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6 Things to Do With Chives

Susannah Chen — Wed, 23 May 2012 05:39:40 PDT

Although chives may be a perennial hardy in the garden, once they're in your crisper, don't expect their delicate, slender scapes to last over a week.

Before they devolve into a sorry state bound for the compost bin, be sure take advantage of chives and their light onion flavor. A few examples:

Start the day off right with a classic pairing of smoked salmon, cream cheese, and snipped chives.
Use them to add pungency to any mashed potatoes or any other potato dish.

Keep reading for more chive serving suggestions.

In Season: Chervil

Lizzie Fuhr — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 06:45:28 PDT

With Spring in full bloom, there's no better time to inject the aniselike flavor of chervil into a tired recipe for a new taste of inspiration. Closely related to carrots and parsley, this herb has been around for thousands of years. But while its flavor has been a longtime staple in European cuisine, chervil is a relatively new herbal pleasure in most American kitchens. Sometimes called "the new parsley," lucky for us, this lovely lacy herb has been popping its cute head up in high-end kitchens all over the country.

When purchasing chervil at the market, be sure to choose stems that stand proud and tall with vibrant green leaves. And like most herbs, chervil's flavor is best fresh. If you're planning on using it in a cooked dish, be sure to add it near the end of the cooking process for the best results. Interested in how to incorporate this cute herb into your next meal? Keep reading for a few recipes starring chervil.

6 Things to Do With Scallions

Susannah Chen — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 04:23:26 PST

Ever buy a bunch of herbs for a recipe, only to use a scant stem and find the rest wilted with dehydration a week later? This has admittedly been a long-standing problem in my kitchen, and I've been determined to cultivate a solution for it. This week I'm addressing an aromatic I have a chronic problem forgetting about: scallions.

When they're fresh, green onions have a biting smell and are resilient to the touch, but days later, the exact same stalks will take on a muted brownish hue, made slimy thanks to dehydration, and hunched over in sadness and neglect.

Since they age quickly, the key is to make sure you use them up before they get to such a sorry state! Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to do that; scallions have a mild pungency that's versatile enough to go into just about every savory dish. A few examples:

Slice green onions as thinly as possible, then toss a handful into a garden salad.
Make a four-ingredient ginger scallion sauce to drizzle on eggs, chicken, and fish.

For four more suggestions, keep reading.

6 Things to Do With Dill

Susannah Chen — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 13:14:49 PST

Ever buy a bunch of herbs for a recipe, only to use a tablespoon and find an icky bag of dried-out leaves two weeks later? This has been a long-standing problem in my house, and I've been determined to find a fix for it.

First up: dill. The delicate-looking weed is one of my favorites - I love its grassy, bright, almost lemony flavor. Because it's so zingy, dill works well with classic pairings like seafood and lemon, but there are also plenty of other ways you can use up the fronds in odds and ends. Here are some of my favorite ways.

Use it to create another dimension of flavor in stuffed cabbage rolls.
Add a few fronds at the end of cooking to brighten up chicken noodle soup.

For four more suggestions, keep reading.

How to Add Some Pizzazz to Your Veggies

Heather Dale — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 12:00:57 PDT

Although I try to eat a well-balanced healthy diet, I often feel a little lacking in the veggie department - do you? Bland foods bore my palate and I find some veggies a little on the dull side. If the lack of flavor is your issue, here are some easy, clever ways to spruce up your veggies for snacks or mealtime.

Keep reading to learn how.

10 Things to Make With Fresh Basil

Susannah Chen — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 03:53:47 PDT

One of the undeniable perks of Summer is basil's abundant availability, and its tendency to have a sweeter flavor and more tender leaves when it's in season. Although it'd be easy to spend all Summer using it in classic preparations like tricolor Caprese salad and fresh pesto, there are plenty of other uses for the herb, too. Our picks for best basil dishes when you keep reading.

The Basics: Grilled Citrus-Herb Chicken

Katie Sweeney — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 03:13:10 PDT

Although the title is a mouthful, these chicken breasts are super easy to put together. There's no marinating involved, so you can make the chicken at the last minute, even on a weeknight. In the recipe, plain chicken breasts are grilled and once they're cooked, they get doused in a mixture of herbs, citrus juice, and oil.

That's where the fun comes in: use whatever herbs and citrus you want! When I recently made it, I used lemon juice and parsley, but the possibilities are endless. Orange juice and tarragon, lime juice and cilantro, lemon juice and basil, even grapefruit juice and rosemary would work! Want to experiment with citrus and herbs? Read on for the technique.

8 Delicious Things to Do With Mint

Katie Sweeney — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 11:10:09 PDT

With its strong familiar fragrance and structured bright leaves, mint is an easy herb to identify. It also thrives when growing and can take over the pot it's planted in, so it's best to grow mint in its own area. If you have mint in your garden, you might end up with a surplus of the flavorful leaves, but there's plenty of ways to make use of this hearty herb. Here are some suggestions:

Use as a flavoring agent in a salad. Think outside the box and toss chopped mint with fresh peas for a fast side dish or peaches for a slightly sweet fruit salad.
Make mint pesto. Instead of serving the pesto with pasta, offer with a protein like shrimp or lamb chops.
Make homemade mint chip ice cream. Before making the custard, the milk is steeped with tons of fresh mint.

Read on for more minty ideas!

The Basics: Herb Butter

Katie Sweeney — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 03:40:15 PDT

Herb butter, or compound butter as it's sometimes called, is a great technique to have in your Summer cooking arsenal. Actually, herb butters are so awesome that I use them year round! But in the warm months, there's a plethora of fresh herbs to choose from - parsley, basil, oregano, etc.

The method is easy: you combine a bunch of chopped herbs and seasonings with room-temperature butter. Use the butter immediately or roll it up in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Once you've made the butter, there are countless ways to use it.

Rub it under a raw chicken's skin before grilling or dot onto just-grilled steaks. Smear on bread before toasting or corn-on-the-cob after cooking. Toss with cooked pasta or shellfish. The recipe is incredibly adaptable, so choose the herbs that you like. Ready to learn how it's done? Read on.

6 Unusual Uses For Basil

Katie Sweeney — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 12:11:04 PDT

Basil is the Summer's most beloved herb, and when it's in season, I simply can not get enough of it. While classic preparations like pesto and pizza margherita are great ways to use basil, there are plenty of other methods that highlight the fragrant herb's wonderful flavor. Here are six suggestions for making the most of that basil bounty.

Drinks. Unlike some herbs, such as rosemary, basil has a subtle earthy quality that's not overpowering. Think of it like mint and use the delicate leaves in a beverage or cocktail. Add muddled basil to lemonade, bellinis, or gimlets.
Salads. Basil is an essential ingredient to Caprese salad, but it also adds freshness to any mixed green salad. Simply toss torn basil leaves with greens and you've got a sophisticated take on the mixed green salad.

Get the rest of my ideas after the break.