Don’t let your herbs go wild in the garden or get moldy in the refrigerator. There are lots of way to incorporate them into your recipes.
A general guideline for using fresh herbs in a recipe is to use 3 times as much as you would use dried herbs.
Wash herbs when you are ready to use them. Shake off moisture or spin dry in a salad spinner. Pat off any remaining moisture with clean paper towels.
For most recipes, unless otherwise directed, mince herbs into tiny pieces. Chop with a chef’s knife on a cutting board or snip with a kitchen scissors.
Unlike dried herbs, fresh herbs are usually added toward the end in cooked dishes to preserve their flavor.
Storing Herbs
Fresh herbs can be stored in an open or a perforated plastic bag in your refrigerator for a few days.
After washing, you can mince the herbs and place them halfway up in the sections of an ice-cube tray. Cover herbs with cold water and freeze until solid.
Transfer the frozen cubes to a freezer bag. Drop them into soups, stews and sauces as needed.
Some Other Ways To Use Herbs
If you love a big, green salad, add fresh herbs to the mix.
Add a big handful of fresh herbs to a basic mixture of equal parts sugar and water, bring to a boil, stir and then remove from the heat. Once completely cooled, strain out the herbs (discard) and use the simple syrup to sweeten iced coffee or tea and cocktails.
Fresh herbs are a perfect in salad dressings and vinaigrettes. They round out the fatty and sharp flavors from the oil and vinegar.
Combine finely chopped herbs and room-temperature butter to make a spread that compliments bread or cooked meat or vegetables.
Summer Squash Chowder
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 medium zucchini and 2 medium patty pan squash, diced
- 1 large sweet (Vidalia) onion, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 8 cups Summer Vegetable Stock (corn cob stock) (recipe here)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 cup fresh corn kernels
- Sour cream for garnish
Directions
Heat the butter in a large saucepan or stockpot; add the garlic, celery and onion. Saute for 5 minutes. Add the squash and lightly salt the vegetables. Saute for an additional 5 minutes.
Add the stock and 1 teaspoon salt, bring to a boil, reduce heat and partially cover and cook for 25 minutes. Puree the soup with a hand immersion blender until smooth.
Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Stir in lemon juice, corn and herbs. Simmer for 5 minutes. Serve in individual soup bowls topped with a tablespoon of sour cream.
Creamy Herb Dip
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
This makes a great party dip with lots of fresh summer vegetables and pita chips.
It is best to process all the ingredients in the food processor with the exception of the yogurt, for the best consistency.
Use either whole or low-fat Greek yogurt and mayonnaise (but don’t use nonfat).
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 medium shallot, chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 3/4 cup Greek yogurt
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Process mayonnaise, shallot, chives, basil and lemon juice in food processor until smooth. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl and stir in yogurt. Season with salt and pepper.
Cover dip and refrigerate until thickened, at least 1 hour. (Dip can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 2 days.
Spaghetti with Clam and Herb Sauce
Ingredients
- 8 ounces spaghetti
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 shallot, minced
- 3 (6 1/2-ounce) cans chopped clams in broth
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon peperoncino (hot red-pepper flakes)
- 1/2 cup of white wine
Directions
Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until barely al dente. (or use the quick skillet method – see recipe here). Drain pasta and set aside.
Drain the clams over a large measuring cup. Set the clams aside. You should have about 1 1/2 cups of clam broth.
Heat oil in the same pan that the pasta was cooked in over medium-high heat. Add garlic, shallots, herbs, hot pepper and a sprinkle of salt and cook, stirring as needed, until the shallots have softened.
Add wine and let it simmer for a few minutes. Add the clam broth and bring to a boil. Add the cooked spaghetti, turn the heat down and let the spaghetti simmer for two minutes.
Add the drained clams and let the mixture heat for a minute or two. Serve in pasta bowls with plenty of crusty Italian bread.
Pan-Fried Herbed Pork Cutlets
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup finely minced herbs (any combination of thyme, rosemary, oregano, basil, sage, chives, parsley)
- 1/8 teaspoon ground fennel seed
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 pork cutlets (about 1/4 inch thick and each weighing about 4 oz)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Lemon wedges
Directions
Combine the herbs, fennel and salt in a shallow dish. Place the flour in a second shallow dish. Pat chops dry with paper towels.
Trim the cutlets of fat and pound them lightly with a meat mallet to make them uniform in thickness. Press the herbs on both sides of the cutlets and then dredge the cutlets in the flour (do not discard flour).
Transfer to a plate and let rest 10 minutes. Dredge cutlets in the flour a second time just before cooking.
Heat the oil over medium-high heat and cook the pork cutlets until well browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve with lemon wedges.
Herb Salad
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- 2 heads tender lettuce (such as Boston or Bibb), torn into bite-size pieces
- 1/2 cup torn or chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, basil, sage and chives
- 2 teaspoons finely minced shallots
- Sliced red and white radishes
- 1 cup sliced toasted almonds
Directions
In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice and mustard; season with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, combine lettuce, shallots, radishes and herbs. Add dressing and toss to combine. Add almonds and serve.
Variation: The dressed salad can also be placed—open-face sandwich fashion—on top of grilled bread that has brushed with olive oil.
