Everything you Need to Grow Your Own Herbs
Mint is closely related to basil and therefore basil makes a slightly more peppery and anise replacement. Dried mint works well to replace fresh, with a little bit of adjustment to ratios. Lemon balm is a nice citrus like version of mint and can be tasty in drinks or recipes.
When we replace oregano we can choose to use fresh or dried herbs. Best substitute is marjoram, followed by thyme, rosemary, sage and even dried basil. Often a mix is a good idea with mixed herbs or Italian Seasoning being great.
Gremolata is a traditional Italian ‘sauce’ with parsley, garlic and lemon zest. No other ingredients are required and you can see that this means it is more of a garnish than a sauce. It has evolved to include a little bit of lemon juice and even olive oil, however this moves into more of a pesto.
Parsley is a useful biennial that will grow outdoors in colder climates and basil being a tender annual. Both can be used in cooking with slightly different taste profiles and history of culinary uses. Nutritionally both of these herbs are loaded with vitamins and minerals as well.
Chinese five spice has an origin as being a bit of use all spice blend. One which hits all five of the areas for taste that we humans have. Bitter, Sweet, Sour, Savory (umami) and salty. There is no one specific blend and it has been adapted as it moves through Asia over the decades.
Pesto is nutty and often has a hard cheese added, using olive oil. Salsa Verde has an element of brine with capers or anchovies and also a small amount of vinegar added. Chimichurri has vinegar and chilies added. The leafy herbs can vary as can the consistency and where they are used.