Ideas for Using Leftover Herbs

Arugula

• Add a fistful of chopped arugula to any potato salad recipe for a hint of pepper and subtle mustard flavor.
• Substitute for Basil in any pesto recipe and top salmon or other fish steaks after grilling.
• Slice fresh brussels sprouts crosswise to shred, sauté with chopped shallots and toss in julienned arugula just before serving.
• When serving pork tenderloin with a cream sauce, add chopped arugula for a mustard kick.
• Sauté  ½c. arugula with spinach, kale, swiss chard & fresh garlic in a bit of olive oil for a flavorful wilted greens side dish.

Basil

• Make a salsa cruda with diced ripe yellow and red tomatoes, red onions, fresh or smoked mozzarella, shredded basil leaves and fruity olive oil to serve over capellini
• Chop citrus fruits, shallots and basil leaves for a relish to serve on grilled fish
• Julienne 1/2 package and add to 1lb. miniature mozzarella balls, 1 pint grape tomatoes; salt & pepper to taste and serve in martini glasses for an easy, healthy appetizer.
• Freeze fresh pesto in ice cube trays.  Heat 2 cubes with 1/4 cup sour cream or yogurt to use as a dip for 1 pound cooked tortellini on skewers.
• Combine with short stem flowers in a vase to make an aromatic posey.
• Use leaves as a wrap for jumbo shrimp or boneless chicken tenderloins.   Brush with olive oil, and grill.
• Blend 3oz cream cheese with ½ c. shredded mozzarella, smear on 4 flattened boneless chicken breasts, top with 3 leaves, roll up, wrap each chicken breast in 1 slice peppered bacon and bake 30 minutes @ 400 degrees.

Bay Leaves

• Add bay leaves to slow cooker sauces, stocks or cream and cheese based sauces
• Poach pears in red or white wine syrup flavored with bay leaves and a strip of orange zest
• For enhanced aroma, place 4 or 5 leaves on a cedar plank, soaked in water, top with chicken or fish and grill.
• Ideal for brushing with melted chocolate for a spectacular chocolate leaf garnish.
• Use as a garnish for individual servings of mashed potatoes in martini glasses.
• For added flavor, place a few leaves in cold water used to soak fresh corn on the cob before roasting or grilling.

Chervil

• Make a sauce for red snapper with chopped tomatoes, shallots, olive oil and chervil
• Just before serving, add chervil leaves and mint to cooked edamame.
• Toss a handful of lightly chopped Chervil to 1c. breadcrumbs for breading veal patties to make Veal picatta.
• After steaming mussels & new baby potatoes, sprinkle over all a full pkg of Chervil leaves.
• Shower 2T. over an omelet.
• Mix with chopped chives for a blend to sprinkle on boneless chicken breasts just before cooking and for serving.

Chives

• Roll goat cheese coins (1-inch round slices) in finely minced chives & parsley with 1 tablespoon finely minced breadcrumbs.  Chill.  Heat on low in a non-stick skillet and place atop fresh greens.
• Garnish creamed soups with chives cut on an angle for color, texture & flavor.
• Chives can be substituted for shallots in any recipe.
• To make a colorful aromatic presentation, fan out an entire package or handful of chives on a plate; top with appetizer.
• For easy but delicious cheese truffles, blend equal amounts of ricotta, cream cheese, Gorgonzola & 1/2 cup fresh chopped chives in food processor; chill 30 minutes.  Roll into 1-inch balls, then coat with finely chopped nuts.
• Longer chives make delightful napkin rings or are ideal for bundling 3 or 4 matchstick carrots, beans & asparagus together before baking.

Cilantro

• Make a curried chicken salad with celery, applies and chopped cilantro leaves
• Stir-fry vegetables and beef and make a sauce with soy sauce, Asian sesame oil, fresh ginger and chopped cilantro
• For added freshness, toss 3 T. chopped cilantro to an 8 ounce jar of salsa.
• Toss a handful of chopped cilantro with 1 lb. freshly cooked shrimp, 1T. freshly grated Ginger, 2t. hot sauce and a squeeze of lemon for an Asian style, delicious dish.
• Mash 1/4c. salsa with 1 can black beans, drained, 1/2c. sour cream, 1t. cumin and 2T. chopped cilantro to make a fabulous black bean dip for chips, vegys.
• Pair 2T. chopped cilantro with 2T. chopped fresh mint and a splash of vinegar over fresh sliced tomatoes & mozzarella.
• Add ½ pkg coarsely chopped to fresh guacamole for an authentic Mexican flavor.

