Fresh Herbs — how to use nature’s little flavor enhancers
I can not imagine cooking without fresh herbs. Here are my favorites.
Esther Sung writes on Epicurious, “Fresh herbs like mint, basil, and tarragon have long been prized throughout the world for their curative properties (mint for indigestion, basil for kidney problems, and tarragon for snake bites).” Right now my interest is on the culinary rather than the curative.
In my kitchen, I rely on 5 herbs to get me through a week of cooking delicious meals, Rosemary, Thyme, Cilantro, Mint, and Parsley. I always buy those on Monday mornings — organic if I can. Occasionally I buy Basil for making homemade tomato sauce or a ‘Caprese salad’ appetizer. Sometimes I also buy dill for certain fish dishes but the five are my culinary mainstay.
At home after shopping, I wrap all the herbs except for the mint, in lightly wetted paper towels and place those in a 1-gallon storage bag to be stored in the vegetable tray of my refrigerator. That way they will stay fresh for an entire week until I buy them again the following Monday. I keep the Rosemary rather dry because it doesn’t do well when wet. I put the mint in a glass with about a half-inch of water, cover the entire bushel with a plastic bag and place it in the refrigerator.
Here’s how I use my fresh herbs.
- Thyme
I find that Thyme loses its characteristic robust flavor when it’s cooked too long. That’s why I use it mostly with all my steaks or whenever it’s required in a recipe. I either take two or three twigs and add them with garlic and butter after the steak is turned. Or, I strip the leaves off the stem and add them to the butter. Thyme gives my steaks that extra little flavor I love.
2. Rosemary
The pine-like fragrance of Rosemary is what I'm looking for in some dishes like chicken, roasts, and sometimes even fish. One of my favorite uses for Rosemary is potatoes, though. I strip the Rosemary leaves off the stem and mince them with my large knife. Added to the potatoes together with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic gives my potatoes that special Rosemary flavor.
3. Cilantro
They say you either love Cilantro or hate it. I love it. Like Parsley, Cilantro is not being cooked but used raw. You add it to a dish after it’s cooked. Cilantro is my go-to herb for guacamole and many salads. My absolute favorite way of using Cilantro is in a cucumber salad that is quite addictive because of that slightly citrus-like flavor Cilantro gives it. I top that salad with sauteed shrimp for an extra special lunch.
4. Parsley
I rarely cook with Parsley. However, I add it to dishes like soups and salads and I often use the regular Parsley (as opposed to Italian flat Parsley) as garnish. My favorite soup to put plenty of Parsley on is New England Clam Chowder. It enhances the flavor and the experience.
A chef told me once that chewing on fresh Parsley will get rid of strong garlic breath. It works, I can assure you that.
5. Mint
There is nothing like smelling the spearmint-like aroma of a fresh bushel of Mint. This is another herb I use mainly in salads. However, sometimes I use it to enhance the flavor of lamb and chicken dishes. It’s a great flavor enhancer and I love that minty aroma. Another of my favorite uses for mint: Mojitos. As far as I’m concerned, you can’t put enough mint into a Mojito.
Try it out, if you like. I got into this rhythm of buying my herbs at the beginning of a week and it’s quite assuring for me to know that they are available fresh whenever I need to use them. And I want to use them. I love their flavor.
