What's Cookin' - Herbs

Published April 23, 2008 in The Spectrum & Daily News

By Kathryn van Roosendaal

Nothing adds flavor to your favorite dish – or that dish you don’t like so much – like fresh herbs. Sure, dried herbs will work as well and I use them frequently, but they just can’t match the rich yet delicate taste of fresh, undried leaves. You can buy some herbs fresh at the market, but growing them yourself is really the way to go. They are fresher and you only cut what you need, so you don’t have to worry about them going bad in the fridge.

You don’t need a big – or even a small – herb garden to have fresh herbs. A couple small pots or a window box will work just fine for most cooks. They can be grown inside, outside or both. But best of all, herbs tend to be very easy to grow and are low maintenance so unless you have an extreme black thumb, chances are you can keep them alive.

Cooking with fresh herbs takes a little more effort than using dried, but in my mind it’s worth it. Just cut what you need off of the plant, float it for a minute in cold water, swishing gently to remove any dirt, and pat dry or send it through a salad spinner. Pull the leave from the stem and chop using either a sharp knife or, even easier, a sharp pizza cutter.

When substituting a fresh herb for dried, the basic rule of thumb is double the amount: 1 teaspoon dried equals 2 teaspoons fresh. This is just a guideline, so feel free to adjust according to your tastes. Fresh herbs should be added just a couple minutes before cooking is done with recipes cooked on the stove. They can be added at any time for baked dishes.

Over the next few weeks, I will cover the basic herbs: Basil, peppermint, chives, rosemary, cilantro, oregano and parsley. To tide you over, here is a classic recipe that you HAVE to make using fresh herbs.

Classic Pesto

Pesto is a sauce usually served with pasta that is made with basil and pine nuts. You can substitute parsley all or in part for the basil and walnuts, pecans or almonds can take the place of the pine nuts.

1 cup firmly packed basil leaves

1/2 cup firmly packed parsley leaves

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup pine nuts

1 clove of garlic

1/4 cup olive oil

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor with a little bit of salt, if desired. Process until it forms a paste, stopping and scraping the sides occasionally. Serve over pasta or as a dip with crusty bread. Makes about 1 cup.