We’ve had the great delight of planting a garden this spring.  One bed has tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, squash and kale, which are growing nicely but haven’t yet set fruit.  Those are the high summer vegetables, when the heat is so thick you can cut it with a knife.  We’re not quite there yet thankfully!

Our second, smaller bed is full of herbs, and these however are doing quite nicely indeed.  There is really nothing like a salad with a sprinkle of freshly cut parsley, a tall glass of seltzer with lemon and mint, a sprig of basil tucked into a breakfast egg sandwhich…. yes, we are enjoying our herbs!

And we enjoy them on chicken, too.  One of the best ways to get really up close and personal with your chicken dinner is to spread an herb rub in between the skin and the meat of your whole bird.  Yes, you really need to get your hand right up in there!  But the results are amazing.  Any blend of chopped fresh herbs will do — add a little garlic or garlic scapes if you can find them at your farmer’s market.  Moisten with a little olive oil then carefully spread in between the skin and the meat.  This will be easiest on the breasts but try to get it everywhere else too.

These instructions from Charlie Burke, VP of the New Hampshire Farmer’s Market Association, spell it out in a little more detail.  Enjoy!