Real reality cooking challenges, No. 3 [contest]: Herbs

Real Reality Cooking Challenges: No. 1 wrote:Think of yourself as a challenger in a reality cooking show. Except that on Iron Chef and other TV cooking shows, the cooks don't confront the kinds of challenges that home cooks see every day.

They may have an unusual ingredient to contend with. Or a limited set of ingredients they have to use. They have unknown, but generally gourmet, palates to please. They start their work in a kitchen where everything is clean and ready for use. They have fully stocked pantries, complete equipment and assistants to chop and dice and set up a mise en place.

They aren't cooking for their picky mother-in-law or their friend who won't eat anything green. They don't get halfway through a new recipe and discover that they overlooked an instruction like "refrigerate overnight." They don't have to work on countertops someone else is using for paperwork or manage with cutting boards laid across open drawers. They have time constraints but not the kind you have when you work full time and have to make meals after a full day.

They don't come home late and tired and start working on dinner ... only to find that critical pans or utensils have been used and left dirty in the dishwasher ... or open the fridge and discover that essential ingredients have gone moldy or been eaten.

With that in mind, here is Real Reality Cooking Challenge No. 1.

Anyone may play. Please post your answers here or start a new thread with your own challenge, consecutively numbered.

There is no "right" answer, of course, but by and by, I will post what I actually did in this situation and you may all judge which is the best solution.

This one is a little different from challenges No. 1 and 2.

In the summer, with farmers' markets and the garden, I don't quail at recipes calling for small quantities of fresh herbs. But starting about now, when a recipe calls for 1 teaspoonful of chopped fresh something that's only readily available in a little plastic box for $2.98, I tend to balk.

Nevertheless, I had to test some chefs' recipes without any time to shop around and now have on hand some rather pricey thyme, oregano and dill plus some slightly less expensive but still overpriced cilantro, which I would like to make the most of before they rot. "Making the most of" being defined as using the herbs in dishes where their fresh character will be apparent, vs. use in something like spaghetti sauce, where dried herbs might be just as good.

Assume routine pantry supplies, although I think I'm out of pasta and I recently did an old spices purge and haven't replaced everything yet. Meat options include steak, hot dogs, summer sausage, burgers, turkey breast and bacon. Dairy includes some cottage cheese, sour cream and cheddar. Fresh produce on hand seems to be limited to onions, garlic, carrots, apples, pears, half a celery root and part of a lemon. Breads available are good rye, poppyseed hot-dog buns, bagels, bialys and some supermarket whole wheat. Bonus points if you can figure in half a jar of brined grape leaves.

Depends a bit on the quantities you have, I suppose.
I think I might make a dill mayonaise, to capture the dill flavor for a while.
If there were enough cilantro, might get some tomatillos and use the cilantro in green salsa.
Maybe use the thyme/oregano in a veg. stew, caponata, or a plain herb roasted chicken.
Or use some of the herbs blended into a simple omelet aux fines herbes[i]?[/i]

I'm sure folks with more skills and wider repertoire will have more interesting suggestions. But those wre top of mind for me, looking at the list.

One of my favorite easy storage methods is to puree the fresh herbs with a bit of vinegar, oil or water (or a combo--you can do a chimichurri with both the oregano and the cilantro!) and freeze them in ice cube trays then put in plastic freezer bags. They really retain the freshness pretty nicely and they're great for adding to just about anything. I think it works for all of the herbs you mentioned except maybe the dill...for dill, I would make and freeze dill butter to add to fish dishes--same kind of idea.

mrbarolo wrote:Depends a bit on the quantities you have, I suppose.

For each herb, I have one plastic clamshell full, less about 1 tablespoon. A little more cilantro, which came in a small bunch.

Good ideas, so far. Keep 'em coming.

Hellman's mayo in a blender. Add a splash of white wine and a bit of maple along with s & p. Add tarragon (+ raw spinach if you have) to make a fantastic tarragon salad dressing. Pass through a chinoise to remove specks. Beautiful light green color.

Evil Ronnie wrote:Hellman's mayo in a blender. Add a splash of white wine and a bit of maple along with s & p. Add tarragon (+ raw spinach if you have) to make a fantastic tarragon salad dressing. Pass through a chinoise to remove specks. Beautiful light green color.

Sounds delicious, Ronnie. Alas, tarragon isn't one of the herbs on hand. I do love tarragon, though, and will put this to use the next time I have some.

Home fries. Dice up taters -- fry 'em in butter and olive oil. Add garlic slices and onions if you wish..then chop up the thyme and oregano and dill too, if you wish, and then season the taters with them at the end. Don't forget the S&P!

Breakfast is best but dinner works for these as well.

earthlydesire wrote:Home fries. Dice up taters -- fry 'em in butter and olive oil. Add garlic slices and onions if you wish..then chop up the thyme and oregano and dill too, if you wish, and then season the taters with them at the end. Don't forget the S&P!

...then top with a couple eggs

I have to second the chimichurri idea for the oregano and cilantro, you can go through all of both and it will keep for awhile.

For the thyme, well, what CAN'T use some thyme? Since the temps have dropped you can go through a bunch as part of a bouquet garni making braised short ribs, Champvallon, or basically anything braised. You can chop it up and put it on spaetzle. Use it on roasted potatoes. Use it in a potato/leek soup. As mentioned rub it under the skin of a chicken with butter and roast it, then use more the next day to make some stock from the chicken carcass. Thyme is great in many vinaigrettes, and that will keep for quite awhile. In the winter I can go through a clamshell of thyme in two days without trying.

I'm not a huge user of dill, but I do use it regularly with fish, yoghurt sauces/dips, for pickling, and in rice. A nice dill rice is a great side for many things. You could go through most of the dill with a big piece of fish cooked en papillote with some lemon and/or white wine.

Attrill wrote: You could go through most of the dill with a big piece of fish cooked en papillote with some lemon and/or white wine.

Or you could make a dill dough.

Thanks for playing, folks.

mrbarolo wrote:Depends a bit on the quantities you have, I suppose.
I think I might make a dill mayonaise, to capture the dill flavor for a while.
If there were enough cilantro, might get some tomatillos and use the cilantro in green salsa.
Maybe use the thyme/oregano in a veg. stew, caponata, or a plain herb roasted chicken.
Or use some of the herbs blended into a simple omelet aux fines herbes[i]?[/i]

I'm sure folks with more skills and wider repertoire will have more interesting suggestions. But those wre top of mind for me, looking at the list.

I particularly like these suggestions, so mrbarolo gets the (virtual) prize.

Attrill wrote:A nice dill rice is a great side for many things.

Second place to Attrill, because this is what I actually did with the dill. Alas, it proved that those costly plastic clam shells of baby dill are really not worthwhile, because the dill flavor was delicate, to say the least. If you need dill do take the time to seek out a greengrocer that will sell you mature dill in large bunches.

I'm afraid I did nothing very creative with the rest of the herbs -- I just added most of them to a few salads. Some of the thyme also went to season some roasted vegetables.

Well that's certainly a nice balm after reading about the hedge fund manager who just won the lottery.