Planting Herbs in Mason Jars and Bruschetta Recipe
Hi friends! Some of you may know about my house plant and flower obsession. It’s funny though, because it wasn’t an obsession until around 2017 when a couple of my friends introduced me to spider plants and Gerten’s (this amazing nursery) in the Twin Cities. You see, when we bought our home and I started to decorate, I realized I didn’t want a bunch of material things. When I realized my kitchen and dining room was full of sun I knew I wanted LIVING things to decorate—hence the house plant obsession.
Since then, I’ve enjoyed getting the annual basil plant from Trader Joe’s, and if I’m feeling adventurous, I’ll find some lavender for my kitchen windowsill behind my sink.
Somehow I managed to keep my basil plant alive (barely) all year since last summer; however, I love using the leaves for homemade pizza so often that I never give it a chance to grow back nice and full.
This weekend when I made the mad dash to Target for our necessities (#socialdistancing #getgroceriesonceaweek), there was a display with herb and flower seeds. Right away I realized while we’re at home during this time, planting a little indoor herb garden would be a really fun activity for Kate and I to do together!
And thus this blog post was born! Here’s how you too can make your own indoor herb garden with your kids, partner, or by yourself. Playing in the dirt, looking at each of the different seed shapes, and watering your creation can be really calming.
Here’s what we did! Fingers crossed they sprout! haha We won’t know until about 2 weeks from now. I’ll be sure to update you. :)
Choose your seeds. Here’s what I chose:
Basil (For homemade pizza, lasagna, bruschetta, etc.) See the recipe at the end of this tutorial for my bruschetta! Plus it smells so good!
Parsley (Goes well in any Italian dish, just like basil.)
Lavender (For the smells…If someone has ideas for how to turn this into goodness or something, let me know. lol)
Chives (To throw in stir fry or anything when I’d normally add onions. So good!)
Label your jars—I decided to label the glass with permanent marker on the side, and then when we finished planting, I looked for supplies in my random box of arts and crafts that I've accumulated post bachelorette parties, weddings, baby showers, birthdays, you name it! I found clothes pins and popsicle sticks. I thought the clothes pins looked cute, so I labeled them with permanent marker. You could paint them, have your kiddo decorate them. It’s totally up to how creative you wanna be.
Add potting soil to mason jars to just under the mouth. Pat down to ensure dirt is not too full of air, but don’t pack too tightly. I used mason jars we already had in the cupboard. I keep them around for summertime drinks or to hold water for my paint brushes for watercolor painting. You can really use anything you have—even a cup to get the seeds going. I put the jars on a cookie sheet to control the mess…Kate enjoyed sticking her hands in the dirt and then in her mouth. Whatever makes her happy….
Plant your seeds in the dirt. Be sure to check the seed packet for the depth of planting and the spacing of the seeds. I poured out some seeds in Kate’s hand and we looked at each kind. She loved it. And then she basically dumped them all in the hole I made, so we’ll see what happens! haha
Cover your seeds with dirt and water! Most herbs like to have moist soil, but check the seed packet for info. Otherwise, you know how to Pinterest it.
Place your herbs near a window with plenty of sun. Again, you can check the seed packet to know how much sun they should get, or Pinterest it.
Enjoy your creation, take deep breaths, and enjoy their presence in your home! Best of luck growing!
If you decide to try this, post a pic and tag me on Instagram! (@kaylafaheyahrndt)
Kayla’s Bruschetta Recipe
Ingredients and Supplies:
4 Roma tomatoes
2 cloves garlic chopped finely
basil leaves chopped finely
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
grated Parmesan cheese
Italian loaf bread sliced ~1/2 to 1 in thick
large/Medium mixing bowl
small bowl
spoon
knife
Instructions:
I want to start off by saying that I am a scientist and this recipe is what I like to call “bucket chemistry.” I heard that term while working in a research lab, and essentially it means mixing a bunch of stuff together by “eyeballing” the amounts and not really measuring it. And not to worry, it turns out amazing! :)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place sliced bread flat on cookie sheet and drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar over each slice.
Place bread into the oven and cook until bread starts to get toasted. Don’t let it get crunchy…just enough crisp for when you bite there’s a crunch, but when you chew it’s a soft, savory, delicious…okay, you get the point. ;)
Cut each Roma tomato in half (the long way). Scoop out the insides of the tomato with a spoon and place in the small bowl. Discard insides when able. SUPER IMPORTANT! Most people miss this step and then they have watery bruschetta. My Blood Bank professor taught me this step. Scientists are the best cooks and bakers, no joke!
Dice tomatoes and place in large mixing bowl.
Add in chopped garlic and chopped basil to the mixing bowl.
Add a swirl of olive oil and a swirl of balsamic vinegar to the mixing bowl. When I say swirl, picture me quickly making a large circle over the bowl as the liquid comes out. It’s probably like a tablespoon….or more? I don’t know.
Add grated Parmesan cheese to the mixing bowl while mixing contents. Add enough cheese to soak up most of the liquids, but not so much that it becomes dry.
Once everything is mixed together, taste your concoction…you may need more cheese or more olive oil depending on your liking.
I recommend chilling the mixing bowl (covered) in the fridge for a few minutes before serving, but you can serve right away.
Place an abundant amount of bruschetta mix onto a delicious crispy, yet soft piece of bread.
ENJOY!
