the beauty of herbs

As I mentioned in an earlier post, spring has sprung, and I couldn't be happier. One of my favorite things to cook with, are herbs. Cooking with herbs adds such an amazing flavor to any dish. When it comes to flavor, I am a huge herb and spice fan. I definitely choose those over sauces any day. While I used dried herbs all year long to season my dishes, when Spring hits, I am all about the fresh herbs. I like to keep a small plant or two on hand, for easy access, but my main herb supply comes all the way from Philadelphia. My parents have a wonderful garden in our backyard at home. We grow berries, tomatoes, peppers, and more. Plus, one huge section of the garden is devoted to herbs. Whenever I go home in the spring and summer, or whenever my parents come to visit, I get a fresh batch of herbs. Cooking with fresh herbs is amazing. I add them to everything! I love when our garden at home comes to life, and I get to reap the benefits.

This past weekend, as most of you probably know, was mother's day. I'm fortunate enough to live very close to my family, and can easily get home on a short bus or train ride. When my mom and I get in the kitchen together, we are certainly a force to be reckoned with. Just ask my family about the year of 8 Thanksgiving Desserts (there were only 8 of us that year...). We often talk of dreams of opening a catering business, or being on Food Network together...maybe one day. While we ate a ton of delicious food out last weekend, my favorite meal was cooked and served in our own kitchen. With our herb garden starting to bloom, we definitely took advantage, using herbs in every part of our dinner- from drinks to dessert, the herbs were the stars of the show.

straight from the garden: rosemary, mint, thai basil, thyme, dill, chive, basil, oregano

An Herby Mother's Day Feast


Mint Sun Tea

brewing in the sun

1 large pitcher of water
6 black tea bags (we used decaf)
1 large sprig of mint

Twist the tags of the tea bags together and drape them over the side of the pitcher into the water
Add the mint to the pitcher and cover with the lid
Place the pitcher in the sun for 2+ hours to allow it to brew
Serve over ice, enjoy!!



Grilled Vegetable Herbed Qunioa

1 cup of quinoa
1 cup of vegetable stock
1 cup of water
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 large head of broccoli, cut into florets
1 cup of string beans, halved
1 medium onion, cut into rounds
1 large handful of asparagus, cut into thirds
1 small bunch of fresh chives
2 sprigs of rosemary
2 leaves of thyme
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 drizzle olive oil

beautifully grilled

a delicious rainbow

Turn your grill on high and allow to heat up (a grill pan, or saute pan will work here as well if you don't have access to an outdoor grill- if you don't have a grill pan, you might want to invest in one, they are great kitchen tools!)
Bring quinoa, stock, and water to boil over high heat on your stove, before reducing it to a simmer and covering. Cook quinoa for about 15 minutes or until water has absorbed and quinoa is fluffy
Season the quinoa with salt, pepper, garlic, and cumin
Meanwhile, place prepared veggies on a sheet of tin foil
Drizzle the veggies with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and garlic
Cook the veggies on the grill for about 7-10 minutes, or until they start to char just a little bit
While the veggies cool, take the rosemary leaves off of their stem, and chop the rosemary, thyme, and chive
Give the veggies a rough chop, cutting them into bite size pieces
In a large bowl, combine the herbs, veggies, and quiona
Mix together and enjoy!


Grilled Salmon with Lemon-Herb Vinegrette

4 fillets of salmon
1 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 sprig of rosemary
1 leaf of thyme
1 sprig of oregano
3 leaves of basil
1 sprig of dill
1 leaf of thai basil
 2-3 chives

look at all those herbs

Turn your grill on high and allow to heat up (a grill pan, or saute pan will work here as well, see note above)
Drizzle the salmon with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper
Place the salmon on your grill and allow to cook just through, so the salmon starts to crisp, but the center stays moist
In a small jar or container, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper
Remove all herb leaves from their sprigs, and give a rough chop to all of your herbs
Place the herbs in a jar with the vinaigrette and mix well (allowing a little time for the herbs to marinate in the vinaigrette will provide a deeper flavor)
When ready to serve, drizzle the lemon-herb vinaigrette over your salmon and enjoy!

yum.

Watermelon with Mint and Lime

1/2 medium-large watermelon
1 lime
1 large sprig of mint

Cut up your watermelon into small, bite-sized cubes
Dress the watermelon with the juice of the lime, as well as the zest
Remove the mint from it's stem, and chiffonade into small ribbons
Add the mint to the watermelon and toss to combine
Refrigerate until you are ready to serve
enjoy!

the perfect ending to a perfect meal

This post is dedicated to all of the hard-working, unconditionally loving, wonderful mothers out there- and especially to those in my life. I love you guys