Magical Herbs

by Laura Donnelly — April 30, 2007

Fragrant and colorful, fresh herbs deserve a place of honor in your cooking. Parsley, chives, dill, cilantro, and basil are almost always available at the supermarket, and you can usually also find little plastic packets of tarragon, marjoram, chervil, sage, rosemary, and thyme. Sometimes I have a hard time justifying buying an entire package of fresh herbs when I need only a tablespoon or two for a special recipe. To ease my guilt, I either dry the leftover sprigs (rosemary, thyme, oregano) or purée the leaves (basil and chives) in oil or water and freeze them in ice cube trays for later use.

The name herb comes from the Latin word herba, meaning a grass or other green plant. Botanists use the word to mean a plant with a stem that is not woody, but nowadays it’s generally used to describe a culinary or medicinal plant.

Herbs add so much flavor and color to cooking it's hard to imagine a roast leg of lamb being as good without garlic and rosemary or a perfect summer tomato without basil. A fish like striped bass or red snapper is beautifully enhanced with braised fennel and snippings from the fronds sprinkled on top. Sage is a strong-flavored herb much beloved in Italian cooking but not used as often here. Try a teeny bit in scrambled eggs, or better yet, in a brown-butter sauce for pumpkin or porcini-mushroom ravioli. Stuffed clams and any tomato sauce are delicious with lots of oregano. Dill is a great match with cucumber and egg salads, salmon and most other fish, and you should try it in a bibb-lettuce salad with toasted sliced almonds. Cilantro is one of those love-it-or-hate-it herbs that became popular about 15 years ago. Some find it musty and peculiar, but I'm crazy about it and like to put way too much in my guacamole and salsas. Tarragon, with its hints of licorice, is another "acquired" taste. It’s excellent with roast chicken, chicken salad, beets, and veal or turkey meatballs. And lots of thyme leaves on goat cheese with a drizzle of olive oil is one of my favorite quickie appetizers.

To keep herbs fresh for as long as possible , gently rinse and dry them, then store in a glass jar loosely covered in the refrigerator, or in a plastic bag with a few holes in it. To dry leftover herbs like thyme, sage, and rosemary, spread them out on a cookie sheet and leave in a cool dry spot for a week or two. Crumble the leaves off the stems and store in airtight containers (away from the stove!)

Besides adding a boost of flavor (and vitamins, especially parsley), herbs can make dishes more attractive and sophisticated. Garnish platters with extra sprigs of whatever herbs you use in the dish. All week long we’ll be bringing you some of my favorite recipes using lots of fresh herbs.

Parsley Salad

This recipe is great with grilled chicken or pork tenderloin. Make sure the parsley—which is a great source of vitamin C—is tender and well washed. Have extra lemon wedges and Tabasco sauce on hand for serving.

Serves 6

2 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, stems removed
1 cup mâche, spinach, or other small tender lettuce leaves
4 cornichons (small French pickles) sliced thin
4 radishes, sliced thin
1 shallot, minced
1 Tablespoon capers

Dressing

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 teaspoons white wine vinegar
4 Tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste (remember the pickles and capers will be salty)

1. Whisk dressing ingredients together by combining mustard and vinegar, then adding oil slowly till emulsified.

2. Wash and dry parsley gently. Just before serving , toss all ingredients together, then add dressing and serve.