Lemon verbena, lemon balm and lavender tea
Soothing, refreshing and full of flavour, this isthe all-round feel-good tea.
Serves 2
500ml boiling water
2 sprigs of lemon verbena
2 sprigs of lemon balm
4 young heads of lavender flowers
1 Pour the boiling water over the fresh herbs.
2 Cover and leave to infuse for 10 minutes.
3 Strain and serve.
Love Bake Nourish by Amber Rose (Kyle Books)
Garden herb spread
A wonderful spread for bagels or crackers, thisis creamy and herby, perfect for that ferocious morning hunger when the scrambled eggs aren't quite ready yet.
Makes around 500g
60g raw cashews
1 garlic clove, chopped
450g firm tofu, drained
2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
2 tbsp fresh thyme
1 tbsp fresh tarragon
2 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
30g red onion, chopped
¼ tsp salt
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
Salt and black pepper
1 In a blender, blitz the cashews into coarse crumbs. Add the garlic and pulse to incorporate. Crumble in the tofu. Blend until relatively smooth. Add everything else and pulse. You don't want the onion and herbs to completely puree – they should be chopped into small bits.
2 You can serve immediately, but it's best when it has been chilled for at least 30 minutes.
Vegan Brunch: Homestyle Recipes Worth Waking Up For by Isa Chandra Moskowitz (Da Capo Lifelong Books)
Anchovy and sage fritters
These small fritters make a great bar snack alongside a cold drink. Alternatively, they can be used with various vegetables, such as courgette and aubergines (or fish), as part of afritto misto. Whole capers, deep-fried, can bescattered over the final dish.
Makes 20
150g plain flour, sifted
2 tbsp olive oil
2 egg whites
1 tbsp finely grated parmesan
10 anchovy fillets (in olive oil)
40 sage leaves
Sunflower oil, for deep frying
Salt and black pepper
1 Add the oil to the plain flour in a large bowl, whisking to combine. Slowly add lukewarm water, whisking, until the batter base is the consistency of double cream. Season with saltand pepper, then set to one side for at least 15 minutes.
2 In another bowl, whisk the egg whites with apinch of salt until just stiff. Fold into the rested batter along with the parmesan.
3 Cut each anchovy fillet in half. Sandwich between 2 sage leaves to make 20 parcels.
4 Add the oil to a saucepan until it is at least 3cm deep. Heat the oil to around 180C/350F. Have some kitchen roll ready in a tray. Dip the anchovy sage parcels in the batter and fry for afew minutes on each side until golden. This may have to be done in batches, depending onthe size of the pan used. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen roll. Servewith a wedge of lemon.
Recipe supplied by Jane Baxter
Fattoush
This summer salad showcases the season's best produce, with cooling vegetables and herbs that brighten things up with a breezy greenness. Top it all off with a sprinkling of homemade zaatar.
Serves 4-6
For the zaatar
30g sesame seeds (raw or toasted)
30g sumac
2 tbsp dried thyme
1 tbsp dried oregano
For the fattoush
2 medium cucumbers
540g tomatoes, chopped
2 red bell peppers
1 large red onion
3 spring onions
25g flat-leaf parsley, chopped
20g mint, chopped
2-4 flatbread or pitta, toasted
For the dressing
65ml extra virgin olive oil
65ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp honey or maple syrup
2-4 garlic cloves, crushed
Salt and black pepper
1 Combine all the zaatar ingredients in a bowl and mix well. (This recipe makes more zaatar than you need: store in a glass jar, ina cool dark place.)
2 Wash, prepare and chop all the veg into bite‑size pieces. Wash, then spin-dry the herbs and chop. Place in a large bowl.
3 Put all the dressing ingredients in a jar with atight-fitting lid and shake. Pour over the salad, stir, and let stand for at least 30minutesat room temperature to allow theflavours to combine.
4 Before serving, sprinkle generously with zaatar, tear the flatbread or toasted pitta into bite‑size chunks and fold into the salad.
Recipe supplied by Sarah Britton, mynewroots.org
Overnight couscous tabbouleh
A light vegetarian main course that is ideal forsummer lunchboxes.
Serves 4
100g couscous
3 large, juicy tomatoes, roughly chopped
½ cucumber, peeled and diced
50g flat-leaf parsley, chopped
25g fresh mint, chopped
2 tbsp chives, chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
50g raisins
Juice of ½-1 lemon
Dash of hot sauce
Salt and black pepper
1 Put the couscous into a large bowl and add the tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, mint, chives, red onion, raisins, and lemon juice. Mix well. Season to taste with salt, pepper anda few shakes of hot sauce.
2 Cover, and leave in the refrigerator or a cool place for 4-8 hours, or overnight. Let it come to room temperature before serving.
Recipe supplied by Rose Elliot (roseelliot.com); The Best of Rose Elliot: The Ultimate VegetarianCollection (Hamlyn) is out now
Wilted herb salad
Wild Moroccan herbs are the inspiration forthis dish, but at home, try this mixture ofparsley, coriander, spinach and rocket. Ifyouknow where to find them, you can addahandful of edible, foraged seasonal leaves,such as mallow, sorrel, poppy anddandelion.
Serves 4
2 large bunches flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked from the stalks
2 large bunches fresh coriander, leaves and stalks
100g rocket
100g spinach, shredded
4 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
½ tsp ground cumin
¼ preserved lemon, rind only, washed and finely chopped, or the juice of ½ lemon (optional)
1 Chop the herbs and spinach together.
2 Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and gently fry for a few seconds until it begins to colour. Add the ground cumin and fry for 10 seconds.
