Unless you live in the southern third of the United States, you've probably been limiting your time outside this winter. It's now January and some days, the walk from my door to my car is just about all the exposure I can handle. 

I haven't put a full-stop on my gardening though, I've just brought things indoors. My favorite thing to garden indoors: herbs. They beautify my home and add flavor to my dishes. Keeping them on my kitchen counter means that I can grab fresh basil leaves, cilantro, parsley, or thyme on the fly. See all of Ferry Morse's herb seeds here.

Growing

Using a simple seed starter tray, you can sow herb seeds and germinate them rapidly indoors.

Once they germinate and start to show seedlings, they can be easily transferred over to your choice of container. I have an abundance of mason jars in my kitchen, so I typically grab a jar for my herb seedlings.

Cold Weather Tip: Most indoor herbs appreciate having sunlight, but run the risk of getting too cold if they are kept too close to a window. Make sure to give them a few inches of berth from the cold-radiating windows, just to be safe. 

Preservation

You're likely to produce more fresh herbs than you can reasonably eat, so instead of sacrificing your yield to the trash can, try this simple air-drying preservation method. (This method works best for low-moisture herbs like rosemary, oregano, and thyme. Herbs like basil and chives may require a freeze drying method).

Here’s how to do it:

1. Harvest. Cut the herbs and prune away any dry or wilted leaves.
2. Rinse. Rinse gently with room temperature water and pat to dry.
3. Bundle. Gather together several branches and tie them together with string or a rubber band.
4. Bag Them. Place the bundle of herbs, stem-side up in a paper bag. Tie off the bag with a string or rubber band. Poke a few small holes in the bag.
5. Store. Store the bag in a dry, warm room.

In as little as 1 week (up to 3 weeks), you’ll have dried herbs that can be stored in air-tight containers and used for up to a year!

Get Cooking!

Follow along with this Basil Pesto Recipe from The Suburban Soapbox.

Basil Pesto is a wonderful way to make use of large amounts basil leaves, uses only 5 ingredients, and can be used for a million different dishes. 

Follow our Recipes Board on Pinterest to see new recipes in your feed.

• Preheat oven to 350°. Toast pine nuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, 6–8 minutes; let cool.
• Increase oven heat to 400°. Place beets on a sheet of parchment paper set on top of a sheet of foil; rub beets with oil and season with salt. Close up parchment and foil around beets. Place packet on a baking sheet and roast beets until tender, 40–50 minutes. Unwrap beets and let cool.

Get Full Recipe on Bon Appétit

Recipe by Christopher Baker

Photos by Ignacio Mattos

Southern Tomato and Cheese Pie
Adapted from Saveur.com

Ingredients
Pie crust
1 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1⁄2 tsp. granulated sugar
1⁄2 tsp. salt
6 tbsp. cold butter cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes
2 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. ice-cold water
1⁄2 tsp. white vinegar
Filling and topping
3 1⁄2 lb. fresh tomatoes (about 12), cored, seeded, and cut into 1⁄2-inch dice, divided
2 tsp. salt, divided
1 tsp. sugar, divided
1 tbsp. butter
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1⁄4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1⁄3 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1⁄2 cup mayonnaise
1⁄3 cup grated fontina cheese
1⁄3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 large heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced and blotted dry with paper towels

Instructions
Make the pie crust: Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium for a few seconds. Begin adding the butter one cube at a time. Continue until the flour is speckled and crumbly, about 4 minutes. With the mixer still running, add the water and vinegar until just combined. Do not overmix. Press the dough into a 6-inch disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator overnight.

Bring the crust to room temperature and lightly butter a 10-inch metal pie pan. Preheat the oven to 400°. Dust your counter and rolling pin lightly with flour and roll the crust slightly larger than your pan. Lay the crust in the pan and press gently into its edges. Cut off the edges that hang over and discard. Freeze for at least 15 minutes.
Lay foil or parchment paper on top of the crust and weigh that down with dried beans or rice. Blind-bake the shell for 30 minutes. Remove the pie weights and foil or parchment and bake 5 minutes more. Set the cooked crust aside as you prepare the filling.

Make the tomato filling: Toss half of the diced tomatoes with 1⁄2 teaspoon salt and 1⁄2 teaspoon sugar. Set them over a colander to drain while you get everything else ready, at least an hour.
Lower your oven to 375°. In a medium sauté pan or skillet, melt the butter and then add the onion and 1⁄2 teaspoon salt. Cook over medium-low heat until deeply caramelized. This will take about 45 minutes.
Toss the remaining diced tomatoes with 1⁄2 teaspoon salt, thyme, and olive oil. Spread in a single layer on a sheet tray with as much room separating the individual pieces as possible. Slide the tray onto the middle rack of your oven and roast for 30-35 minutes. You're looking for the tomatoes to dry out and brown slightly.

Once all the individual components are done, stir together the onion, the fresh and roasted diced tomatoes, the remaining salt, sugar, black pepper, and basil.
Make the topping and finish the pie: In a separate, smaller bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, fontina, and Parmigiano. Spoon the tomato filling into your blind-baked crust. Top with the cheese mixture and heirloom tomato slices. Bake in the middle of your oven for 30 minutes. Delicious!

Chef's tip: If you're short on time you can substitute a store-bought pie crust from the refrigerated section. Blind-bake it as per the recipe to ensure the crust is flaky rather than soggy.

