A cold snap did it’s damage here last week. Chives, my go-to herb for so many things, has gone-to mush. I did try some of the chive cubes I had frozen when it was plentiful, in a sauce last week, and was pleased with the flavor. I salvaged a handful of peppers today, but will get no more. The final peppers (sweet and hot) went into a red bean and hominy dish, along with some tarragon, that probably won’t last much longer.

Still holding up to the cold are the thyme plants, marjoram, oregano, rosemary and some tired looking sage. For tonight’s baked cod fillets, I was thinking lemon thyme and rosemary, but when I tried picking and chewing a bit of each together while setting my mental taste buds for fish, it just didn’t work. Parsley with the thyme (processed with some excess crackers and a dash of Old Bay Seasoning for a fillet coating) worked nicely. The outside parsley is shot, but I was able to rob a modest amount from the first growth of the herbs under lights indoors. It makes sense to make the most of the outside herbs while they last, but there is no point in a flavor mis-match. It’s encouraging to think my indoor herb planter will provide a touch of fresh through the winter, and for winter stews and the like, dried herbs will be just fine.

It’s a cold, rainy day here, prompting the first fire of the season. The smell of wood smoke is comforting, and leads a menu planner to thoughts of comfort food. I’m thinking the boneless chicken thighs I’ve got defrosting could be cut into bite sized pieces, and would be happy to share a sauté pan with some sweet onions, garlic and herbs.
A lot of herbs are pretty tough and are still going strong here in zone 6, although tender leaves like basil are not an option today. We’ll try a mince of parsley, rosemary and lemon thyme and see where that takes us, with salt and pepper as indicated if I need more punch.

I’ve still got chives, which are a must for the canned new potatoes my wife still prefers over anything I can grow. Go figure. I picked what is likely to be the last of the New Zealand spinach, which will stand alone briefly cooked in a bit of olive oil, and there’s a chunk of cabbage I need to use up in the fridge, which should pair nicely with marjoram. My stevia is almost gone, but the handful I picked today should sweeten some acorn squash. That’s about as close to a meal plan as I ever get, the details will come out in the final cooking.