When you hear the phrase "Herbes De Provence" do you get a little confused or intimidated? No worries! Today I'm here to help explain what they are, how easy you can mix them together yourself and how delicious you are going to find them on chicken, fish, beef, pork and even scrambled eggs!
This French spice blend which hails from the Provence region of France has it's roots in convenience. History records that ladies in the region would pick herbs from the countryside as well as their own well maintained gardens and dry and blend them together to make this wonderful verdant blend. Over time, this has evolved into a very prized addition to many a chef's spice shelf.
The basics in this are simple. All Herbes De Provence blends have fennel seed, oregano, marjoram, savory, thyme, rosemary and basil. Some people add lemon zest, lavender, garlic, chervil, parsley, and more. I like to add salt and pepper to mine to make it an easy to reach for all purpose seasoning that can take you from breakfast all the way through dinner!
Sprinkle this in your scrambled or over easy eggs for a real treat in the morning. Toss a pinch into your vineagrette or into your mixed greens for a powerful herbaceous punch to your green salad! Crust your chicken, steak or pork tenderloin with a generous portion of this blend and roast for an amazingly flavored main dish that will have you asking for more!
Hands down, this spice blend in one of my favorites to go to in the kitchen. It has everything for a simple roasted meat. Mix it in with some olive oil and a little more salt and roast some potatoes with it and you will just love them. This has all the wonderful notes of every herb you put in there. Everything from the garlic to the rosemary to the savory is easily recognized. You are going to love this basic kitchen wonder as well!
If you want some great resources for getting herbs and spices to build this blend, you can go to these places that I frequent because of their quality, service and price:
Rose Mountain Herbs:
http://bit.ly/1alNKeA
San Francisco Herb and Tea Company
http://bit.ly/1hpRvZF
The Spice Barn
http://bit.ly/1doibTE
I hope that you will give this a try sometime soon and I hope you love it!
Happy Eating!
If you would like to see how I made my own blend of Herbes De. Provence, have a look here:
Some friends who went to France returned with a nice gift of Herbs de Provence. It was wonderful! Now I'm looking forward to making my own mainly because I grow huge lavender bushes and want to use them in my cooking. I made panacotta with lavender (poached the lavender in heavy sugar syrup). It was divine. Must be careful NOT to cook to lavender too much as it will become bitter and give the sugar syrup an off taste. Yvonne
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