Herbs & Spices

“Summer squash is the perfect canvas for this spicy, floral pickle.” –Sue Li, recipe developer

Try this zesty seasoning sprinkled over watermelon or mango—or even grilled seafood.

Part of what gives this cake its light texture is beating the butter and sugar well, so don't rush this step.

Grilling whole fish is not as tricky as it sounds. We tie ours with kitchen twine, which makes them easy to handle.

This salsa verde is notable for two unusual additions—toasted pine nuts, which add buttery texture to every bite, and lime juice and zest, which are a fragrant alternative to the more commonly used lemon juice or vinegar. Blanched almonds can be used in place of the pine nuts; chop them into small pieces after toasting.

Toasting grains and seeds is a simple move that adds texture and deep flavor to this green salad. The dressing will be milder if you use fresh horseradish, or sharp and a tad spicy if you use prepared.

The flavors of this dish combine cooling spices (fennel, coriander) with the heat of a jalapeño. Remove the seeds from the pepper if you like things a little less fiery.

This silky, aromatic soup is a complete meal in a bowl.

At farmers’ markets, look for Golden Bantam or Silver Queen varieties to make this tarragon creamed corn recipe.

Feel free to play with different herbs in the chimichurri recipe—that’s what Michael and Patrick Sheerin (brothers and co-chefs at Trenchermen, Chicago) have always done: “When we were younger, our mom would buy lots of herbs, but she’d never use them,” says Michael. “So we’d just blend them with garlic, oil, and vinegar.”

Chef Rene Ortiz of Sway in Austin, cooks a lot of tofu for his young vegetarian son. “He loves it,” says Ortiz, “and in order for all of us to eat it, it has to taste like something.” Ortiz’s solution: Let the porous tofu soak up the flavors of malty Chinese black vinegar and soy sauce.

We developed this thick, garlicky yogurt sauce sprinkled with tart sumac to pair with eggplants that had been roasted directly on a bed of hot coals. They get so smoky and silky, that this cold, creamy sauce paired perfectly—especially when served with grilled naan. That said, you can use it on just about anything. Feel free to experiment with other seasonings besides sumac, like lemon zest, za'atar, or crushed red pepper flakes.

This bright vinaigrette is good for a lot more than just grilled eggplant.

This cooling and refreshing salad—with cilantro standing in for the lettuce—is great alongside spicy foods, like our Sambal Chicken Skewers (click for recipe).

An herb marinade is your secret weapon for these grilled chicken wings. And pretty much everything else.

Chef Kenney says that combining the herbs for the salsa verde with seaweed really gives this dish that "fresh-from-the-sea flavor." In oahu, he uses just-harvested lime, but hijiki, which is widely available, works well, too.

This pesto is an inventive way to use every part of the vegetable. The tender tops are fresh and clean-tasting and mimic the flavor of the carrot itself.

Gently heating chives--or almost any herb--in oil creates a concentrated, Technicolor elixir that's a favorite weapon of restaurant chefs: It's ideal for whisking into vinaigrettes and drizzling over fish, scrambled eggs, or ricotta crostini.