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Roasted chicken thighs with rosemary is a dish that thrives with the addition of fresh herbs.

Basil Ginger Lemon Saketini made with fresh basil leaves results in a refreshing cocktail. 

Spinach and parsley pesto uses fresh-from-the-garden herbs that thrive in containers.

I am a terrible gardener. I hate weeding and, within weeks of planting anything, the tomato, pepper and other plants start to become overrun with unwanted greenery. It's just not a pretty sight.

The few plants that do seem to persevere despite my sloppy gardening efforts are the herbs, and they truly are enough of a payoff to keep going.

Having an ongoing supply of fresh herbs on hand during the summer ensures my cooking never becomes dull or uninspired. The secret to excellent pasta salads, tantalizing bruschetta and lively pasta sauces always comes down to a simple handful of chopped fresh herbs. If a garden — even a terrible garden — is not in the cards for you, you can easily grow herbs in a windowsill pot. Many herbs thrive in containers, and then you can snip off little bunches of basil, dill, oregano and thyme to your heart's content, knowing there will be more to come.

You can start your herbs as seeds, or buy small plants and repot them in progressively larger pots as they grow. Read package instructions for how to plant and care for various kinds of herbs.

Now, what to do with all of those wonderful, fragrant herbs? Everything!

To me, basil is the summeriest of all the herbs. Basil belongs to the mint family and is an essential herb in Italian and Mediterranean cooking. It's the key ingredient in traditional pesto. But different varieties of basil (there are more than 60!) also frequently are used in other types of cuisine, including Thai, Vietnamese and Indonesian.

I use basil in pretty much anything that involves tomatoes: bruschetta, pasta sauces, caprese salads. But don't stop there — have you ever had basil in a cocktail? Amazing. Add some to your sangria for a surprising burst of flavor.

Or make basil oil by blending up ½ cup fresh basil leaves with ¼ cup olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. You can strain the leaves out if you want a clearer green-hued oil, or leave the pretty green flecks right in there. Drizzle basil oil over roasted peppers, poached salmon, sliced tomatoes and mozzarella, or grilled zucchini and summer squash, to name but a few options.

Although it's popular in a number of countries and cuisines, we most often associate thyme with European, particularly Mediterranean, cooking. I probably use this herb in my cooking more than any other year round. The taste is potent and decidedly herbal in flavor, with sharp grassy, woodsy and floral notes.

Thyme works well with meats of all kinds, fish, chicken, eggs, pasta, vegetables and beans. (I love it with lentils.) It's a great addition to pasta and potato salads.

You can make a delicious quick compound butter featuring thyme. Mince about 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme and blend it with ½ cup softened butter, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Use this thyme-flavored butter to finish steaks, chicken breasts and salmon right off the grill. Or add a pat to a baked potato or some hot cooked grains, such as rice.

The humble, unsung hero of the fresh herb world. Yes, parsley can be used as a garnish, either in sprig form or minced and sprinkled over a dish to give it a finishing pop of color and flavor. But don't overlook it as an herb to use in all kinds of dishes, both cooked and uncooked.

The fresh, clean, ever-so-slightly peppery flavor of parsley is wonderful. It is highlighted in dishes like Middle Eastern tabbouleh and falafel, and also is a key component in a bouquet garni, a bundle of herbs used to season many Mediterranean dishes.

I like to add a generous handful of fresh parsley (I prefer the flat-leaf Italian variety to the curly version) to everything from soups and stews to shrimp scampi to grain and orzo salads. It's excellent in condiments and sauces like salsa verde and chimichurri. And yes, it's great as a finishing garnish to many dishes, as well.

Another easy-to-grow and very versatile herb. Many of us think Italian, Greek or Mexican when we think of oregano, and with good reason, but it's also popular in Argentine and Turkish cooking. The flavor is peppery, sharp, a bit sweet, and even a little pleasantly bitter. Use oregano in marinades, dressing, sauces and salads, as well as anything tomato-based.

If you have ever grown it, you know that once mint gets going, it's hard to stop. So finding ways to use it is an imperative. Sweet and sharp and refreshing, mint adds interest to drinks (a sprig in a glass of lemonade or a cocktail is delightful), marinades, salads, salsas, pesto and desserts. It also is an important herb in Southeast Asian cooking.

Another prolific herb (part of the mint family, which makes sense). The flavor is piney, a bit lemony, sharp and quite strong; a little goes a long way. You can find terrific uses for rosemary in marinades for meats and poultry, and it's a great partner to potatoes. And you can use rosemary sprigs as skewers and make kabobs with them!

Tarragon, chives, marjoram, dill — all terrific options for growing and cooking. The world of fresh herbs is vast. With a few pots on the sill, your summer cooking is about to game up in a big way.

Rosemary and lemon are excellent partners for these chicken thighs, which cook up extra crispy, like a cross between fried and roasted chicken.

8 chicken bone-in, skin-on thighs (about 4 pounds)

Kosher or coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

3 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh chives or parsley (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a small bowl mix together the lemon zest and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper.

Use your fingers to gently loosen the skin from the chicken thighs. Insert a hefty pinch of the rosemary-zest mixture under the skin of each thigh and rub it to coat the meat. You will use about ½ of the rub mixture for this.

In a shallow bowl blend the flour with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture and shake off any excess.

Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and place the chicken thighs in the pan, skin side down (you may need to do this in two batches), and cook for about 5 minutes, until the skin starts to brown. Flip the thighs and cook for another 4 minutes or so on the bottom side, until the bottoms starts to turn golden. If you cooked the chicken in batches, fit all of the chicken back into the pan, transfer to the oven and roast for about 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

Sprinkle as much lemon juice as you like over the chicken, then sprinkle the remaining lemon zest and rosemary mixture over the chicken, and serve hot. Sprinkle with chives or parsley if desired.

This is one refreshing cocktail.

Basil leaves and strip of lemon zest for garnish

Ingredients for the Lemon Basil Ginger Simple Syrup:

8 strips lemon zest from 1 lemon

To Make the Lemon Basil Ginger Simple Syrup: Combine the water with the sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the basil, ginger and lemon zest and remove from the heat. Let cool to room temperature, then transfer to a clean glass container and refrigerate for 24 hours. Strain out the solids and place the Basil Ginger Syrup in a clean container.

To make the cocktail: Into a shaker filled with ice, pour the vodka, sake and Lemon Basil Ginger Syrup. Shake well and let sit for 1 minute to chill well. Shake again and strain into a martini glass, champagne glass or coupe. Add a couple of basil leaves and 1 or 2 lemon zest strips to garnish and serve chilled.

2 cups packed roughly chopped fresh spinach

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

Coarse or kosher and freshly ground pepper to taste

⅔ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Place the garlic, scallions, parsley and spinach in a food processor or blender and pulse until everything is roughly chopped (or use a mortar and pestle). Add the pine nuts, the oil, and salt and pepper and process, scraping down the sides part-way through, until everything is well blended.

At this point, for best texture, you should transfer the pesto to a small bowl or container before stirring in the Parmesan, but you are welcome to throw the cheese into the food processor and pulse to blend.

For more recipes, go online to themom100.com.