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Cooking with Herbs

Herbs are a quick way to turn any basic recipe into an amazing one. Herbs are great at boosting the flavor of our foods, and also create a healthy alternative, as you don’t need to add as much salt to your food. The flavor is already there.

Fresh herbs are added near the end in cooked dishes to preserve their flavor. Add the more delicate herbs -- basil, chives, cilantro, dill leaves, parsley, marjoram and mint -- a minute or two before the end of cooking or sprinkle them on the food before it's served. The less delicate herbs, such as dill seeds, oregano, rosemary, tarragon and thyme, can be added about the last 20 minutes of cooking.

Fresh herbs can be added to refrigerated cold foods several hours before serving. Allowing time (at least a couple of hours, if possible) for cold foods with herbs to chill helps the flavors to blend.

A helpful list to get started, some favorite combinations

Basil- add to tomatoes (salad or sauce), blends into a pesto, added to chicken for a Thai inspired dish, or any vegetable.

Oregano- add to tomato sauce, grilled vegetables, feta cheese, or grilled meat for a Greek inspired dish.

Chives- sour cream, and potatoes, green salads, tomatoes

Rosemary- beef, lamb, pork, chicken, soups, and my favorite potatoes

Thyme- poultry, potatoes, squash, soups, and asparagus (really is good!)

Sage- poultry, mostly used for stuffing’s or to heavily season meat

Mint-peas, salad, oranges, couscous, fruit salads, lamb

Dill-any type of fish, potatoes, red onions, carrots, sour cream, soups

Tarragon- fish and poultry

Parsley- pretty much anything, it has a clean flavor and is a nice decoration to dishes. Italian parsley has a stronger flavor, and a nicer looking leaf.

Cilantro-Thai food, and soups, guacamole, salsa, tomatoes.

Nutmeg- used in baking, but can also be a good spice for rubs in Caribbean cooking.

Cinnamon- used in some vegetable soups, terrine, fruit salad, apples

niravusc
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niravusc said:

how do i forward this article to a friend?

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MISS
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MISS said:

Well done Faye! This is a great resource.

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wmoxam
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wmoxam said:

niravusc: We’ll be adding that feature soon!

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Sarah J
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Sarah J said:

Incredible, great job Faye! Can part two be about storing herbs?

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pixelchef
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pixelchef said:

Tender herbs are categorized as parsley, cilantro, basil, dill and tarragon (generally – obviously there are others). Store by trimming stem ends (skip this step if roots are still attached) and placing the unwashed herbs, stem side down in a tall container with enough water to cover the stems. Cover loosely with a plastic bag and store in the warmest part of the refrigerator (usually the top shelf). The herbs stored this way typically last about 5 days.

Hardy herbs are categorized as thyme, rosemary and sage (generally – obviously, there are others in this category as well). Store these herbs by wrapping them in a damp paper towel, placing them in plastic storage bags and refrigerating. This should keep the herbs for about 2 weeks.

For fresh basil, store at room temperature because the cold will cause the leaves to turn black.

Once your fresh herbs are on their last legs (the more delicate ones), a great way to have them not go to waste is to use them in an herb pesto. The flavour payoff is enormous with pesto. I mean, fresh herbs, olive oil, tons of parmesan cheese, an acid (lemon, vinegar, whatever) and possibly some type of nut (pine, walnut, pistachio) – how could that NOT be delicious?

**Faye: wonderful lesson!

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gtimm
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gtimm said:

Pixelchef – Thank You – I never could figure out why my fresh basil leaves always got black spots on them….but I have been keeping them in the fridge….I can’t wait for spring when I can buy a basil plant again and not have to worry about buying the leaves from the store. Thank you.

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pixelchef
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pixelchef said:

My pleasure, gtimm! Glad to be of service. :)

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Carsten
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Carsten said:

Faye is the best!

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Faye
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Faye said:

Hi Pixelchef, please add a few lessons :) You seem to be very knowledgable in this field! Wow! i didnt know to store basil at room temp either. Good tips. How about cooking methods? That is always a heavy load of terms, your thoughts? Also I was thinking of adding menu options for differnet themes for dinner. Anyone have menus to post?

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