In Season: Dill

* * * Corn with dill and butter. Thanks to my cousin Mercedes for this idea./ Mercedes Golip Laya * * *

Sometimes it’s hard for me to figure out how to use a whole bunch of certain herbs.  Basil is easy, but dill can be harder.  I may find a bunch of dill in my CSA box.  I may buy some at the store or farmers market for a recipe, use two tablespoons of the herb and then wonder what to do with the rest.

So, I’ve been a bit of a “dill-etante” (couldn’t help that!) lately, looking for ways to use dill.  Inspired by Mark Bittman’s “101″ posts for his Minimalist blog (here’s an example).  I’ve listed several links or brief recipes to inspire you. I’m still trying some other dill recipes, so I will  update this post once I have more. Please share any dill recipes that you’ve enjoyed!

Ways to use dill

Fresh dill is generally best used in cold dishes.  It tends to lose flavor when cooked.  However, it is great sprinkled on an already  cooked dish.

Mustard-dill sauce for salmon: I added a few teaspoons of dill to Mark Bittman’s recipe for Creamy Vinaigrette in How to Cook Everything when I was mixing everything in the food processor.  I also added one more teaspoon of Dijon mustard to the recipe for more flavor (for a total of 2 teaspoons of mustard.) You can find a variation of this recipe here.  Then I garnished my salmon with a few sprigs of dill.  It’s a creamy and tart companion for salmon.

Roquefort blue cheese dressing for beet and greens salad: I adapted and added dill to this recipe from Sally Schneider’s A New Way to Cook. I don’t like to use sour cream, so I used whole milk yogurt instead.  I replaced the sherry vinegar for the white wine vinegar I had handy.  Again, I added dill to the mix in the food processor.

I poured the dressing over a salad of spinach and jarred pickled beets.  Roquefort cheese and beets are a tried and true combination.  If you don’t care for picked beets, roasted and sliced beets would also work well.  Local beets are in season from about December to March.

This is a salad which should be dressed right before serving, as the pickled beets release their juices, turning the whole thing a pink shade some may find unappetizing.  I also recommend drying the pickled beets with a paper towel before placing on the salad.  It still tastes delicious, but serve quickly!

Raita sauce with naan: This is another recipe I often fall back on to use dill from my CSA box.  I use 5-6 ounces of my favorite goat’s milk yogurt (Erivan), a teaspoon of cumin, a pinch of salt, a chopped cucumber and chopped dill to make a raita dipping sauce.  I serve with homemade or store-bought naan.  The store-bought naan is best when brushed with butter and warmed up beforehand.

Fresh corn with dill and butter: You can use store-bought corn, but if you happen to have fresh corn, the flavors are amazing.  Steam the corn.  For caramelized corn, cook the kernels in a skillet.  If they are fresh, you should barely cook them for maximum crunch and sweetness.  Add chopped dill and butter.

Cucumber-dill tea sandwiches: Cut the crusts off very thin-sliced white bread.  Cut each slice of bread into two triangles or into a larger square.  Spread butter or cream cheese on each slice.  Lay two thin cucumber slices on each piece of bread.  My tea sandwiches at this Mother’s Day Tea would have been livened up with some sprigs of dill.

Smoked salmon and herbed cream cheese tea sandwiches: I made these at the same Mother’s Day Tea.   You can also sprinkle fresh dill on smoked salmon for a breakfast buffet.

Dill butter: Mix fresh minced dill into butter to your liking.  Spread on bread or place a pat on a cooked fish filet.

Herbed popovers: I often use fresh herbs to make leftover popovers.  Use your favorite popover recipe.  I rely on the one from Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything. These are best consumed fresh out of the oven.  Enhance the dill flavor by serving with a pat of dill butter. (see above)

Potato salad: Sprinkle chopped dill in your favorite potato salad recipe.

Storing dill

Dill and other herbs will keep for a week or two if you store them this way:  Place upright  in a cup of water filled with about one inch of water.  Loosely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.  This tip, which I read in Farmer John’s Cookbook works well for me.  The only herb this may not work so well for is basil.