Columnist Charmian Christie preserve herbs

Summer
last
FEATURE
F
Make
Columnist Charmian Christie
shows us the best ways to
preserve herbs
Photography • Teigan Baker
46
46 guelphlife
guelphlife September
September || October
October 2015
2015
September | October 2015 guelphlife 47
By Charmian Christie
One of my greatest joys in the summer
is stepping outside my kitchen door and
gathering fresh herbs on a whim. Some
grow in pots, some in the ground. All add
flavour to salads, meat dishes, soups and
preserves.
Because herbs play such a large role in my
kitchen, I preserve the plants as best I can,
as well as the harvest they produce. Here’s
how I do it.
SAVING THE PLANTS
Some plants laugh at a harsh Canadian
winter, others droop on the first nippy
August evening. Whether you replant,
winter over indoors or tuck them into
their winter beds depends on the plant’s
hardiness.
Perennials
These hardy herbs can take all the snow
and frost a cold Canadian winter blows
their way — if you give them a head start in
the fall. Deadhead any flowers and give the
plants a light trim. Once the frost hits, cut
the plants back to about 10 to 15 centimetres, cover them in a couple of centimetres
of bark mulch and wait for spring.
Common perennial herbs include French
tarragon, oregano, sage, thyme, chives,
lavender and mint.
Tender Perennials
While these plants thrive in the heat of a
Canadian summer, they must take refuge
indoors before the first frost. For the most
success, don’t rush them indoors when the
temperature dips overnight. Instead, ease
them into the new location. A few weeks
before the first expected frost, transfer your
plant, roots and all, to a pot. Trim the plant
back by about half. During this adjustment
period, reduce the amount of water and
set the pot in the shade. At the first frost
warning, bring the plant indoors and give
it a home in a sunny window with good air
circulation.
Don’t panic if these herbs seem to die over
the winter. They are likely going dormant
and will come back to life when put
outdoors in spring.
48 guelphlife September | October 2015
Tender perennials include rosemary and
marjoram.
Annuals
By the end of summer, these herbs are
often leggy and ready to be retired. They
won’t survive outdoors and will not
produce well if taken inside. Although a
fresh crop must be planted each spring,
they grow quickly and will be delivering a
fresh batch of herbs in no time.
Annuals include basil, cilantro and dill.
butter. Place the herbed butter on a sheet
of parchment and roll to form a log and
chill. Wrap chilled log in a couple layers
of plastic wrap and place in a resealable
freezer bag and freeze. When you’re ready
to use the herb butter, slice as many onequarter-inch (0.6-centimetre) thick rounds
as you need.
Best choices: dill, chives, basil, tarragon,
parsley or a combination.
Want to make the most of your herbs
while they’re still fresh? Here are two of my
favourite herb-dependent recipes.
SAVING THE FLAVOURS
Regardless of how hardy or delicate the
herb, these quick, no-fuss preserving techniques will allow you to enjoy your harvest
throughout the winter. Providing you don’t
eat them all, these three options keep for at
least six months, which is enough time to
tide you over until your garden is ready for
the next crop.
Dried Herbs
If you don’t have a dehydrator, hang a
bouquet of washed herbs upside down in
a well-ventilated area. Within a couple of
weeks, the herbs should dry to the point
they crumble when rubbed. Store them
in an airtight container in a cool, dark
cupboard.
Best choices: Almost all herbs dry well.
The exceptions are basil and cilantro, which
lose their flavours.
Herb Ice Cubes
Drop freshly washed leaves in a blender
and puree with just enough water to form
for a liquid. Pour the herb puree into an ice
cube tray and freeze. Pop the frozen cubes
into a resealable freezer bag and return
to the freezer. Add two or three to soups,
stews and braises.
Best choices: Chives, thyme, basil,
rosemary, oregano, tarragon, sage or a
mixture of your favourite herbs.
Herb Butter
With little effort, this treat makes a big impression when you slather it on homemade
bread, stir it into mashed potatoes or let
some melt over steamed vegetables. To
make: wash, dry and finely chop the herbs.
Mix one part herbs into two parts softened
Spinach and Dill Pockets
I find a lot of restaurant spanakopita heavy
on the spinach or overly salty. These are
nicely balanced with the right amount of
onion and garlic. A bit of fresh (not dried)
dill, mint and lemon add lift. The only trick
to these is making sure you squeeze all the
water out of the spinach. Yes, this will leave
you with messy tea towels, but if you don’t
get enough moisture out, your spanakopita will burst and leave you to perform a
cleanup of another kind.
Makes 24.
Filling
2 packages (10 ounces or 283 grams
each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed
and drained
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 onions, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1⁄4 cup minced fresh dill
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint
Peel of 1 lemon, finely grated
12 ounces (340 grams) feta cheese,
crumbled
Wraps
1 package (16 ounces or 465 grams)
phyllo pastry, thawed according to
package directions
1⁄2 cup vegetable oil or melted butter, for
brushing
Sesame seeds or poppy seeds, for
sprinkling (optional)
1. Preheat the oven to
375°F.
