Fresh Ways with Fresh Herbs

Reprinted from the Washington Post Food Section

Fresh Ways with Fresh Herbs

By Nancy Baggett

Special to The Washington Post
Wednesday, August 26, 2009

I'm always looking for new ways to heighten flavor in dishes, but especially in summer, when spirits and appetites flag. It's the best possible time to pursue light, sprightly tastes and surprising combinations and to go easy on fat, sugar and salt. Which is why I use the fresh, fragrant herbs from my garden and local markets as often and as creatively as I can.

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• Recipes: Nancy Baggett's Dishes With Herbs
• Recipe: Rosemary-Orange Shortbread Cookies

As the best cooks know so well, herbs provide an array of weapons in the never-ending culinary battle against blandness: Just a few fresh snippets of the right herb can brighten a dish, offset oiliness, add zip, increase complexity, refresh and clear the head.

If you're a newbie, the starting point for tapping into the power of herbs is simply to spend time tasting and smelling an assortment of them. You'll immediately notice, for instance, that rosemary and oregano have an assertive pungency and an invigorating, almost piney scent. Parsley, in contrast, goes low profile with a subtle, clean-green aroma and taste. (If you've always relied on dried parsley as well as the dried versions of basil, cilantro and many other herbs, the fresh forms will be a revelation.) The mints and dill are cooling, which is partly why they appear in mojitos, raitas and cucumber salads. Basil is a complex, aromatic blend of peppery, spicy, bitter and sweet; no wonder it's a key component in pesto, a brilliant recipe for transforming a plain bowl of pasta into a feast.

Once you get to know each herb's distinctive properties, it's much easier to take advantage of its appeal.

Initially, I gained insights into how to use fresh herbs just by trying out traditional pairings: tomatoes with oregano, salmon with dill weed, baked potato and sour cream with chives, beef bourguignon with thyme. The next step was riffing on those combinations: Because oregano enlivened tomato sauces and salsas, I guessed -- correctly -- that it would be dynamite in a salsa featuring the tomato's cousin, the tomatillo. Because chives perked up baked potatoes, I successfully threw the herb into potato soups and salads, then branched out by tossing chives into other starchy dishes such as breads, crackers and biscuits.

Gradually I've gotten bolder, especially in exploring what has become downright trendy: the use of herbs in sweet baked goods, fruit dishes and desserts. I took a cue from a luscious truffle made by a chocolatier friend and paired chocolate with tarragon and grapefruit in a sorbet. The citrus and anise flavor notes are not only unexpected but utterly addictive. I had originally assumed that lavender was for soaps and sachets but after experimenting, realized its slight zest and sweet spiciness add dimension to cooked blackberry and raspberry sauces and apple compotes. I'd thought that the resinous qualities of rosemary made it better suited to savory than sweet dishes but have found that flour somehow tames it, yielding pleasing cookies and sweet muffins and breads.

Here are some ideas for using the herbs I love most that can usually be found in their fresh form.

Basil: Try it with sauteed spinach, braised broccoli, mild white beans, pasta dishes, mixed vegetable soups, Thai- and Vietnamese-style soups and stir fries, simple fish and chicken entrees, nontraditional oyster stew, tomato and cheese dishes and, of course, pestos and pizzas.

Chives: The loveliest, most versatile "oniony" herb. Use them to enliven cream cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, yogurt, ricotta, raitas, vegetable dips, compound butters, mustard cream sauces and vinaigrettes. Sprinkle them over cooked veggies and frittatas and in omelets. Stir them into pasta, rice and mixed vegetable salads. Fold them into potato, tomato, root vegetable and creamy onion soups, broths and wherever you need a substitute for the flavor of green onion.

Dill: It has a pleasing presence when accompanying cucumbers, pickles, slaw, potatoes, cauliflower, carrots, beets, summer squash, smoked and fresh salmon, lemony and mustardy salad dressings, briny sauces and deviled eggs. It ratchets up flavor yet soothes and refreshes in raitas, dips, chilled tomato soup, carrot soup, muffins, quick breads and savory yeasted loaves.

