Mummified Herb Preserve

It’s a hard thing to do. Waving a big “good-bye” to summers bounty of fresh herbs. I was not looking forward to parting with my basil and mint crop over the winter, so I started searching for options to help me with my herb withdrawals.

Somehow, I am not even sure how, I came across an article about freezing herbs in salt to keep them for use over the winter. The sound of fresh herbs buried in salt sounded not-so-appealing to me. Would they become dry as a fallen leaf? Would they retain the flavor of their sodium captors? The questions had me curious.

So, for this blog I decided to MacGuyver it for you. I am posting the initial directions on how to do this, then throughout the winter months I will add these mummified herbs to some recipes and let you know how their entombment worked.
Sound like a plan? Good. Here’s what to do.

Contestants, pick your herbs! I had basil, oregano, mint and thyme.

First, make a thin layer of kosher salt on the bottom of your container. Then place some clean and dry herbs on top.

Then cover that layer in salt.

Depending on the depth of the conatiner, you can make various layers, but the goal is to have the herbs completely covered in the salt.

Then put on your lid and label the container.

Do the same with all your herbs.

Then put them in the freezer. To use, take out what you need, rinse well in cold water and use as you would fresh herbs. I read that the flavor is the same, but the look of the herbs not so good.
Also, the salt is supposedly full of the herb flavors, so you get 2 culinary treats for the price of one.

Gnocchi with Spring Herb Pesto

Extreme Green Dinner: part 2. Quick tip: buy pre-packaged or frozen gnocchi. You’ll save a TON of time, as gnocchi are really hard to make and even harder to make well. We get ours at Trader Joe’s. Mmmm!

Gnocchi with Spring Herb Pesto

Recipe from Emeril. We didn’t put arugula in the pesto, I’m not a big fan of it. But, it might have actually been pretty good! This recipe makes ALOT of pesto – I did about half this recipe and no arugula and there was plenty of sauce. Unless of course, you like a lot of sauce… then go for it!
Makes 4-6 servings.

INGREDIENTS
4 cups baby arugula
4 cups basil leaves
1 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1/4 cup
Salt and pepper
1 pound fresh gnocchi

DIRECTIONS
In the bowl of a food processor, combine arugula, basil, pine nuts, Parmesan, and garlic. With the motor running, add 1 cup olive oil in a slow stream until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, add gnocchi. Cook until they rise to the surface, just a few minutes for fresh pasta. Drain well, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta water.

In a large pan or bowl, combine pesto with remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and reserved pasta water. Pesto should become a sauce-like consistency. Add gnocchi and toss to combine. Serve, garnished with extra cheese.

Summer Herb Risotto

A delicious and very pretty dish. We had to make a few adjustments… substituted onion for leek (which are quite expensive around these parts!), and left out the parsley completely (we’re not big fans of parsley). Still delicious and definitely something we’ll make again… that is if our basil plant doesn’t die before then (it’s not looking to good at the moment… thank goodness cooking doesn’t involve keeping anything alive).

Summer Herb Risotto

Makes 4-6 servings. Recipe from Bon Appetit.

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups (loosely packed) fresh baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup (loosely packed) fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup (loosely packed) fresh Italian parsley leaves
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 garlic clove, sliced
2 cups low-salt chicken broth
2 1/2 cups water
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 medium leek (white and pale green parts only), thinly sliced
11/2 cups short-grain rice (such as arborio) or medium-grain rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving

DIRECTIONS
Blend first 5 ingredients in processor until thick paste forms. Bring broth and 2 1/2 cups water to simmer in saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to very low; cover to keep warm.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add leek; sauté until soft, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add rice; stir until heated through, about 3 minutes. Add wine; simmer until absorbed, stirring often. Add warm broth mixture 1 cup at a time, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding next and stirring often, until rice is tender but still firm to bite, about 20 minutes. Cover; remove from heat. Let stand 3 minutes. Uncover; stir in herb paste, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately in warm bowls, passing additional Parmesan cheese alongside.

BLT Panini with Lemon and Herb Potato Salad

The BTL’s weren’t great… putting them in the Panini maker wasn’t the best idea (hot, wilted lettuce=not so good). But, the potato salad was excellent. Next time we’d reduce the dill (we’re not huge dill fans), but the vinegar and lemon really add a nice kick to the potatoes. Mmmm.

Creamy Potato Salad with Lemon and Fresh Herbs

Makes 8 servings. Recipe from Bon Appetit.

INGREDIENTS
3 pounds baby red potatoes
3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3 medium green onions, thinly sliced
1 celery stalk, cut into 1/3-inch cubes
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
11/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel

DIRECTIONS
Bring potatoes to boil in large pot of water. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 17 minutes. Drain; let stand until cool enough to handle, about 20 minutes.

Cut potatoes into 3/4-inch pieces. Place 1 layer of potatoes in large bowl; sprinkle with some of vinegar and salt and pepper. Continue layering potatoes with vinegar, salt, and pepper. Add all remaining ingredients; toss. Season with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

Spaghetti with Herb and Tomato

This is a quick and flavorful dish, not heavy like many pastas can be. The addition of fresh herbs and the breadcrumbs make this dish unique.

Spaghetti with Herb and Tomato

Makes 4 servings.

INGREDIENTS
1 lb spaghetti
Olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
3 tomatoes, diced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup white wine
a handful of freshly chopped herbs, such as basil and italian parsley
breadcrumbs, lightly toasted
parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook until al-dente.

While pasta is cooking, preheat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Add onion and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant. Add tomato paste and stir to combine. Add white wine and diced tomatoes, and simmer for 5-6 minutes or until tomatoes begin to break down. Stir in chopped herbs and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Drain pasta, reserving some of the pasta water. Add pasta to sauce pan and stir until well coated, adding a bit of reserved pasta water if necessary.

Plate and top with a few tablespoons of toasted breadcrumbs, a sprinkle of parmesan, and a drizzle of olive oil.