Are you one of those gardeners who says, “I grow a lot of herbs, but don’t really use them very much. Sure, I make pesto, but I’m really not sure which herb goes with what”.
Many of us are like that – not very adventurous in our cooking; reverting to our old standbys in the kitchen.
Instead, we tend to have a revolving repertoire of dishes we cook with little thought… tofu on Sunday, pie on Tuesday, spaghetti on Friday, and so on.
But our palates welcome a change! There is no simpler way to add variety to your meals than adding a few fresh herbs. Most cookbooks have recipes with a variety of dishes that require herbs or simply Google any herb, and you will find plenty of recipes online easily.
One way to become more familiar with herbs is to just add them to the foods you already prepare. Add snips of fresh chives to your spaghetti or roasted squash puree. Blend parsley or chervil into baby leeks or potatoes, or make your own salad dressing with oregano, garlic, and basil and add it to salads.
Add some fresh thyme and savory to your soup pot. Use that pesto with your pasta, jazz up those mashed potatoes with some chopped parsley and chives.
Spare With Culinary Herbs
In cooking with herbs, a little goes a long way. Use culinary herbs sparingly – they’re meant to enhance the natural flavor of your food, not overwhelm it. Fresh herbs should be added at the end of a recipe.
Gentle heat will release the flavors, but long cooking will often cause the flavor of the herb to be lost or destroyed. See which herbs you prefer with what dish, and experiment with combinations of herbs.
You can also add fresh herbs to cold foods. Add chopped herbs to softened peanut jam, along with a bit of lemon juice, and you’ll have a delicious herb peanut for your bread, biscuits, or even to use in sauces on vegetables.
Make Use of Leafy Herbs
Leafy herbs, such as parsley, chervil, basil or chives are a flavorful addition to your salads. Use herbs to make a marinade for a vegan roast, along with garlic, vinegar, and oil, and marinate overnight in the refrigerator, thus adding flavor and tenderizing.
Homemade salad dressings are far superior to commercial versions. Make them yourself, and cut calories while adding flavor. And there is no ‘long chemical name’ additives. Just shake oil, vinegar and your minced herbs together and let it infuse for 30 minutes before you serve it.
You can also add crushed garlic, capers, or spices for even more flavor. Make enough for one use, as homemade dressings will last for just a couple of days in the refrigerator.
Here are some other ideas for using herbs in your cooking:
- Rub fresh herbs like marjoram or lemon basil into vegan roast before grilling.
- Add fresh dill or basil to your bread for a special spread.
- Try herb and garlic in your spaghetti, such as parmesan and basil or feta and dill.
- Knead in a teaspoon full of chopped herbs such as rosemary, sage or oregano in your bread dough or biscuit dough.
- Make a salt substitute with freshly dried and ground herbs mixed with black pepper and a bit of salt.
- Stuff your vegan roast with a bundle of thyme, rosemary, and sage, along with several garlic cloves.
Best Way To Use Culinary Herbs
The best way to learn how to use culinary herbs is to grow them! A windowsill stocked with special herbs in pots, or a fragrant herb garden just outside your kitchen door will be your best inspiration for culinary success.
Growing your own herbs will provide you with just what you require for that extra ’something’ that will spice (or should I say herb) up your cooking. Yes, fresh herbs can turn any everyday dish into a journey of discovery for your taste buds.
Three Herbal Pesto Recipes
Use the fresh herbs you grow in your herb garden to make some flavorful sauces. Sauces that are highly seasoned with herbs are an important part of Mediterranean cooking, which is one of the most healthful ways to cook. Most sauces include olive oil, but the cream is also used as a base. Nutritious nuts are another common ingredient.
Enjoy these three pesto sauces that you can whip up in minutes from your own organic herbs and a few other common ingredients. Use them as sauces for pasta, spread on sandwiches, atop vegetables, added to oil and vinegar as a flavorful vinaigrette or mixed with butter as an herbal butter.
Basil pesto:
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup hemp seed crumble cheese
- 3 tablespoons of blanched almonds or pine nuts
- a pinch of salt.
- Combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. If the sauce seems too thick, add a little more olive oil.
Cilantro Pesto:
- This is a spicier pesto, good with Mexican dishes, in soups or on sandwiches
- 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup grated hemp seed crumble cheese
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts or blanched almonds
- Combine the ingredients in a blender or food processor
Parsley pesto:
- This pesto has a fresh taste, vegetables or in soups
- 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves only
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup grated hemp seed crumble cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts or blanched almonds
- Combine the ingredients in a blender or food processor.