les herbes aromatique

didn't know whether to put this under gardening or food.......can someone tell me why you can't seem to buy small pots of herbs like basil, coriander and the like to be used in cooking? I guess I have been so used to walking into Waitrose and picking up a lively specimen to put on my kitchen window sill and be used in the next few weeks' culinary creations. Do the French just use dried stuff or do they all grow their own - but - how do they then keep them going in the winter??? All advice welcome. K.

You can, I get mine from either Grand Frais or SuperU. They are usually on a tall rack in the fruit & veg section.
Rosemary, Basil, Mint, Coriander, Oregano etc.

It's easy to keep rosemary, sage, thyme and mint (in a pot on it's own) going in the garden all year. I find that the pots in my local SuperU are more seasonal, not much of a choice in the winter.

Sorry Inkflo, but, there is no Grand Frais near me (I don't think) and the SuperU don't have any in the fruit and veg section (that's where I've been looking although I'm quite small so tall shelves often get the better of me.....). We've got rosemary, sage and mint in the garden but it's others like basil, coriander and oregano i would like to get. I warm to the idea of growing my own (as I did in Angleterre) and my husband has set to digging this afternoon to create such a space...alongside the Rosemary.....now all we have to do is try and buy the others in plant form or get some seeds....off to market we go. Thanks a lot. K.

Our local Carrefour (Bellac) does stock pots of growing herbs, but only irregularly. Ditto the pre-cut herbs in packets. It's so frustrating if you have a recipe that needs a particular herb, and you never know whether you will be able to get it. I can't imagine what the locals do. I grow quite a few herbs in the garden, but we have been known to ditch our planned menu in the middle of a shopping trip because of our excitement at finding a supply of basil, coriander or radicchio! Then the tricky bit .... trying to remember all the other ingredients needed for the favourite recipe ...

and as if by magic, our latest publicity from SuperU is advertising les herbes aromatique......so I guess they might have some.....off to Egletons we go......K

On Sunday 27th of April, there is a great vide grenier with plant market in Venarsal, to the north-east of Tulle.

The vegetable and herb plants are of good quality and not too expensive. Great morning or afternoon out.

Thanks for this, Myriam; I've put it on the calendar and will look up where Venarsal is. Not much luck locally here as I've still only managed to find parsley (albeit both flat-leaved and the other curly stuff). Thanks again. K.

Blakevine, have you tried your local garden centre? They all seem to have pots of every kind of herb at the moment.
I've seen them in Jardiland, Gamm Vert and Leclerc. Thyme, mint, rosemary, oregano, sage etc.

Used to go out with a girl who grew her own aromatic herbs. Never understood a word she said but she was always so happy.  

Can you remember what she was growing, Stinky?

Been to Marcillac market this morning and there was a plant stall with garden herbs, sage and lemon thyme amongst them, Euro 2,50 each and good quality. Maybe the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month a "big" market?