Dill

Fresh herb flavor any time of year. Delicious with just one herb, or mix and match.

This nutty bean purée is inspired by lobio, a marinated bean salad from the Georgian Republic.

This beautiful sunset-red sauce with flecks of green herbs turns pasta, vegetables, potatoes, or fish into a work of art. Leftover sauce keeps in the refrigerator for a week or two.

Flavored butter can make plain food instantly interesting by enlivening it with the flavors of fresh herbs, ginger, citrus, chiles, or roasted garlic. Keep some in the freezer to use in cooking or at the table. Give an instant flavor boost to plain steamed vegetables, broiled or grilled fish, eggs, grains, pasta, corn on the cob, or mashed potatoes. Slather it on fresh bread, rolls, or biscuits.

Take a few minutes to turn mayonnaise into something special. Aioli is a flavorful topping for steamed vegetables of all types, potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, fish, and shrimp, as well as a dressing for a simple salad, a dip for artichokes—even a sandwich spread.

This is one of the fastest yet most delectable fish preparations. Flounder is a delicate fish, so you need to use care (a wide spatula helps) when turning it to cook on the second side.

As a New Yorker, I have ready access to some of the best dill pickles out there. Even so, I still like to whip up a batch of my own every now and then. It is really very easy to do, and you have total control over the flavor and seasonings. If you really like garlic, toss in a few more cloves; if you prefer your pickles on the spicy side, add a couple of pinches of red pepper flakes. This is a basic recipe and you should feel free to experiment with other spices, too, such as cumin or fennel seeds. One note: though light on labor, this is not a last-minute recipe. The cucumbers need to “pickle” for at least 24 hours to get the best flavor.

This luscious burger is really quite simple. Salmon and dill are a classic pairing, but if you aren’t a fan of dill, try adding a few tablespoons of chopped fresh mint or tarragon in its place. Thin slices of red onion add a nice somewhat sharp note, and thickly sliced cucumber gives the burger a refreshing crunch. Should you feel like experimenting with a different type of bun, pumpernickel rolls or bread would be a great choice.

This dish is elegant enough for company, quick enough for a “desperation dinner,” and convenient enough for any cook. You can put it together at the last minute or assemble it in the morning so it’s ready to cook when you are.

The subtle, fresh taste of dill is at its best when teamed with cucumbers. Cut some into spears, rounds, or wedges and try them with this super-simple dip.

Sometimes in the ninth century, or perhaps earlier, Baltic fishermen figured out that curing herring in salt would preserve it. Caught and immediately salted to prevent spoilage, the fish was then brought back to French ports to be sold, often by Jewish purveyors who transported it up the Rhône. Salting fish was so important in the medieval period that salt-fish mongers, like fresh-fish mongers, had their own stores for salted, dried, and brined fish such as herring and cod. Because the fish had not in fact been cooked, rabbis considered salted fish to be kosher even if it had been salted by gentiles. For centuries Jews in northern France, who couldn’t eat pork, ate herring as their daily protein. It was prepared in a variety of ways, most often first soaked in milk to remove the excess saltiness, then dressed with vinegar and oil, and served with lots of sliced raw onion and hot boiled potatoes. Jews in France have put a French touch on their herring dishes, serving them as an appetizer rather than as a main course. They usually prepare the herring with either a horseradish sauce with apples, hard-boiled eggs, and beets, or a mustard-dill sauce with sugar, cream, and vinegar. To break the fast of Yom Kippur, Alsatian Jews use a sweet-and-sour cream sauce with their herring.

Iranians have a predilection for fresh herbs, which they use in huge quantities. This traditional Iranian New Year’s dish consists of rice cooked with a variety of fresh herbs. Their greenness is believed to ensure a happy and “green” year ahead. The herbs are chosen according to individual taste and mood, and to what is available. Favorite Iranian herbs include tarragon, chives, flat-leaf parsley, dill, fenugreek, and cilantro. Choose 3 or 4 or use them all, but try to use fresh ones.

Beans cooked in olive oil and eaten at room temperature are a Turkish staple. The mottled pink borlotti beans (they are called barbunya, which is also the name for red mullets) are a special treat. The Turkish ones obtainable here need to be picked over for foreign matter. There are also good-quality canned varieties which you can use.

A Turkish delicacy. A humble fish for a regal occasion. The skin of the fish is stuffed with its own flesh mixed with a rich filling. It is rolled in beaten egg, then in flour and breadcrumbs, and deep-fried in olive or nut oil. It is quite a bit of work but is delicious eaten hot or cold, as an entrée or as a main dish.

The filling is a traditional one for the famous Greek pie. A milder-tasting alternative was adopted in Britain by my contemporaries from Egypt. Both make a lovely teatime savory as well as a snack meal accompanied by salad.

This wonderful creamy Turkish pie is something between a savory flan and a cheese lasagna. The fillo turns into a soft, thin pasta, so don’t expect it to be crisp and papery. It sounds complicated but it is quite easy, and you will be delighted by the lightness and the variety of flavors and textures.