Summer aromas

During these shortest days of the year it is nice to inhale the scents of summer while cooking.  One of the easiest ways to do these is by cooking with your dried herbs.  I used to go to all lengths tying up my herbs or creating some contraption for them to stay in outside protected from the critters and the wind and now I simply bring my unpurchased herbs back from market and toss aside in a tray or vented basket in the garage and four to eight weeks later I have perfectly dried herbs.  Today I was making a stuffing for our turkey and grabbed a bunch of thyme, sage and parsley from the garage, and by stripping the thyme off the stem, chopping the sage and crumbling the parsley in my hand the wonderful summer aromas of fresh herbs wafted through the kitchen again.  Thyme, rosemary and savory all strip off the stem easily after drying.  Sage is one of the thickest and usually does well with chopping.  Parsley, oregano and basil do well with crumbling in your hands and removing any thick stems.  Simply save your old store bought herb containers and refill and you will have the fresh dried herbs available anytime of the year.  Merry Christmas everyone!!