I’ve got creative ideas for cooking with fresh summer herbs:

1.  Chimichurri

According to the Zuni Cafe Cookbook, chimichurri, is “an herbed chili-vinegar mixture used everywhere in Argentina.” It’s most commonly used on grilled meats but at the Zuni Cafe chimichurri is also enjoyed like a salsa. Judy Rodgers writes  that while everyone seems put their own touch on chimichurri, oregano and dried red chili are hallmark ingredients. Her recipe involves pouring warm oil over oregano, thyme, rosemary, parsley, charred jalapeño, paprika, garlic, and red wine vinegar. Saveur also has a recipe for chimichurri with asado, or grilled steak.

2.  Rosemary with Seafood, Italian Style

In the River Cottage Cookbook, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall refers to the Italian fondness for rosemary with fish. Here in the United States, we don’t often think of combining the strong, evergreen flavor of rosemary with delicate seafood- maybe it’s time to try something different? For example, Hugh suggests serving red mullet with a rosemary and anchovy compound butter or threading scallops with a sprig of rosemary and cooking them on the barbecue.

3.  Sage and Beans

The herb sage is firmly rooted in Thanksgiving tradition, but it grows well during summer and can be cooked with year round. Its flavor is warm and savory, with a hint of camphor. David Tanis cooks the fresh shell beans of summer (cranberry or cannellini) with sage and garlic. Serve the beans on toast with extra-virgin olive oil. In A Platter of Figs, he writes that fresh shell beans have a “sweet, creamy succulence,” that pairs beautifully with comforting sage.

4.  Pesto

Pesto is a simple sauce traditionally made by grinding garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan, and basil in a mortar and pestle. It can be made thick and rustic to spoon over grilled meats or thin and silky to toss with pasta. Pesto is delicious as a base sauce for pizzas and tarts. Serve it as a dip for summer vegetables. You can experiment with different ingredients in the pesto. Try walnuts instead of pine nuts, or parsley instead of basil. If you’re substituting a different cheese for the Parmesan, make sure it has that same hard, grainy texture. Grana Padano or a tangy Pecorino could be nice.

5.  Fried Herbs

The latest Canal House issue, Italian Summer, includes a recipe for Fried Rabbit & Fritto Misto of Herbs perfect for a summer meal. Rabbit is battered and fried like chicken and served with individually fried parsley and sage leaves. Lemon wedges and capers brighten the dish. Fried chicken and sage is another great combo. In Salt to Taste, Marco Canora marinates chicken in buttermilk and sage leaves to really infuse the herbal flavor into the meat before it’s battered and fried.

6.  Herb Infused Oil

Infusing olive oil with fresh herbs is not only great as a finishing oil but it’s also a way to preserve the herb essence for several weeks. The oil can be used in many dishes, from pastas to fish, meats, or vegetables. In Ad Hoc at Home, Thomas Keller suggests taking advantage of an abundance of summer basil by making basil infused olive oil. His favorite way to use basil oil is to drizzle it over a sauteed fillet of fish. I found a Herb and Chile Oil on the Saveur website made with garlic, dried chiles, thyme and rosemary. It would be great on roast meats or vegetables like squash, tomatoes, and eggplant. Mario Batali devotes a section of The Babbo Cookbook to herb oils, including no cook basil or sage oil.

7.  Herb Ice Cream

The bright flavor of herbs is refreshing in ice cream. In The Perfect Scoop, by David Lebovitz, you’ll find Lavender-Honey Ice Cream made by heating honey on the stove-top with lavender flowers to allow the flavors to infuse. Once cooled, the lavender-honey is mixed into the ice cream base. He also shares recipes for mint, basil, or parsley ice cream. These green, herbal flavors go nicely with summer berries.

8.  Herb and Cheese Stuffing

Laura Calder’s recipe for Goat Cheese Tomatoes in French Food at Home are a reminder that herbs and cheese are a beautiful combination. She chops parsley, thyme, and rosemary, then combines the herbs with soft goat cheese. Tomatoes are hollowed out and stuffed with the herb cheese, then roasted. Herbs can be combined with any soft cheese like ricotta or a fresh cow’s milk farm cheese. Use herb cheese to stuff pasta, mushrooms, or hollowed out round summer squash.

9.  Bouquet Garni

In her book, At Home in Provence, Patricia Wells writes that “a bouquet garni is a simple way to infuse almost any soup, stock, or grain with the subtle perfumes of herbs and spices.” Most of us cook rice, quinoa, or couscous on a daily basis, and we’re missing an opportunity to add flavor with herbs. A bouquet garni is a handful of herbs tied together with twine (or put into a sachet) and dropped into the pot. A classic bouquet garni is made of parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Patricia Wells suggests cooking rice with a bouquet garni made of basil, juniper berries, rosemary, and thyme.

10.  Tabbouleh

This classic Lebanese salad is often misinterpreted in the United States. Traditionally, tabbouleh is mostly herbs with a little bit of bulgur, but here in the states we indulge our tendency to carbo-binge by overloading this salad with grains. Go to an authentic Middle Eastern restaurant and you’ll see a dish bright green with herbs like chopped parsley and mint. Diced tomatoes and red onion add more flavor. It’s all tossed with a scant amount of bulgur and dressed with lemon vinaigrette. Check out this authentic recipe for Tabbouleh at Saveur.

What’s your favorite way to cook with herbs? Let me know in the comments section. Click here.