May 2000 Letter

MORE ON HERBS

A while back, a friend gave me an old cookbook, long out of print -- "Herbs for the Kitchen", by Irma Goodrich Mazza. It was first published in the thirties and reprinted into the fifties. I love old cookbooks. and we talked about what fun it is to dip into them sometimes and capture the flavor of another era. "They are fun," he said, "but this one is actually very good."

I was busy and put it aside on a table in my study, where piles of other books and papers grew around it. I forgot about it. A few days ago, in the midst of my springtime herb delirium, I picked it up again. I meant to page through it for a quick break while I had a cup of coffee, but soon I was engrossed, reading Mrs. Mazza's opinionated commentary, taking in recipes from start to finish.

Sometimes you can get somewhere good by going backwards. Instead of skipping over the familiar recipes with a "been there, done that", I started thinking about them again. Omelette Fines Herbes, Peas in Minted Cream, Boiled Potatoes with Dill, Lemon Mint Tea -- each sounded perfect. In our excitement with the exotic combinations of fusion cuisines, we can lose track of the fact that classics became so for a reason.

An omelette fines herbes, for example, is nothing more complicated than a simple omelette with some minced fresh herbs stirred into the eggs before they go into the pan - but what a delicious thing it is. Of course, they must be the right herbs, and they must be fresh. Some cooks recommend parsley, chervil and tarragon. Other say that chives are essential. I say start with chives, parsley and a little tarragon - then alter the combination the next time (never using too many herbs at once) until you find your formula. An omelette fines herbes with some lightly sautéed or roasted new potatoes on the side makes a very nice supper for one of those nights when you can't spend long in the kitchen.

Another recipe in Mrs. Mazza's collection nudged me to try a new way with something familiar. Mrs. Mazza's "Herb Soup with Cheese" sounded wonderful. I often make a green soup (as you may know if you read this letter even occasionally), which is a hearty purée, and can be spiked with herbs or even made mostly of herbs, as with Parsley Soup. Mrs. Mazza's soup, on the other hand, starts with a clear broth which is simmered with chopped fresh herbs and shredded celery. Then a dash of wine is added, and the steaming liquid is poured over toast and sprinkled with cheese. Sounds good enough to eat, doesn't it?

I played with it, and came up with a version only slightly different. The important thing is to start with a broth that is tasty but delicate - too strong a flavor will fight with the herbs. The Basic Light Vegetable Broth in "The New Vegetarian Epicure" would be fine. Mrs. M's herb combination is excellent: chives, chervil, sorrel, tarragon and parsley - about two tablespoons each except the tarragon, of which a little taste goes a long way. If you don't have fresh chervil, use a bit more parsley.

I omitted the celery, but I love garlic, so I used garlic croutons instead of plain ones, rubbing rounds of french bread with a cut clove and brushing them with olive oil before toasting. And instead of parmesan cheese (Mrs. M calls for "grated Italian cheese") I decided to drop some small cubes of panella cheese into the hot broth. I like this white Mexican cheese in soups because it keeps its shape in the hot liquid, rather than melting into something stringy or gummy. Goat cheese would also work well with the garlic and herbs, although it would made the broth milky.

We are leaving the season of thick, rib-sticking soups behind for a while, and this is an ideal herb soup for summer. It's fragrant, flavorful, but light - and very pretty, with bright flecks of green floating in a pale broth.

At times it's good to let the clear, pure flavor of one herb define a dish. This is what I do in Fresh Pea Soup with Mint Cream (see New Recipes). It's a purée of peas, sweet lettuce and onion, with a very fresh tasting mint cream swirled into it, another lovely soup for this time of year. Fresh peas are in the farmer's market now, but they'll be gone when the weather turns hot, so don't wait.

Mint is also delightful with berries and melon. You've almost certainly had this, and you know why it's a classic. But have you tried fresh basil with your berries? I like very ripe strawberries with just a touch of balsamic vinegar (a good one, please) and some peppery fresh basil, finely chopped. The berries must be perfectly sweet for this to work; hold out for the best ones and then try it.

I'm working on several garden-inspired dishes now: a pasta with fresh herbs that is reminiscent of pesto but less oily; a potato salad with oregano and olives; herb biscuits and herb flatbreads, among other things. If you have a garden, you're probably concocting things too. We tend to do what's easy, so if fresh herbs are on hand, we cook with them. Having a garden is ideal, but not necessary - happily, herbs are more and more available, even in supermarkets.

My advice is, buy herbs whether or not you think you need them, and keep them in your kitchen. Don't try to work out in advance exactly what you'll need. Just buy what looks good - you'll cook with it, and you'll be glad.

May 2000 recipe