Oregano: A must in many pasta sauces, salads, salsas, full-bodied meaty soups, minestrones, lasagnas, pizzas, hearty bean dishes, chilis and spanakopita. A nice addition to lamb, pork and, occasionally, beef.

Rosemary: This highly aromatic herb teams beautifully with lemon or orange in cookies, muffins and other sweet baked goods. It brightens up focaccias, breadsticks, rustic boules, stuffings, roasted potatoes, bean and lentil dishes, pork, lamb, beef and even venison.

Tarragon: Use it to spark vinaigrettes, wine vinegar, bearnaise sauce, herb butters, heady mustards and even some tapenades. Good with chicken, turkey, fish, lamb and vegetables. Adds a pleasing anise accent to chocolate ganaches, sauces, buttercreams, ice creams and sorbets.

Thyme: The herb I most often reach for, it brings out the best in mushrooms, beets, cooked tomatoes and nearly all red-wine dishes. Adds depth to stocks, broths and ragouts; vegetable, meat and seafood soups; Indian-style curries, beef stews, gumbos and fricassees. Zips up seafood, lamb, pork, beef, poultry, bread and rice stuffings, corn bread and other dishes too numerous to mention.

This recipe is a fine way to take advantage of those succulent, peak-of-season tomatoes and herbs that are now in our markets. (I like to use yellow or orange tomatoes along with the red.) It makes a great addition to a barbeque or picnic. Since the tomatoes have so much natural flavor, they don't need a lot of fussing to taste good; a simple dressing yields remarkably savory results. Though this recipe should serve six or seven, don't be surprised if four or five people polish it off!

Tip: To easily peel the tomatoes, core them first. Then, using tongs, submerge them in boiling water for about 1 minute, or until the skins just begin to loosen. Immediately lift them out and let stand until cool enough to handle. The peels will usually slip off easily.

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 -3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
1/8 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon celery salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
6 to 8 flavorful, sun-ripened tomatoes, cored and peeled
Fresh parsley leaves, snipped chives and garlic chive blossoms for garnish, optional

In a 1-cup measure or glass jar, stir together vinegar, oil, sugar, chives, oregano, mustard powder, celery salt, and pepper until dressing is well blended.

Cut cored and peeled tomatoes crosswise into 1/4- to 1/3-inch thick slices. Arrange a layer of slices in a non-reactive platter or bowl. Drizzle some of dressing over the slices. Top slices with another layer of tomatoes, and drizzle with more dressing. Repeat until all slices and dressing are used. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to several hours before serving. Garnish with more fresh herbs before serving, if desired.

Makes 6 or 7 servings.

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Julie and Julia—A Must-See for Fans, Foodies, & Me

There are a number of good reasons to go see “Julie & Julia:” Fans who fondly recollect Julia Child from her TV French Chef heyday will enjoy rekindling memories and getting to know more about this likeable dynamo. Meryl Streep’s deft performance reveals Julia as not only lively, but a lot more complex than the affable auntie type they might have imagined.

Foodies of all ages will also leave the theater thoroughly sated. Scenes featuring the characters cooking and lustily enjoying French food and wine are so numerous that many in the audience will want to rush home and whip up the boeuf bourguignon from her Mastering the Art of French Cooking (or at least pop open a fine bottle of Burgundy). Butter is brandished about and savored with such abandon that Land O' Lakes executives may already be handspringing around offices at the surge in sales. (My beef stew with red wine inspired by Julia's recipe is here .)

I went to the film mostly because I’d known Julia professionally and wanted to see if she was accurately portrayed. Streep plays her as bright, ebullient, down-to-earth, intellectually curious, dedicated to her calling, and fiercely competitive but not unkind. Which is quite consistent with what I recall.

I didn’t have the good fortune to know Julia well, and we only became acquainted after she was already America’s greatest culinary luminary. We met and briefly chatted at a number of professional culinary conferences, and she never seemed evenly slightly self-absorbed. She was, in fact, the consummate colleague: gracious, approachable, more interested in learning from her compatriots than in touting her latest tome, and always, always encouraging of other cookbook authors. Instead of grandstanding or making cameo appearances, she often mingled and attended the various workshops, including a primer on cooking on TV and one on cookbook writing, both topics she, of course, should have been teaching herself. (I happened to be instructor in the cookbook writing class—she was completely unassuming but, gulp, her presence was still unnerving!)

The Grande Dame of cookbooks apparently never forgot her own early struggles to be published, and identified with others still enduring the usual indignities of the cookbook business. She was a particularly great supporter of new authors, allowing the International Association of Culinary Professionals’ annual “Best First Cookbook” award to be named the “Julia Child Award” in her honor. (The interesting peeks behind the publishing industry curtain are another reason cookbook junkies will enjoy this flick: In one particularly ironic manuscript rejection scene—which I’m sure my current-day friends at Houghton Mifflin wish had been cut—the publisher flatly informs Julia and Simone Beck that their work would not interest American housewives.)

I actually got to know Julia Child best through a quirk of alphabetical fate. Since C follows B, Baggett and Child often sat next to one another at conference book signings. Before the doors opened and the crowd ascended upon her, she usually took time to look through and compliment my latest work, once exclaiming over my cookie cookbook in that unforgettable, lilting voice, “Why, what a lovely book! You should be so pleased.” Even more revealing was her response to the excited fans queuing up for an autographed copy. She understood that what they wanted most was a moment of her undivided attention, and they got it even when the lines were long and she didn’t feel well. Yes, she was a true Grande Dame, and the movie does her proud.

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More Gifts from the Garden and Kitchen—Fresh Herb Vinegars

Decades ago at a gourmet shop I encountered my first fancy herb vinegars. You know--the ones that come with real sprigs of tarragon or basil or some other culinary herb tucked inside. I was charmed, but after checking the prices, immediately decided to see if I could make my own. I could, and have been ever since!

Each year, I prepare enough to use in my own vinaigrettes and cooking, as well as to give as holiday gifts to culinary friends. Often, it's a task for summer,  but as you can see from the golden hue of the trees behind my house, autumn was already in full swing by the time I got around to readying my vinegars this year.

In fact, I make a point of growing certain herbs, like purple basil, garlic chives, nasturtiums, and tarragon partly because they are so useful in creating tasty and enticing-looking vinegars. (Yes, nasturtiums are sometimes categorized as herbs and they taste a lot like watercress--which can actually be used in their place in vinegars if necessary).  But don't worry if you don't have a garden--the vinegars will taste just as good made with fresh herbs purchased from the grocery or produce store.

The bottle on the right side in the top pic is brightened with a yellow nasturtium bloom as well as both the graceful  branching white flower heads and leaves of garlic chives. The yellow nasturtium flower gradually lent a white wine color to the rice vinegar used. (A flashy red bloom will tint the vinegar a vivid orange-red!) The rose-hued bottle in the center of the pic was also made with a nearly colorless unseasoned rice vinegar, which turned gorgeous and flavorful after the purple basil sprigs infused it for a few days. The brightly-hued bottle on the far left was readied with red wine vinegar and infused with a combination of green and purple basil sprigs. Though these vinegars are all quite easy to make, they are so appealing it's no wonder the bottles in shops are pricy.


Homemade Herbed Vinegars

The pictures here and below show the nasturtium-chive and purple basil- chive vinegars during preparation. As you can see, an old fondue fork is an especially handy tool for inserting the herbs into small-mouthed bottles.

The exact same approach can also be used to ready a lovely tarragon or tarragon-chive vinegar, or a chive-watercress vinegar. A blend of thyme, chives, and parsley is nice, too.  Oregano is a bit strong and dillweed yields a vinegar that tastes like pickle brine, so I don't recommend these herbs.


Each blend will have its own unique and savory appeal. Try a little splash  to enhance a simple butter sauce for seafood or a pan sauce for sauteed meat. Or use a little to perk up sauteed cabbage or slaw; add life to store-bought mayo; or whisk into a pleasing vinaigrette.

Herb vinegars can be kept, unrefrigerated but away from bright light or heat for up to a year. After that the flavors and colors fade, so plan to use them up and make more!

Tip: While it's easiest to just add herbs to the bottles the vinegar comes in, for a more decorative look, try interesting recycled bottles topped with corks or non-reactive caps. The herbs stay in the bottle, so the flavor intensifies further over time.

For each bottle of vinegar, you'll need:

3-4 large fresh basil, tarragon, or thyme sprigs, or 6-8 watercress springs or nasturtium leaves (plus a nasturtium bloom or two, if desired)

1 small handful of fresh chives or garlic chives (include blooms, if desired), optional
About 12- to 16-ounces white wine vinegar or unseasoned rice wine vinegar or red wine vinegar

Cut (or purchase) some fresh sprigs of  the herbs of your choice. Discard any brown, yellowed, or bruised leaves. Rinse the sprigs under cool water. Gently pat dry with paper towels. Push the sprigs down into a nearly full bottle of vinegar (a fondue fork is great for this but a long skewer can be used). Keep working until all the leaves are completely submerged in the vinegar. If the vinegar overflows the top, just pour off the excess. Let the mixture steep at least a few days so the flavor can develop.

Makes 1 12- to 16-ounce bottle of vinegar

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High Summer Pleasure—Blackberry Sorbet

Seems like I'm always waiting forever for the wild blackberries in my neighborhood to ripen. But eventually every summer, Mother Nature delivers, and her gifts are always worth the wait.

Last week one morning instead of working, I grabbed a bucket, a hat, and long sleeve shirt and went out to seek my treasure. Just look what I found!

I'd like to talk about the idyllic setting of the berry patch, but I can't. These berries came from a stand of canes right beside a busy Maryland highway near my house. So the whole time I picked, cars and trucks kept whizzing by. I just kept picking though, and collected almost 1 1/2 quarts in an hour.

To celebrate my good fortune, I created this Blackberry-Plum sorbet. It’s about as close as I will ever come to catching the essence of summer in a bowl. Sweet-tart, vibrant, intensely fruity, and utterly refreshing, it was just perfect for savoring in the shade of my deck.

By the way, if you have the good fortune of coming upon some boysenberries, you can use them in place of blackberries in the following recipe. Boysenberries are actually a blackberry-raspberry-loganberry cross created by a horticulturalist named ... Rudolph Boysen in the early 1930s.

High Summer Blackberry-Plum Sorbet

There are two good reasons to add plums to a blackberry sorbet: They are a clever way to stretch the berries when you don’t have enough. Even more important, underripe, unpeeled plums have a lot of pectin, which helps keep the sorbet pleasantly smooth in texture and readily “scoopable” even when stored a week or more.


Tip: If your berries are extremely tart, you may want to increase the sugar by a tablespoon or two. For best texture, don’t reduce the sugar to under 3/4 cup.

3 cups blackberries
2 medium underripe, tart red or black plums (unskinned), pitted and chopped
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon zest (yellow part of the peel)
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Thoroughly stir together the blackberries, plums, 1 cup water, sugar, and lemon zest in a large, non-reactive saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring, then adjust the heat so the mixture boils gently until the berries and plums are soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat; let cool.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 and up to 24 hours. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve, pressing down hard to extract as much pulp as possible. Process the strained mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Place in a storage container and freeze, airtight, until firmed up at least 2 hours, and up to a week.

Makes 1 generous quart.



