

Of all the plants at your home, indoors or out, perhaps the most neglected are the powdered, chopped, bottled, and stoppered plants collectively known as the spice cabinet.
Tucked away behind a drawer or door front, this collection of dried plant leaves, flowers, seeds, and barks is a must-have in American kitchens: full spice racks are prized as wedding gifts and easy-to-access spice drawers are de rigueur in kitchen remodels.
Spices and herbs are every cook's link to the world of flavor—and the secrets to the world's great cuisines. Yet the out-of-sight, out-of-mind nature of the spice rack/cabinet means that many of us are working with outdated, past-their-prime products instead of fresh flavorings.
January is a great time for smart gardeners—and smart cooks—to assess, re-assort, assemble, and plan for a useful and powerful flavor arsenal.
Assess what you've got
In general, herbs are the "green" plant parts: the leaves, flowers, stems, or roots of green, non-woody plants.
Also in general, spices are the bark (usually from woody trees or shrubs) or seeds of plants.
You probably dove deeply into your spice cabinet in November and December, pulling out the cinnamon (a bark) and nutmeg (a seed) for cookies and baked goods or the sage and rosemary (both leaves) for meats and stuffings. But what lies deeper at the back of the cupboard?
The first thing to do is easy: pull everything out of the drawers and cupboards for a freshness exam.
Re-assort and re-assemble
The next step is the most difficult to execute: edit and discard.
While it can feel painful to discard a still-half-full spice jar, it's important to use herbs and spices that aren't old and weak—your cooking will taste better for it, and the health benefits of each plant will still be intact (for instance, cilantro is high in vitamin K, and thyme is loaded with antioxidants). You can:
After you've edited, replenish only according to your true needs. Think about your current cuisine favorites: Are you craving Mexican food instead of Indian food these days? Then add ancho chili powder, and hold off on replacing the curry. When you are ready to replace, consider:
Plan for fresh herbs
Of course, fresh herbs are the most desirable of all in the kitchen. Serious chefs know that an herb garden, whether pot or plot, is the best way to access the freshest ingredients possible.
January is the month to plan for your own herb garden, and to order seeds for the herbs you want to grow yourself. To help get you started, check out these inspirations/resources at the Garden:
The eager-to-get-started will want to sow seeds early indoors, too—this Smart Gardener link has the how-tos: Fresh All Winter: Grow Herbs Indoors.
One final resource: Seed Swap at the Garden! Swap seeds and tips with other gardeners, and learn from experts. See you there!
Karen Zaworski was a garden writer and photographer.