What to do with fresh herbs.
There are so many reasons I have loved growing my own food at home (thanks quarantine), but one of the things I do several times a week, is build a meal around what’s ready to be harvested off my Tower Gardens. This morning, the dill was incredible… an abundance of fragrant, feathery sprigs, all perked up and ready to be pruned. It was raining outside, so I was wanting something warm and comforting — that’s it… Cream of Dill Soup with White Beans, Broccolini, and Mushrooms it will be!
Everything I needed, I already had: cauliflower (1 head), potato (1), onions (1), garlic (3 cloves), hemp seeds (1/2c), lemons (1), ghee (2T), dried thyme (1t), fresh dill (2c), salt (to taste), and water (depends on how thick/thin you want it) for the base of the soup. I roasted the cauliflower & potato in the oven and on the stovetop, I sweated the onions, garlic, lemon and thyme in the ghee use that everything was cooked and ready to go into the blender. Then I added the dill and the other few ingredients into the blender (adding water slowly to liquify) to make our creamy delicious base. I love the taste testing part; I think I’m really good at it.
Whatever veggies, beans or other ingredients (like rice/noodles) you decide to add will only make your soup more delicious and hearty. You can roast them or blanch them, then add them to your base as it’s warming and being prepared to be served. NOTE: this recipe can be done with many different herbs/themes. Use the cauliflower/potato in the blender as a base for your cream soups and tap into your imagination from there. Keep reading!
Down below, you will find a few different ideas and recipes for my top 3 favorite herbs ~ Dill, Basil and Cilantro. I grow these 3 in abundance in my Tower Gardens so I always have fresh, clean, healthy options! It is important to know that this article is about using FRESH herbs, which is very different than cooking with DRIED herbs, so you will see that many recipes will call for the fresh herbs towards the end of the preparation process. It is my wish that you use these recipes and ideas as inspiration to explore flavors and make them your own! Enjoy ~
t = teaspoon T = Tablespoon
DILL IDEAS: Garnish soup or stir it into <non-dairy> yogurt-based dips like tzatziki. Also good with salmon and just right tossed over roasted potatoes.
Lemon Dill Sauce 1 garlic clove, 3 T fresh lemon juice, 1 T tahini, 1 T water, 1/2 T nutritional yeast, 1 t EVOO, 1 cup fresh dill weed, large stems removed & roughly chopped, Himalayan salt and pepper, to taste, all in a blender to purify. Delicious on pasta, on salad, as a dip or a spread (if thicker)
Avocado Dill Dressing 1/4 cup EVOO, 2 T red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar, 2 T Dijon mustard, 1/4 ripe avocado, 1 clove garlic, minced, 1 T chopped green onion, 1T fresh chopped dill (plus extra to garnish), blend until smooth/liquify and serve on anything!
CILANTRO IDEAS: Create chutneys, add to stir fry, top Latino and Mexican style dishes. Add some flavor to scrambled eggs or make a crunchy peanut slaw.
Cilantro Lime Rice Cook 1c of rice on the stove top or in a rice cooker. When the rice is done cooking and still hot, stir in 1 minced garlic clove, 2 chopped scallions, and .5t lime zest. Allow the rice to cool slightly, then gently stir in 2T EVOO, .5t salt, juice of 1 lime, 1/2c chopped cilantro, and jalapeño or red pepper flakes (both optional).
Cilantro Mojito Replacing mint with cilantro, this refreshing cocktail is a sweet and sour island treat. Start with 1/4c fresh cilantro leaves in a cocktail shaker along with 1 lime (cut into parts), and 1T agave nectar. Shake vigorously, and then add 1/2c of ice and 2 ounces white rum (such as Bacardi). Strain into a highball glass half full of crushed ice, and garnish with a lime wheel and a pretty sprig of cilantro.
BASIL IDEAS: Top whole leaves onto pizza. Finish pasta with whole or thinly sliced pieces. Blend basil into sauces. Puree it into soups. Chop it up to add to a salad. Use it to garnish avocado toast. Jazz up vanilla ice cream and top it with fresh strawberries, basil, and a balsamic reduction.
Hemp Seed Basil Pesto Pulse 1/4c hemp seeds, 1/4c EVOO, 1c of fresh basil leaves, squeeze of 1 lemon, 1 garlic clove, and 2T of nutritional yeast in the food processor until they’re finely chopped. This is perfect for tossing pasta just before serving, spreading on flatbreads, or as a toss for vegetables before roasting.
Honey Basil Fruit Salad In a large bowl, combine 3c of cubed cantaloupe, 3c honeydew, 2c sliced strawberries and/or blueberries. Refrigerate, covered, until preparation and serving. In a small bowl, whisk 1T honey, squeeze of 1 lemon, 1/2t paprika, salt and pepper to taste. Pour over fruit bowl with 1c chopped basil and lightly toss to coat, just before serving.
For more information about growing your own food, send me an email, I’d be happy to help!
Plant. Grow. Eat. YUM!
