Five Fresh Summer Herbs

Add kick to your recipes with fresh basil, cilantro, dill, mint and rosemary

BY PAT CROCKER

Nothing enhances the taste and plate appeal of summer dishes like the flavor spike of tongue-tingling fresh herbs. Not sure what herb would be best for that easy summer salad? Want something to kick upthe taste of grilled chicken? We’ve got your back with five of our favorite summer herbs.

In all but the Mediterranean Herb Paste, which is a combination of herbs from that sunny region, the recipesthat follow give you a clean herb hit so that you can truly know the unique experience of each herb. You’ll tastehow dill enhances smoked salmon and what happens to salsa when it is ratcheted up by cilantro.

So grab a bunch, try our herb-hip recipes, and start what could become a life-long passion for the humble,nutrient-packed plants we call herbs. And since you have a bunch of herbs for the recipes, and perhaps leftoverherbs, we also share more delicious ways to add each of them to your menus.

Minted Tabbouleh with Grilled Beef

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Mint is refreshingly clean tasting with notes of menthol and hints of lemon. Some mints like spearmint are sweet and mildly menthol, while others such as peppermint are sharply menthol with hot, spicy and sweet overtones. Mint is versatile—use it in desserts, salads, with red meats, and in apple cider vinegar as a condiment for lamb.

Peppermint eases pain and acts as an antiseptic, a digestive aid, and as a stimulant. Use it in teas to alleviate nausea, indigestion, gas, colic, sore throat, fever and migraine headaches. Note: Peppermint isn’t for babies and children due to the strong flavor and digestive action.

For the Minted Tabbouleh

½ cup bulgur

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 cup boiling water

1½ cups chopped fresh parsley

1 cup chopped fresh mint

2 tomatoes, cut into ½-inch dice

½ cucumber, shredded

½ teaspoon sea salt 2

tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 pound boneless top sirloin steak

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

grind of coarse sea salt, to taste

4 to 6 sprigs fresh mint for garnish

1. For the tabbouleh, combine bulgur and 1 tablespoon of the oil in a bowl. Pour boiling water over, cover, and set aside for 15 minutes. Drain using a fine-mesh sieve and transfer to a serving bowl. Add remaining oil, parsley, mint, tomatoes and cucumber and mix well. Sprinkle salt and lemon juice over and stir to combine and set aside or cover and refrigerate overnight.

2. Meanwhile for the beef, heat a grill pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Drizzle 1 tablespoon oil over steak and grind salt over. Place steak, oil side down, in the pan. Sear for about 2 minutes or until browned. Oil and salt the top of the steak, then flip and cook for about 2 minutes or until the underside is browned. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Slice steak crosswise into ½-inch slices.

3. Spoon tabbouleh onto a large platter or individual plates and top with grilled beef slices. Garnish with fresh mint sprigs.

Cooks Note:

For a light starter, side dish or appetizer, serve tabbouleh with toasted pita cut into wedges.

Minted tabbouleh with grilled beef

Dill Cream Sauce with Smoked Salmon

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Fresh dill has a clean, fragrant aroma of licorice and lemon that holds memories of Scandinavian gravlax and open-faced sandwiches. In fact, we’ve used it in yogurt as the perfect accompaniment for our smoked salmon appetizers, and you can pair it with poached or grilled fresh salmon fillets instead of smoked fish.

Dill is antimicrobial and a good source of calcium, iron and magnesium. The seeds are a digestive, helping to treat heartburn, colic and gas.

For the Dill Cream Sauce

½ cup Greek-style plain yogurt

3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

1 tablespoon drained capers

1 green onion, finely chopped

8 ounces smoked salmon, skin removed and meat flaked

4 thin slices dark rye or pumpernickel bread

16 fresh dill tips for garnish

1. For the dill cream sauce, combine yogurt, dill, capers and onion in a bowl and stir to mix well.

2. For the appetizers, spread each slice of bread with 2 tablespoons of dill cream sauce. Divide the salmon into 4 equal portions and pile each portion onto a slice of bread. Cut slices into 4 pieces and garnish each square with a tip of dill to serve.

Cook’s Notes:

• Greek-style yogurt is thick and creamy, but you can use regular plain yogurt. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl and spoon about 1 cup of plain yogurt into it. Set the bowl and strainer in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. The longer you strain the yogurt, the thicker it will become. Don’t throw out that drained liquid. Use it in soups or add it to your morning smoothie.

• For grilled salmon, double the Dill Cream Sauce recipe to make 1 cup and either serve sauce over each of 4 salmon servings or pass separately at the table. For an added burst of flavor, prior to grilling, drizzle juice from half of a lemon over fillet and rub with a mixture of 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil with 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill.

Basil and Pistachio Pesto with Heritage Tomatoes and Baby Mozzarella

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

With its spicy fragrance and sweet flavor that ranges from sublime lemon and nutmeg to bold licorice, cinnamon and allspice, tender basil could be the poster child for fresh summer dishes. Look for bright, shiny leaves that are dry and whole. See our storage tips on page 39.

Eating basil helps digestion by reducing gas and stomach cramps, but you can benefit from the herb other ways, too. Try adding a few drops of basil essential oil to bathwater to help ease nervous exhaustion, mental fatigue or uneasiness.

