Dear Chef Kathleen,

For whatever reason, my neighbor keeps bringing over baskets of stuff from her garden, including lots of herbs. I'm used to cooking with dry herbs but not fresh. I don't have any idea what to do with all of them because I don't know much about them. How can I get my children interested in eating fresh foods?

Tasha


Dear Tasha,

Still several weeks away from the start of autumn, at this time in August, nearly everything is ready for harvest. Gardens are overflowing with ready-to-pick-and-eat produce. The herbs in my container gardens are brimming with life and flavor. Thankfully, there are innumerable uses for nearly every herb.

Each spring, I start an edible garden with my nieces so they can see the progress of the plants as they grow and so we can enjoy the different flavors in meals we prepare together and share at the table. Showing them where food comes from, nurturing it from seed to harvest and preparing prized recipes in the kitchen together demonstrates the journey of food from seed to plate and its impact on healthy bodies.

They especially love to hover over the herbs—perhaps because they grow so fast and remain so plentiful throughout the season, or maybe because they require the least amount of weeding. Most herbs require minimal care and are grown from seeds or small plants available in garden shops and even grocery stores. They need very little space, and are perfectly content in window boxes, pots and tucked in with other plants. I have several basil plants scattered among my flowers in the garden. As long as the herbs get a fair amount of sun and enough water, they will repay your simple efforts with a bounty of tastes and aromas you can enjoy well past the end of summer.

Herbs offer many important health benefits. Aside from the countless medicinal uses that have been developed throughout the ages, they can provide the simple service of keeping you away from the saltshaker. Typically, when people add more salt to food, they are really looking for more flavor. While salt enhances flavor, it's also high in sodium. The USDA and the American Heart Association recommend we take in no more than 2,400 milligrams of sodium a day. This just so happens to be exactly the same amount found in a mere teaspoon of salt.

Good uses for garden herbs
Pairing herbs to food need not be intimidating. Pay attention to your culinary instincts, the little kitchen voice in your head that says, "A little parsley would be great in this soup, or a little rosemary would be really be neat with this honey." If you think a particular combination will taste good, chances are it probably will. There's always the next meal.

Timing is everything. When using tender herbs such as basil, cilantro or parsley, it's a good idea to add them just during the last 10-15 minutes of cooking. Woodier, heartier herbs such as rosemary, oregano and thyme hold up to extended cooking times well, so it's OK to add them early on.

Basil: Add fresh leaves to hot or cold pasta dishes and salads. Layer leaves onto sandwiches and tuck into lasagna layers. In our house, August is officially Caprese salad month. To prepare, layer slices of fresh tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella with basil leaves and drizzle with your best olive oil and vinegar.

Chives: Potatoes pair beautifully with chives. One of my favorite quickie sides is boiled new potatoes smashed with a fork and seasoned with a drizzle of buttermilk and chopped chives. Chives are wonderful in omelets, salads, dressings, soups and sauces.

Dill: The perfect pick me up for ho-hum tuna and egg salads in need of reviving. For a quickie salmon supper sure to impress, add chopped dill to honey Dijon mustard and brush on salmon just before broiling or baking.

Mint: Basil, parsley and mint are a delicious combination in salads and sauces. Grated zucchini tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper, chopped mint and toasted almonds is a wonderful side salad. Add a piece of pan-seared chicken and call it dinner. Thai recipes call for mint a lot. Flip through a book or two for inspiring ideas.

Rosemary: Use whole sprigs to flavor chicken, pork or lamb. Rosemary-infused simple syrup drizzled over oranges slices makes a divine summer dessert. Add arugula or baby lettuces tossed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, garnish with olives for a cool and refreshing salad.

Going beyond food
Impress your guests with these dazzling herbal stylings:

• An herb sprig tied around cloth napkins with raffia or ribbon makes a lovely place setting
  
  
• A small sprig of lavender or a leaf of mint frozen in ice cubes makes a great addition to tea or lemonade.
  
  
• Take your ordinary clear pump bottle of liquid soap in the guest bathroom and drop in a long flowering sprig of woody herbs.

kd@chefkathleen.com