Fresh herbs are one of the most characteristic ingredients of all kitchens around the Mediterranean: from fresh basil in pasta or pesto, fresh oregano for tomato sauce, fresh marjoram with olive oil in a meat rub or fresh rosemary and lemon with fish. You will also find fresh Italian parsley in a tabula salad, fresh cilantro with rice or beans, dill in tzatziki, freshly picked mint in baba ganoush (roasted eggplant salad), thyme with seafood or chicken sauces, new sprigs of sage for chicken stuffing, and fresh tarragon or dill with eggs, dips or cream sauces – the uses are endless, and the flavors are what changes a basic dish into a heavenly delight.
It is not accidental that here in Palette Dome Cuisine fresh herbs are the supporting actors for every successful dish, especially in summer time: the offering in the markets is almost endless, and they expand and deepen the flavor of every dish, always generating those smiles with delighted expressions of “what was that?!” from the first bite. Make sure you always use the freshest herbs possible: fresh herbs are perishable, and proper care should be taken when storing them. They should be kept moist but not too damp and always maintained in the coldest part of the refrigerator. Washing fresh herbs and keeping them in paper towels usually prolongs their shelf life.
Growing your fresh herbs at home whether you have a yard or not is quite an easy task: there are two simple rules – make sure they always get enough water, and always have them in the sunniest spot you have. Aero gardens® are a fancy solution that gives great results but requires a lot of counter space, yet every simple pot with regular potting soil will be a fertile home for most herbs. In the wild most these herbs are almost as bad as weeds, and unlike a delicate orchid, do not require any special attention. Just keep them watered and sunny!
Working with fresh herbs is easy and even more, gratifying. When working with fresh herbs, unlike dry herbs, the flavors are stronger yet rounder: some flavors disappear during the drying process of herbs, so while cooking with them flavors are diminished. However, the drying process does concentrate the flavors, so make sure to substitute the proper quantities – the general ratio is 3: 1 for fresh to dry.
Fresh herbs should be added towards the end of the cooking process: prolonged cooking causes them to lose their aroma and flavor. Make sure you add fresh herbs near the end of the cooking time since they develop their aroma and flavors very fast, and if you must add them in the beginning – say while preparing a meatloaf or rubbing a roast – make sure you garnish with them, to fill in for the lost flavors. Don’t forget to add the salt and pepper when cooking with fresh herbs: they will always enrich the flavors even more.
Use fresh herbs in your cold soups to enhance those rich summer flavors even more, add their leafs to salads in different varieties and ratios till you find the mixture you like most, or add them to your stocks to add that extra layer of interest in the flavor. A classic summer gazpacho is elevated with a handful of mint and parsley leafs, and a simple green salad is always more surprising when some basil and chervil leafs are mixed with the rest of the greens; try different varieties of basil like cinnamon basil or Thai basil to explore even further.
Check the Summer Herbs Dinner Menu in the menu section for some more cooking with herbs ideas, and make sure you try our simple tzatziki recipe on a hot summer night – you would never have thought that a simple yogurt and herbs combination could be so wonderful!
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