One of the most satisfying things about having an herb garden is reaching an arm outside the kitchen window and plucking off some fresh thyme from your thyme plant or walking no further than your back yard for a sprig of rosemary for a recipe. But what do you do with all the lovely herb blossoms?

If you have a chive plant that is sprouting purple puffballs, don’t throw them into your compost- eat them! Seriously try it! If you gently pull out a chive blossom petal and give it a nibble, you’ll taste a light, sweet onion flavor that is much milder than the chive plant itself. The same goes for thyme, rosemary and oregano blossoms- each have their own delicate flavor that imparts just a hint of the herb without overwhelming the dish. I like sprinkling rosemary blossoms on caprese salad, garnishing a soup, grilled vegetables or even homemade pizza. The other cool thing about herb gardens is unlike a big vegetable garden, they are not as much work and instead of gasping at the price of fresh herbs for sale at the grocery store, you can smile at clipping $4 worth of herbs right off your porch.

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My favorite citrus is the yuzu. I discovered this amazingly fragrant fruit while living in Japan years ago, and am happy that I am now able to find it more and more here in the States. Yuzu is a small citrus originally from China but also widely used in Japanese cuisine. Some refer to it as citron but I do not believe it is the same variety. It is smaller and a little less juicy than the average lemon but its fragrance packs a much more powerful punch. You can find it in the fall and winter months in Japanese markets. I love to zest some over fresh tofu with ponzu sauce, grilled fish, sauteed spinach, or simply use as a garnish. Also, typical in Japan this time of year, it is wonderful sliced in half and thrown into your bath for a nice long soak.

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