Fresh herbs

[tommy]

for those interested, this is what the fish in foil with herbs, lemon, garlic and capers turned out looking like. the photo doesn't do it much justice, as the few colors that were there were more vibrant. however, the flavors were brilliant. garnished with some fresh herb and maybe something red, and it's quite stunning. the fish and ingredients make their own sauce.

[jaybee]

I make a whole red snapper baked in salt. The cavity is stuffed with fresh lemon thyme, a little tarragon and a few strands of rosemary. (or other herbs that you may favor). The top of the fish is layered with thin round slices of lemon and more of the herbs. Place the fish in a shallow roasting pan with a layer of kosher salt on the botton about 1" deep. The whole shebang is covered completely with kosher salt (2 lbs for a 2-3 lb fish). Add 1/2 cup white wine and 1/2 cup water (replace any salt that may wash off and expose fish). Bake in 375 degree preheated oven for 45 minutes. Break off salt (which will be hard like clay) and carefully remove fish. Wipe off any salt that is on the skin or rinse under very hot water. The fish wil lbe very moist, and the flesh will be infused with the flavors of the herbs and lemon.

[spicegirl]

Bhel Puri with fresh cilantro and mint.

Mint tea with mint.

Pesto with basil.

Mint or Cilantro Chutney is always good.

Strawberry and mint lemonade

[Saffy]

Herbs are something I would never be without in my kitchen. I have tons of herbs in my garden that are constantly being picked.

Some of my fav uses for herbs

Red potatos oven roasted with a good scattering of rosemary needles and olive oil, a few roughly chopped cloves of garlic and a sprinkle of sea salt. They are just wonderful!

Thyme in mushroom soup or over slow roasted pumpkin slices.

Thyme cooked with butter, shallots and garlic for a wonderful homemade bread topping.

Rosemary in red onion jam

chives in salads and butters.

Lemon verbena in salads, with fish and chicken

Sage butter with chicken

Majoram with lamb shanks braised with beer .. superb

Majoram leaves scattered through home baked bread

candied herb flowers to decorate cakes

Valarian makes a fabulous relaxing tea, as do peppermint and camomile.

young dandelion leaves in salads add a terrific bite

mint in tabouleh and youghurt and garlic dressings for middle eastern foods.

I could go on and on.... herbs have so many uses.. I am grateful to have them in my kitchen and to have discovered early how versatile they are.

Love em!! :)

[mixmaster b]

So many great ideas for fresh herbs!

I also like them with eggs. Mix a small handfull of chopped thyme, dill, tarragon, or oregano (thyme is my fave) with beaten eggs, pepper, and some grated cheese of your choice (parm, cheddar, dry jack, small chunks of brie), and scramble as usual.

Also frittata is nice. I like to saute some mushrooms & onions (combos of veggies/meats for frittatas are endless) in an oven proof skillet, then add the egg mixture described above. Top with a bit of grated parmesan and finish in the oven. This is even better with fresh roasted red peppers in the mix.

Easy brunch!

[SobaAddict70]

Some of the things I do with fresh herbs:

As stuffing in roast chicken (best with unpeeled garlic cloves, quartered lemons and sprigs of rosemary or thyme)

With Thai food -- part of Thai cuisine are the garnishes, and fresh herbs count for a lot in the cuisine. Of course, what we have in this part of the world pales in comparison to what's available in Thailand, but you learn to make do with what you have.

As a finisher or flavor spritzer in Indian cooking. For example, I might sprinkle a T. or two T. of chopped cilantro or mint on top of potatoes smothered in a yogurt sauce.

Ditto for certain Italian dishes -- pasta with sugo pomodoro (fresh tomato sauce) comes to mind.

As tempura, used as a garnish. Fried sage leaves, tempura basil leaves, etc.

Sometimes I add a few T. of chopped fresh mixed herbs to cucumber or watercress soup, either before pureeing the soup in a blender or before serving.

SA

[Suvir Saran]

SA,

Do you have a recipe for the potatoies smothered in a yogurt sauce? They sound delicious.

[Stone]

Has anyone tried to grow lemongrass? A few years back I ordered from fresh herbs from Lingles Herbs including lemon grass. (By the way, if you want fresh herbs, they sell and deliver healthy seedless of almost anything you can imagine.)

The lemongrass just grew as a large clump of grass. No stalks. I put in the largest pot I could find (as advised by Linlges), but still no stalks. Anyone else try this?

[Suvir Saran]

We have some on our deck in NYC. We are growing it in a large terracotta container. It is brought in for the winters. It seems to be doing well. Few stalks but very wonderful to have.

[Suvir Saran]

Dstone,

How old is your plant? Maybe it needs to grow some? Ours is now around 5 year old. It had its first stalk develop maybe 3 years ago.

[SobaAddict70]

Sesame Yogurt Potatoes

6 medium-sized all-purpose potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes

1/2 c. plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

1/2 T. scraped, finely shredded or minced fresh ginger root

1/4 t. cayenne pepper or paprika

5 T. ghee or sesame oil

3 T. sesame seeds

1 T. black mustard seeds

1/2 T. cumin seeds

1/2 T. salt

1 T. fresh lemon juice

2 T. chopped fresh coriander or parsley

1. Boil or steam the potatoes until they are fork-tender. Drain them and place in a mixing bowl. Add the yogurt, ginger and cayenne or paprika, and gently fold to coat the potatoes with the seasoned yogurt. Set aside for 1/2 to 3 hours.

2. Heat the ghee or oil in a heavy frying pan over moderate heat. When it is hot but not smoking, drop in the sesame seeds, black mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When the seeds begin to pop, add the potatoes and salt and fry, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 5 minutes or until the potatoes begin to brown. Sprinkle with lemon juice and fresh herb before serving.

Serves 6.

I sometimes vary the above recipe by frying the potatoes in a minimal amount of oil or ghee with some mustard seeds and garlic until the potatoes are tender, then fold in seasoned yogurt at the end -- plain yogurt with a bit of turmeric, cumin and other spices, or some freshly made garam masala, then finish with the lemon juice and herb.

I prefer a Gujarati-style garam masala. My current blend: grated coconut, sesame seeds, black mustard seeds, saffron, green peppercorns, white peppercorns, green cardamom pods, cumin seeds and ground nutmeg.

SA

[Suvir Saran]

SA,

Many thanks!

Did you make this recipe up yourself? Is it from a restaurant or book? It sounds wonderful. Seems like this could be a perfect dish for the summer.

Thanks for sharing the recipe so promptly.

[SobaAddict70]

"The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking" by Yamuna Devi (1987, Penguin).

SA

[Suvir Saran]

Thanks for the information.

That recipe sounds wonderful. And perfect time for trying it.

[Stone]

Dstone,

How old is your plant?  Maybe it needs to grow some?  Ours is now around 5 year old.  It  had its first stalk develop maybe 3 years ago.

I guess that was my problem. I gave it two years and ditched it when I moved.