For those of you who garden and harvest your own herbs you know this is the time of year when they just seem to grow and grow! Daily water, protection from the extreme heat and basic care will result in a bounty of herbs available for cooking. As a result, I have been coming up with more and more innovative ways to use them. If you are looking for new and various ways to use herbs, read below, take some notes and get working on your next herb garden. Suggestions on herb and food pairing are also discussed to give you a guideline as to which herbs go with which types of foods.
Herb uses:
- Add a mixture of thyme, oregano or sage to stocks, soups, and stews. The freshness it imparts adds a depth of flavor that is unmatched.
- Add a combination of oregano and parsley with olive oil, vinegar and paprika to make salsas like Chimichurri, a classical Argentine sauce that goes great with grilled meats and vegetables.
- Add herbs with oil, acids (like citrus/vinegars), or other spices to marinate and impart great flavor to meats. You can also use this mixture to baste meats and vegetables during cooking. In fact, you can use several rosemary sprigs tied together as a brush. It looks pretty cool, smells great, and does the job.
- For those who love to mix cocktails, use your herbs to make simple syrups. All you have to do is cook 1 part water, 1 part sugar, and some herbs until the sugar melts. Now you have infused syrup that you can add to cocktails, iced tea, fruit salads or fresh whipped cream…the ideas are endless!
- For those who are tired of the same boring pasta, use the herbs in one of two ways. Use it at the last minute to dress the pasta or blend with oil, garlic, and pine nuts to make a delicious sauce to add to pasta, grilled meats, or even vegetables.
- Use extra herbs to infuse olive oils and vinegars. For example, take regular olive oil or extra virgin and add some rosemary or thyme sprigs to infuse flavor. Tarragon is a great herb to infuse vinegars as well. Herbs can also be used to make vinaigrettes for salads as well as vegetables.
- Cook some butter in a sauté pan and add sage. Cook just enough to release the oil from the herb. This is a great addition to pasta like ravioli or agnolotti.
A good question students in my cooking class ask is “how do you know which herbs go with certain foods?” I wish there was some simple ‘rule of thumb’ guideline. Unfortunately though, this does not exist with herbs. However, listed below are some suggestions for specific herbs and the types of foods they compliment.
Thyme – An incredible culinary herb that should be grown in every garden. In cooking, it blends well with many types of foods and other herbs. If there is a perfect culinary herb, thyme is the one. It goes best with roasted chicken, pork ribs or sausages, fish, eggs and roasted vegetables. The woodsy-perfume it gives off is just incredible.
Rosemary – What I call the hulk of herbs in terms of growth and powerful flavor. It can grow and grow with very little attention given and is treasured for that piney-minty-ginger flavor combination. Rosemary compliments different types of meat like lamb or pork, cheese, eggs, stuffing’s and vegetables. My favorite way is to sauté some diced potatoes in olive oil. Once the potatoes are almost done add sliced garlic and finely minced rosemary. The combination of oils released from the garlic and rosemary is wonderful and the flavor it adds to the potatoes is delicious.
Oregano – One of my favorites as it lends a deep yet non-overpowering flavor (when used properly) to dishes. The peppery taste compliments many foods beyond the obvious Italian dishes it is best known for. Oregano pairs nicely with pork, stews, sauces, and all types of pasta. In its raw form it is just as good in a dish of fresh tomatoes, olive oil, and some sea salt.
Basil – Probably the most known or grown herb of all is the mildly spicy, somewhat sweet/minty flavor that is basil. Its versatility allows chefs to use it fresh, dried, or chopped and frozen in ice cube trays. Basil also makes incredible simple syrups – lemon basil vodka anyone? Most known in Italian dishes, basil can also be used with beef, lamb, veal, fish, pasta, rice, cheese, tomatoes, and eggs. You can also use basil to make vinaigrette’s such as my creamy cucumber basil dressing which is just unbelievably good with a cold wedge of iceberg lettuce, ricotta salata and cherry tomatoes.
If anyone has more innovative ways to use herbs or pair herbs with food, please feel free to email me and share your ideas. I hope you find the tips above useful.
