Getting Fresh, With Herbs That is. The Afterword

I stopped in to check with the "herb lady" at my favorite outdoor market over the weekend. She is responsible for many of the herbs in our terrace garden this summer, and I love the enthusiasm she has for her work.

I thought I had been exposed to all of her herby delights, but no, there was yet another plant for me to discover. Bohnenkraut or savory, is new to me. You too? So I couldn't resist "Getting Fresh" one more time and talking herbs.

Bohnenkraut, (its direct translation is actually "bean herb"), is particularly popular right now in Germany because green beans are everywhere, and no one cooks them without their Bohnenkraut.

Apparently, the bright, fresh, peppery flavor of summer savory adds a whole new dimension to typically bland green beans. And winter savory works wonders with dried beans, I've heard, specifically in helping to reduce the "musical accompaniment" that is often part of the experience.

Have you been savoring savory this summer, or like me, are you discovering it for the first time?

--Tracy Schneider

Classic Stockpot

Getting Fresh, With Herbs That Is. This Week: The Finale

Today is the last of our Tuesday herb conversations, a summer series that has spurred me on not just to grow herbs in my garden, but to use them in my kitchen as well. What herbs have you been growing and cooking this summer?

This week I came across a packet of herbs at the local market that had been grouped together to make Frankfurt's famed Green Sauce. Included were borage, parsley, sorrel, salad burnet, dill, chervil and chives, and on the paper wrapper was a simple recipe, calling just for cream, yogurt, salt and lemon juice. So I used my handy mezzaluna to mince the herbs, mixed in the other ingredients and then ate it with hard boiled eggs and boiled potatoes. It tasted even better thanthe meal that I ate in Oberrad, the home of Green Sauce.

As I have learned, even though Green Sauce is made with seven different green herbs, there's a lot of latitude as to which herbs to include. So at the end of the summer, when you've got lots of extra greens around, this is the perfect way to make use of them. And even though this dish is typically a spring meal, I think that it makes a great summer finale.

Here's a last look at the herbs we've grown and eater together:

Tarragon
Basil
Cilantro
Thyme
Sage
Rosemary
Dill
Parsley
Salad Burnet
Mint
Chives
Oregano

--Tracy Schneider

Two-Handled
Mezzaluna