You don't need dozens of recipes to make better use of fresh herbs. Sometimes you just need a few pantry staples and a simple formula.
With olive oil, lemon, garlic, Dijon mustard, Greek yogurt, salt and pepper, you can create two completely different sauces simply by changing the base and the herbs.
That's part of what we'll be exploring at the Vines Play Summer Herb Garden Workshop & Wine Tasting: how growing a few fresh herbs at home can make everyday cooking easier, more interesting, and more delicious.
Start With Five Pantry Staples
Keep these on hand:
Extra virgin olive oil
Fresh lemons
Garlic
Dijon mustard
Plain Greek yogurt
Then add whatever fresh herbs you have available. Italian parsley, basil, rosemary, mint and chives can all take these basic ingredients in completely different directions.
Watch the video to see how I use these ingredients to make both an oil-based and a cream-based herb sauce.
Here are two simple sauces to get you started.
Lemon Parsley Vinaigrette
Makes about 1 cup
Ingredients
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1 clove garlic, finely grated
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 cup packed Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Method
Whisk together the lemon juice, zest, garlic and Dijon mustard. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until emulsified.
Stir in the chopped parsley and season with salt and pepper.
That's it.
Use it as a salad dressing, spoon it over roasted vegetables or seafood, drizzle it over grilled chicken, or add it to a grain bowl.
Turn It Into a Chicken Marinade
For two chicken breasts, use approximately ⅓ cup of the vinaigrette.
Butterfly or pound the chicken to an even thickness of about ½ inch. Coat it with the vinaigrette and marinate for 30 minutes or up to two hours.
Grill or cook in a grill pan over medium-high heat for approximately 5–6 minutes per side, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
Let it rest for five minutes before slicing.
For an extra hit of flavour, spoon some fresh vinaigrette that was reserved before marinating over the chicken before serving. Never reuse marinade that has been in contact with raw chicken.
Creamy Basil Herb Sauce
Makes about 1 cup
Ingredients
¾ cup plain Greek yogurt
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1 clove garlic, finely grated
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Method
Add the basil, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, salt and pepper to a food processor or blender. Blend until mostly smooth.
Fold the basil mixture into the Greek yogurt. Taste and adjust with additional lemon or salt if needed.
No blender? Finely chop the basil and simply stir everything together.
Use the sauce with grilled chicken or shrimp, roasted vegetables, wraps, grain bowls, potato salad or pasta.
Turn It Into Creamy Basil Pasta
Serves 4
You'll need:
12 oz (340 g) fusilli, penne or cavatappi
¾ cup Creamy Basil Herb Sauce
¼ cup reserved pasta water
Fresh basil
Grated Parmesan, optional
Cook the pasta until al dente and reserve approximately ¼ cup of the pasta water before draining.
Return the pasta to the pot and stir in the Creamy Basil Herb Sauce. Add a splash of pasta water at a time until the sauce becomes silky and coats the pasta.
Finish with fresh basil and Parmesan, if desired.
The Formula
What's interesting is how much these two sauces have in common.
Both begin with:
Olive oil + lemon + garlic + fresh herbs
From there, one small change creates an entirely different experience.
Add Dijon + parsley → bright, fresh vinaigrette
Add Greek yogurt + basil → rich, creamy herb sauce
Once you understand the formula, you can start playing.
Swap parsley for rosemary. Try mint with yogurt. Add chives to your vinaigrette. Taste, adjust and find the combinations you like.
That's the point.
You don't need dozens of recipes. You need a simple formula, a few pantry staples and fresh herbs.
We'll be putting that idea into practice at the Vines Play Summer Herb Garden Workshop & Wine Tasting, where we'll grow, taste, sip and explore just how much you can do with a little herb garden of your own.