Herbs - Getting ready for the Winter

I love living in Seattle, it's such a beautiful place! I actually don't mind the fact that it rains almost everyday and gets really gloomy from October to May. But I know that my herbs and vegetables outdoor would rather live in sunny California... I decided to harvest a bunch of herbs today to start getting ready for the Winter before they go dormant (or die). I harvested two bucket fulls of rosemary, oregano, thyme, chive, and basil.

Rosemary, oregano and thyme dries well by simply hanging them upside down in a dry cool place. I made small bouquets and hung them inside of my pantry. I have to leave the pantry door open ajar to invite fresh air in, but the whole area smells so nice and fresh! I made many small bouquets instead of bigger ones because they dry faster and it's easy to give them as gifts to my friends.

Basil and Chives have higher water content and they don't dry well with the same method. The easiest way is to use a dehydrator, but I don't have one. I also read that I can oven-dry them, but I was concerned that they may lose flavor... So I decided to marinate them in olive oil to make flavored oil.

I chopped them into really, really small pieces. I suppose you can use a food processor to accomplish the same results, but I didn't want them to be grounded up. I also added finely chopped garlic in the mix.

This makes oil that is perfect for roasting vegetables. All you have to do is toss some vegetables in the oil, sprinkle a little salt, and bake them in the oven.

I baked onion, french green beans, squash and Brussels sprouts with this flavored oil as a part of the dinner. I was a little afraid that my husband was going to hate me... he's an outspoken Brussels sprouts hater and he really doesn't like squash either... Green beans weren't on his good-list last year, but he has opened up to green beans since I started using fresh french green beans from my garden. He actually liked this side dish!! Or maybe he was trying to be nice to me...?

I love cooking with fresh herbs! I can't imagine my life without them... I would buy an AeroGarden if I could afford one right now. (or move to sunnier place?)