Once you plant a kitchen herb garden, you’ll be shocked at how much you can harvest and how satisfying it is to serve drinks, dinners and snacks made from your very own plants.
Below are three recipes using easy-to-grow bundles of thyme, basil and mint. Pick your herbs just before you start cooking, and get ready for an explosion of homegrown flavor.
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Roasted Cauliflower With Brown Butter Thyme Vinaigrette
The flavor of fresh thyme will floor anyone who’s used to the dried version. When just picked, this herb is earthy, piney and citrus forward and brings out the best in grilled meats, seafood and vegetables.
To remove those tiny leaves from the stems, simply hold the sprig from the top and pull the leaves off in one sweeping motion toward the bottom. Save the twiggy stems for flavoring soups and stocks, and use the leaves to make a rich, browned butter to toss with roasted cauliflower.
1 head fresh cauliflower, separated into florets
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 teaspoons thyme leaves, lightly chopped
2 tablespoons good-quality vinegar (sherry, apple cider, white wine or a combination)
Additional thyme leaves for garnish
Step 1
Heat oven to 400 F. On a baking sheet, toss the cauliflower with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 20-30 minutes, until lightly browned and tender but not soft when poked with a knife.
Step 2
Meanwhile, heat the butter over medium heat in a small saucepan. Cook, swirling and watching carefully, until the melted butter is maple-syrup brown and nutty smelling. Remove from heat and stir in the shallot, thyme and vinegar.
Step 3
When the cauliflower is done, transfer it to a large mixing bowl and toss with the dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately or let cool and serve at room temperature, garnished with the additional thyme leaves.
Per tablespoon: 174 calories, 15 g fat, 8 g saturated fat, 31 mg cholesterol, 8 g carbohydrates, 3 g sugar, 3 g protein, 3 g fiber, 47 mg sodium
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Photo: Claudia Totir / Getty Images
Shrimp With Pepita Pesto
Making pesto – a sauce of basil, garlic and olive oil – is a no-brainer when you’re harvesting bunches of the herb from your windowsill. But the pine nuts that traditionally go into pesto can be expensive and hard to find. Try subbing pepitas (also known as pumpkin seeds) instead. Toss with sautéed shrimp to make a quick-but-impressive meal.
½ cup shelled, roasted pepitas
2 cloves fresh garlic, peeled
2 cups fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese (optional)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
Additional basil leaves for garnish
Step 1
Set up a food processor with the chopping blade. Turn it on, and add the pepitas and garlic through the feed tube. Run until chopped coarsely, about 15 seconds. Remove the lid, add the basil and cheese (if using), then process until basil is finely chopped, about 15 more seconds. Add the lemon juice and 6 tablespoons of oil through the feed tube while the machine is running, then transfer pesto to a small mixing bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Step 2
Heat a medium sauté pan, and add the 1 remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the shrimp and toss until pink, about 2 minutes. Add the finished pesto and tomatoes, and toss for a minute more. Serve immediately.
Per tablespoon: 403 calories, 32 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 161 mg cholesterol, 6 g carbohydrates, 1 g sugar, 26 g protein, 2 g fiber, 169 mg sodium
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Fresh Mint Lemonade
Mint leaves take lemonade to a more interesting place. Some folks like to make a mint-infused syrup, but it’s easier and livelier to mix the leaves straight into the tart lemon juice. An optional sliver of jalapeño adds a bright bite.
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 to 6 medium lemons)
½ cup fresh mint leaves
1 slice of fresh jalapeño (optional)
½ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups water
Ice
4 lemon wheels
4 mint sprigs for garnish
Step 1
Place the lemon juice, mint, jalapeño (if using), sugar and salt into a pitcher. Stir vigorously until sugar and salt dissolve. Add water. Chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour (up to 8 hours) before serving in tall glasses over ice, garnished with lemon wheels and mint sprigs.
Per tablespoon: 114 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 30 g carbohydrates, 27 g sugar, 0 g protein, 1 g fiber, 129 mg sodium
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