Fresh herbs - how to use

cathodetube

MINT - is good in lamb burgers with feta and cumin. I also like to add harissa - chile sauce. It's also good in courgette fritters with feta. As someone mentioned above it makes a nice tea if you bruise the leaves first. Very Moroccan. BASIL - I like basil chopped up with scrambled eggs, tomatoes and cheese like Cheddar. Garnish it with the basil as well as including it in the eggs. It is also tasty added to mixed lettuce salads with toms. Purple basil is especially good. CORIANDER (leaves) or CILANTRO as it is known in other countries - I do another scrambled egg version - Indian Eggs - with softened onions, toms, and chopped or dried chiles. Use the coriander as a garnish. If you like guacamole, then make your own with ripe avocado, lime juice, salt, pepper, garlic and coriander. You can add chopped onion and/or tomato. Coriander is also great in pico de gallo salsa, which is chopped toms, onion, chile, lime juice and the coriander. Makes a delicious dip for plain tortilla chips. Or add coriander as a garnish to any kind of Mexican food. I like to make fish tacos with a garnish of coriander, chopped cabbage, and a sauce similar to a ranch dressing with lime juice.
THYME and ROSEMARY are good for scattering on roasted vegetables sprinkled with olive oil. OREGANO is good for adding to hummus along with a drizzle of olive oil before using as a dip.

Skeenfleent

Hi Norman. Sounds more fertile than my supermarket 20p parsley and basil. Maybe I'll add some nutrients to them...

Tabouleh (Cous-cous) with lots of chopped parsley and lemon juice etc is pretty healthy and tasty. Also add mint to taste for a different flavour.

Norman_Bean wrote: »

Morning x

My herb garden has survived all the snow and is really flourishing - I have masses of herbs and need inspiration for uses other than adding a few pinches to cooking.

I have curly parsley, flat leaf parsley, sorrell, lemon thyme, rosemary (with loads of flowers), chives (with flowers), mint (with flowers) and spearmint and sage.

I have made sorrell soup for today and that used up quite a bit so hopefully it will taste nice ... am considering making wine with the parsley ...I'm planning on making food hampers for christmas presents so ideas for herby gifts would be cool x
I need help mostly with rosemary and mint I think, it seems a shame not to use it all.

Thanks
Norman x

competitionscafe

Make a salsa verde (Italian green herb sauce) - great with fish, with steak, works really well with lamb, or even with veg (works really well with freshly cooked beetroot)

handful fresh mint, finely chopped
handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 tbsp baby capers, rinsed and drained
½ banana shallot (or 1 ordinary shallot), finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
6 anchovy fillets in oil, drained, chopped
½ tsp Dijon mustard
4 tbsp olive oil
½ lemon, juice only

Place the mint, parsley, capers, shallot and garlic into a bowl.
Add the anchovies and the mustard and mix well.
Add the olive oil and the lemon juice sparingly, adding more as required. Mix well and leave to stand.

You can make it with basil as well if you want although I prefer the parsley and mint only version.
http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/other-recipes/salsa-verde

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_sauce

the_oldbird

I dry my herbs in the microwave until crisp (just a few seconds) and then store them in sterilised baby jars. They aren't as good as slow dried but still have some flavour through the winter and better than wasting them. Try putting your fresh herbs in cous cous or salads.

The best tip I ever had was to buy growing herbs from the supermarket (try Aldi theirs are great at the moment and cheaper) separate them into two or three plants and just plant them in your garden. I have had 100% success for years now! My marjoram, chives and rosemary are getting bigger every year and I just start fresh with annuals like basil, parsley.

hellyboo_2

Don't forget

Mint = Pimms!!!!!!!

dinks58

Dill is great with any fish dish, sprinkled on potatoes, new or mash, and perfect with eggs, omlettes etc. easy to grow in bright dry sunny spot.
enjoy!

CAFCGirl

what about using them to flavour oils for presents etc? Rosemary oil is LUSH!

wayne1983

This is going to sound daft, but basically ive got:Curly parsley, flat leaf parsley, oregano, mint, coriander, basil, thyme, sage and chives.
Now i know parsley goes with fish, mint with lamb/new potatoes, coriander curries, but i am unsure what other uses i can add them to to give the right flavour!?:o
I know you can add anything you want, but i just wanted to know what other people could reccomend i use these delicious herbs to my food, thanks:beer:

Penelope_Penguin

wayne1983 wrote: »

This is going to sound daft, but basically ive got:Curly parsley, flat leaf parsley, oregano, mint, coriander, basil, thyme, sage and chives.

Take a mix that you like, and blend with some oil (I like olive), nuts (pine, walnut for instance) and cheese (parmesan or cheddar work well) - and Hey Pesto! sorry

I'll move this to the Old Style Board later, where you can get more inspiration from this thread on how to use herbs

NoelleV

Chives in potatos salad,
Basil with anything mediterranean (toms, and mozarella, pizza)
Oregano is good in home made burgers.....

Fresh pesto is AMAZING!