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7 Dried Herbs To Include In Your Spice Rack This Fall

As the weather turns chilly, dream kitchens become filled with the aroma of cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves. These spices help to usher in the season — and are a must for holiday cooking and baking. But what about the often overlooked herbs that also grace our dinner table each night?

Fresh herbs are a spring and summer delight, but come autumn, it’s time to switch to the dried variety. Dried herbs can easily be substituted for fresh in any recipe. They are also more concentrated, and help to add a powerful punch of flavor to soups, stews and other hearty dishes. When stocking your kitchen cabinet spice rack this fall, don’t forget to include these seasonal staples!

Basil: Sweet, dried basil is a must-have for tomato sauce, and comfort foods like lasagna and chicken parmesan. As this popular summer herb begins to die back in cooler weather, you can dry your remaining basil leaves and store them in a dark kitchen cabinet. For an easy method from Gardening Know How, click here.

Bay: This fragrant, dried leaf comes from the laurel tree. While hard and inedible, bay helps to add depth when added to soups and slow-cooker stews. Simply drop in a whole dried leaf and let it work its magic. The longer bay simmers, the more it infuses your dish with flavor. Just be sure to remove the leaf before serving!

Parsley: Dried parsley is mildly bitter, and helps to add brightness and balance to savory dishes like fish, fettuccine alfredo, and shepherd’s pie. Versatile by nature, dried parsley can also be used in salad dressings and pairs nicely with roasted vegetables.

Oregano: This earthy herb is strongly scented and has a peppery, pungent taste. Dried oregano gives homemade pizza its distinctive, robust flavor. It is also often found in salad dressings or in marinade and dry rub recipes for lamb, chicken, and beef.

Rosemary: Rosemary is an aromatic herb with needle-like leaves. It’s sharp, woodsy scent and flavor is reminiscent of pine and citrus, with bitter-sweet notes. Extremely potent, rosemary is often used in homemade artisan breads like focaccia, or paired with rich meats, like pork roast or lamb chops.

Thyme: Highly fragrant and slightly sweet, dried thyme adds delicious flavor to herbed breads, roast beef and brisket, turkey, chicken thighs, and oven baked potatoes. It can stand up to slow cooking and braising but should be used sparingly. It should also be added early on in the cooking process to allow the flavors to mellow.

Sage: Dried sage is the characteristic flavor in Thanksgiving stuffing, and works well with savory squash and pumpkin recipes. You can also add sage to baked chicken, pork, or sausage, and to enhance the flavor of beans, gravies and sauces.

Contrary to what you might believe, most dried herbs and spices do have a shelf life and can lose potency. If you can’t remember how long it’s been since you purchased the seasonings in your kitchen cabinet spice rack, it’s best to toss them and start fresh this fall.

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4 Fabulous Fall Fruit Cobblers And Crisps

Warm fruit cobblers and crisps are a perfect way to enjoy the bounty of seasonal fall produce.

Unlike a traditional pie, cobblers and crisps feature a crumbled topping (made of oats, sugar and spices), homemade shortcake biscuits, or a cake batter crust.

There’s no need to visit a country bakery or fall festival stand when you can easily make a scrumptious fruit cobbler or crisp at home, with fresh, wholesome ingredients from your kitchen pantry cabinet. If this sounds heavenly to you, here are a few fabulous recipes to try this fall!

Apple Cranberry Crisp

This delightfully simple recipe from Better Homes and Gardens lets cranberries and apples shine. Two fall favorites, these fresh fruits can be a tad on the tart side, but the crunchy oat, cinnamon and brown sugar topping adds just the right amount of sweetness. For the recipe from BHG, click here. While fresh fruit generally makes cobblers and crisps healthier than most desserts, this one is also on the lighter side at just 213 calories per serving!

