Fresh Herb Bouquets

Last Saturday in Southampton we had unexpected dinner guests.  (Yes, it was a pleasant surprise.)  The menu wasn’t a problem –I made grilled steaks with Chimichurri, one of my go-to last-minute dinners– but I didn’t really have anything for the table.  While I was out in the garden snipping herbs to make a fresh batch of Chimichurri, it occurred to me that these beautiful, fragrant plants might make nice little arrangements for the table.  In keeping with my all-green theme, I took three green Glassybaby votive holders and filled them with herbs –parsley, mint, lemon verbena, sage, Greek oregano, and rosemary.  Mixed with votive candles, I thought they looked fresh and pretty on our casual summer table.

For the most part, the stems of culinary herbs are short, so the arrangements are best kept small and used in clusters.  Also, they’re probably too rustic for a formal table, and their fragrance could interfere with one’s enjoyment of some dishes.  Still, they were an easy, inexpensive and unexpected alternative to flowers.  And, when the garden goes dormant, I could pick up the raw materials in the produce section at the market.

After dinner I moved this little trio to the coffee table in the living room.  The next day, they were missing.  David was in the study and had moved them to the desk to enjoy their aroma as he worked.