3 Stir in the herbs and continue to cook until the herbs wilt, then stir in the preserved lemon rind or juice and taste for seasoning. Preserved lemons have quite a strong flavour and can be salty, so bear this in mind when you adjust.
4 Serve on its own, or with yoghurt seasoned with a little garlic, or on top of hummus and spiced lamb.
Recipe supplied by Sam and Sam Clark; moro.co.uk
Lemon thyme drizzle cake
This iced lemon cake is flecked green from thelemon thyme. You can adapt this recipe to rosemary, lavender or plain thyme in place oflemon thyme. Delicious on a summer's afternoon with a cup of tea.
Serves 6
115g caster sugar
2 tbsp lemon thyme leaves, finely chopped
115g butter, softened
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
170g self-raising flour, sifted
A pinch of salt
For the icing
2 tbsp lemon thyme leaves, finely chopped
140g icing sugar, sifted
1 lemon
To decorate
A few sprigs lemon thyme with flowers, if available
1 Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Grease a 450g loaf tin, line the base and ends with a strip of baking paper and lightly grease.
2 Make sure the lemon thyme leaves are dry before you chop them. Place in a food processor with the caster sugar and whizz until the sugar turns green and the leaves have been finely chopped.
3 Add the butter and lemon zest and whizz until fluffy, then gradually add the eggs. Mix in 1 tbsp lemon juice, then scrape into a bowl and fold in the flour and salt.
4 Spoon into the loaf tin. Bake for 20 minutes, then loosely cover the top with foil if it is browning too quickly and bake for a further 20-25 minutes or until well risen and golden. Test by inserting a skewer into the cake; if it comes out clean, the cake is cooked.
5 To make the icing, stir the finely chopped lemon thyme into the icing sugar and add enough lemon juice to form a thick icing.
6 While it's still in the tin, transfer the cake to a wire rack. Leave for 5 minutes, then remove from the tin and spoon the icing over the top of the warm cake. It will drizzle down the sides. Leave to cool. Shortly before serving, decorate with the sprigs of lemon thyme.
National Trust Simply Baking by Sybil Kapoor (Anova)
Basil panna cotta
In India, basil is infused in milk and given to children as a bedtime drink. This delicious dessert is a version of that bedtime treat.
Serves 4
70ml milk
2 vanilla pods, scored and seeds separated
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
375ml double cream
2 large bunches basil (purple, cinnamon, Thai, or lemon), leaves picked and chopped
1½ gelatine leaves, soaked in water
1 tbsp icing sugar
1 Put the milk, vanilla pods, vanilla seeds, lemon zest and half the cream into a small pan and slowly simmer for 10 minutes or until reduced by a third.
2 Remove from the heat, remove the vanilla pods and stir in the chopped basil and gelatine leaves until dissolved. Allow to cool a little, then place in the fridge, stirring occasionally, until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.
3 Remove from the fridge and either strain the mixture through a fine sieve to remove the basil leaves or, if like me you like the direct flavour of the leaves, leave them in.
4 Whip together the icing sugar with the remaining cream. Mix the two cream mixtures together. Divide into four serving moulds or small glasses. Cover and chill for at least an hour in the fridge.
5 Serve by dunking the glasses into hot water then tipping on to a serving plate; this will remove the pannacotta from the container. Decorate with a few basil leaves and serve with figs, redcurrants, peaches or nectarines.
Jekka's Herb Cookbook by Jekka McVicar(Ebury)
Green harissa
Harissa is typically made with hot chillies and served with couscous. This herb-based spin is great with roasted vegetables, or as a rub for fish. Harissa can be made five days ahead; simply keep covered in the fridge.
Makes 1 jar
2 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds
2 jalapenos, seeded, sliced
2 small spring onions, sliced
1 small garlic clove, smashed
115ml extra virgin olive oil
15g flat-leaf parsley leaves
15g coriander leaves with tender stems
70ml fresh lemon juice
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 Lightly toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a small frying pan over a medium heat, stirring often, until fragrant (2-3 minutes). Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
2 Blitz the seeds with the jalapenos, spring onions, garlic, oil, parsley, coriander, lemon juice and salt in a blender until smooth.
bonappetit.com
Rosemary shortbread
The buttery nature of shortbread lends itself to being flavoured by herbs. Instead of rosemary, try this with lavender or lemon thyme. Wash the herbs and dry thoroughly before use. The orange zest brings out the spicy notes of rosemary, but you could also use lemon zest.
Makes 12
55g caster sugar, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp rosemary leaves, finely chopped
115g butter, softened
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
170g plain flour, sifted
1 Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/gas mark 2. Lightly grease a baking tray.
2 Put the sugar and rosemary in a food processor. Whizz until the rosemary is very finely chopped, then add the butter and orange zest and whizz until pale and creamy. Transfer to a large bowl. Beat in the flour until it forms a stiff dough.
3 Place the dough on a sheet of baking paper and cover with another sheet. Gently press down with a rolling pin and roll out to 3-5mm thick. Lift off the top sheet of paper and stamp out the biscuits with a 7cm-diameter pastry cutter. Using a palette knife, lift them off the paper and carefully transfer to the baking sheet. Lightly combine the remaining dough pieces together and repeat the process.
4 Prick the biscuits with a fork and bake for 12 minutes or until tinged a very pale brown. Using a palette knife (they will still be soft), transfer to a wire rack and liberally dust with caster sugar. Serve once cool and crisp.
