Our CSA members get to enjoy a wide array of tasty and sometimes uncommon herbs. But you might be wondering what to do with big bundles of fresh thyme, or how to make herbs last longer - maybe through winter?

How to Make Herb-Flavored Spirit Blends

This video shows how easy it is to make an alcohol herbal extract. Roughly chop your next bundle of fresh tulsi, thyme, or Thai basil and submerge in the spirits of your choice. Let it infuse at least a couple weeks. Taste, and continue to extract to your liking. Mixes well with soda water or tea. Let us know what you come up with!

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Almost any herb can make the freshest salad dressing

Ingredients

Lime-Cilantro Dressing

• 3/4cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• Splash of lime juice
• 1TB white wine vinegar
• 1TB honey
• several peeled garlic cloves and/or shallot
• 1/8tsp salt

Instructions:

Add ingredients to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse for 1 minute. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Creamy Herb Dressing

• 1/2 cup sour cream or yogurt
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh herb such as: basil, parsley, dill, marjoram, or thyme
• 1TB white wine vinegar
• Splash of lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 green onion

Instructions:

Add ingredients to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse for 1 minute. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Herbed Honey Mustard Dressing

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh herb leaves such as: basil, dill, thyme or combination of herbs
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1TB honey
• 1TB dijon mustard
• 1 small shallot chopped

Instructions:

Add ingredients to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse for 1 minute. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

These dressings also makes a delicious a vegetable dip, marinade, or sandwich topping

Drying herbs for winter

One year, CSA member extraordinaire, Leslie Stevenson, hung all her herb bundles to dry each week and had a nice kitchen decoration that became a winter supply of soup seasoning.

This method works especially well with thyme, oregano, and basil. You can also spread bundles out to dry on a baking sheet for more air circulation in humid weather. Or try a dehydrator if you have one. Once dry, you can keep herbs longer by storing in a glass jar with a lid.