Growing fresh herbs: Surprising kitchen gardens of Canadian city chefs

You can “bet” it’s fresh in Montreal
The lush garden at Montreal’s Nuances is in the most unlikely location of all. Herbs, vegetables, edible flowers, and fruits all flourish on a sunny, sheltered, south-facing terrace of…  a casino! Although the growing season is brief in Quebec, they make the most of their organic produce when they can. Executive Chef Jean-Pierre Curtat (seen in image at left) believes in “respecting nature” by serving only seasonal cuisine. “Herbs are seasonal. We don’t want our dishes to taste like summer in a middle of a snowstorm for the same reason we don’t offer heavy, hot dishes on a warm summer day.”  To amateurs thinking of starting an herb garden, he advises “Go for it!”  What to plant? Chef Curtat points out that personal and cultural preferences should be considered:  “Can you ask Italians, for example, not to grow basil? Think about what you like to cook.” In his own home garden, he always includes fragrant lemon verbena which makes superb herbal teas.
 
All seasons bounty in B.C.
Far from the Quebecois wind-chill, the rooftop kitchen garden at the Waterfront Fairmont Hotel in balmy Vancouver provides Executive Chef Shannon Walsh-Wrightson with seasonal ingredients on a daily basis - year-round! Under his guidance, this green sanctuary in the middle of the city (seen in image at left, courtesy http://fairmont.notionlabsite.com) now produces more than 60 varieties of herbs, edible blooms and other vegetables, from sweet wild strawberries to heady lavender.  In a climate this agreeable, even the novice home gardener is guaranteed success!

Whatever the climate and wherever you live - even if you’re an avowed urbanite - remember that fresh herbs are a cinch to grow! And they’re as indispensable for the home cook as they are for the seasoned pro.

As Chef Curtat asserts, “Once you add some fresh herbs, your dish, however simple, will come to life!”

Let Canadian Living show you how to cook with fresh herbs in our 3-minute video. Click below!



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