Posts tagged under Herbs. Show all posts.
I love to eat (and have the thighs to prove it) and I like to cook for family and friends. I’m not sure if that makes me a foodie—but I do know that I can get a little obsessive about certain foods at certain times of the year. Now is one of those times, and fresh green produce is my latest obsession. I get ridiculously excited about it. I remember from my earliest summer memories at my grandmother’s cottage when I would sit in her kitchen and pop those little green peas out of their pods (and eat half of them). We loved the small baby cucumbers that she would soak in vinegar and dill. Now I think and dream green all day until dinner time. Beans, asparagus, crunchy peas, fresh lettuce, mint, basil, dill, chives and any combination of them to serve for dinner so my family doesn’t feel like they are eating the same thing every night. Mix them all into a salad with tuna (freshly grilled or from a can) with an egg and some new potatoes for one of my favourite all time salads—nicoise. You can also blanche the veggies and throw them into a bowl of cooked pasta, some olive oil, salt and pepper, fresh arugula and voila. Sometimes I venture out of my green box and add a few roasted tomatoes—for colour and a nice juicy punch. It’s all good, and it’s all good for you. I love summer.
What do you like to cook in the summer?
I’ve eschewed the sandwich this summer for a variety of bean and grain salads to bring to work for lunch and I’m feeling healthier for it. But their main advantage is that they tend to be quick to make and you can whip up a large bowl on Sunday night and have enough for a few days’ worth of lunches. My current fave, which was taught to me a few years ago by our San Francisco Savvy Scout, Alison (she learned it at a cooking school in Italy so it has an excellent pedigree) is Tuna Bean Salad with Sage. Almost everything in this recipe but the fresh sage (which I prefer—adds a great almost lemony flavour to the salad) you can keep handy in your pantry so you can make this recipe anytime. It’s great with black olive bread or a crusty roll.
You’ll need:
Preparation
What’s your favourite take-to-work lunch?
Nothing improves the flavour of pizza, salad, pasta or soup than a handful of fresh herbs. And during the fall and winter months, you can find remnants of dill, thyme, basil or rosemary rolled in damp paper towels, wrapped in plastic bags or standing upright in a cup of water in my fridge. Unfortunately, it seems that whenever a recipe calls for fresh herbs, mine are well past their prime—mushy, dried-up or brown.
During the warm spring and summer months, I try to save money and time by growing my own herbs. The cost of buying seeds or plants at a garden centre pales in comparison to the cost of buying fresh-cut herbs in the grocery store. One bunch of not-really-that-fresh herbs in the grocery store is $1.99 - $3.49, while one pot of fresh herbs (that will continue to grow all season) can be found for $1.99. Last week I picked up a large planter with eight different herb plants in it for $15. I actually made money on that purchase!
It’s also more convenient to have fresh herbs on hand whenever you need them. Whether I am preparing tomato salad for dinner at home, or cooking one of many dishes on the set of EatSavvy, I go through a lot of fresh herbs. Jumping in the car to run to the grocery store for a bunch of cilantro isn’t very savvy.
Plant your herbs in the garden, keep a few pots in your kitchen window or plant them in large containers on your deck or patio. Throw fresh mint leaves in a pitcher of lemonade, chopped basil in your spaghetti sauce, dill in a bowl of potato salad and cilantro in your guacamole. Enjoy the uplifting scents of herbs like rosemary or lavender in your bathroom. If they’re there, you’ll be inspired to use them. The more you pick the herbs, the more they will grow.
What are your favourite tips and tricks?
Comments
For me, it’s all about the summer fruit. Cherries, strawberries and blueberries. I can’t wait to eat and cook with them and often find myself faced with an empty fridge and only berries to use for dinner…my poor kids!