Cooking with Fresh Herbs

What if I could give you a single tip to catapult your cooking to a higher level and cause almost everything you cook to taste better? I can! Cook with fresh herbs! Take scrambled eggs, for example. Plain old scrambled eggs are, well, a little boring. If you stir in some fresh dill and smoked salmon, suddenly you are a rock star. Even a sprinkling of fresh chives on top of your scrambled eggs makes a huge difference. 

Plain old boneless skinless breasts are just that—plain. But if you marinate them with herbs, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and then grill or bake them and finish with a drizzle of that same marinade, everybody will think you are a gourmet cook. 

Mashed potatoes suddenly become elegant when you stir in some fresh tarragon and Italian parsley. And is there anything better than pesto made with fresh basil, parmesan, toasted nuts and good quality olive oil? Only when you toss it with some hot pasta! 

Plain green beans become a fancy salad when tossed with an herb vinaigrette and cherry tomatoes. Add some parmesan cheese slivers (just use your trusty vegetable peeler) and people will start calling you a chef! 

Growing herbs is easy—all you really need is a super sunny spot. While most herbs can successfully be grown in pots, I have always had much better luck when they are grown in the ground. I have a raised bed devoted entirely to herbs. In the summer time, almost every night I snip fresh herbs to use when making dinner. The more you experiment with fresh herbs, the more deft you will become at using them. 

Hot Tip: After making a batch of basil pesto, freeze the leftovers in ice cube trays. Once frozen, pop the basil cubes into a plastic baggie and label before putting into the freezer. Add a cube to vegetable soups to boost the flavor, toss with pasta, or stir into mashed potatoes.