Using up your herbs
In mid to late September, some of the plants in my herb garden begin to look a little ragged: the basil is nearly spent, the pineapple sage is near the end of its blooms and is getting leggy, and the marjoram seems less than enthusiastic. But the parsley, oregano and rosemary are quite healthy, garlic chives are blooming like mad and still have great flavor, and the sage and thyme are so hardy I'll be harvesting them all the way to Thanksgiving.
If your herb garden is starting to fade on its way to autumn, here are some recipes that may inspire you to get out a mezzaluna and start mincing your flavorful herbs to add to your breads. Some of these recipes may specify using dried herbs. Here are some general principles for conversion:
1 tablespoon fresh herbs = 1 teaspoon dried herbs
1 teaspoon fresh herbs = 1/3 teaspoon dried herbs
For ground or powdered herbs, many culinary professionals suggest using a 6:1 ratio because powders are much more concentrated. This is especially true of sage and oregano, in my experience.
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