Welcome to My Kitchen

Cool spring weather benefits spring vegetables. Spinach, leaf lettuce and peas flourish in cooler temperatures, as do herbs of many varieties. Dill can become a weed this time of year as it reseeds readily and sprouts prolifically. Though it won’t form heads desirable for pickling until later in the summer, the delicate fern like foliage is a wonderful addition to salads, soups and dressings. Take advantage of this flavorful bounty.

A row of intentionally planted dill will benefit from thinning when plants are 4 to 6 inches in height. Several inches of space between plants will allow room for branching, producing more dill heads for pickling. Thinnings are the right maturity for drying or adding to recipes. Several methods may be used to dry dill.

Drying Dill

Method 1:

Pull dill. Rinse dirt from roots. Wash dill thoroughly, and drain. Make small bundles of dill about 1/2 inch thick and tie with a twist tie or cotton twine. Hang bundles upside down until dill is dry and crumbles from the stem when crushed, one to two weeks depending on the weather. I use a wire clothes hanger and clip the bundles to the hanger with clothes pins.

Method 2:

While you are baking something in your oven prepare dill as follows. Thoroughly wash dill and trim root and thick stems and discard. Drain well then coarsely mince dill. Place a cooling rack on a baking sheet. Cover with a paper towel. Place minced dill in a thin layer on paper towel. When you are finished baking, place prepared dill in oven and turn off heat. Shut oven door tight and leave several hours or overnight.

Method 3:

Use a food dehydrator and follow manufacturers instructions for herbs.

For all dried dill, store in air tight containers.

Fresh dill is also a flavor treat in salads. Salmon Salad is an easy main dish salad for busy summer days. Add a side of crusty bread, or a cheese pizza to keep the kids happy, and you will have dinner on the table in under 30 minutes. This is my own recipe.

Salmon Salad

1 bag (16 ounces) frozen peas, thawed and drained

1 can (8 ounces) sliced water chestnuts, drained and coarsely chopped

1 can (14 ounces) salmon, drained, skin and bones removed, and flaked.

3/4 cup mayonnaise

3/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

1/8 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

Combine the first three ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

In a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients and blend well. Fold dressing into pea and salmon mixture. Serve immediately. Yield 6-8 servings.Note: the dressing for this salad may be made in the morning and refrigerated until dinner time, speeding up meal preparations.

Dill and new potatoes are great go together ingredients. Dill may be added to roast potato seasonings, vegatable marinades and potato salads. A favorite of mine is Dilled Potato Salad. Small red potatoes, fresh dill and sweet red onions make this a colorful and savory spring salad.

Dilled Potato Salad

4 pounds small red potatoes

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp cider vinegar

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 cup finely chopped sweet red onion

1/2 cup minced fresh dill

Scrub potatoes and cook in water to cover until tender. Drain and cool. Cut potatoes into 3/4 inch cubes. Place in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle with olive oil and vinegar, toss lightly to coat.

In a medium bowl combine mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, salt and pepper, and blend thoroughly. Stir in onion and dill. Pour this mixture over potatoes. Toss gently to evenly distribute. Cover and chill at least one hour to develop flavors, or up to 24 hours. Yield: about 9 cups salad.

Note: if you don’t care for raw onion, but like onion flavor, a tsp of onion powder may be substituted in this recipe.

Speaking of onion, if raw onion in salads is something you love, but it doesn’t love you, try this culinary trick. Prepare the raw onion for your recipe an hour before making your recipe. Toss the sliced, diced, chopped or minced onion with a tablespoon of lemon juice per cup of onion, and let stand. Lemon juice seems to have properties that tame the tendency of onion to cause indigestion. May not work for everyone, but something to try.

Back to the subject of dill. Dill can perk up bottled dressings. Some commercially prepared ranch dressings can be a little lackluster in flavor. Add a tsp of dried dill or 2 tablespoons of fresh dill to each 16 ounces of dressing and chill at least 1 hour before serving.

If you get caught with nothing but mayonnaise in the house and need a dressing for salad, skip the trip to the store. Mix 1 cup mayonnaise (regular or low fat) with 1/4 cup milk, 1 Tbsp vinegar or lemon juice, 1/2 tsp dried or 1 tbsp fresh dill and a pinch or two of salt. Thin to pouring consistency with additional milk. If you like a sweet dressing, add 1 to 2 Tbsp sugar or a packet or two of sweetener. Ground black pepper may be added as well. This mixture will keep well for a week in the refrigerator and makes about 1 1/3 cups dressing.

What is your favorite recipe using dill, fresh or dried? Share your favorites by sending them to: Welcome to My Kitchen, c/o The Odessa Record, P.O. Box 458, Odessa, WA 99159 or email therecord@odessaoffice.com or drop them in the Welcome to My Kitchen mail tin in The Odessa Record office. Time to divide daffodil and tulip bulb clumps, giving them room to grow far bigger flowers next spring.