They’ve been indispensable in the kitchen since ancient times, those grassy little green bits we call herbs.
Old tomes even prescribe the planetary considerations for herbal plucking. Pick when in full bloom, insists one ancient code. In the morn, declares another. Only at night. When Leo, Capricorn or Cancer are high in the heavens.
We say, aw, heck, pick ’em now.
There is nothing so fine, any season, as the sweet, soft scent of an herb, fresh-snipped from the back forty or a windowsill pot. Even ferried home from the produce aisle.
Intent on expanding our culinary horizons, we called herb folk around the country to hear how, in these modern times, we might put three favorites — tarragon, dill and mint — to good kitchen use.
Ellen Ecker Ogden, a kitchen-garden designer in Vermont, co-launched The Cook’s Garden seed catalog and wrote “From the Cook’s Garden.” Jerry Traunfeld wrote “The Herbfarm Cookbook” and last year opened Poppy, an Indian-inspired restaurant in Seattle. Nancy Arrowsmith, who harvests herbs in Arizona, wrote “Essential Herbal Wisdom: A Complete Exploration of 50 Remarkable Herbs.”
MINT
These sprigs that can’t be quashed go back to ancient times.
Depending on the legend, myth had it that wherever someone died, a field of mint popped up, to remember the fallen. Spearmint — also called garden mint, mackerel mint or sage of Bethlehem — is what we’re talking here. It’s thought to be a cooling herb, despite its tendency to wake up the tongue.
When it comes to cooking: Mint isn’t just for iced tea. It’s marvelous with carrots, and, of course, tabbouleh or any cold grain salad. One of the most versatile herbs, mint will make more complex the flavor of a dish that uses any of the Mediterranean herbs, says Traunfeld. Mint is, surprisingly, divine in tomato sauces — just a snip, mind you.
You can make a great pesto with mint and walnuts, instead of the traditional basil and pine nuts. Dried white beans or lentils love mint. Mint and peas are classic, but try it, too, with spinach. Or new potatoes.
Beyond vegetables, mint is grand, of course, with lamb. But try it, too, with osso buco, Traunfeld urged. Any dish that calls for cilantro might be brightened with a bit of mint. For desserts, you could make a mint sorbet. Snip it onto any melon.
Strawberries and the stone fruits all delight in mint.
TARRAGON
It has been called the “little dragon,” because of its serpentine roots, perhaps, or maybe because it was thought to ward off serpents, and some folks thought it could heal a snake bite. We’d just call it delicious.
It’s the elegant herb in our garden, and it makes us feel so, well, French (be sure you are cooking with French, not Russian, tarragon; the latter is quite tasteless). There’s a subtle hint of licorice in tarragon, and it’s marvelous with chicken, eggs and mushrooms. A little goes a long way.
When it comes to cooking: Because tarragon loves fish (or vice versa), try it in your tuna salad. Tuck it into parchment packets of any fish you care to bake, along with lemon and butter and baby vegetables.
“Tarragon and carrots are fabulous,” said Ogden. Make a compound butter with tarragon and shallots. Tarragon is grand with tomatoes too. Steam green beans and toss with butter and snipped tarragon.
French tarragon loves lemony flavors, so pair it with lemony herbs or lemon zest, said Traunfeld. One of his favorite desserts is melon balls with lime dressing and tarragon.
Arrowsmith suggests making tarragon vinegar: Break off a few branches and put into a glass with cider or white wine vinegar; after 10-14 days, you’ll have a fine vinegar to splash where you choose.
DILL
Originally from China, this feathery herb from the carrot family traveled to Northern Europe, where it sank deep roots, especially in the cooking of Poland, Russia, Germany and Scandinavia.
When it comes to cooking: This is a subtle herb, but it adds much when used with other herbs. You can make your own Boursin-style cheese, said Ogden, with equal parts dill, basil and chives; add a clove of garlic and pulse in your food processor, along with 8 ounces of cream cheese or goat cheese. Snip dill onto a cold cucumber soup.
Or any salad. All the root vegetables — carrots, turnips, beets — love dill, said Traunfeld. Onions and dill are a classic duo.