Dill

• Make a sauce of mustard, oil, sugar, dill, salt and serve with salmon or shrimp
• Add chopped dill to mayonnaise-based salads such as egg or potato salad
• Toss the feathery fronds with shredded carrot & cucumber chunks.  Dress with fruity vinegar.
• Place whole sprigs under fish filets before baking or grilling on cedar planks.
• Roast with potato wedges and salt in 425 oven for 25 minutes.
• Mix with sour cream or yogurt and serve as a dip with parboiled new baby potatoes.
• Makes a delightful garnish when fried in vegetable oil.

Edible Flowers

• Turn an ordinary occasion into extraordinary by placing an edible flower in each of several champagne flutes, and fill with sparkling soda, juice champagne or wine.
• An easy and light dessert is to grill bananas sliced in half, drizzle with honey and sprinkle edible flower petals all over.
• For a divine flower butter, blend 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temp, with 1/3c flower petals.  Serve in mini crock with warm French baguettes.
• Cupcakes are for everybody; especially when each one holds edible flowers!  Pour cupcake batter into muffin tins 1/3 full, divide flowers among 12 cupcakes, top with remaining batter and bake as directed.  Serve frosted with additional flowers as garnish.
• Slice a loaf of pound cake in half, spread ½ jar fruit preserves on one half, then put back together.  Chill for 30 + minutes or more.    Cut into cubes and layer with fresh whipped cream and edible flowers for a delightful parfait.  Garnish the top of each with sprig of fresh Mint.

Lemon Grass

• For a cool, refreshing complement to grilled Tuna, toss equal parts peeled cucumber, melon, 1 stalk thinly sliced LEMON GRASS, 1 T. finely minced cilantro and the juice from ½ lime.
• Slice and use as a garnish over raw asparagus drizzled with vinaigrette.
• To make a fruity glaze on pork tenderloin, on low heat mix 2 stalks of finely chopped lemon grass to one 10 oz. jar of blueberry preserves and add 1 clove minced garlic.  Baste and bake.
• Just one stalk chopped can add a pop to plain chicken salad.
  Toss thinly sliced with cabbage to jazz up your everyday slaw recipe.

Lemon Thyme

• Try lemon thyme with salmon, tuna or sea bass
• Make a marinade with chopped lemon thyme, shallots, olive oil and lemon juice for grilled chicken

Lemon verbena

• Make a lemon verbena butter to top broiled shimp or steamed clams
• Flavor iced tea with lemon verbena and lime
• Crush a few leaves and put them in a steamer basket with chicken or fish for a lightly perfumed dish

Marjoram

• Toss steamed green beans with gently heated crème fraiche, lemon zest and marjoram
• Sprinkle ¼c. chopped leaves over and roll into pre-made pie crust for quiche or savory tart recipes.
• Layer 1 cooked potato &2c. ham slices with 1c.shredded cheese, and a handful of chopped Marjoram. Pour 1/2c. cream overall.  Top w ¼c. more cheese and bake @ 350 for 30 minutes.
• The flavors of grilled corn on the cob are enhanced when served with a blend of ½c. butter & 1/3c. of marjoram leaves.
• Add whole sprigs of marjoram when steaming mussels or clams in white wine & lemon juice for an aromatic accent.
• Toss in a sprinkling of marjoram leaves with a salad of fresh Spinach and mixed greens for a distinctive taste.

Mint

• Combine mint in chocolate in desserts such as mint-chocolate chip ice cream, flourless chocolate cake with mint-infused custard sauce
• Freeze whole leaves in ice cube trays.  Reserve for specialty cocktails or iced teas.
• Add an entire package of chopped leaves to a boxed Brownie mix; bake.
• A fresh bunch of mint fanned out on a serving plate makes an impressive bed for savory or sweet treats.
• Make spectacular, easy parfaits: layer chunks of pound cake with freshly whipped cream, berries and mint leaves.
• Chocolate Mint Truffles: crush a 1 lb bag of chocolate  wafer cookies & 1 pkg mint leaves; add 1 8oz-cream cheese and blend well.   Roll, chill, dip in melted chocolate.

Oregano

• Make a vinaigrette of olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice and chopped oregano; toss with greens, feta, tomato, kalamata olives for a classic Greek salad
• Sprinkle over refrigerator pizza dough, double fold, layer again with more chopped oregano.  Cut into thin breadsticks and bake.
• Add whole sprigs to a roasting pan when baking or reheating store bought meatballs for an added zip of Italian flavor.
• For a great, versatile cheese spread or dip, combine ½ pkg chopped with 8oz cream cheese, 1/4c. finely chopped shallots and 1/4c. shredded Fontina cheese.
• Make an Oregano Garlic Confit to use on foccaccia, pizzas, toss with pasta and more.
• Simply heat 1 c. olive oil over medium heat, add 2 heads peeled garlic and 1 pkg oregano, whole sprigs.  Turn heat to low and cook for one hour.   Discard oregano.
• Chill in refrigerator; keeps for one month.   Use a clean utensil to remove oil & garlic each time.

