Best Places to Get Fresh Herbs in St. Louis, Missouri

One of my favorite places to hang out at is Penzey's Spices on Manchester in Maplewood, Missouri. The little shop is filled with row after row of herbs and spices and the staff is very knowledgeable about using these condiments to get the best flavor out of cooking. One of my favorite recipes that I stumbled upon while going through my Penzey's spice rack is a vegetable soup that literally has about a dozen different herbs and spices in it. The secret is that you have to keep adding just a small amount and then taste until you get it right. A little too much and it can be overpowering.

To me there has always been a little confusion as to what defines a herb and what defines a spice. Both herbs and spices may come from the same plant but traditionally a herb is the leafy green part of the plant while the spices are all the other parts, including seeds, bark, berries, roots, and even the fruit. Herbs have served a wide variety of uses throughout history including culinary, medicinal, and in some cases, spiritual. A medicinal herb may be a shrub or other woody plant whereas a culinary herb is a non-woody plant. (www.wikipedia.com)

But herbs can best be enjoyed if you embrace them throughout the entire journey. There's nothing more satisfying than to take a walk through a fragrant herb garden and then pick some of them to enjoy with your next meal. There's a terrific little bed and breakfast over near Arcola, Illinois where you can enjoy all of the local Amish cooking and fresh herbs right from the garden outside. Another great place to enjoy a stroll through a herb garden is the one at the Missouri Botanical Garden. It's just a stone's throw from ole Henry Shaw's summer house and you can sit on one of the benches, take a deep breath, close your eyes, and just imagine the dapper old horticulturist sitting there next to you and enjoying a warm summer breeze.

If you want to stock up on your supply of fresh herbs now that spring has finally arrived there are a few events in the St. Louis area that are coming up at the end of April that will allow you to do so in fine fashion:

Herbal Days at the Missouri Botanical Garden 314-577-9400. www.mobot.org