This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Organic Choice for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
In my last post featuring Miracle-Gro Organic Choice line of products, I told you all about my plans to create a little herb garden, and I’m happy to say I did just that. A couple months ago, I headed over to my local nursery and purchased a pretty planter, along with organic seedlings of rosemary, sage, oregano, and thyme. Planting the herb garden was super-easy. I filled up the planter about a third of the way with potting soil, nestled the seedlings in gently, and then added more soil to fill up the planter. Next, I sprinkled a couple tablespoons of plant food evenly over the top and used my fingers to mix it into the first inch or so of soil. Finally, I watered the plants. It seriously couldn’t have been easier, well, except for keeping my busy-body beagle from eating the plant food and digging everything up.
For a little while, the herb garden had a place indoors, sitting in the sunny window of our living room. Unfortunately, after a few weeks, it began to attract tiny winged creatures (fruit flies, maybe?), so I had to relegate it to the backyard. Luckily, it’s been thriving out there. The sage, thyme, and oregano are super happy, but the rosemary is a little brown in places — I may replant it in the ground and replace it with another herb if it gets any sadder. But hey, 3 for 4 ain’t bad, especially for my first try at organic gardening!
I’ve been snipping fresh herbs into lots of recipes lately. Cooking from Eggs On Top, I made Sage-Brown Butter Eggs with my Berggarten Sage. Fresh thyme has found its way into pasta salads and vegetable sautés. And as for the oregano, I just love how it pairs with crimini mushrooms in this simple pasta recipe, the perfect thing to throw together on a weeknight after a long day.
Weeknight Pasta with Mushrooms and Oregano Serves 2. 4 ounces spaghetti (whole wheat or regular variety) 2 tablespoons olive oil 8 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced 1/8” thick 1 5-inch sprig fresh oregano, destemmed 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1 cup marinara sauce 1. In a medium (2-quart) saucepan, boil a quart of water seasoned with one heaping teaspoon of sea salt. 2. While the pasta water comes to a boil, sauté your mushrooms: In a large (12-inch) skillet, heat the olive oil over a medium flame. Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté until golden brown, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Add the oregano and sea salt and saute for another 2 minutes, until aromatic. 3. While you are sautéing the mushrooms, boil the spaghetti according to package directions, until just al dente. 4. Drain the pasta, but not too thoroughly — leave a little bit of water to help bind with the tomato sauce. Add the pasta and marinara sauce to the skillet with the mushrooms, turn off the heat, toss to combine, and serve.
Have you ever grown an organic harvest using Miracle Gro Organic Choice products? It’s easy — you can find tons of useful instructions and information at Miracle-Gro Learn And Grow. Tell me all about what you’ve grown, or what you’re planning to plant this summer!
