Herb garden results

I transported a new herb garden to camp with good intentions. I thought it could supply a portion of the fresh herbs for the camp kitchen. Yet with little free time in the evening to tend the garden, I barely kept up with watering. Instead, the container garden served as an element of the "front yard" outside our cabin door.

My herb garden weathered the Sierra Nevada well. It will soon return to our Diamond Springs,California, home, where I plan to use the produce for home and camping. All the plants save one (the camellia plant) survived. The chive, rosemary, sage, tarragon and thyme are growing strong. I will soon add basil.

While I believe my idea to grow herbs for the camp kitchen had merit, the garden never produced amounts needed for large quantities of food. Next year I will continue to purchase fresh herbs from our produce purveyor. In addition to cilantro and parsley (curry and flat leaf), the cooks use fresh basil, mint and thyme. Dried herbs stand in for the other herbs.

Sage awaits wonderful fall cuisine when Debbie and I arrive home late next week.

Sawdust

Sometimes you do what you have to do!

Seasoning blend by Texas chuckwagon cook

As you watch this piece from the Texas Country Reporter, enjoy the view of an authentic operating chuckwagon.


Now you can cook just like a champion chuckwagon cook! Real-life cowboy Jerry Baird of Snyder, Texas, bottles his own blend of spices and seasonings for all to enjoy. (#1001, 11/4/06)

Fresh herbs add flavor to your camp cooking

I wrote this article in September 2001 ...

"Try one or two new dishes each trip. It's fun, and it'll expand your culinary repertoire," I wrote in my third Suite101 article, "A Camper's Dozen: 13 Tips To Successful Meals In Camp (Part 2)."

"If you family loves chicken, serve it roasted in a Dutch oven with new potatoes, carrots and zucchini. As you lift the oven lid, the sweet scent of rosemary will bring the family running to the table."

Like any cooking, camp meals grow old after a while. Chicken fried in a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven is very good. But the meal is loaded with fat. In today's nutrition conscience world, it’s best to balance high fat meals with those that are lower in fat. One way to accomplish that is by using fresh herbs.

Fresh herbs transform any dish into a culinary delight by enhancing the flavor of a dish. Who doesn't enjoy Italian pasta dishes flavored with basil and thyme? Or Mexican meals spiced with cilantro and oregano? Using fresh herbs in camp cooking will produce many flavor-packed meals for your family.

Fresh herbs in camp cooking

According to The New Professional Chef, "Herbs are the leaves of aromatic plants and are used primarily to add flavor to foods." Although most herbs can be purchased dried, fresh herbs are easy to use. Examples include thyme, rosemary and basil.

Select herbs that have a fresh, strong aroma. A weak or stale aroma is a good indicator that an herb sprig may be old. The New Professional Chef says, "They should have good color (usually green), fresh looking leaves and stems, and no wilt, brown spots, sunburn, or pest damage."

To keep herbs as fresh as possible, buy in small amounts. And try not to buy them any sooner that a few days before your camping trip. Wrap sprigs of fresh herbs in a damp paper towel and place them into a plastic storage bag. Store fresh herbs a refrigerator or ice chest.

Use the whole sprig when possible. The recipe for Dutch Oven Roast Chicken with Herbs uses whole sprigs of thyme, rosemary and chervil in the chest cavity of the chicken. This flavors the meat and drippings. If the recipe calls for chopped or minced herbs cut them just before they're needed. Prolonged exposure to heat gives many herbs a bitter taste. (When using dried herbs, add them early in the cooking process -- dried herbs need longer simmering times to enhance flavor.)

Chefs often cut leafy herbs in fine shreds (called a chiffonade cut). Roll or stack the herbs and cut into very fine strips with your cook’s knife. Herbs cut in chiffonade are used to flavor many soups, stews and casseroles.

Fresh herbs are also used to garnish a dish just before serving. Pinch about one tablespoon of the shredded herb and sprinkle over the dish. In my last article, "Dutch Oven Chicken Enchiladas," chopped cilantro is used to add color and fresh flavor to the casserole. Whole sprigs can also be used to garnish a plate.

Fresh herbs are added to a dish toward the end the cooking process. This preserves their flavor. Add fresh herbs in the last 30 to 45 minutes in long-cooking dishes like stews and soups. For vegetables and other quick-cooking dishes, add herbs as you start cooking. Add herbs to casseroles when you mix the dish.

Add herbs to uncooked dishes early to blend in flavors. Fresh herbs in salad dressings should be given two or more hours to develop the flavor. Add herbs to cold dishes like salads, dips and raw vegetables several hours in advance.

To convert recipes that call for dried herbs, substitute three times the amount of fresh herbs as dried herbs. For example, one tablespoon of fresh basil equals one teaspoon of dried basil.

Dutch Oven Roast Chicken with Herbs

Last June after a fun hike from Woods Lake to Winnamuca Lake, near California’s Carson Pass, I roasted a chicken in my 12-inch Dutch oven for my family and my parents. The chicken, which was flavored with rosemary, thyme and chervil, browned nicely in the Dutch oven.

1 3 to 4-pound chicken
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
3 cloves minced garlic
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 sprigs fresh chervil
1/2 cup chicken stock or wine

Use a 12-inch Dutch oven for this recipe. Ignite 25 charcoal briquettes and let them burn until they are barely covered with ash, about 20 minutes. For a 350-degree oven, you’ll need 8 briquettes underneath and 17 on top of the oven.

