I have a revealing to make. Greeneyes, we have some similarities in the way your parents grew food and cooked and the way mine did. However, I don't remember ANY spices put on food except cinnamon on cookies or sweet potatoes. The only thing I remember is salt, pepper, and bacon grease. Now, mother and dad grew up in very rural Arkansas. Maybe they had no where to get any spices. I never heard of "basil" or any other additive like that. I didn't know about such additives until I left home for college.
The strange thing is, I just ordered and received fresh bottles of spices and leaves to use for medicine if the SHTF. I believe I got 8 different ones. I have the info. on what disease, affliction to use them and the dose I think, but I have to pare that down to a manageable data base.
I'm sure I don't think of using all the ones you use for cooking, because I didn't experience that while growing up.
I have some jars of bean seasoning but I don't know or care what is in it - I know it's the right stuff, however. I have French seasoning, too and understand that but still don't know or care what is in it. The same is true for Italian. See, I think you people who are used to cooking with these items, grow them. I don't really know how to use them if I had them. Do I just pick basil leaves and tear them up and put in the soup or whatever? I wouldn't know how much. I'm lost with growing plants for seasoning when I don't know what to do with it. I can deal with chili pepper when making chili, GOOD FOR ME.
—The only thing I remember is salt, pepper, and bacon grease.—
That sounds like my mom. If my mom was here today and saw all the herbs and spices that we have, she would ask “What do you do with all that stuff”
Marcella you just answered your own question. yes soups, salads, saute them in oil along with onions and apply to meats or fish. Basil, mozzarella, olive oil, tomatoes on french bread is a tasty and light summer meal. Experiment girl... we know you got what it takes and you will be amazed what you can cook up with spices and herbs. Basil is easy to grow too.
LOL. Hard to beat salt and pepper!!!!!!!! That’s the main spices we had. My parents had a restaurant and so did my maternal grandmother.
My paternal grandmother was the one with the garden who did all the at home canning, and she didn’t have a whole bunch of spices, but did have some.
Dad was the pastry chef-he made the pies daily and pumkin was a favortie. So we always had the nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves.
Other regular spices and flavorings: Onion, garlic, chili powder, cayenne and or hot sauce,ham beef or chicken soup base, parsley, molasses,lard, veggie oil, mustard and celery seed/flakes ,dill seed/weed, pickling spices, alum, chives, bay leaves, apple cider vinegar, sage, Mapleine, old bay seasoning for fish and seafood, are the things I remember sitting around in the spice cabinet.
My maternal grandmother gave me a two teired spice (lazy susan style) rack for a wedding present and it had some new stuff I had to research what to use it for.
Other stuff came later. With pizza came basil and oregano. Basil can be used whole, chopped or dried and crushed. It’s good in soups, pizza, and Italian, and tomato based foods to name a few.
Tarragon I love in a vegetable soup. Ginger I like in almost anything.
Speaking of spice: I was at walmart and noticed that saffron is $17.00 for what looked like about an oz of spice.
So I’m wondering if I can grow saffron!LOL
My husband has about every spice in the world, and uses them. He grows herbs and peppers, and uses them.
The way I spice things - other than salt and pepper - is to smell the dish as I put it together, them sniff at the various spice and herb bottles. When I find one that “sniffs compatible” I try it out. Start with a little bit, then adjust.
Probably sounds weird, but it works. I don’t care for the way a lot of dishes are spiced up these days. Too much going on. My husband will over spice stuff so that I can’t even eat it - yet he loves it.
And bacon grease is one of the best flavor enhancers going. I taught my sons about that, and they are enthusiastic bacon grease people.