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.