Tuesday at the Table

It's hubby's herb garden, really. He cultivates it, often snips from it, and keeps me posted on what's the most prolific. But I'm the one that actually puts it to use. And this spring, I've been trying to be diligent about doing just that.



So here's some of what "we've" been making....

Herb butter - very nearly the easiest of all. My simple recipe is:

• 1 cup soft butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• pinch of kosher salt
• a handful of fresh herbs, minced-basil, thyme, chives, flat leaf parsley, oregano are my go-to mix

Mix it up with a fork. To serve soon, I put it in a little dish. For later, I roll it up in saran and refrigerate or freeze. Great on bread, veggies, or even steak. Last week I topped salmon filets with it before they went into the oven. SO many tasty uses.

 

And then there's Switchel, an old favorite from The Herbfarm. We have lemon balm growing for this recipe alone. I'm sure it would be good with just the mint, if you don't have lemon balm, and there's also oodles of varieties on Pinterest.



And of course don't forget the caprese. Hubby has basil growing in an AeroGarden on the kitchen counter, as is really seems to need the summer heat that we don't have yet. But we're using it like crazy, in above-said herb butter, added to salads, and quite frequently (we're avid fans) - sliced or chopped tomatoes, fresh mozzarella (or burrata!), topped with a chiffonade of fresh basil, a drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkle of Maldon salt. Oh yeah.

Last night we focused our whole meal on herbs.... some mighty tasty Grilled Chicken Breasts with Herbs and Lemon alongside Panzanella with Mozzarella and Herbs. A keen eye will see I subbed zucchini for the typical cucumber, cuz that's what we had on hand. Still yum! Let's just say I can't wait to have the leftovers for lunch tomorrow!

 So there's the last week in herbs. Any of your own herby favorites to share?