One of the most significant benefits to blending your own herb and spice mixtures is the ability to balance flavors to your liking, so please don’t follow this recipe exactly. I’d rather see you make it your own — a little of this, a touch of that, and a handful more of the best parts.

Use this blend as the base for soups like cream of tomato or white bean and vegetable, to season fish, on toasted garlic bread, shaken into a vinaigrette, or in my herb and olive oil sourdough crackers.

Yield: about ½ cup

What You Need:

• 4 teaspoons dried parsley

• 4 teaspoons lavender buds

• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

• 1 tablespoon dried rosemary

• 2 teaspoon fennel seeds

• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram

What You Do:

1. Gently stir all ingredients together in a bowl.

2. To store, transfer to a glass jar and tightly close the lid. Use within 1 year for best results.