For the Pesto (Makes 1 cup)

3 large cloves garlic

½ cup shelled pistachio nuts

2 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves

¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

¾ cup olive oil

½ teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

2 ripe heritage tomatoes, cored and each cut into 4 slices

8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 8 slices

extra virgin olive oil

balsamic vinegar

1. For the pesto, chop garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Add nuts and process for 30 seconds. Add basil and cheese to the bowl and process 10 seconds. With the motor running, slowly pour in the oil through the opening in the lid. Stop and scrape the bowl before adding all of the oil. Sprinkle salt over and continue adding oil just until reaching the desired consistency of the pesto. The more oil you add, the thinner the pesto will be.

2. For the tomatoes, spread 2 tablespoons pesto over tomato slices and top each with a slice of cheese. Arrange on a serving platter and drizzle with oil and vinegar.

Cook’s Note:

If you have a high-speed blender, you can use it to make pesto; however, you may need to stop and scrape the sides of the jug and clear the underside of the blades often.

Mediterranean Herb Paste with Grilled Chicken and Summer Vegetable Kebabs

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Rosemary is the key herb in this adaptable herb paste that also features other herbs from the Mediterranean. Its Latin name, Rosmarinus translates to “dew of the sea,” an apt term for this heat- and sun-loving herb. Rosemary is pungent and spicy, with hints of nutmeg, pine and camphor, so start sparingly and add more gradually as you gauge how much is enough for you.

Science has proved rosemary to be a powerful antioxidant, which may protect us from toxins around us.

For the Mediterranean Paste

¼ cup chopped fresh rosemary

¼ cup chopped fresh sage

10 cloves garlic

½ cup fresh thyme leaves

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon sea salt

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1½-inch cubes

1 onion, cut into quarters

1 red pepper, cut in half, each half quartered

1 medium zucchini, cut into 8 chunks

8 long, metal skewers, lightly oiled

extra virgin olive oil

1. For the Mediterranean paste, combine rosemary, sage and garlic in a food processor. Pulse for 30 seconds or until garlic is coarsely chopped. Add thyme, mustard, salt and vinegar. With the motor running, slowly add enough oil through the opening in the lid until a soft, paste-like consistency is achieved.

2. For the kebabs: Heat one side of a gas or charcoal grill to produce a medium-hot fire. Divide the chicken cubes into 4 portions and thread each portion onto a skewer. Rub paste over chicken cubes. Thread vegetables onto remaining skewers in this order for each skewer: red pepper, onion, zucchini, red pepper, zucchini. Drizzle each with oil.

3. Place chicken skewers on the heat. Cover the grill and sear for 1 to 2 minutes or until browned. Flip the skewer and sear the opposite side for 1 to 2 minutes, or until browned. Add vegetables to the heat and grill for 1 to 2 minutes. Move chicken and vegetable kebabs to the unlit side of the grill. Cover and cook for about 15 to 25 minutes or until chicken juices run clear when pierced with the point of a knife. Note: Vegetables may be cooked before chicken, so remove them as soon as they are done.

4. In the meantime, scrape remaining Mediterranean paste into a large bowl. Remove cooked vegetables from skewers by running a knife along the skewer, letting vegetables drop into the bowl. Remove chicken from skewers into the bowl and toss to coat well. Serve over greens or cooked rice.

Cook’s Notes:

• Like the pesto, this paste can be made with a high-speed blender, but you may need to stop and scrape the sides of the jug and clear the underside of the blades often.

• You can keep the kebabs intact instead of removing to a bowl. Serve kebabs over greens or cooked rice and pass the Mediterranean Paste separately.

• This paste goes well with any form of lamb—shanks, chops, roasted leg. Rub it over the meat before cooking, and pass the remaining paste separately at the table.

Mediterranean herb paste with grilled chicken and summer vegetable kebabs

Thai nut salsa with pasta bowties

Thai Nut Salsa with Pasta Bowties

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Fresh, green cilantro leaves really sparkle in this easy summer pasta. This recipe makes a generous amount of salsa—more than you’ll need for the pasta. Store remaining salsa in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days (you may need to strain it after storing) and serve as a casual appetizer dip with corn tortillas or piled on a round of creamy-soft brie.

As are most fresh, green herbs, cilantro is rich in antioxidants, and it’s a good source of potassium, calcium, manganese, iron and magnesium. Amazingly high in folic acid and vitamins A and C, cilantro is also one of the best herb sources of vitamin K. Tummy upset? Try chewing a fistful of fresh cilantro leaves for relief.

8 ounces farfalle pasta

For the Thai Nut Salsa (Makes 3 cups)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 can (15 ounces) full-fat coconut milk

1 cup natural peanut, almond or cashew butter

¼ cup honey or brown rice syrup

juice of 1 lime

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

4 sprigs fresh cilantro for garnish

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the farfalle according to package directions, about 12 minutes. Drain well, rinse with cool water and place in a large bowl.

2. In the meantime, for the salsa, heat oil over medium heat in a saucepan. Sauté the onion for 5 minutes. Add garlic and curry and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes or until onions are soft and mixture is fragrant.

3. Add coconut milk and bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Add nut butter, honey and lime juice. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes or until incorporated and smooth. Stir in cilantro.

4. Scrape 2 cups salsa over cooked farfalle, toss well and serve immediately. Garnish each plate with a sprig of cilantro

Cook’s Notes:

The flavors intensify if the dish is covered and chilled so you can make it the day before, refrigerate and remove a half hour before serving to bring to room temperature.