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An herbal blend is a combination of two or more herbs mixed together - like this thyme, rosemary and basil - so you get the same proportion of each herb every time you use the blend. The herbs can be fresh or dried.

Donna Frawley's book, "100 Ways to Make a Difference – Creating Ripples of Love for a Lasting Legacy", is available for purchase on her website, or at a book signing event from 2-5 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 13 at 4613 Lund Drive in Midland.

Bouquet garni means “bundle of herbs” in French. If you are using fresh herbs you literally tie them in a bundle and put them in soups, stews, roasts or sauces.

Donna Frawley likes the blend of oregano, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, basil and sage in Italian seasoning. She uses it in soup, especially minestrone.

Herbal blends are an easy way to add flavor to your food. An herbal blend is a combination of two or more herbs mixed together so you get the same proportion of each herb every time you use the blend. The herbs can be fresh or dried.

Ethnic foods use their own blends to give their foods a characteristic flavor typical of that area of the world. You have probably used herbal blends without really thinking about it: curry powder, bouquet garni, herbes de provence and chili powder, to name a few. Herbal blends have an advantage over single herbs like basil or thyme in that you get a combination of several herbs with one dip of the measuring spoon. The disadvantage is that store-bought blends may not have the exact proportions of the individual herbs that you would like. You can make your own blends, however, and get it just right for your pallet.

Bouquet garni means “bundle of herbs” in French. If you are using fresh herbs you literally tie them in a bundle and put them in soups, stews, roasts or sauces. You will want to include the following fresh herbs in your bundle: Parsley, thyme, bay leaf and celery. You could include sage, marjoram, or basil if you like. Put them all together and tie them with white string. You can tie the herbs around a stalk of celery or a blanched leek. Add your bundle the last half-hour of cooking. When using dried bouquet garni, mix up a blend of celery flakes, parsley, rosemary, thyme and bay leaf. Tie 1-2 tablespoons in cheesecloth or a small fabric bag.

Because of the broken bay leaf in the dried blend, you should put it in a small mesh bag so when it has flavored your soup or stew you can pull out the bag and not have to worry about all those little pieces of bay leaf that could cut your stomach if swallowed. Bay leaf does not soften when cooked and has sharp edges that should not be eaten. You want the flavor of bay without the texture.

Fines herbs is a delicate blend of herbs, always containing chervil, used for sauces, soups, stews, salads, crepes, meat dishes, vegetables, breads and cheese and egg dishes. My blend is made up of basil, chervil, tarragon, marjoram and chives.

Herbes de provence originates in Provence, France and is a wonderful combination of herbs and lavender flowers. The combination of herbs that I like best includes thyme, rosemary, summer savory, tarragon, basil and lavender flowers. It makes a nice rub for grilled meats and poultry, can be used to flavor soups, stews, oven roasted vegetables, marinated feta, classic French bread and popovers.

Italian seasoning is another very versatile blend that can be added to spaghetti sauce, bread, herbed butter, lasagna, pasta, salad, soup, marinades, rubs or anywhere you want that special Italian flavor. I like the blend of oregano, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, basil and sage. It seems to be the most versatile. I use it in bread that I am serving with any soup, especially my minestrone. It is nice to sprinkle on any vegetable to give a nice change. I mix it in with meatloaf or hamburgers for the grill or use it as a rub on steaks with some salt and pepper if desired.

Salad herbs is a blend of parsley, tarragon, oregano, dill weed and celery flakes is a nice addition to any salad. You can also use it in or on your potato salad, cheese, tomatoes, winter squash and soups.

Chili and curry powders can range in flavor and hotness. I use a salt-free chili powder which contains chili peppers, cumin, garlic and oregano. Others may also include red pepper, marjoram, cloves, allspice and/or coriander.

When I was a new cook I thought all curry powders were created equal, but they certainly are not. The one I use most has turmeric, paprika, fenugreek, coriander, black pepper, cumin, ginger celery seed, cloves, caraway and red pepper (cayenne). Others may contain lemon, cinnamon, garlic, white pepper, mace, mustard seeds (black or yellow), allspice, fennel, cardamom and/or nutmeg in addition to the ingredients mine contains.

1 green pepper, cut in strips

2 tomatoes, peeled and diced (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 1/2 teaspoon bouquet garni (in cheesecloth or a fabric bag)

Heat oil in a 3-quart saucepan or Dutch oven. Sauté onion and garlic. Add eggplant, zucchini, green pepper, tomatoes and all the seasonings. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Stir and simmer uncovered 10 minutes longer. Serve warm.

1 1/2 to 2 pounds mushrooms (such as chanterelles, or oyster mushrooms)

Juice of half a lemon

Cut the mushrooms into halves or quarters. If they are small, leave whole. Place in a bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice. In a large sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons butter. Add the shallots and tarragon and sauté over moderate heat for 1 minute.

Add the mushrooms and sauté until tender. Strain off any excess liquid, return mushrooms to the pan with the remaining 1 Tablespoon butter, and over high heat cook until golden brown. Season with salt and pepper. Place the mushrooms in a warm serving dish, sprinkle with fines herbs and serve.

Oven roasted vegetables with herbes de provence

Choose any combination of 3 pounds of the following vegetables:

4 cloves garlic, trimmed but unpeeled

1 large Portobello mushroom, stemmed and cut into 8 wedges

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 375º F. In a large bowl, toss the vegetables in 2 tablespoon of the olive oil, plus a little salt and pepper, until coated. Arrange the vegetables cut side down on a large baking sheet and roast on the bottom shelf of the oven for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are beginning to brown. Turn the vegetables 2-3 times during cooking to prevent burning. In the same bowl, toss the garlic and Portobello mushroom with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, plus a little salt and pepper, until coated. Add this mixture to the baking sheet of vegetables and gently stir to combine. Continue roasting for 10 minutes. Dot the butter over the vegetables and sprinkle with 1/4 cup wine and the Herbes de Provence. Roast for another 10 minutes or until tender. Remove the vegetables from the oven and serve.

1 egg yolk plus 2 Tablespoons water

1 Tablespoon dry Italian seasoning or blend your own using fresh

Measure warm water into large bowl. Sprinkle in yeast; stir until dissolved. Add sugar, 2 tsp. salt, butter, egg and 3 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Add enough additional flour to make a stiff dough. Cover bowl tightly. Refrigerate 2 to 24 hours. Turn dough out onto lightly floured board. Divide in half; cut each half into 16 equal pieces. Roll each piece into pencil shapes about 20 inches long. Shape into pretzels. Place on lightly greased baking sheets. Blend egg and water; brush this on the pretzels. Sprinkle with coarse salt. Let rise in warm place until doubled in bulk (about 25 minutes). Bake at 400° F. about 15 minutes or until done. Remove from baking sheets and cool on wire racks. Makes 32 pretzels.

Barbeque sauce with chili powder

Put all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring just to boiling. Remove from heat.

Brush on meat while grilling

1/2 to 1 Tablespoon curry powder – choose your favorite

Pour frozen vegetables into a covered 2-quart glass casserole dish. Microwave for 3 minutes or until thawed out. Set aside. Mix together yogurt and cornstarch in a small mixing bowl and set aside. Heat oil in a large skillet. Sauté garlic until light brown, about 3 minutes. Add vegetables, curry powder, sugar, salt, and pepper and stir gently until vegetables are heated through, about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and add yogurt mixture. Serve while hot.   

Donna Frawley is the owner of Frawley's Fine Herbary and author of "The Herbal Breads Cookbook," "Our Favorite Recipes." and "Edible Flowers Book." She also has her own DVD "Cooking with Herbs" and a weekly newsletter. She can be reached at 989-488-0170, frawleyherbs@yahoo.com or www.frawleysfineherbary.com