Get Out the Barbeque and Grill With Herbs
By Kate Copsey / STAFF
With Memorial Day behind us, summer has unofficially arrived. That means that the kids are out of school and there’s going to be more outdoor cooking on the grill. Summer is also a great time for using herbs, particularly the Mediterranean herbs, which are at their peak.
Mediterranean herbs love lots of hot sun, and once established will do great with low moisture. They don’t even need fertilizing. In fact, in many cases good fresh taste is improved without lots of additional nutrients. Good drainage is important though and if you have lots of Georgia clay, then adding compost each spring will help keep the soil friable and fluffy.
If you want to use your herbs on the grill you should plant your patch of herbs nearby. Either that or have a few of your favorite herbs in pots near where you cook. Fresh picked herbs will be far superior to the supermarket choices that have traveled many miles and were picked a week or so ago.
For outdoor cooking, rosemary is at the top of my list. This versatile herb is evergreen and grows into a substantial bush over a few years. New growth is added to the woody stems each year giving lots of material that holds up well over a direct flame. The stiff stems have become popular as ready-made skewers for kabobs, but the smaller leaves are also great for flavor.
To make a tasty kabob, take several long, woody stems, and strip the leaves from the lower part. Sharpen the exposed end so that you can thread small tomatoes, onions and peppers on the stick. Pick vegetables that will cook at the same rate, just as you would if you were using a metal skewer. Small cubes of meat can also be used, but pre-punch the hole in steaks or firm meats so that the rosemary stem can be passed through without breaking.
Lemon thyme is another great herb for using with grilled meats. Pick a variety that is upright rather than sprawling so that the leaves don’t drag and root in the dirt. Thymes, like rosemary are semi-woody herbs but the stems of thyme are not sufficiently strong to pierce vegetables. The small stems though can be laid onto, or into, meat selections. The lighter, savory flavor goes particularly well with chicken or fish.
One of the best uses is to make a slit in a boneless piece of chicken and put the lemon thyme stems inside. As the meat cooks, the lemony thyme flavor will be imparted to the flesh. Filling the cavity of fresh fish with a mixture of lemon thyme, regular thyme or a little mint will not overwhelm the delicate flavor of the dish.
A few leaves of mint, thyme or rosemary can be added to packets of vegetables that you steam on the grill as well. Just mix the herb with the butter, or stock or whatever liquid you are using and the taste will permeate the mixture.
Chives can be chopped onto many meats, as well as salads just before serving, and they are a great low salt, no calorie addition to baked potatoes.
Wash and pierce the potato to clean it, and place it on a sheet of foil. Cut a lengthwise slit into the potato and snip some chive sections into it. Wrap and place on the grill over an indirect heat until cooked. Snip more chives into the potato with a little butter just before serving.
With just three or four herbs in your garden you can add a whole variety of taste to your grilling pleasures this summer.