Using Fresh Herbs
Ideas for using Fresh Herbs
A list of ideas to use those fresh herbs coming out of your garden! I’ve linked recipes throughout this post to help. Please let me know your favorite ways to incorporate fresh herbs into your meals and which ones you are growing this summer in the comments below.
Make Exciting Salads
Add parsley, cilantro, chervil, tarragon, mint, or dill. The Honey Mustard Surprise Salad is a good example
Infuse Olive Oil
Using neutral oil, heat slowly, add the herbs and let soak for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Strain and keep in the fridge. Us the oil for salad dressings, grilled meat, or dip for fresh bread
Create Sauces
Pesto, Chimichurri, and tzatziki sauce all use fresh herbs
Infused Herb Butter
Mix finely chopped herbs into room temperature butter. Save in the fridge or keep even longer in the freezer. Add this butter to seafood, chicken, or steaks. Sage, Cilantro, Basil, and Oregano work well.
Herb Ice Cubes
Add mint, basil, lavender, or rosemary to water in ice cube trays. Add this fresh flavors to water, tea or cocktails on a hot summer day
Dry Herbs
At the end of every summer I harvest the remainder of my basil, dry it, and use over the winter. This can be done by hanging your herbs or in the microwave for a faster but not quite as flavorful finish.
Make Hummus
Use any base hummus recipe, like this one, and incorporate the herb or herbs of your choosing. Basil, oregano or parsley with roasted red pepper or sun dried tomatoes. Cilantro with a spicy black bean hummus.
Season your Chicken
When roasting a whole chicken, use fresh rosemary or oregano until the skin of the bird to add flavor
Sorbet
Sorbet is basically flavored, chilled sugar water but oh it is delicious! Lemon Basil, Lime Cilantro, Blueberry lavender, or Mint Chocolate
Freshen up Potatoes
Roast the potatoes in the oven tossed in olive oil and fresh sage or rosemary
Add fresh dill and/or parsley to your potato salad
Seafood
Adding fresh herbs to fish packets, using dill dips with salmon, or tossing shrimp in sage and butter make for flavorful dinners.
Fruit Salad
Adding mint or basil to fresh fruit salads
Quiche
A cheese and herb quiche will never disappoint. Make sure to chop up the herbs very small and mix them in with the eggs.
Classic Bruschetta
Basil, oregano and parsley work well with garden tomatoes
Toppings!
When in doubt, throw some on top! Chives and parsley for veggies and potatoes. Basil, oregano, chives and/or parsley for Italian dishes. Dill and parsley for Greek dishes. Thai, Indian, and Mexican flavors pair with cilantro. Sage and seafood are never a bad combo.
A few additional recipes from the blog (not already linked above) that use fresh herbs.
