison kabobs. This liquid mix will fill a small jar and can be reused for several meals – just pour some in a separate bowl to baste your cut of meat. Flame grill for best results.
– ½ Cup Oil of your choice
– Splash of Muscadine wine (Red Varietals will do if you can’t get Muscadine)
– 1 Handful Fresh picked diced Sage
– 1 Handful Fresh picked diced Parsley
– Several Sprigs of fresh minced Oregano
– 1 chopped scallion, chive, or young green onion
– 2 Cloves crushed garlic
– 1 Tbsp pepper
– 1 tsp Kosher or rock salt
Surreal Celery
I love celery flavors in chicken and game dishes. Try this mix on everything from pheasant to your backyard chicken.
– 1 tsp Celery Seed – grow your own celery and let a few seed out, three plants equals seeds for years.
– 1 Tbsp Dried Lovage
– 2 tsp Rosemary
– 2 tsp Coriander
– Pinch of Ginger
– Pinch of Salt
Oak Smoked Red Peppers
This recipe is more about process than mixture. If you love smoked foods and flavors, this will knock your socks off. I have constant requests for more of this. To meet the demand I have planted long rows of red peppers this year. Give it a try, it’s a great way to spend an afternoon.
I smoke over a big barrel filled with white oak that has burned down to smoking coals.
Place the peppers in some chicken wire, form a basket, and hang over the smoke for about 6 hours. It should be far enough away that you can keep your hand under the basket, but still feel good heat.
After 6 hours, pop the top stems off and roll the peppers in gloved fingers to remove the seeds. I also wear a bandana to keep the pepper dust out of my face and mouth, but my lips always feel a bit hot when I’m done.
Grind briefly in a food processor until flaked. Filter out smaller particles for a “paprika” and keep the flakes for most cooking uses. They will stay smoked for two years if kept in a glass jar with a sealed lid. I typically run out before September comes around again. Good varieties are: Ancho (mild), Alma Paprika (hot), and Maule’s Red Hot (very hot, my preferred pepper).
Juniper Stew Mix
If you don’t have any nearby, get out into nature and track some down for a fun day of picking. Juniper Berries are a great way to add a new dimension to your dishes. This will work with vegetable or dark meat stews. It won’t taste like Juniper berries but it will be delicious. This is for a large batch you can use for several dishes – sprinkle it on top of your stew or roast at the very beginning.
– 4 Tbsp Juniper Berries
– 2 Tbsp Dried Sage
– 1 Tbsp Dried Rosemary
– 1 Tbsp Peppercorns
– 1Tbsp dried Minced onion
– 1 tsp Dried Marjoram
Steamed Greens Vinaigrette
This is the only way to eat steamed greens. Add 4 Tbsp of this to the bottom of a pot and fill it with your garden greens to steam for 5-10 minutes. Drizzle more on top if you can’t help yourself. For this mix I love steamed radish, chard, beet or kale. Muddle the berries in once all the other herbs and spices have been mixed. Best if left to sit for a day before use.
– 1 Cup White Vinegar
– ½ Cup Olive Oil
– 2 Tbsp water
– Large handful of seasonal berries (muddle)
– 1 Tbsp Dried Mint
– 1 Tbsp Dried Oregano
– 1 tsp ground pepper
– 3 Cloves crushed garlic