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Show Wonderfully SE yee eS vide fresh herbs, found in the produce section and packaged in, plastic. containers... They're expensive, ‘but ‘worth: ‘every penny. | GREE Less expensive—a bargain, in fact—is to buy RE your herbs fresh and in quantity from purveyors like Ranui Gardens and Sundance Farms at the weekly Farmer’s Market. Campagna is another good place to score fresh herbs by the bushel. Try to avoid the dried, tasteless herbs Wicked Weeds A Guide to the Care and Eating of Fresh Summer Herbs By Ted Scheffler that come in glass bottles in the spice section of the supermarket. They're better than nothing, but not by much. Though there are a few herbs that are more useful dried than fresh (like oregano and bay), most are pathetic wannabes when tasted side-byside with the real McCoys. Wouldn’t you much prefer a fresh-tasting tomato sauce for pasta made with garden-fresh herbs over a sprinkling of “Italian Seasoning” from a bottle? | know | would. | mean, you wouldn’t dream of using freeze-dried onion &S ummer, for right-thinking cooks, is synonymous with the subtle flavors of fresh herbs. As this long, wet summer begins to draw to a close, herbs from the garden and grocery store are at their peak. One of the great advances supermarkets like Albertson’s, Smith’s and Dan’s have made in the last couple of years is to pro- flakes for your fabulous French onion soup would you? | didn’t think so. When buying fresh herbs, there are a couple of things to look for. First, look at the color of the herbs. Fresh herbs should be vibrant and pulsating with color. Avoid herbs that are turning dark in color or yellowish, and be on the lookout for basil with black spots. Because so many supermarkets these days inexplicably water everything in the produce department, from squash and zucchini to Yukon Gold pototoes and radicchio, be especially keen-eyed about the mold that can develop in those plastic herb containers. Whenever you can, _ smell the herbs. They should be fresh and radiant with fragrance. If herbs, fruits and veggies smell dull, they'll likely taste the FREE FOOD! same way. | Once you get your fresh herbs home, the best strategy is to use them immediately. However, you can keep most fresh herbs for a week or two in the refrigerator. Don’t try to freeze fresh herbs. The only herbs I’ve ever successfully frozen were chives. “Woody” herbs like rosemary, thyme, bay leaves or sage are fairly hearty and can be kept with little care. | just keep sage and rosemary in their plastic containers and store them in the fridge. Thyme | usually leave at room temperature, also in its container. But more delicate herbs like basil, Complete this form and send it in to be eligible to WIN A $25 GIFT CERTIFICATE to favorite club, or restaurant advertised in the Mountain Times! Shallow Shaft Restaurant 1. Pick your favorite establishment from the advertisers in Mountain Times. 2. Fill in the blanks below and mail, fax or drop this entry off at: Mountain Times _. 537 Main St. #9 P.O. Box 41741 Park City, Utah 84060 Fax: 435-655-9220 3. Enter as often as you like. SYVINA RICHARDSON EN Sea NN Os 3 : ; = YOUR | rm Name: 2 Address: und, a) Oo FAVORITE RESTAURANT | _ Phone: es _. Ita, at the top of Te Cini Canyon, is only a short drive from Salt Lake City. Now open for the summer in its thirtieth anniversary season, our intimate sixtyfive-seat restaurant is the perfect place to enjoy cool mountain air, superb views of the Wasatch Mountains, friendly, knowledgeable service, and a meal called “one of the very best in Utah." We feature wild game, fresh seafood, pasta, chicken, and Angus beef prepared in a critically acclaimed Southwest motif. The 1997 Zagat Survey of . Rocky Mountain Restaurants found us to be “small and unpretetious" and the “top Southwest restaurant in Utah.” Come join us soon. ReservationsG Schedule In formation : 742-2177 Pesto change-o, basil becomes a saucy delight tarragon, parsley, cilantro, chervil, dill and summer savory require special handling. First, snip off a half-inch or so of the herbs’ stems, just as you would fresh flowers, to help forestall wilting. Next, wrap the fresh herbs in damp paper towels and place them in a plastic container or plastic bag. Store the herbs in their containers in the warmest part of the fridge, to guard against freezing. Just as frost can ruin your garden, it’ll make a mess of your refrigerated herbs. Don’t wash the herbs before you refrigerate them, as excess moisture will lead to quicker spoilage. | rarely wash fresh herbs at all unless they seem particularly dirty or gritty. Most store-bought herbs can be used without washing. If you must wash herbs, place them in a large bow! of cold water. to allow sand or grit to settle to the bottom. Then dry them well in a salad spinner, but be gentle! | Cookbook recipes often call for dried _ herbs. Whenever possible, substitute fresh. - . herbs for dried. | usually double or triple >: the amount of fresh herbs in a recipe that ’ calls for dried because the flavors of fresh — herbs are more subtle, not to mention mo’ _ betta’. So, I’d put two or three tablespoons of fresh basil in a recipe that calls for one tablespoon of dried basil. As far as I’m concerned, you can’t have too much of sucha | good thing. To me, no flavor defines summer like fresh basil, which is why pesto is such a comforting summer staple. Here is a very simple pesto recipe. Use it on pasta, bread or even atop meat or fish. In a food processor or blender, combine the following: 2-3 loosely packed cups of fresh basil leaves, 2 cloves garlic (more if you like), 2 tablespoons of pine nuts (walnuts will do in a pinch), and a half-cup of extra-virgin olive oil. Process the ingredients into a paste, scraping the side of the blender or food processor. Add a bit more oil if you like your pesto thinner. You can freeze the pesto or keep it in the fridge in a glass jar for a couple of weeks. Just before serving, stir in a half-cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. TASTY IDEAS? ; Ted welaes stony idee and ‘comments from readers. E-mail him at.- ted@xmission.com. Mail him at PO Box 980156, Park City, UT 84098. Or, fax (435) 658-2939. |