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Must-Have Herbs (Part 1)

Herbs can complement virtually any dish. While fresh herbs right from the garden are almost always best, it's never a bad idea to open the spice cabinet and experiment. Here's a rundown of some of the must-have herbs for every kitchen.

BASIL

Easily grown from seed, basil grows into a bushy plant up to 3 feet tall. Harvest leaves anytime, but not more than 25 percet of the plant at any one time. It pairs well with almost any tomato dish, and is also used in Thai cooking.

Best Salad

Bag of Romaine, Boston or other lettuce – not Iceberg

Sliced Vidalia onion

One large or two small cucumbers, peeled and sliced

1 avocado, cut into chunks

About 10 large leaves of basil, rolled up and sliced into 1/4 inch slivers

2 fresh tomatoes, cut into chunks, or 1 can of diced tomatoes

Feta cheese

Mix together all ingredients, add the following dressing, toss well and serve.

Dressing:

Whisk together the following:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup good quality balsamic vinegar

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

THYME

This perennial herb loves hot dry sunny soil. Snip off sprigs to use in cooking. It enhances the flavor of many vegetables, meats and fish. It can also be added to soups, stews and sauces — anywhere you would add basil, oregano, sage, basil, etc. The common thyme — Thymus vulgaris — is most used for cooking. Lemon thyme, Thymus citriodorus (my favorite) is very good put on fish and summer squash or anything calling for a little lemon flavor.

Grilled thyme salmon

Salmon fillets, 1 inch thick

Lemon thyme sprigs

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Sprinkle salt, pepper and thyme on salmon. Place on a large piece of foil greased with a little olive oil, seal and place on hot grill. Grill five minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily.

PARSLEY

The flat leaf Italian parsley has the stronger, and some say best, flavor. It is best planted fresh every year. Harvest the leaves anytime by snipping off and use them chopped or whole. It may be dried, but is wonderful fresh. It is also very high in Vitamin C. Chopped fresh parsley adds so much flavor sprinkled over any clear soup, and greatly enhances canned soup. Try adding fresh chopped parsley to mashed potatoes and to stuffing.

Parsley garlic butter

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons minced shallot (or may substitute sweet onion)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Purée all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

Use as a quick sauce for steak, grilled chicken, or steamed vegetables, or stir a little into soup for extra flavor.

Makes about 1/2 cup.

— from April 2004 Gourmet

TARRAGON

Known by the French as the King of Herbs, it is a perennial small shrubby herb and can be grown here – it just needs sun and very well drained soil. Tarragon has a somewhat anise-like flavor and is slightly bittersweet. It is best used fresh, as it loses most of its flavor when dried. Use tarragon blended with butter, chives, and lemon to baste chicken, seafood, or fish on the grill.

Pan-seared chicken with tarragon butter sauce

1 shallot, finely chopped

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/3 cup dry white wine, such as Blue Nun

2 lb thin-sliced skinless boneless chicken breasts

Sea salt

Black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup chopped fresh tarragon

Couple of sprigs finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Cook shallot in 1 tablespoon butter in a small heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add wine and boil until most of liquid is evaporated, about 3 minutes. Set aside.

Pat chicken dry and sprinkle all over lightly with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté chicken in 3 or 4 batches, turning over once, until golden and just cooked through, about 2 minutes per batch. Transfer to a platter and tent with foil.

Return onion mixture to moderately low heat and add remaining 3 tablespoons butter, 1 cube at a time, whisking until incorporated. Remove from heat and whisk in tarragon, parsley, lemon juice, and a little salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over chicken.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

— slightly modified from a recipe in the July 2005 issue of Gourmet

ROSEMARY

Often used in Mediterranean cooking, rosemary looks somewhat like a very small pine tree with leaves that look like pine needles and is very aromatic. It greatly enhances the flavor of beef, pork, chicken, lamb, and also many vegetables. Use fresh or dried, and use often!

Rosemary-Garlic roasted potatoes

Enough red-skinned potatoes to feed four, cut in wedges

2 large Vidalia onions, cut in wedges or chunks

A few sprigs of rosemary, strip off the leaves

4 or 5 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Put wedged potatoes and onions in a large bowl. Add garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper and then toss until thoroughly coated and rosemary, garlic, salt, and pepper is evenly distributed.

Spread mixture on flat roasting pan, at least 9 x 13. Roast 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender and lightly browned and crispy on the edges.