Herb garden by the grill adds flavor to meals

By Doug Brown ~ The Washington Post

For even the most enthusiastic family cook, sometimes the eagerness to cobble together dinner hinges on where he'll be cooking. If asked to step to the stove and saute a tuna steak, he'll scratch his head and look for the nearest exit. But say the word "grill," and he'll be donning an apron and blowing on the coals.

Make that outdoor cooking experience even more sublime by creating an herbal grill garden for the chef in your family. It will be a living source for all the herbs you'll need to whisk up the summer's rubs and marinades. A fan of Tuscan steak? Plant rosemary; your chef can pluck the leaves and mix them with olive oil, salt, red wine and garlic. Want chicken with a Mediterranean flavor? Try fresh oregano or marjoram, which can be added to a lemony marinade. Italian and Asian food have dozens of uses for basil. Latin American cuisine is often flavored with cilantro. Thyme is part of the foundation of a good Jamaican jerk sauce. And if you favor fish, you'll want dill and tarragon. Other possibilities: mint, chives, lavender, parsley and sage.

The best place for this garden is a sunny spot near the grill. Place it in a big tub or pot, or dig out a spot in the yard. Soon, your chef will be getting kudos for taking his cooking and -- to quote chef Emeril Lagasse -- kicking it up a notch.