For those who’ve read this blog for a while now, you can probably guess that I’m something of a Francophile. I lived there years ago, and part of my heart and soul will forever reside en France. Ergo, when I have the ability to add some Frenchiness (that is 100% a very real word) to my posts, I jump at the chance.

Insert – Bouquet Garni – which literally means “garnished bouquet”. AKA a bundle of herbs tied with a string. Herbs tied with string is much less fancy than Bouquet Garni – so most chefs will use the French term. Want to make one? It’s super simple and perfect for dropping into soups, stews, sauces and more when you want to keep your herbs contained or remove them later on.

What you’ll need: kitchen twine; herb stalks. That’s it! So grab your Rosemary, Thyme, Basil, Tarragon, Lavender, Bay Leaves, Sage, Elote, Chives, Cilantro, Mint, and any other fresh herb you have – bundle them together and tie with a string! I tend toward a provencal style but any type of herb is great! Bow is optional.

If you don’t have fresh herbs but still want to make a bouquet garni, you can get some cheesecloth and add in your dried herbs. Tie up the cloth with some twine and voila!

Bon Appetit!