Going Greek for Easter and Celebrating Earth Week in a Big Organic Way

I'm Giving Away a $520 Earth Dinner Package!

Greek oregano going gangbusters in the greenhouse (the left side is shorter from harvesting).

Realization of the Day:

I think this just might be the Year of the Herbs in my garden.

The oregano, chives, lemon thyme, English thyme, sage, purple sage, and lemon balm are all doing great. My two little rosemary plants are a looking a little scrawny—no doubt due to my snipping them to within an inch of their life last fall in order to make just one more batch of White Bean Artichoke Dip with Rosemary, Romano, and Kalamata Olives—but I have high hopes for them. (You can read more about growing and using rosemary here.)

Fresh herbs from the garden are a low cost, low maintenance luxury. This time of year you can often find sturdy little herb seedlings for sale at nurseries and farmers' markets for about the price of those tiny packets of 'fresh' herbs at the supermarket. No garden space? No problem. Many herbs will thrive when grown in pots.

More below, including details on my biggest giveaway ever. . .

I've had this pot of Greek oregano for years, and all I do is water it, mulch it once or twice a year with sheep manure (which gives it a slow dose of organic fertilizer every time it's watered), and trim it back when it starts to flower. Whether it's overwintering in the greenhouse or soaking up sun out in the garden, I don't remember it ever being bothered by pests or disease. I should really divide it up and repot it, but in the meantime it appears to be quite happy.

One of my favorite ways to use fresh oregano is in this Slow Roasted Greek Style Leg of Lamb with Lemony Potatoes and Braised Swiss Chard (which is so easy to grow from seed, even in containers!). It's a simple yet elegant, one pan meal that would be perfect for Easter dinner, although I made it last Saturday 'just because.' The leftovers, if you have any, are really good.

More Farmgirl Fare recipes that call for fresh oregano:

Easy Homemade Italian Sausage (awesome on pizza—no casings required!)

Homemade Pizza Sauce Made with Fresh Tomatoes

Italian Beer Bread (scroll down for the Italian version)

The Easiest Greek Salad Ever

You can read more about growing oregano and other herbs in my previous post, Perennial Herbs in Pots and Another Reason to Grow Your Own Greek Oregano.

Happy Earth Week! Even if you don't celebrate Easter, Earth Week is for everybody, and a perfect way to honor our amazing planet is by hosting or attending an Earth Dinner.

In honor of Earth Week, I'm giving away a $520 Organic Valley Earth Dinner Package to one Farmgirl Fare reader! You'll find all the details here. But hurry—the contest ends Friday, April 22nd at 8:00pm EST!

© FarmgirlFare.com, where one day it's 86 degrees, and the next morning there's frost on everything (after our official last frost date). The other day I was sweating in shorts, and last night we built a fire in the wood stove to take the chill off The Shack. Spring in Missouri is beautiful—and always full of challenging weather surprises!