Pear Cobbler

Pears are harvested in the fall, and come in a variety of shapes and textures, but firmer varieties like Bosc, Anjou, or Asian pears are most suited for baking in a crisp. This easy Pear Crisp recipe from The Spruce Eats has a buttery cake batter crust, and you can mix and match whichever pears you prefer. Once baked, this cobbler can sit at room temperature on the kitchen island for two days or in the refrigerator for five days — but we bet it won’t be around that long! Click here for the recipe from The Spruce Eats.

Pineapple Ginger Crisp

Pineapples are in season year-round, but when paired with freshly grated ginger and a crumbled topping of old-fashioned oats, brown sugar, and nutmeg from your spice rack, you’ll have the perfect sweet and spicy cobbler to welcome fall. This recipe from Fine Cooking is easy to make and bakes up bubbly brown in just 20 minutes. Click herefor the instructions and ingredients you will need from your kitchen pantry cabinet.

Cherry Cobbler

With sweet cherries, vanilla and almond extract, and warm cinnamon, Bon Appétit’s Cherry Cobbler is sure to be a fall favorite. Topped with shortcake biscuits, this delicious dessert takes a bit more work than the others, but it is well worth the effort when you have a gorgeous cherry cobbler sitting on your kitchen countertop. To get the recipe, click here.

Dream kitchens are meant to be filled with the warm aroma of freshly baked desserts come autumn, whether it’s a pie, cobbler or crisp cooling on the kitchen island or in a bowl topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Which one are you most excited to try?

8 Cooking Methods Every Home Chef Should Know

Dream kitchens are designed for cooking. You already have the best kitchen cabinets from Willow Lane Cabinetry. Here are the best cooking methods every home chef should know.

Braising: This method requires a pan with a tightly covered lid, and involves cooking in a small amount of liquid on the stovetop. But first, you need to sear the meat with a thin coating of oil. Want to cook a melt-in-your mouth pot roast or succulent lamb shank? Braising lets the juices tenderize and flavor tougher cuts of meat. For a step-by-step guide for braising meats from Food Network, click here.

Broiling: This cooking method calls for direct, intense heat (usually from above in your oven) and is great for quickly cooking thin steaks and veggies or crisping the tops of casseroles. When broiling, closely monitor what you are cooking, because your meal can go from golden brown to burnt in a matter of minutes.

Grilling: One of our favorite methods of the list, grilling is a spring and summertime staple, and is easy to master. Grilling involves dry heat applied to the surface of foods, whether it’s BBQ chicken, grilled veggies, or juicy burgers. Want to learn how to grill like a pro? Click here for tips from Good Housekeeping.
Pan-Frying: This method involves cooking foods in a skillet with a thick layer of oil. Healthier and easier than deep frying (where food is fully submerged in oil), pan frying is perfect for giving breaded chicken cutlets, crab cakes, and batter dipped fried green tomatoes a crispy coating. Or try this Chicken Stir-Fry from Epicurious!

Roasting: You’ll need a roasting pan and a large oven for this cooking method. Great for moist Thanksgiving turkey or tender roast beef, roasting allows melted fat to drip away while guaranteeing a crisp surface, and involves cooking at a high temperature.
Sautéing:In this popular cooking method, meat or evenly cut vegetables are cooked in a shallow pan over high heat on the stove top. Want to brown sausages with onions and peppers? Start by heating a thin layer of oil in your pan, and be sure to stir often.

Slow Cooking: Another of our favorites on the list, this low and slow method is a must for busy families, especially during the fall and winter months. Slow cooking is perfect for stews and soups, chili, and pulled pork. Prep your meal in the morning and come home hours later to a hot and hearty dinner.

Steaming: Steaming involves cooking foods (usually fresh vegetables) over boiling water. Simply place your broccoli florets or baby carrots in a steamer basket, set over a pot of boiling water, and top with a lid.
The best kitchen cabinets are organized and ready for cooking, so be sure to install a two-tier cookware organizer and more inside cabinet accessories to hold cutting boards, knives and other cooking tools every home chef should own. Dream kitchens are designed for cooking, so keep at it and you’ll master these methods in no time!