December Seasonal Spices feature dried herbs whose aromatic notes perfume the holiday table’s savory delights: bay leaf, thyme, sage and rosemary.

The quantities of spices are somewhat larger than last month and more equally portioned (2 teaspoons of each). Ideally this gives you more flexibility. Using dried herbs in place of fresh has some benefits. They last longer and you don’t have to clean and prep them. Use dried herbs early in the cooking process, to make sure they soften up. Crushing them between your hands helps release their flavor. Dried herbs are said to be more concentrated in flavor than fresh, and the prevailing wisdom is a 1:3 ratio of dried to fresh. So if a recipe calls for a tablespoon of fresh rosemary, that would be 1 teaspoon of dried. You can generally use dried herbs in place of fresh in most cooked preparations.

All of the spices and dried herbs featured in Seasonal Spices are certified organic.

Bay leaf
For me, bay leaves are crucial to the right aroma for stocks, soups and stews. Delivery note: although labeled ‘2 tsp’, the bay is actually counted out at ~10 leaves per bag. The leaves varied a lot in size and were hard to package. I’d never seen them that big!

Rosemary
This dried rosemary has an astonishing bouquet. Rosemary is a pretty tough plant even when fresh, but in stews, braises, or other liquid-y preparations, its a great solution. I have recently discovered that dried rosemary comes powdered!

Sage
Sage is one of my favorites. Although all four of these herbs make frequent appearances at the holiday table, sage has a subtle flavor that makes dishes like stuffing or roast chicken really special.

Thyme
Dried thyme appears in countless recipes. If you have only one type of good, fresh dried herb in the house, let it be thyme. Thyme elevates a plain vegetable or piece of chicken with no more effort than it takes to rub a generous pinch between the hands over the pan.

All the recipe links!
Roast potatoes ← rosemary, thyme, nutmeg
Roast chicken ← rosemary, sage, thyme
Roast beef ← sage, rosemary, thyme
Pasta & Bean Soup ← thyme, sage or rosemary
Almost poultry seasoning (missing marjoram)
Vegetable gratin ← thyme, nutmeg
Beef stew ← rosemary, bay, thyme
Roasted vegetables ← rosemary, thyme
Sage stuffing ← sage ☺
Carrot ginger soup ← ginger