I am never without herbes de Provence in our kitchen. This mix of spices abundant in the south of France really speaks to my love of the delicious flavors of French cooking, and I use it in just about anything I can.
My mom’s French heritage was a big influence growing up, and because of her I will always have a soft spot for French dishes like boeuf bourguignon and pâté. I’m no Julia Child (or even Martha Stewart for that matter!) but I do try to incorporate French recipes in our meal plan whenever possible!
French cooking doesn’t have to be fussy or difficult as many suppose, either.
The French Cure for Picky Eaters
I’ve always been fascinated by French food culture and the way that even children in France typically like a wide variety of foods and are not picky from a young age. We can learn a lot from the French, especially in how we teach our children to view food. (I actually devoted a part of my Wellness Mama Cookbook to this topic!)
In fact many of the food philosophies we adopted with our kids came from my mom’s French background and her approach toward food. A big part of raising non-picky eaters is exposing kids to well rounded, varied flavors—like the thyme, marjoram, rosemary, fennel, and even lavender that make up herbes de Provence.
So what is herbes de Provence for anyway, besides sounding fancy?
The answer is, a lot!
How to Use Herbes de Provence at Home
Herbes de Provence is, as I said, very multipurpose. It can be described as bold, woodsy, and a little bit floral. It pairs well with almost any cut of meat (especially chicken and pork) and really complements most seafood. I often add it to homemade soups and broths too.
We love to pre-mix a little into grass-fed butter and keep it at the ready for topping veggies or cauliflower rice. It also makes a great addition to breakfast dishes like my favorite Sous Vide Egg Bites or Homemade Breakfast Sausage.
An extra bonus … not only does it taste good and is healthy for you but it fills the kitchen with amazing smells!
Making Your Own Herbes de Provence Mix
You can certainly buy it from the store, but this homemade herbes de Provence spice blend and other homemade herb and spice blends are great to make at home to save time and money. This is also a fun and easy kitchen project kids can help make!
Involve your family in food preparation and experiment with new herbs and spices together!
Herbes de Provence Recipe
Yield 1 cup
Homemade herbs de Provence combines herbs like thyme and marjoram with lavender, fennel, and orange zest for a savory and flavorful spice blend.
Instructions
- If you are zesting the orange yourself, remove the zest of one organic orange and dry in an oven on lowest setting or a dehydrator until completely dry.
- Place in a food processor with the lavender flowers and lightly pulse.
- Remove and mix all ingredients in a jar or bowl until mixed (do not grind up the herbs!).
- Store in an airtight container away from heat and light.
Courses Condiment
Cuisine French
Have you ever used herbes de Provence? What French flavors do you love?
