Fresh herbs all year long

This is the best part with the mild climate in Rome. You can buy your fresh herbs diretly from the Ape-cars on the street...all year long. A few days ago I was on a shopping mission in the Prati zone, better known as Cola di Rienzo, and as a mandatory stop outside the 'mercatino di Cola di Rienzo' I always grab some fresh herbs with me from my loyal guy!

Italians use almost exclusively fresh herbs in Italian cooking. Why? Well, spices have been used in Italy since Roman times to enchance flavour, texture & give colour. They do taste better than dried herbs and are filled with aromatic oils. Last, but not least as I mentioned above, fresh herbs are available all year long! Lets face it - they are actually a key element of any great recipe in the Italian kitchen!

What would be a better way than using one of my old wine boxes to restore them in the kitchen?

So, to inspire you today I chose to make some fresh detox water out of mint, basil and fresh lemon & lime slices! A perfect start for my day after a jogging tour in the Villa Ada!

If you find yourself on vacation in Italy and want to buy some fresh herbs, here under I have gathered togehter a short glossary of the most imortant and used herbs in Italian cooking;

Basil = basilico

Bay leaf = alloro

Marjoram = maggiorana

Mint = menta

Oregano = origano

Parsley = prezzemolo

Rosemary = rosmarino

Sage = salvia

Thyme = timo

Hot pepper = peperoncino

Buona giornata!

Salla