Parsley

• Make a chicken salad with lemon zest, toasted pine nuts, currants, chopped parsley and mayonnaise
• Combine chopped parsley and garlic and toss with pan fried potatoes to accompany grilled steak
• Parsley used in place of Basil for any basic pesto recipe works beautifully on broiled lamb chops.
• Throw an entire package into 1 lb.cooked sausage links in medium skillet.  Add 1 large sliced onion and cook until browned.  Simmer with 1 1/2c. red wine for 1 hour.  Serve with 2nd package as garnish divided among each plate.
• Popovers make a terrific side dish to meats and vegetables; just add 1 pkg chopped
• Parsley to any savory popover batter and bake as directed.
• Mix together 1 pkg, finely chopped with 1 C. freshly shredded Parmesan.  Mound 2T. onto baking sheet on parchment paper and bake 5 minutes in 350 oven.  Makes a unique, very flavorful “cracker.”
• Use a pkg of finely chopped to roll into store bought pie crust dough before fitting into pie pan.  Bake as directed before filling with quiche or other savory mixtures.  Cool, fill and continue to bake until set in the middle.

Rosemary

• Brush toasted bread with olive oil and finely chopped rosemary before topping with goat cheese
• Rub chopped rosemary on beef before grilling or roasting.
• Rub ½ fresh lime over fresh Rosemary sprigs, then squeeze juice over honeydew melon slices.
• Put melted triple cream cheese such as Brie over slices of pear, top with small sprigs of rosemary.
• Infuse with salt for meat rubs:  Mix kosher salt and sprigs of fresh rosemary in seal tight container. Remove sprigs after 2 weeks or longer depending on taste of strength.
• For beautiful tea cookies, fan 3 needles on raw butter or sugar cookie dough slices before baking.
• When sautéing veal scalloppine, add rosemary needles for an unbelievable burst of flavor.

Sage

• For a fettuccine sauce, combine and gently heat heavy cream, peas, sage, nutmeg, grated Parmigiano and thin strips of prosciutto.
• Fry whole sprigs in oil for 2 minutes as an unique garnish of texture and flavor.
• Mix a tablespoon of chopped sage with mayonnaise for turkey burgers.
• Finely chop a handful of fresh leaves and add to seasoned mashed sweet potatoes.  Use as a filling for quesadillas and serve with cranberry relish for a refreshing holiday appetizer.
• Place several whole leaves under acorn squash halves before roasting for an intense flavor & aroma.
• Add 2 tablespoon. chopped leaves to lemon blueberry batters for savory muffins or scones.

Savory

• Throw in a few chopped tablespoons when making meatballs for hints of fresh pepper.
• Wilt a handful of sprigs with fresh Kale and serve as a bed under cooked turkey breast slices.
• Add 1/4c. chopped sprigs to baked eggs & cheese recipes for a savory brunch entree. (5 eggs, ½ c. milk, 2 slices bread cubed & tossed with 2T. butter, 2/3c. shredded cheese- bake 350 30 minutes.)
• Use in place of fresh oregano or thyme for roasting rub pastes.
• Chop a few tablespoons and add to 1/2c. store bought salad vinaigrette to dress enough salad for four.

Tarragon

• Toss tarragon leaves with fresh sliced white mushrooms, snipped chives, sherry vinegar and canola oil
• Flavor hollandaise sauce with a reduction of wine vinegar, tarragon and shallots and serve with pan-seared steak
• As a terrific complement, toss whole leaves into a fresh spinach salad with dried apricots.
• Stir handful of chopped tarragon into mayonnaise for tuna or chicken salad.
• Layer whole leaves with brownie pieces and whipped cream to make a sumptuous parfait; top with fresh berries.
• For a quick, light appetizer, toss a handful of chopped tarragon with 1 small sliced fennel bulb and a few grape tomato halves.  Sprinkle with salt & cracked black pepper, drizzle with olive oil and top with thin Parmesan shavings.
• Sprinkle coarsely chopped leaves over a simple wedge of iceberg lettuce drizzled with creamy dressing & nuts to add distinctive flavor.

Thyme

• Cook sprigs of thyme with green lentils and use as a bed for sautéed or grilled salmon
• Mash chopped thyme with Roquefort cheese and chopped walnuts and serve with grilled steak.
• Add chopped to a container of spreadable cheese and fill cherry tomatoes or miniature filo dough shells.
• Toss with Panko breadcrumbs for crusted chicken tenderloins, veal or fish bites; sauté or bake.
• Gremolata- For an impressive European dessert or appetizer, mix ¼ pkg thyme leaves with equal amounts of ricotta or cream cheese & 1/4c. other shredded cheese.  Stuff into the hollow of baked or canned pears; top with fresh sprigs.
  Add whole sprigs when roasting any vegetables