Herb-y, Fully Loaded
What to do when you're cursed with abundance.
Maybe I’m showing my unsophisticated side, but I sometimes feel overwhelmed by the plentitude of herbs my garden produces. Then I remember that people have literally died for herbs and spices throughout history (and in the Dune-iverse) and I put on my big girl pants and get to cooking.
Below there are a few herbaceous recipes from me, and a few online that I’ve really enjoyed this summer.
Basil Oil- Delicious, but doesn’t last very long so you’ll want to use it right away. Would also slap with cilantro, or thyme.
Fresh Herb Salt- Makes a very posh gift, even if it’s just to yourself.
Rosemary Lemon Infused Gin- Takes a week to make, tastes like summertime forever.
Vers Munthee- no link, but a Dutch delicacy. Literally translates to “fresh mint tea.” Pour boiling water over a bundle of leaves, add honey, and enjoy feeling like you’re in one of those weird 5 Gum commercials.
Peach Cucumber Herb Salad
Makes 4 side dish servings- if this is a main dish (no judgment), aim to double this recipe.
Ingredients
3 ripe, juicy peaches
1 ripe, juicy cucumber
1 handful of washed and chopped basil, mint, or thyme (or all 3, if you got ‘em)
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp sugar
Pinch of salt and pepper, to taste
Process
Wash and cut up your peaches, leaving out the pit unless you hate your guests.
Peel and dice your cucumber. If you don’t care about bitterness, or are using an English cucumber, feel free to skip peeling. Add to a bowl with the peaches.
Add a little pinch of salt and pepper to get the flavors going.
In a small bowl, combine your washed and chopped herbs with the sugar and balsamic vinegar. Whisk vigorously (or weakly if it’s been ‘one of those days,’ that’s fine). Pour over peaches and cukes.
Eat immediately, or let sit for 30 min. in the fridge for maximum flavor town.
Swaps
Want to bulk it up?
Serve on toasted French bread with extra balsamic for drizzling. Fresh mozzarella pearls would be tasty here as well. Toasted pepitas, walnuts, sunflower seeds, etc. add a nice saltiness, and if you’re a meat eater, prosciutto would work well.
Don’t have peaches?
Most stone fruits would be good here, especially plums, apricots, or nectarines. You could try cherries if you were really feeling kooky, but I personally wouldn’t recommend.
Don’t have cukes?
Watermelons are basically sweet cucumbers and go great with balsamic vinegar. Most other melons would sub in fine as well- just don’t try with a raw zucchini. Trust me.
Don’t have herbs?
Dried thyme and/or mint would be fine. Most of this dish’s WOWZA factor comes from the herbs, but if you don’t have any at all, it’ll still do the job, if the job is feeding you.
Don’t have balsamic vinegar?
A squeeze of citrus- lemon, lime, grapefruit, even orange is the most natural swap, but if you don’t have lemons, try white wine vinegar! I would caution you against using normal white vinegar in this- it doesn’t play very nicely with the fruit. If you don’t have any vinegar or citrus at all, then the universe doesn’t want you to eat this. Do you dare Disturb the universe?
Don’t have sugar?
You’re totally fine skipping this ingredient. I like the extra sweetness and how it plays off the balsamic. If your peaches aren’t perfectly ripe, honey, agave, or Splenda (if you REALLY must) would sit in fine for sugar.
Ratatouille
Makes 2 main dish servings, or 4 side dish servings.
I promise it’s not as involved as the movie makes it seem. Maybe it’s hard to make because he’s a rat controlling a human’s body like it’s a mecha suit? Just a thought.
Ingredients
For the sauce:
2 bell peppers
3 large tomatoes
1/2 onion
3 cloves garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
Finely chopped basil, parsley, thyme
Red pepper flakes if you’re nasty
Salt and pepper, to taste
For the vegetables:
1 large eggplant
1 summer squash
1 large zucchini
1 big, beefy tomato
Process
Cut a little X on the bottom of your 3 sauce tomatoes. Dunk in boiling water for 60-90 seconds. I like to use my kettle to boil the water, and then pour into a Dutch oven to conserve precious stove space. Dunk tomatoes in an ice bath to halt cooking.
Peel away the skin, and either chop roughly or immersion blend for a moment or two, just until broken down.
Dice your peppers and onion and pop in a pan with a bit of oil. Saute until soft, around 5 minutes, and add garlic and herbs, salt and pepper, and optional red pepper flakes- saute for another minute or two, and then add your tomato.
You have two options here- quick, or much less quick. If you’re looking for quick, let simmer on low for 15- 20 minutes while you chop vegetables. If it’s a Saturday or you’re procrastinating, simmer for up to 90 minutes, stirring occasionally. You could simmer longer than that probably, but I’m not sure what happens- you might end up making tomato paste.
For the vegetables- I thinly slice my vegetables into lil rounds. You could also roughly dice for a more rustic feel. You do you booboo.
Pour 2/3s of your sauce into a baking dish, either carefully arrange vegetables on top or just dump them if that’s the vibe and then put the remaining 1/3 sauce on top.
Cover with foil, and bake at 350 F for 1 hour. Enjoy with crusty bread, on top of pasta, or all by its herbaceous, zingy self.
Swaps
Don’t have summer squash/zucchini?
Okay… So I don’t know if this is a hate crime, but technically you could use any number of vegetables. Ratatouille is traditionally a stew of summer vegetables, so if you had other veggies in mind, you could totally use them. Aim for meaty, substantial veggies that will stand up to being simmered in sauce for an hour.
Don’t have bell peppers?
Other peppers work great- I threw in some rogue banana peppers I had kicking around. No peppers at all? It’ll still be tasty, just very slightly less dimensional.
Don’t have herbs?
Dried herbs are fine- if no dried herbs, just make sure your veggies are fresh and can speak for themselves.
Want to bulk it up?
Serve on top of pasta with roasted white beans to make this a main dish. If there is a question… the answer is always beans.