Don't have an ice cream freezer? This refreshing minted lime sorbet doesn't need one.

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Blackberry (or Black Raspberry) Sauce--Simple, Summery, Sensational

If sorbet just doesn't sing to you, and you don't have time for blackberry or black raspberry cobbler, try this easy sauce. It makes a great ice cream sundae topping--try it over lemon sorbet as well as the more traditional vanilla ice cream.

Note that this sauce is cooked, so it is not a coulis--which although it sounds fancier ( and will likely cost more in a restaurtant) is not, in fact, as good.

Yes, the uncooked fruit coulis are in vogue now, but, trust me, brief cooking produces a blackberry or black raspberry sauce with much fuller flavor, more body, and more vibrant color. A cooked sauce is also more convenient, since it can be held in the refrigerator a few days.

BTW, if you're not familiar with black raspberries (shown below), they aren't quite like either red raspberries or blackberries.They are tart, bold, and black like blackberries, but have the complex berry flavor and aroma more reminiscent of raspberries. The best place to find them (other than growing wild in wooded areas!) is at farmer's markets and roadside stands during June and July.

The blackraspberries shown are ones I picked in the woods behind my house. The canes shown below are from earlier in the season when they were blooming and just beginning to set their fruit.

Blackberry or Black Raspberry Sauce

Tip: If you are a little short of 3 cups of berries, fill in with a pitted and chopped red or black plum or two. No need to peel the plums!

6 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon cornstarch

3 cups fresh or unsweetened frozen (thawed) blackberries or black raspberries
3 tablespoons blackberry or peach brandy or orange juice

Generous pinch of finely grated lemon or lime zest (colored part of skin)

In a heavy, medium non-reactive saucepan stir together the sugar and cornstarch until well blended. Stir in the berries, brandy (or juice) and lemon zest. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, stirring. Continuing to stir, cook until the mixture thickens and clears, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat; let cool. Press the mixture through a fine sieve, forcing through as much juice and pulp as possible and discarding seeds. Refrigerate in a nonreactive airtight storage container at least 1 hour, and up to 5 days. Stir briefly before using.

Makes a generous 1 cup (enough for 4 to 6 sundaes).

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Seafood the Old Bay Way

Anybody who lives around the Chesapeake knows that part of the appeal of steamed crabs and shrimp is their distinctive spicy scent and flavor. It comes mostly from a highly aromatic herb-spice mixture that’s been popular here for decades. The best known brand is called Old Bay, and it is pungent with celery salt, dry mustard, bay leaves, paprika, and enough pepper to draw your attention but not make you cry. A clever tag line for the product is “Bold Never Gets Old;” locals like myself would definitely agree. (A lot of seafood houses actually use similar blends from other companies, but Old Bay was the original brand.)

I’ve already made quite a few trips to my favorite seafood market to stock up and feast on shrimp and crabs this summer. I usually buy my crabs already cooked, but prefer to steam the shrimp myself. Frankly, both steamed crabs and shrimp just seem lacking to me unless they are prepared the Old Bay way.

Should you wish to try some Chesapeake-style shrimp yourself, here is a recipe which I’ve adapted slightly from one on the Old Bay tin. Though originally available only locally, it's now sold by McCormick's nationwide.

Maryland-Style Steamed Shrimp

2 to 3 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning
1 1/2 to 2 pounds fresh, headless shrimp (in their shells)
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
Cocktail sauce and fresh lemon wedges

Set out a deep pot fitted with a raised rack or steamer basket. Add vinegar and enough water to reach just below level of the rack. Layer the shrimp, sprinkling each layer with Old Bay Seasoning as you work. Cover tightly and steam 3 to 5 minutes; stir once or twice to redistribute and continue just until they all turn red. Avoid overcooking or they may tough. Let stand until cool enough to handle, then serve along with lots of paper towels. After peeling the shrimp diners can dip them in cocktail sauce and/or squeeze over a little lemon juice.

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