the last days of summer are upon us and my late summer garden is packed to the brim with the last of my fresh herbs. 

i know it will be months before i have this kind of abundance in my little patch of dirt, so i am going out of my way to save every last scrap. 

now, just because you don't have an herb garden, doesn't mean this tip doesn't apply to you. much of the time when we buy fresh herbs, we NEVER use them all. so use this tip any time you have some fresh herbs you want to reserve for a later date. 

oil + herb cubes

ingredients: extra fresh herbs, chopped to desired size. olive oil. ice cube tray. 

fill each cube of your ice tray about half way up with our chopped herbs. 

when your tray is filled, top the herbs with oil just till you completely cover the herbs. 

place the tray in the freezer until the oil has frozen. 

remove the cubes from the ice tray and store in an airtight container or plastic bag until use. store for up to six months in your freezer. 

xo, a

oil + herb cubes

ingredients: extra fresh herbs, chopped to desired size. olive oil. ice cube tray. fill each cube of your ice tray about half way up with our chopped herbs. place the tray in the freezer until the oil has frozen. remove the cubes from the ice tray and store in an airtight container or plastic bag until use. store for up to six months in your freezer. 

well, well, well. 

look who finally made time to share some tips and tricks. ME!

things over here at newfoodtuesdayz have really heated up. after two hears of grinding and struggling and very little sleeping, my head is finally above water and i have hired some help. finally, i can get back to the things i love and the things i am good at. and sleeping. 

so my first topic back to tips & tricks is a tool you should purchase for your kitchen. i'm sure you are thinking, what the hell do i need a torch in my kitchen for??? well, let me explain. small torches are a cheap and easy addition to your kitchen that can really open up a whole bunch of cooking options. suddenly, you are able to brûlée. that is just a fancy term for putting sugar on something and then heating it up so much it melts together and caramelizes. you can use your home torch to sear meat or melt cheese or caramelize a meringue. or in this case, you can use your at home torch to smoke some fresh herbs. 

now it is important to know that there are two options for torches. butane torches and propane torches. butane torches are great for your smaller projects. smoking your herbs is a perfect example of a smaller project. for something bigger like brûlée or searing some meat, you will want a propane torch. they burn at a higher temperature. here is a solid BUTANE TORCH. here is good PROPANE TORCH. once you have selected your torch, you will need some herbs. 

you will want to use a study herb with a strong twig like stem. sage, thyme, rosemary and lavender work great. all are wonderful smoked and even better smoked and added to a cocktail. 

once you have selected your herb, it is really easy. torch it. literally.

light it on fire and let the fresh leaves burn till they burn out (it should only take 3-5 seconds). then use as desired. 

xo, a