From an early age I was a summertime kitchen helper for my grandmother, sent to the herb garden to snip a bit of this or that. I loved to watch as she nonchalantly minced, tossed and sprinkled the aromatic snippets into all kinds of dishes, including her unique Summer Cucumber Salad opens in a new tab. In my 20s when I wanted to learn more about growing and using herbs, I turned to an aunt who dismissed my entreaties for a logical learning method and told me basically to "just do it" and I could start by helping her weed her own herb garden. While I felt a tad hornswoggled, she was right-as she is about most things-and getting my hands, eyes and nose right down there with the herbs was indeed a good first lesson. The pleasure of watching, tasting and listening across the counter as she cooked became Lesson 2, and I was off! These days, my years of experimenting with herbs in the garden and the kitchen are especially paying off. By using herbs and spices in different combinations one can really liven up basic, affordable fare-beans, salads, whole grains, pasta, sauces, soups and stews-and avoid getting bored. And aren't we fortunate in this internet age to have culinary inspiration from around the world right at our fingertips? We can create a different version of rice and beans, for example, every week. So, I encourage you to "just do it" yourself! That said, if you're a beginner, maybe it would be helpful if I shared some of my own tried and true "snippets" to give you a head start…without having to weed my herb garden for me.
Basil is the quintessential summer herb for mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, pasta salad, pizza, marinara, Italian vinaigrette, white beans, summer squash and garlic. (It's also tasty muddled into a cocktail.)Bay leaf adds real depth of flavor to black beans, pork, lamb, squash and beef.Chives can be dismissed as a garnish herb, yet are wonderful with cheese anything and in creamy soups, potatoes, eggs and fish, as well as grain dishes.Cilantro is not just for salsa, but also for any beans or lentils, couscous, marinades, ceviche, fish, shrimp, chicken, pork and dishes with lime.Dill adds a light lemony zing to creamy and mild foods such as sour cream or yogurt, cucumbers, lentils (liberally), seafood, creamy chowder, egg salad, deviled eggs, pasta salad, summer squash, spinach, feta cheese and lemon vinaigrette.Mint is refreshing in tea and cocktails, but also in fruit salad, white beans, lamb, grain salads, couscous, cucumbers and yogurt.Oregano is what you smell in a pizza parlor, so use it for pizza, marinara and other tomato sauces, white beans, lamb, Greek vinaigrette, chili and other Mexican-inspired dishes (sparingly), garlic and feta cheese.Parsley should be fresh and is freshness exemplified sprinkled on top of anything, but also good used liberally in pesto and grains, marinades and soups.Rosemary is lovably insistent with potatoes, lamb, white beans, pinto beans, black beans, garlic, mushrooms and squash.Sage is what makes Thanksgiving stuffing and goes with sausage, squash, white beans, fava beans, garbanzo beans, pork, pesto and guacamole (sparingly).Tarragon is very distinct and works well as a dominant flavor with chicken, fish, scallops, mustard, vinaigrettes, eggs and orange-juice flavored dishes.Thyme adds earthy depth to red beans (and other Cajun dishes), squash, mushrooms and beef.Those are my basics, but please comment with what I neglected to include and your own favorite herbs and herb uses. Try growing a few of your own, but don't forget about the scoop-your-own dried herb jars in the store…a real deal year 'round and perfect for experimenting because you can buy just a tiny amount.Here are a few other recipe ideas using herbs:
