Growing herbs is an excellent way to utilize your garden harvest in creating fresh and nutritious meals. Herbs are easy to grow, whether fresh or dried, and are essential for enhancing the taste of your culinary creations.

The best part is that herbs do not require much maintenance when grown outdoors freely. The key to growing herbs depends on the variety you’re cultivating and, according to the experts at Granny Mouse Country House & Spa, there are only a few simple rules to follow:

1. Soil – Ensure that the ground has a moderate amount of fertilizer as herbs prefer to grow in simple soil without excessive nutrients.
2. Sunlight – Choose a spot where your herbs will receive a few hours of sunlight. Your kitchen windowsill is the perfect place is you have no outdoor area.
3. Regular watering – Give your herbs regular water, but avoid over-watering as this may weaken and rot the plants. Many herbs originate from Mediterranean regions, so make sure they do not dry out.
4. Trimming and harvesting – Trim and cut your herbs regularly to keep them productive and flavourful.

Here are some of the most common herbs to grow as recommended by the Granny Mouse culinary artists:

• Basil is a herb that’s commonly used in Italian dishes such as pasta and pizza. It’s also a key ingredient in pesto, a popular sauce made from basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, and parmesan cheese. Basil prefers warm weather and a lot of sun, making it an ideal plant for outdoor gardening.
• Rosemary is another herb that’s great for outdoor gardening. This herb has a unique flavour and is often used in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine. It’s also used to season meats and vegetables and can add a delightful aroma to your garden.
• Thyme is a perennial herb that’s perfect for seasoning poultry, fish, and vegetables. It’s also used in soups and stews and has a pleasant aroma. Thyme prefers well-draining soil and requires regular pruning to keep it healthy.
• Parsley is a popular herb used in a variety of dishes such as salads, soups, and stews. It’s also used as a garnish to add colour and flavour to a dish. Parsley prefers a well-draining soil and requires regular watering.

When planning your herb garden, it’s essential to know which herbs are perennial and which are annual. Check the packaging, or ask your local nursery for assistance. Additionally, learning about each herb’s uses and growing habits will help you determine where to plant them and how to care for them for years of enjoyment.

World Baking Day is on May 17^th and is a great way to celebrate and make deliciously unforgettable treats, states General Manager Sean Granger of Granny Mouse Country House & Spa.

Even if you don’t bake, you can surprise your co-workers, family, friends or neighbours with a treat to commemorate this fun day, he adds.

Baking is a skill that forms part of our lives, especially that of bread which is so common and important in our day to day lives.

According to history archives, the first bread was made in Neolithic times, nearly 15,000 years ago. At that time stone was used as a tool to dig up the ground for farming, cutting crops and then grinding the grain to make rough bread flour. It was then mixed with water, and shaped into a round flat cake and cooked on another large flat stone over a fire. That was the start of it, and is still used around the world today to make flatbreads. All this learnt by experience in time.

By 600 BC, in Greece, enclosed bread ovens were built and allowed for baking of bread in batches. The flour used was mostly unrefined as wheat was quite expensive and rare during that time.

Later, history was made with the discovery of wheat, which has gluten content that improved bread texture, and then the discovery of yeast, which is also used to make beer.

A sustainable supply of yeast, to produce consistent bread, created a baking industry, albeit local to a village or town. Bread making was a respected profession, as homes did not have their own ovens, and a baker would often cook foods for the villagers in the dying heat of the oven, for a small fee.

In the middle ages, finer baking was developed by the bakers, and they started to buy the flours from mills, rather than milling the grains themselves.

Honey and dried fruits were added to produce sweet bread, and cakes were baked for religious holy days celebrations. This is the origin of the dense, rich, Christmas cake, wedding cake and Easter cakes too.

Then along came sugar. This was easily grown in the Caribbean islands and created finer baking.

By the 19th century, recipes were being developed and shared, and the modern cookbook was born. Cooks from private houses set up small bakeries and pastry shops, and ordinary people began to have stoves in their homes. This allowed for the control of temperatures, up to a point, and was a big step forward from open fire baking.

The 20th century brought us the fridge and the ability to store ingredients, preserve food and with all of this education, travelling got people wanting to taste foreign foods and share recipes. Today we just have to click on the internet and find all the wonderful baking recipes that are out there.

Granny Mouse culinary artists are experts in the making of baked goods, and have shared their Pecan Nut Pie recipe!

Pecan Nut Pie with Chantilly Cream (serves 8)

Ingredients

Pie pasty:

• 260g cake flour
• A pinch of salt
• 180g butter
• 1 large egg yolk
• 4 Tbsp ice cold water

Pie filling:

• 3 large eggs
• 200g maple syrup
• 4 Tbsp melted butter
• 100g brown sugar
• 2 tsp cake flour
• 250g pecan nuts

Chantilly Cream:

• 300ml double thick cream
• 50g castor sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla essence

Method

1. Sift flour into a mixing bowl and add salt.
2. Rub butter into flour mix until it resembles sea sand.
3. Add egg and cold water and form a dough (be careful not to overwork the dough as it will lead to a tough product and shrinkage when baking).
4. Clingwrap the dough and allow it to rest in the fridge for 15 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 180°
6. In a mixing bowl, add all pie filling ingredients and mix until incorporated and the sugar has dissolved.
7. Add roughly chopped pecan nuts to the mixture.
8. Roll out pastry on a floured surface to about 5mm thick and carefully place in a greased pie dish.
9. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
10. Once refrigerated dock pastry and place pie filling inside.
11. Bake for 40-45 minutes.
12. Allow to cool and set for ± 2 hours.

For Chantilly cream:

1. Place all ingredients together and whisk until a stiff peak is formed.
2. Place in the fridge until the pecan pie is ready to be served.