2. To make the filling:
In a sturdy colander,
press the spinach to
remove most of the
moisture. Transfer to
clean tea towels and
roll, squeezing firmly to
draw out the remaining
moisture. This is crucial
if you don’t want the
spinach filling to burst.
(If you have strong hands
and don’t mind the feel
of cooked spinach, you
can get the moisture out
by squeezing the spinach
in your fist.) Place the
spinach in a large bowl
and set aside.
3. In a large nonstick
skillet over medium
heat, heat the oil. Cook
the onions and garlic for
eight to 10 minutes, or
until soft. Stir into the
reserved spinach. Add
the eggs, dill, mint and
lemon peel and blend
thoroughly. Add the
cheese and stir gently.
4. To make the wraps:
Lightly dampen a tea
towel. Lay the stack of
phyllo sheets flat on a
work surface. Cut the
stack in half. You want
a sheet that is approxiFresh dill, mint and lemon gives these spanakopita pockets a lift. mately nine by 12 inches
sheet toward one side. Fold the opposite
(23 by 30 cm). Stack the
corner over the filling to form a triangle.
sheets on top of each other, remove one
Fold the filling up the strip, maintaining
sheet, and place the damp towel on top of
the triangle shape. Place the triangle seam
the stack to prevent the pastry from drying
side down on an ungreased baking sheet.
out.
Brush the top with more oil or butter, and
5. Using a pastry brush, brush the sheet
sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds, if
lightly with oil or butter. Fold the sheet in
using.
thirds lengthwise so you have a long, thin
6. Repeat until the filling or phyllo sheets
strip three layers thick. Using a small cookie
are gone. Leftover filling can be used for an
scoop or a spoon, place one tablespoon of
omelette.
the spinach mixture at the bottom of the
Photography • Ryan Szulc
7. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until
golden brown. Serve immediately, as is or
with tzatziki.
NOTE: Once cool, these pockets can
be stored in an airtight container in the
refrigerator for up to three days. To eat,
reheat for 10 minutes in a 325 F oven. The
microwave will make the phyllo soggy.
TIP: Triangles are classic for spinach, but
you can roll these pockets in other shapes
or even just bundle them up.
September | October 2015 guelphlife 49
Mushroom, Leek and Gruyère Tart
If vegetables were looking to elect a
spokesperson, I’d nominate mushrooms.
A bit of heat brings out the best in them.
And when things get downright hot, they
maintain their composure, refusing to
dissolve into an incoherent mash. They
work graciously with almost any herb, are
elusively complementary to dairy and are as
comfortable with fancy-dress pastry as they
are with a Casual Friday slice of toast. With
a support staff of herbs, cheese and garlic,
this recipe lets the earthiness of mushrooms
shine.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
1 sheet commercial puff pastry,
defrosted
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic
2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only (see tip)
2 cups thinly sliced leeks, white parts
only, sliced lengthwise and slivered into
half moons
16 ounces (454 grams) cremini or
Portobello mushrooms, cut into 1-inch
(2.5-cm) pieces
Ground black pepper (optional)
3 ounces (85 grams) grated Gruyère
TIP: To strip the thyme leaves from the
stem in seconds, simply grasp the top of the
sprig between your thumb and index finger.
Using your other hand, gently pull the stem
through your pinched fingers. The leaves
will strip right off, no chopping required.
This also works for rosemary, although you
might want to mince the rosemary leaves,
depending on the use.
1. Preheat the oven to 425 F.
2. On a sheet of parchment paper cut to fit
a rimmed baking sheet, roll the puff pastry
sheet out to a 10-inch (25-cm) square.
Using a sharp knife, gently score the pastry
an inch (2.5 cm) inside the outer edge,
being careful not to cut all the way through.
Place the parchment with the scored pastry
onto a rimmed baking sheet. Refrigerate
while you prepare the filling.
3. In a large skillet over medium
heat, melt the butter. When it
bubbles, grate the garlic on a microplane into the pan. Add the thyme.
Cook gently for one minute. Add the
leeks and cook until they begin to
soften. Add the mushrooms and cook
until they are soft but not weeping
juices. Place the mushroom filling
into a strainer and let drain for a few
minutes.
4. Spoon the mushroom filling onto
the pastry, being careful to keep inside
the score marks. Add a grinding of
fresh black pepper, if using. Bake for
15 minutes. Remove the tart from the
oven and sprinkle with the cheese.
Bake for five minutes, or until the
cheese has melted and the pastry is
golden brown. Serve hot.
NOTE: This tart is best eaten as
soon as it is cool enough to handle.
Leftovers can be wrapped and
refrigerated, but the pastry will suffer.
To reheat, pop under the broiler for a
few minutes.
Recipes from: The Messy Baker by
Charmian Christie © 2014. Photography © Ryan Szulc. Published by
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. All
rights reserved.
This tart lets the earthiness of mushrooms
shine. Photography • Ryan Szulc
50 guelphlife September | October 2015