Cooking with Fresh Herbs from the Winter Garden

Many herbs will survive winter in our central North Carolina gardens. For instance, many varieties of rosemary can tolerate temperatures dropping into the teens, especially if they are growing in a sheltered location. Other herbs that can handle subfreezing winter temperatures include parsley, bay, sage, chives, oregano, thyme, lavender, winter savory, fennel, and mint. Pansies produce edible flowers throughout our winters. Other edible flowers come in late winter/early spring, including red buds, violets, and flowering apricots (Prunus mume).

In the winter months, you don’t want to be harvesting your herb plants heavily, but picking a sprig or two does not harm healthy plants. Many, though, need time to recover after any hard freezes.

Cannellini and Cucumber Salad with Lemon Balm Dressing

1 English cucumber, quartered and cut into ¼-inch thick slices
2 cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 Meyer lemon
2 tablespoons fresh lemon balm, minced
2 tablespoons fresh sorrel, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Combine cucumber slices and beans. Add the zest of the lemon, then slice the lemon in half and squeeze the juice onto the mixture. Add lemon balm, parsley, salt, and black pepper. Stir to combine. Top salad with crumbled feta cheese.

Rosemary Blondies

1 stick butter, melted
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely minced
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon bourbon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch baking pan. Combine melted butter, rosemary, and brown sugar. Let cool 5 minutes. Stir in egg, bourbon, and vanilla thoroughly then mix in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Fold in walnuts and chocolate chips. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake 18-22 minutes or until done.

Black-Eyed Pea Hummus

1 12-ounce package frozen black-eyed peas
1½ cups water
1 bay leaf
1 2-inch sprig of fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
juice of half a lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil

Cook black eyed peas in water in a small sauce pan with bay leaf, rosemary, salt, and smoked paprika according to package directions until done. Drain. Remove bay leaf and rosemary stem. Process peas with lemon juice and olive oil in a food processor until smooth, scraping down sides as necessary. Add additional salt if necessary. Serve with pita chips or vegetables for dipping.

Tyrosalata (Greek Whipped Feta)

8 ounces feta cheese in brine (not crumbles)
¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, minced

Cut feta into ½-inch cubes and rinse briefly in a bowl of cool water and drain thoroughly. Place in food processor with lemon juice, yogurt, and garlic. Pulse several times, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary. With food processor running, stream in olive oil and process for 30 seconds, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary. Stir in fresh oregano. Serve with toasted pita triangles or vegetables for dipping.

Rosemary Focaccia

1 teaspoon rapid-rise yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1½ cups warm water
2⅔ cups bread flour
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh rosemary, divided
flaky sea salt

Cherry and Bay Iced Tea with Cinnamon

4 bay leaves
2 family size tea bags or 8 regular size tea bags
1 4-inch piece of stick cinnamon
2 quarts water
½ cup sugar
8 ounces cherry juice

Bring half the water to a boil. Remove from heat and add bay leaves, tea bags, cinnamon stick, and sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Steep 4 minutes. Remove tea bags, bay leaves, and cinnamon. Add remaining water and cherry juice. Serve in glasses over ice.

Roasted Vegetable Platter with Herbed Dipping Sauce

1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, finely minced
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely minced
2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into strips
1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced in half
1 red onion, halved and cut into ½-inch strips
1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced into sticks
1 pound asparagus, trimmed
¼ cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced

Combine salt, pepper, oregano, and rosemary. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with foil. Arrange vegetables in separate areas in single layers on the baking sheet. Drizzle on olive oil and toss, keeping each vegetable separate. Sprinkle on salt mixture and toss each again. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes. Some vegetables may get done before others. If so, remove them from the pan and continue to roast the other vegetables until done. Arrange vegetables on a platter and serve with the herbed dipping sauce.

Herbed Dipping Sauce

¾ cup Greek yogurt
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon garlic chives, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped
1 tablespoon sorrel, chopped
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon shallot, finely chopped
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Refrigerate until served.

Carrot Ravioli

4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
2½ cups all-purpose flour
2 eggs
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup ricotta cheese
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4 tablespoons butter
4 fresh sage leaves
1 cup vegetable broth
Parmesan cheese for garnish

Boil carrots in lightly salted water until very tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and place carrots in a food processor and purée. Reserve half the carrot purée for the filling. Combine other half with flour, eggs, and salt. Stir until combined, then knead until elastic and smooth. Add a little bit of water if the dough is too stiff or add flour if too loose. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and allow to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Meanwhile, combine the other half of the carrot purée with the ricotta, Parmesan, and nutmeg. After dough has rested, cut it into fourths. Roll each fourth into thin sheets using a pasta roller. Cut with a ravioli cutter or pastry wheel. Spoon an appropriate amount into the center of each raviolo. Top with another piece of dough and seal well, making sure there is no air trapped. Let rest on a baking sheet lightly dusted with flour.

Melt butter in a large skillet and add sage leaves. Cook, stirring constantly, until butter begins to brown. Add vegetable broth and lower heat to warm. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons of salt. Cook ravioli in boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain, saving some of the cooking water. Remove sage leaves from butter mixture and add ravioli along with one-half cup of the cooking water. Simmer for 2 minutes. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan.