Sunday, January 22, 2006

Cut and Dried

Once again, it's Weekend Herb Blogging, thanks to my mom's lovely watercolor. I'm not sure what was in those bottles she painted, but let's guess something ordinary and useful like oregano and tarragon.
After I began growing my own herbs, I kind of turned my back on dried herbs from the store, but I've discovered there are times when dried is best.
For one thing, I can't manage to keep a tarragon plant alive. For another, convenience. Sometimes it's dark and rainy when I'm making dinner, and I'm not about to put on a macintosh and galoshes for a pinch of thyme. And finally, dried herbs are concentrated in flavor. They've been vetted by the bottler as having reliable taste, quality, consistency. My fresh herbs, grown from teensy plants in plastic pots from the nursery, may taste too mild, a little off, a little too strong even. I love them, and I'm not giving them up.
But today let us praise dried herbs, and this wonderful painting of them.
Besides, I'm running out of photos of my own fresh herbs to blog about. Maybe just one more next week, and then I might drop out of WHB.
(Bean Sprout is only halfway through his haircut, so he's unpresentable to the camera today. Wait... That's not fair to Sam's mum's grandchildren. OK, here's one from last month. That's a pot of fresh oregano, by the way.)

8 comments:

Hungry Hedonist said...

Thank you for the kind comment on my blog and I am glad to have found yours. I'll be back!

ZaZa said...

Another gorgeous watercolor. I'm so jealous.

Beansprout is as always adorable.

When I was living in San Jose, I kept the same tarragon plant going for several years. The only time and place that's ever happened for me. But I keep trying.

Michelle said...

Your mom's painting is beautiful! I thought for a moment that it was not a painting, but a photograph! And yet another adoreable portrait of little beansprout (I do love his name too).

Kalyn Denny said...

Your mom is really talented at painting. Has she exhibited her work?

cookiecrumb said...

Kalyn: She has exhibited, mostly through her watercolor classes (not a lot grander than having your piano teacher "showcase" you at a recital), and through some community groups. But she won't even sell her work. (Some of us have been lucky enough to be given paintings, however!) I tried to set her up with a representative so she could do commercial illustrations, but she chickened out. Aren't people interesting? Yes.
Everybody else who commented: Thank you!! xxx

Anonymous said...

Mom's watercolors make the ordinary extraordinary...oh my.

cookiecrumb said...

Oh, you doll. She's not even proud of this one. But isn't it great?

Anonymous said...

If I could choose a talent, it would be painting. I'm just so jealous of those who can!