Thank you to Harvest Organics for sponsoring this post!
A few weeks ago, Matt and I did our usual spring ritual – we planted our little herb boxes! Well, by “Matt and I”, I actually mean: Matt planted our herbs and Riese and I watched/supervised. 😉
This year, like most years, we planted basil and dill, since those are our main favorites for summer dishes! I love having fresh herbs on hand – so nice to be able to toss them into meals to amp up the flavor and fresh factor of the dish. My Baked Salmon with Lemon Mustard Dill Sauce is one of my absolute favorite herb-y recipes – can’t wait to make this a TON over the summer with our own fresh herbs!
We used Harvest Organics Potting Mix to plant our herbs; I love Harvest Organics because it means we are planting and growing our herbs without any added chemicals, pesticides, or preservatives. Their products are also a great way to reuse and recycle; Harvest is the largest processor of yard and food waste in North America, managing to keep nearly 2,000,000 tons of waste from ending up in landfills. They recycle the scraps and turn the waste into organic gardening products that then feed the earth to, in turn, feed people (e.g. vegetables, fruits, herbs, grasses, trees, flowers) to create a more sustainable planet. Cool, huh?
I love their tagline – “Don’t just Garden – Harvest” – and the fact that by using their products we become part of the Harvest Effect TM, a movement to reduce waste and replenish the earth. If you’re interested, Harvest provides educational tips and videos on their website to encourage their consumers to live cleaner and greener lives; check out their blog, The Dig, for those resources and more! (Two of my favorite of their blog posts: 8 Simple, Natural Homemade Cleaners and this Easy Homemade Vegetable Broth that uses veggie scraps from the week – what a great way to reduce waste and turn it into something delicious!)
I’m excited to have basil and dill on hand this spring and summer, so I thought I’d pull together some of my favorite recipes and quick and easy throw together ideas for using basil and dill when the herb boxes start going crazy. Adding fresh herbs to meals is such a nice way to amp up the flavor of a meal – try it!
Delicious ways to use up basil and dill (and other fresh herbs!):
- Fold into omelettes, scrambled eggs, or egg muffins – Eggs are so much tastier with flavorful fresh herbs added! I love adding basil to an omelette with feta and tomatoes, or dill to a scramble with goat cheese and smoked salmon. For herb-y egg recipe ideas, see my Scrambled Egg Muffins and Hard Boiled Egg & Cheddar Muffins!
- Stir into chicken or tuna salad – I love making a batch of chicken or tuna salad (like my healthy tuna salad recipe!) to eat all week on top of greens, in pita sandwiches, in wraps, etc. It’s also the perfect avenue for using up tons of herbs! Just toss diced cooked chicken or tuna with some plain Greek yogurt or mayo, dijon mustard, salt and pepper, and tons of chopped fresh herbs to brighten it up and add lots of flavor!
- Toss into grain salads or pasta dishes – I love a good grain salad for lunch (see my Mix & Match Grain Salads post for ideas!), and fresh herbs really take it up a notch! If you have a bunch of herbs growing, salads or pasta salads of any sort are the perfect place to mix them in for more greenery and an added pop of flavor. Try my Creamy Vegan Garlic & Herb Pasta for an easy pasta recipe that uses tons of bright, fresh herbs!
- Season marinades – Just about any marinade can be made even better with the addition of fresh herbs. Check out my 8 Easy Marinades post for a few ideas that include fresh herbs, and ones where you can easily throw in whatever fresh herbs you have on hand!
- Swirl into yogurt, goat cheese, and hummus – Plain Greek yogurt with tons of chopped herbs swirled in is about as easy as you can get for an impressive dip for veggies! Mixing chopped herbs into yogurt, softened goat cheese, or hummus makes for appetizer spreads that are fancy enough to serve guests, but simple enough to whip up for yourself, too.
- Cold summer soups – Gazpacho and any chilled summer soup can always be dressed up with the addition of fresh herbs! Check out my Cantaloupe and Avocado Soup and Watermelon Rind Gazpacho for recipe ideas.
Here are a few basil and dill recipe ideas from fellow bloggers, too, that I thought sounded amazing and can’t wait to try later this spring/summer:
- Smoked Salmon & Goat Cheese Frittata with Capers & Dill from Rachael Hartley Nutrition
- Cucumber, Dill, & Radish Salad from Delish Knowledge
- Basil Pineapple Agua Fresca from Living Well Kitchen
- Beet Tzatziki with Beet Green Chips from The Foodie Dietitian Blog
- Every Herb Salad Dressing from Kath Eats Real Food
- Sheet Pan Bruschetta Chicken from RDelicious Kitchen
- Strawberry Avocado Farro Salad from Lively Table
What are you planting in your garden or window boxes this year? What are your favorite ways to use up herbs?
