Of all the things growing in my garden, I rely on fresh herbs more than any other fruit or vegetable. Just outside my kitchen door is a long wall of thyme, tarragon, chives, lemon verbena, coriander, shiso (Japanese basil) and sage.
I have a huge mint patch and a path with stone steps that are surrounded by and overtaken with fragrant, purple flowering lemon thyme. There’s also several pots of rosemary and lemongrass, and hanging planters filled with nasturtium and edible calendula flowers.
At least twice a day, I go outside with my basket and scissors and snip fresh herbs: basil and thyme for morning scrambled eggs, tarragon or dill for a lunchtime salad dressing, and rosemary, oregano and basil for pasta sauces, or sautéed/grilled fish. I snip fresh lemongrass for a quick curry and decorate grilled foods and salads with nasturtium and edible flowers.
If you have a sunny apartment window, fire escape or small patio that gets a few hours of sunlight, you can grow herbs. You don’t need a huge yard or a large garden. A few pots, a few hours of sunshine, and a commitment to watering, and you’ll have a culinary herb garden in a matter of weeks. Think about the herbs you rely on (and the ones you’d like to experiment more with) and start planting.
These three recipes use fresh herbs in simple but powerful ways. The first is an herb syrup that takes mere minutes to make, but will find its way into all your summer drinks. Next is an herby salad dressing that works well with greens, grilled vegetables, seafood, or a cold noodle salad. And finally, an herby green sauce similar to a chimichurri sauce but with several differences, namely the addition of capers, basil and rice wine vinegar.
Pro tip: Click here to read my guide to summer herbs.
Lemon verbena, mint and ginger syrup
You can make this simple syrup with any combination of herbs you like. Think tarragon-mint or thyme-basil or tarragon-black pepper. Savory and sweet. Add a tablespoon to a tall glass of seltzer with lots of ice, stir it into iced or hot tea, or use it as a flavor base for cocktails. You can also drizzle it into salad dressings, or use it to glaze fish or chicken
Makes about 1 ½ cups.
INGREDIENTS
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 ¼ cups water
- ½ packed cup lemon verbena and mint, or your favorite herb(s)
- 1 tablespoon peeled ginger, chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
Place the sugar and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the herbs and ginger and simmer for another 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Strain the syrup through a fine sieve into a mason jar and seal. Refrigerate for several weeks.
Herby vinaigrette
This is my go-to salad dressing all summer long. I drizzle it on salads, garden tomatoes, grilled vegetables, grilled fish, grilled meat, and cold noodle salads. You can use it with just about anything that needs a nice wake-up of herbs, vinegar and oil.
Again, you can use any combination of fresh herbs you have on hand. I love the slightly anise flavor of tarragon in my salad dressing, but often mix in basil, opal basil, thyme, chives and dill.
The dressing will keep, covered and refrigerated, for a week. You can easily double or triple the recipe to have enough on hand to last for several meals.
Makes about ½ cup.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 small clove garlic, or ½ clove garlic, chopped
- Salt
- 1 generous teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
- 3 to 4 tablespoon chopped or finely chopped fresh herbs
- 2 tablespoons white or red wine vinegar, cider vinegar, or lemon
- Freshly ground black pepper
- About ½ cup olive oil
Pro tip: If you want your vinaigrette really herby use all 4 tablespoons. And you can chop the herbs coarsely or finely depending on how you like your vinaigrette.
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place the garlic in a small bowl and sprinkle generously with salt. Using the back of a kitchen spoon, mash the garlic into the salt until it’s almost a paste. Really mash it.
- Stir in the mustard, herbs, vinegar, and pepper. Using a small whisk, add the oil in a slow, steady stream and whisk until the vinaigrette is emulsified and slightly creamy. You can also place it in a jar or covered bowl and shake it vigorously. The vinaigrette will keep, covered and refrigerated, for at least a week.
Green sauce (my take on chimichurri sauce)
Chimichurri is a classic Argentinian sauce or condiment made with oregano, parsley, oil, vinegar and garlic. My take also includes briny capers, basil, scallions and a touch of chili flakes.
Classically, it is spooned over grilled meats, but it works equally well spooned over a tomato, radish and pea salad, roast chicken, grilled fish or shrimp, or as a dip with vegetables and bread.
Makes about 1 cup.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 scallion, ends trimmed and chopped
- ⅓ cup fresh oregano
- ½ cup fresh parsley
- ⅓ cup fresh basil
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- ¼ cup capers, drained
- 1 small pickle, optional
- About 3 tablespoons rice wine, white or red wine vinegar
- About ½ cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Pinch chili flakes
INSTRUCTIONS
- In the bowl of a food processor blender, whirl the scallion, oregano, parsley, and basil until chopped. You don’t want a paste or a puree.
- Add the garlic, capers and pickles, if using, and about 2 ½ tablespoon of the vinegar and whirl. Again, you’re not trying to make a puree but a thick, chunky sauce. Add the oil and whirl. Season to taste.
- If you want the sauce tarter, add the additional ½ tablespoon of vinegar. Don’t add too much salt, as the capers are quite salty. Add a pinch of chili flakes; you don’t want a really spicy sauce, just a hint of a hot bite.
- Place into a bowl and cover and refrigerate. Will keep for around a week.
Other herb recipes
Elevate your summer cuisine with fresh herbs
- Herb-infused roasted beets with herb butter
- Stir fried cilantro and basil turkey wraps in lettuce leaves
- Mint (or any herb) syrup
A guide to herbs for your garden and table
- Herb frittata
- Herb, radish and fennel salad
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
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