Greeley Stampede, going on now through July 4, www.greeleystampede.org/
Cherry Creek Arts Festival, July 1-3,
Music, entertainment, art, and food. https://cherryarts.org/events/
Breckenridge Arts Festival – July 6-8, Cool off in the mountains. http://www.
Crested Butte Wildflower Festival, July 7 – 16. Over 200 workshops including culinary, photography, arts and crafts, wildflower hikes, and more in beautiful Crested Butte. https://
Colorado Renaissance Festival, weekends through August 6. Time for some jousting and turkey legs. https://
https://www.botanicgardens.
More than 2,000 lavender plants set the scene for this family-friendly celebration of Chatfield Farms' Lavender Garden. There will be music, entertainment, demonstrations, food and drink vendors, garden and farm tours, and featured artists. Come enjoy a fragrant day at the farm.
Winter Park Jazz Festival, July 15 -16.
Music and mountain splendor. https://www.
Check out https://www.colorado.com,
Free Days – you still need to make reservations to get in.
Denver Botanic Gardens –Wednesday, July 5
Denver Art Museum – Sunday, July 9, Tuesday, July 11, Sunday, July 30
Four Mile Historic Park, Friday, July 28
Hudson Gardens – free admission every day
Check SCFD for free and discounted music, dance, museums, and more.
The best time to harvest your herbs is in the cool of the morning, ideally when they are dry. The midday heat encourages plants to release their essential oils, which you want as intact as possible. Normally it is wise not to harvest more than 1/3 of your plant, leaving plenty for later harvests. Cut right above where a leaf or leaves attach to the stem. Shake each bundle to give insects the heave-ho, rinse in cool water, and spin in a salad spinner. No salad spinner? Let dry off a bit on a dish towel. To dry, fasten them in small bunches with a rubber band, include a strip of paper telling you what it is, and hang upside down out of direct sunlight.
I now have a drying rack but for years I just hung them off long strips of twine that were fastened to the underside of a high cabinet. I attached the herbs with paper clips. It worked fine. Most herbs dry well this way, common exceptions being basil, cilantro, parsley, and chives.
When your herbs have dried, take them down and put them in a sealed container. Glass jars work best, but you can use Ziplocs. Label, date, and store in a cool, dark place. I know your herbs look really cool hanging around, but once they dry, they start to lose potency.
Until you are ready to use them, keep your herbs in as whole a form as possible. Rub the leaves off the woody stems before adding to dishes. If stored correctly, most herbs retain flavor until the next growing season and beyond. To determine viability, look at color, beige is not a good sign, and rub some of the herb between your fingers. It should have some fragrance.
Another great way to store herbs is in herb vinegar. Just put the clean, fresh herb in a jar, cover completely with apple cider, rice, or wine vinegar. Cover with a noon-metallic lid and let sit for a few weeks, strain, and you have yourself a very tasty, high mineral, designer vinegar.
Basil, Ocimum basilicum, is an annual herb originally from India. Delicious with any cuisine it is usually affiliated with Italian cooking. There are dozens of different basil varieties, from citrus scented varieties to exotic flavors. They all grow easily in full sun with adequate water and won’t tolerate cold temperatures. The leaves are used in cooking, flower buds are also edible.
Basil, depending on variety, can grow from 6” to 2 feet or more. They need 5-6 hours of sun to be happy and grow easily from seed. Plant seeds every 3-4 weeks for a constant supply. They work well in container gardens. Basil prefers a rich, moist soil.
Try to keep basil from blooming and getting lanky, pinch off flower buds and harvest on a regular basis. Flowering will compromise flavor and hasten the demise of the plant. Always pinch right above a set of leaves.
You can multiply your basil by taking cuttings and rooting in water, babying the plant a bit when you transplant it into soil. Aphids like basil. Remove the majority of them by pinching off the top parts where they like to hang out and hose off the rest of the plant.
Basil grows well with tomatoes, and some of the bush and shorter varieties are hardier than sweet or Genovese basil, which is known for the best taste.
Basil is one of the chef’s essential herbs. Use it at the end of food preparation to preserve its taste and color. It can be used in salads, sandwiches, in Italian, Asian, and Mexican cuisine. Try it with fruits, beverages, and just snipped over sliced garden tomatoes with a drizzle of olive oil.
Basil does not dry well so preserve it by processing it into a paste with olive oil in a food processor. You can then measure out spoonfuls on a cookie tray lined with parchment paper, freeze, remove, and store in a freezer container. You can also freeze in ice cube trays. Add garlic, Parmesan cheese, and some walnuts or pine nuts, and you’ll have ready-made pesto.
"Oh, the summer night, has a smile of light, and she sits on a sapphire throne."
— Bryan Procter