“At Granny Mouse Country House and Spa, we love our beautiful gardens that grow exquisitely throughout the year”, says Granny Mouse Country House & Spa General Manager, Sean Granger. “We also love to grow our own herbs, which not only smell gorgeous, but are used in our culinary art which we are super proud of!” he added.

If you don’t have a big garden, and no matter how small your deck, patio, porch or window sill is, there is no excuse not to grow herbs, which bring with them an extra dimension of beauty with their colours, fragrances and textures as well as providing divine flavours and nutritional value.

Some potted herbs that are perfect for small places that we recommend to grow at home are as followed:

• One of our favourites is Basil, which is an annual herb and grows super well in a sunny spot. Easy enough to plant from seed, make sure you water well during our hot and humid summer days, but not at night. Basil is perfect in salads, pasta dishes and, of course, to make pesto.

• Parsley, another firm favourite for many of us, can grow inside and outside, thriving in pots, and you can harvest regularly. Parsley also grows super well with Basil, but remember when potting – a little shade in summer and a sunny spot in winter. It’s a fantastic herb to downplay the pungency of garlic dishes.

• Then there is Mint – what a delightful smell. And interesting to know there are so many varieties too. They spread easily and best grown in large pots and not in gardens. Mint really grows well under a dripping tap, as the water keeps the compost and soil moist and makes it grow like crazy. Try keeping the plant in part shade if you can. Keep cutting, and see how it just keeps on growing. Great with lamb, couscous and bulgur wheat salads and even in a refreshing summer drink.

• Another herb that loves a window sill are Chives, just make sure you don’t forget to water. They do live for a good few seasons and are perfect chopped up and added to salads, stews and any meat dishes.

• A bay leaf is an evergreen tree that can become enormous if left unpruned. Plant your bay leaf tree in a large colourful pot and place near a sunny window. It really is a pretty tree and you can use fresh or dried in your soups, stews, casseroles or even curries, adding a lovely flavour to your dishes.

So give it a bash, and add some greenery and lovely fragrances to your kitchen and home while enjoying nutritional value from these superb herbs!

Fresh herbs can take a dish from good to great. Whether fresh or dried, adding herbs is an easy way to increase the aroma and flavour of any dish without having to add fat, sodium or unwanted calories!

Theo Mannie, head culinary artist from Granny Mouse Country House and Spa, and his team love experimenting with different herbs in their gorgeous gastronomic creations.

Many folk have herbs in their gardens or window sills but don’t use them to their full potential. They’re sometimes forgotten about and really not used much, which is a shame. Time to change that and get picking, learning about drying herbs and, of course, get cooking with these superb ingredients.

Herb Dishes

Thyme Infused Panna Cotta with Gin Berries

Ingredients

• 200ml cream
• 200ml milk
• 7g gelatine powder
• 3tbsp water
• 50g honey
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 2tbsp thyme sprigs

Gin Berries

• 50ml Bombay Sapphire Gin
• 300g frozen raspberries
• 50g sugar
• 1tsp thyme
• 50g cucumber, skin and seeds removed & cut into cubes

Method

1. Combine the milk, cream, honey, vanilla extract and thyme in a saucepan.
2. Place this over medium heat.
3. Cook until the mixture begins to boil gently and the honey has dissolved.
4. In the meantime, dissolve the gelatine in the water then add this to the milk and cream.
5. Remove from the heat and add the gelatine.
6. Pour into a mould and chill until they are set.
7. For the berries, pour the gin, frozen berries, sugar and thyme into a pan.
8. Cook on medium high heat, stirring continuously, until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce resembles syrup.
9. Remove from the heat, add the cucumber and allow to cool down.
10. To plate, remove the mould from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature.
11. Shake gently to loosen up the sides before tipping onto the plate. It should come out easily.
12. Arrange the berries and serve. This will serve 6

 

Herbed Gnocchi

Ingredients

• 400g mashed potato
• 300g flour
• ½tsp dried mixed herbs
• ¼tsp fresh thyme sprigs
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• ¼ onions, diced
• 30g Butter
• 300ml cream
• 50g Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1tbsp chopped parsley
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Combine the mashed potato, flour, eggs, mixed herbs, thyme and season to taste.
2. Use a teaspoon measure to scoop the mixture and squeeze them till they are flat in shape.
3. Place on a tray and freeze.
4. Once frozen, cook the gnocchi into salted boiling water for about 3 min or until they just begin to float.
5. In the meantime, make the sauce by sautéing the onions and garlic in the butter on medium heat.
6. Add the cream and turn the heat up to max.
7. Once the cream begins to simmer, pour in the gnocchi. Reduce the heat to a medium low temperature.
8. Sprinkle the cheese and allow the sauce to thicken stirring from time to time.
9. Just before the sauce is ready, sprinkle generously with chopped parsley.
10. Season to taste.

 

Basil Pesto Linguine with Tomato

Ingredients

• 1 onion, diced
• 60ml vegetable oil
• 1tbsp garlic, chopped
• 500g linguine
• 100ml white wine
• 3tbsp basil pesto
• 300g cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 60g parmesan cheese, grated
• 30g rocket
• Salt & pepper

Method

1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of rapidly boiling water. The pasta should take between 4 and 8 minutes, depending on the type of pasta you are using.
2. In the meantime, place a large frying pan on medium high heat with half the oil.
3. Add the onions and sauté for about 2 minutes before adding the garlic.
4. Fry for a further 1 minute before pouring in the wine, tomato and pesto.
5. Allow the wine to reduce by half before adding the cooked pasta.
6. Pour in the remaining oil and reduce the heat to low.
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
8. To plate, divide the pasta into a pasta bowl.
9. Sprinkle with the cheese before layering with the fresh rocket. Serves 3