Grilled Sweet Corn on the Cob with Basil Butter
Serves: 4 to 8

Ingredients
8 ears of fresh sweet corn, shucked
2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
1 clove garlic
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1 Tbsp sea salt
Olive oil

Directions

Preheat grill to medium high.

Prep the basil butter: add the basil and garlic to a food processor and chop. Add the butter and 1 Tbsp sea salt and pulse to combine. Scrape down the sides if needed to blend fully. Basil butter can be made ahead and will keep for 1-2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Brush corn lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt to taste. When grill is hot, add the corn and close the lid. Using tongs, rotate the corn every couple of minutes until some of the kernels are blistered and the kernels are a bright yellow. It’s ok if some of the kernels are blistered or charred. Total cooking time should be 7-8 minutes. Be careful not to overcook in order to maintain juiciness.

Remove corn from the grill and generously spread on the basil butter. Serve immediately.

Fresh Pea Risotto with Mint
Serves 2

Ingredients

1/2 cup Arborio rice
1/4 white onion, finely diced
1 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese plus more to garnish if desired
1 ¼ cup fresh garden peas
¼ cup dry white wine
1 ½ cups vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste
1 fresh mint sprig
Lemon wedges

Directions

Bring two cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the peas and blanch for 2-3 minutes, until bright green. Drain and plunge peas into ice water to cool and stop the cooking process; drain again. Add 1/4 cup of the blanched peas to a blender with 1 tsp of water and pulse into a puree until smooth. Set puree and remaining peas aside.

Add butter to a saucepan pan on medium-low heat and sweat the onions 4-5 minutes until tender and translucent. Do not brown.

Add the Arborio rice to the onion and stir to coat the grains in oil. Stir with a wooden spoon and cook for 2-3 minutes until the grains of rice are completely white. This step toasts the rice for both flavor and texture.

Add the wine to the pan and stir until almost completely absorbed. Add half of the stock to the saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook risotto while stirring gently for about 20 minutes. Once the rice has absorbed the water and begins to swell, add the remaining liquid gradually, stirring, allowing to absorb before adding more. Season with salt and pepper.

When the rice is tender, add the mint sprig. Remove from the heat and gently stir in the pea puree, remaining peas and ¼ cup grated cheese. Mix through, remove the mint sprig and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve into bowls and garnish with lemon wedges and grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

Chef’s note: to retain as much of the pea sugars and freshness as possible, harvest peas shortly before cooking.

Beef Carpaccio with Arugula and Parmesan
Serves 2

Ingredients
6 oz Beef Tenderloin (have your butcher slice paper-thin)
2 cups fresh picked baby arugula, washed and dried
4 oz small wedge of good quality Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Juice from 1 lemon
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/3 cup cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup pine nuts

Directions
Heat a small skillet to medium. Shaking the pan constantly, roast pine nuts until light brown and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and lightly season with salt. Set aside.

Slice cherry tomatoes in half and place in a large bowl. Add arugula to a bowl and toss with olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Lay arugula mixture on chilled plates. Arrange beef slices on top of arugula mixture.

Using a box grater or vegetable peeler, make thin shavings of Parmesan. Sprinkle Parmesan and pine nuts on top of carpaccio. Serve immediately.

Note: Carpaccio is thinly sliced beef tenderloin, but you can also prepare a carpaccio of any type of meat that is safe to eat raw or cured (such as bison, boar, or duck) or a high-quality fish.

Vitamin and Antioxidant-Packed Fresh Spinach Smoothie

Serves 1

Ingredients
1 cup freshly picked baby spinach
1 cup seedless green grapes
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup ice

Directions
Place the grapes, spinach, ice, and coconut milk in a blender. Blend until smooth and frothy. Enjoy!

Simple Radish Salad

Ingredients
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon fennel seed
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
1 garlic clove, minced
1 pinch sugar
1 pinch salt
1 pinch pepper
15 -20 medium radishes thinly sliced or shaved
Flat leaf parsley leaves for garnish

Directions
In a small bowl, combine vinegar, oil, fennel seed, chopped oregano, minced garlic, sugar, salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, toss sliced radishes with the vinaigrette mixture.

Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Garnish with fresh flat leaf parsley if desired.

Spinach and Leek Spring Sunday Skillet Egg Breakfast
Serves 2

Ingredients:
4 eggs
1 Tbs unsalted butter
1 leek, well rinsed, sliced into ¼” rounds using white part only
1 clove garlic, minced
4 cups spinach, roughly chopped
2 Tbs cream or crème fraiche
2 Tbs flat leaf parsley, chopped
Salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Directions:
Add butter to cast iron skillet. Heat skillet on medium-high heat. When butter is fully melted and heated through, add leeks to pan. Stir and sauté until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add minced garlic and stir until leeks and garlic are softened but not browned, about one minute. Add spinach to pan and combine. Stir and cook spinach until wilted, about 2 minutes. Drizzle cream or crème fraiche on top of the mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir to combine. Crack eggs and add to pan to cover spinach mixture. Let cook undisturbed for about 1 minute. When eggs are cooked to desired doneness, season with salt, pepper and chopped parsley.

Serve with slices of toasted crusty bread. Go ahead, dip the bread right in there. Yum!