Grilling with Herbs
Grilling with Herbs
Savoring garden-fresh flavors is a key part of summertime living. Growing herbs—in planting beds or pots—makes preparing tasty dishes for your family even easier.
Herbs give a super return on investment. For the same price of one bunch of herbs at the grocery store, you can buy a plant that will yield multiple harvests all season long. You can even preserve the harvest to enjoy those sun-ripened flavors in winter. Try a few of our favorite ways to enjoy herbs on the grill.
On the Grill.
Herbs and grilling go hand in hand. Chop a favorite herb, such as basil, tarragon, rosemary, or sage, into marinades to flavor meat. Grind herbs to form a rub. Apply to meat and allow to sit in the refrigerator for an hour before grilling.
Use woody-stemmed herbs, like rosemary, oregano, or thyme, to season baked potatoes. Push a skewer through an uncooked potato, enlarging the hole slightly. Stuff herb stems into the hole, pushing them into the potato using the skewer. Wrap in foil and bake.
Take corn on the cob to a new level by creating herb brushes to coat cobs with butter. Cut 3- to 6-inch-long herb stems, strip lower leaves, gather stems into a bundle, insert a short skewer, and tie it all together using a piece of twine or string. Dip herb brushes into melted butter and coat corn. You can also use these brushes for basting meat.
Trim leggy annuals, like petunias, ageratum, or verbena. Cut plants back by one-third to one-half. Fertilize plants after trimming.
When grilling with charcoal or using a smoker, toss woody stems of basil, rosemary, or thyme onto coals, close the grill, and allow herb smoke to flavor meat.
TIPS
• The more your harvest herbs, the more herb you’ll have to harvest.
• Grind herbs to create a rub for meats.
• Tie together a bunch of herb stems to create a basting brush.
• Stuff herbs into potatoes for a flavor-filled dish.
