I’ve still been cooking lots, as always there was this radicchio pasta that I’m still working on, a few pots of lemon curd made with a big box of lemons picked up from the side of the road (post coming soon hopefully) and of course Ada’s princess birthday cake that has now been requested two years in a row (I really wasn’t complaining, it gave me an excuse to re-shoot the cake for my post from her last birthday, bonus!). NOTE: If you don’t have fresh herbs in your garden, of course you can buy them at the grocery store or farmer’s market.So sorry things have been a little quiet around here the past week or so, it’s just I’ve been a tad busy… school holidays, Ada’s 6th birthday party to organise and execute and the general day-to-day chores of motherhood have kept me well and truly busy. Store the dried herb salt in a sealed container.Let it dry for a longer period if needed. I live in a dry climate, so this only took one night. Spread the herb salt mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and allow it to dry overnight.If using lemon zest, add it at this point and gently toss it into the other herbs with your fingers. Continue chopping the herbs until you have a consistent, fine mince. Pluck the herbs from the stems and mince the herbs into the garlic and salt. With a chef’s knife, mince the garlic into the salt until the garlic is finely minced and the salt is evenly distributed. Place peeled garlic cloves on a cutting board along with the salt. After harvesting the herbs, wash them and then dry them in a salad spinner.Fresh herbs, such as rosemary, sage, thyme, lavender, oregano, basil, washed and removed from the stems.Approximately 1-2 tablespoons coarse kosher salt.I found myself reveling in the rhythm of the knife against the cutting board, mincing and mincing until every herb was used, finer and finer still, until it was all done and my whole kitchen smelled like it had been transported to Tuscany. I chose to do this task by hand, without the help of my trusty food processor, for the simple reason that it was therapeutic. The salt preserves the flavors of the herbs and you’ll be able to use it again and again (and you will, I promise)! I used a combination of rosemary, three varieties of thyme, sage and three types of basil. I mixed some of the fresh herb salt with olive oil and used it as a rub for a grilled pork tenderloin–so amazing! Then I took what was left and spread it on a baking sheet to dry overnight. Once you’re done with the initial chopping, you can use the herb salt in its fresh state. My herb salt reflects the overabundance of basil and thyme, whereas you might enjoy other herbs–lavender, tarragon, oregano. You can use whatever herbs you choose in whatever ratio seems best to you. This isn’t so much a recipe, as it is a set of ideas. The basil is abundant! We have Thai, Amethyst and Sweet Basil that have grown so much that even after we harvest it for pesto, it still doesn’t look like we made a dent in it! The sage is trying its best to grow in the shadow of these high achievers so part of my reason for replenishing my herb salt stash was an attempt to prune some of this crazy growth so that the sage can see the sun again! Next year, I will keep this in mind and space them out a little better! French Thyme, Lemon Thyme and Red Creeping Thyme are starting to climb out of the barrel and drape over the sides. Of all the things we planted this year, the herb barrel in the front yard is truly the only thing that can be described as “bountiful”. The concept is so simple–fresh, pungent garlic is minced into a couple of tablespoons of coarse kosher salt, then fresh herbs are added, bunch by bunch until you’re left with a verdant handful of the best smelling stuff on earth! One taste of this herb salt and you are going to be in love and you are going to use it for anything and everything this summer–from meats and vegetables to your Saturday morning eggs you are going to find yourself reaching for it and wondering how you’ve lived your whole life without it! At least, that’s how I felt about it the first time I tried it! If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you might remember that I learned about this herb salt last year from The Splendid Table.
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