“There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance.” — “Hamlet,” W. Shakespeare.
It’s also for pork and lamb, and according to medieval herbalists, a surefire complexion aid when infused in white wine. For centuries, women, in their traditional role of guardians of the family’s health and bellies, were generally conversant in the uses of herbs both medicinally and in cookery. But the Industrial Revolution reduced herb cookery to the addition of a lonely sprig of parsley lolling on the plate for decoration only.
Fortunately, this sad trend has reversed dramatically in recent years, most especially among a younger generation interested in fresh foods and herbal remedies and cosmetics.
And where, you may well ask, are these splendid herbs available? Right here in East End fields where once the most exotic herb findable was basil. What’s more, many of them are at their peak and should be dried or frozen for winter use. (Actually, I am not much in favor of frozen herbs because they tend to go limp and blackish upon thawing.)
At The Green Thumb
Mrs. Halsey at the Green Thumb in Water Mill told me they’re doing a brisk business in herbs now. “Five years ago I had never even HEARD of coriander, but a good customer asked us to grow it and we did.” They didn’t sell much of it; but that pre-dated the Chinese cookery craze (it is also much used in Indian and Mexican food).
Now it is in popular demand. The Green Thumb also plants purple and green basil, tarragon, thyme, Upland cress, orange and plain mint and spearmint, dill, oregano, sage, and marjoram. Over on the Noyac Road near Sag Harbor, The Other Stand is or will be offering the most amazing display of ancient herbs I’ve seen locally except for a hobbyist’s garden. Lemon balm, lavender, hyssop, comfrey, rue, and pennyroyal are pushing up where beans and potatoes used to grow. Fred Sands is the young farmer whose produce fills The Other Stand and I asked him why all these uncommon herbs. “I think herbs are sort of fun,” he replied. And he must mean it because he’s growing a fine array of kitchen herbs too: oregano, sage, marjoram, winter and summer savory, sweet fennel, chervil, coriander, dill, chives, and several kinds of mint for tisanes and garnishes. And there is fresh catnip for fussy felines.
Home-dried or preserved herbs are so much superior to any you will ever be able to buy that I strongly urge everyone to put by at least a few personal favorites. Dried herbs can never, of course, compare with the flavor of fresh herbs, but they are certainly indispensable in winter. Herbs that don’t dry well can be beautifully preserved in either light olive oil or mild white wine vinegar (harsh, cheap vinegars are quite pointless as they assassinate the herb flavor).
On The Stalk
Herbs dried or preserved on the stalk have much more intense flavor than if the leaves are stripped (dried leaves should never be crushed or ground until you are ready to cook them). Tie them in bunches — wash and dry them only if they really need it — soon after cutting and hang them upside down in a cool, dim, airy place. To keep off dust and light — and the depredations of my cats — I dry herbs, stalk end up, in thin brown paper bags punched full of pencil holes. After the herbs are dry — in one to two weeks — store them as whole as possible (on the stalks if you have room) in air-tight plastic containers or Mason jars. Before filling the jars, slide a piece of typing paper inside the circumference to block the light. Label and date your herbs. Some last better than others, but none will survive more than a year.
Large olive jars are good, because of their long thin shape, to pack with tarragon, dill weed, basil, or other branch herbs you wish to preserve whole in oil or vinegar. Put the stalks stem end down so that the leaves float upward realistically. These should also be stored in a cool, dim place. (What we all really need is an old-fashioned larder — a small, cold, well-ventilated pantry to keep food cool without refrigerating it. Although I’ll admit it is often necessary, refrigerating fruits and vegetables, especially herbs, seems to radically deaden their flavors.)
But to get back to the summer’s herbs in all their aromatic fresh glory, here’s a simple dish that glorifies them.
Herbed Potato Salad
This salad uses all of the four culinary horsemen — parsley, tarragon, chives, and chervil — which make up the classic “fines herbes” in a French omelet. Chervil is hard to find. If you can’t get it, put in another herb that appeals to you and is compatible, such as coriander or marjoram. Serves six to eight.
3 lbs. small new potatoes, red or brown
1/4 cup dry Vermouth
1 Tbsp. fresh tarragon leaves, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh chive, snipped finely (or substitute scallions with green if you must)
1 Tbsp. fresh chervil, minced (omit if not available fresh)
2 Tbsp. wine vinegar
1 tsp. Dijon prepared mustard
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup good olive oil (not tasteless salad oil)
Freshly milled pepper
Garnish:
Mediterranean black olives and hardboiled eggs
Some spotless leaves of soft lettuce
Scrub the potatoes well with a soft brush under cold running water. Start them in cold salted water to cover and cook until just done (or, steam them) — usually no more than 15 minutes depending on size, but they should not exceed one-and-a-half inches in diameter. Drain them and turn them out onto a towel. When cool enough to handle, quarter them without peeling and sprinkle the pieces with the Vermouth, which should be warmed first.
Sprinkle on all the herbs. Shake together in a small jar the vinegar, mustard, salt and olive oil and pour it over the potatoes while they are still a bit warm. Grind on fresh pepper to taste. Gently turn the salad with your hands to avoid breaking the delicate potatoes. This salad should be served tepid — or at least room temperature — arranged on lettuce leaves and garnished with olives and a few hardboiled eggs cut in quarters.
A platter of thinly sliced Westphalian ham or domestic smoked beef, and a dish of transparently sliced cucumber marinated in a mild vinaigrette, would make a fairly effortless and lovely Sunday lunch.
HERB BUTTERS: These can be made and frozen for future use. A little pat does miracles for a steak or broiled chicken or fish. As soon as possible after it is picked, chop the leaves of your favorite fresh herb and mash two tablespoons of it into a quarter pound of sweet butter along with a few drops of lemon juice. Scrape it onto a piece of Saran wrap, roll it tightly into a little sausage shape, seal it with freezer tape, and store it in the freezer.