One of Traunfeld’s favorite salads is celery and hazelnuts, chopped, with pear and dill. Make a simple vinaigrette with sherry vinegar, olive oil, dill and Dijon mustard. If you’re roasting a whole side of salmon, bed it on a mound of dill, then cover it with another dill blanket.
Apricot-Mint Relish
From “Savory Baking,” by Mary Cech (Chronicle). Makes 2 cups. This relish nicely complements roasted lamb.
Ingredients
1 cup diced and pitted fresh apricots
1/4 cup dried apricots
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup drained and diced roasted red pepper from a jar
1/4 cup diced fresh red bell pepper
2 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon dried mustard
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
Directions
Mix all the ingredients except the salt in a medium bowl. Add salt to taste. Cover, and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Pan-Roasted Salmon with Aromatic Salted Herbs
From “The Elements of Taste,” by Gray Kunz and Peter Kaminsky (Little, Brown). Serves 4.
Ingredients
HERBS
2 tablespoons thinly sliced chives
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
1/3 cup finely chopped mint
1/3 cup finely chopped dill
Salt and spice mix
1 1/2 tablespoons coarse salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 coarse ground white pepper
SALMON
2 tablespoons peanut or other neutral vegetable oil
Four 6-ounce salmon fillets, each about 1- to 1 1/2-inches thick, skin on
Kosher salt
Finely ground pepper
Cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons butter
Directions
Preheat the oven to 225 degrees. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-low heat. Add the salmon, skin side down, and cook until crispy, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper and cayenne. Dot the salmon with butter and place it in the oven for about 4 minutes. (The salmon will look rare in the middle and more fully cooked on the outside.) Remove from pan. Arrange the fillets on warm plates then sprinkle with herbs. Dust lightly with salt and spice mix and serve.
Chicken and White Wine Stew with Tarragon Gremolata
Adapted from “Living and Eating,” by John Pawson and Annie Bell. The original recipe calls for a traditional parsley gremolata, but tarragon adds an unexpected twist. Serves 4.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 1/2 ounces bacon, sliced in matchsticks
1 large onion, peeled, halved and sliced
1 celery heart, trimmed and sliced
1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
Sea salt, black pepper
2 1/2 pounds chicken thighs and drumsticks
1 1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups white wine
1 1/4 cups chicken stock
1 can chopped tomatoes (about 8 ounces)
3 red chile peppers
2 rosemary sprigs
GREMOLATA
1/2 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh tarragon
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
Directions
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a flameproof casserole over medium heat. Add bacon, onion, celery and garlic, and sweat for about 10 minutes.
In the meantime, season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining oil in a skillet. Fry the chicken, in batches if necessary, over high heat until colored on both sides. Add them to the casserole. Sprinkle over the flour and stir to coat the chicken pieces and vegetables.
Pour over the wine, stock and chopped tomatoes and add some seasoning. Tuck the whole chiles and rosemary sprigs in between the chicken pieces. Bring the liquid to a simmer, then cover the casserole and cook gently for 30 minutes.
Turn the chicken pieces, and cook uncovered for another 30 minutes. Meanwhile, mix together the ingredients for the gremolata in a small bowl. Skim off any fat from the surface of the stew and remove the chiles and rosemary. Serve the stew with the gremolata scattered over.
Lemon-Herb Chicken with Yogurt-Dill Sauce
From “The Best of Relish Cookbook,” by the editors of Relish magazine. Serves 6.
Ingredients
YOGURT DILL SAUCE
1 1/2 cups plain fat-free yogurt
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
CHICKEN
Cooking spray
1 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
Grated rind of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
4 chicken breast halves, about 2 1/2 pounds
4 chicken thighs, about 2 pounds
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
Lemon wedges
Directions
To prepare the sauce, drain yogurt in a strainer lined with cheesecloth for 2 hours or overnight. Transfer yogurt to a bowl; stir in remaining ingredients.
Preheat oven to 450. Place a wire rack on a shallow baking sheet, and coat with cooking spray. Place basil, mint, dill, olive oil, garlic, lemon rind and lemon juice in a large bowl; stir to combine. Add chicken, toss well to coat. Arrange chicken in a single layer on prepared pan; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake chicken breasts 30 to 40 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 170 degrees. Bake chicken thighs 35 to 45 minutes, 180 degrees. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and yogurt sauce.