Wash chicken, pat dry and place on a baking rack, breast-side up, in oven. Lightly season the chest cavity and skin with salt, pepper and garlic. Place 2 thyme and rosemary sprigs inside the chest cavity and chop the remainder. Sprinkle chopped herbs over skin.

Place lid on oven. Arrange 17 charcoal briquettes to the oven lid and 8 briquettes underneath. Bake about 1-hour and 15 minutes until juices run clear and the leg easily pulls apart. Cut into chicken into quarters. Serves 4 to 5. Use pan drippings to flavor side dished if desired.

Cumin marinated chicken breasts with chimichurri

This dish is inspired by one served at the casino. One Friday in mid-December, I walked into the casino's large central kitchen at the start of my shift. A lead cook instructed me to grill marinated chicken breasts on the broiler.

The sharp, nutty aroma of the cumin and coriander amazed me as it wafted into the exhaust system. I asked the lead cook what was in the marinate, "Cumin, cilantro, sage, coriander and lemon juice," said the cook.

This cook was well known in the kitchen for creating flavor blends. I quickly wrote the ingredients for the marinade in my notebook and finished the chicken.

To serve, the cook sliced the chicken breasts and arranged them in a single line down the center of a decrative buffet pan. After arrangining a line of the garnish on either side of the chicken, he ladled the chimichurri over the chicken and placed the pan on the buffet line.

CUMIN MARINATED CHICKEN BREASTS WITH CHIMICHURRI

Substitute any citrus juice for the lemon. Lime juice complements the marinade well.

Chicken and marinade:
4 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup vegetable oil
8 (5-ounce) chicken breasts

Garnish:
1 large sweet onion, sliced into rings
4 medium tomatoes, quartered
2 jalapeño chilies, seeded and sliced (optional)
2 lemons, cut in half

Chimichurri:
1 cup flat leaf parsley (packed)
1/4 cup cilantro (packed)
2 cloves garlic
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil

In a large container or bowl, combine cumin, coriander, sage, cilantro, salt, pepper, lemon juice and oil. Place chicken breasts in the marinade and turn to coat. Cover, refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.

Meanwhile, prepare chimichurri up to 2 hours ahead. Puree all chimichurri ingredients in food processor or blender until consistency of pesto. Transfer to serving bowl.

Remove chicken from bowl and brush off excess marinade. Grill over medium-hot heat for about 20 minutes, turning after first 10 minutes. Check for doneness. Place chicken on a clean platter and cover with aluminum foil.

While chicken sets, saute garnish ingredients (sliced onion, quartered tomatoes and sliced jalapeño chilies) in a skillet over high heat until soft and they're just beginning to brown. Sqeeze lemon juice over onion and tomato mixture.

Slice chicken on the bias and arrange in a line in the center of a serving platter. Arrange garnish on either side of chicken. Lightly spoon chimichurri over chicken. Serve remaining chimichurri on the table.

Old Bay recipe at Dutch Girl blog

I generally only stock my pantry with three commercially produced spice blends. The rest -- blends like taco seasoning and rub for ribs -- are made and stored in old one-pound spice containers.

I find that you get better quality spice blend when I make them at home or in the camp kitchen. Plus, it's much easier to avoid MSG, anti-caking agents and excessive salt content when you make your own.

I just recently re-discovered Old Bay Seasoning. According to Wikipedia, the commercial spice blend was first developed by German immigrant Gustav Brunn in the 1940s as a crab seasoning in the Baltimore area.

Since I rarely purchase fresh crabs, I like to use Old Bay as an all-around seasoning. I typically use it on broiled chicken. It's also good in salmon or crab cakes, tater sauce and cocktail sauce.

Then today, I saw a recipe for an Old Bay reproduction on the Kayotic Cooking blog. This authentic Dutch cook and artful photographer produces some wonderful recipes on her blog from her home in Gouda, Netherlands. (My favorite recipe: Dutch split pea soup, a recipe that I've made for about 10 years.)

Here's what she has to say about Old Bay:

A couple of years ago a friend sent me a big can of ‘Old Bay Seasoning’. I instantly became hooked! It’s been a staple in my home ever since. Since this spice mix can’t be bought in the Netherlands (is it a typically American item?), I’m doing my Dutch (and European?) buddies a favor by giving the ingredients for a faux old bay seasoning!

Please let me know if you try her recipe. I have 6-ounce can in my cupboard, but will have to try Dutch Girl's recipe when my supply runs out.

My other two purchased spice blends? Chili powder (typically Gephardts) and Pappy's Choice Seasoning, a regional blend produced in Fresno, California. I buy 32-ounce containers of the blend from my butcher. Pappy's is a versitle barbeque and grilling seasoning.

Taco Seasoning

This taco seasoning is better than any of the packed mixes. I use this recipe at camp and home.

TACO SEASONING
Be sure to use quality spices for this seasoning mix.

1/4 cup chili powder
1/4 cup ground cumin
1/4 cup dried oregano
1/4 cup garlic granules
1/4 cup onion granules
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons kosher salt

Mix; store in air-tight container. Use 2 tablespoons per pound of cooked ground meat. Add water or stock to moisten. Heat to serve.