Potatoes, Herbs, and the Quiet Magic of Home

If you’ve ever been in a meeting with us, you know how it goes. We’re reviewing photos, planning recipes, mapping out what’s next, and then, out of nowhere, Jagatjoti, our director (and resident encyclopedia of herbs and spices), drops a fact that stops the room.
Last week was one of those moments.
We were talking about simple summer recipes, how to keep meals easy yet special, when he looked up and said:
“Did you know parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme changed the way generations cooked potatoes?”
Silence, then curious smiles around the table.
“Okay, tell us,” Bassma said, ready to type it down.
And he smiled, in that way he does when he’s about to teach us something we won’t forget.

                 
“Before these herbs, potatoes were just survival food, boiled, bland, & heavy. But people started growing these herbs in window boxes and garden paths. They weren’t fancy; they were what you had. And together, they turned potatoes into something people wanted to eat, not just had to eat.”
Melissa jumped in, “Parsley for brightness, right? It cuts through the heaviness.”
“Exactly,” he nodded. “It lifted dishes, added a fresh note.”
“Rosemary,” Jason added, “the scent when it roasts is unreal. My grandmother always said it made the whole house smell like comfort.”
“And sage,” Mattee said, “my favorite in browned butter over crispy potatoes.”
“Thyme ties it all together,” Jagatjoti said softly, “it’s subtle, but it’s the piece that makes everything feel finished.”
We could almost see it as he spoke: someone chopping parsley fresh from the window box, another sprinkling rosemary over roasting potatoes, sage leaves sizzling in butter, thyme dropped into a pot with a quiet promise of depth.
“These herbs weren’t just about taste,” Jagatjoti continued. “They were practical. Easy to grow, easy to dry, and they made everything last longer. They turned a survival food into a meal that felt like care.”

We all sat there for a moment, thinking about how easy it is to overlook the power of simple herbs we pass by on our shelves every day.
Melissa broke the silence, laughing softly, “It’s always the simple herbs that do the real magic.”
And it’s true.
At Starwest, these are the stories that remind us why we care so much about the herbs and spices we source. Why we take the time to handle them with intention. Because they’re not just ingredients, they are tradition, warmth, and tiny moments of care that connect us to kitchens long before ours and those yet to come.
So here’s to parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme, and the quiet way they continue to transform the everyday, one roasted potato at a time.