Lemon Herbs my favorite Herbs of the Week with Info from Kathy Musser

 In a recent article in The Essential Herbal Magazine, by Kathy Musser of Cloverleaf Herb Farm she shared a thorough list of lemon, lime and orange flavored herbs.  It was a great article focusing on the many uses and the distinct flavors of each.

Lemon Verbena

I loved the fact that her first herb in the list was Lemon Verbena, as it is one of my favorite go-to lemon herbs. In her description, she suggested  “Try steeping lemon verbena leaves in warm milk, then cool and strain. Use the infused milk for muffins, quick breads, cakes, puddings, etc. for a wonderful lemon taste.”  I had never tried this before, so I decided an experiment was in order. I Infused Greek yogurt with fresh lemon verbena leaves overnight and then created this savory muffin to serve to the garden club board members.

Savory Lemon Herb Muffins

• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/3 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano grated
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt infused with 6 to 12 fresh lemon verbena leaves overnight
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup fresh basil minced
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest grated\

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a 6-cup muffin tin.

Measure the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda into a large bowl. Stir together with a fork until blended. Add the cheese and stir the blend.

In a second bowl, add the lemon juice, infused yogurt, olive oil, and egg. Blend together to combine.

Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the yogurt mixture. Stir by folding over only until just combined. Add the basil, chili powder, and lemon zest last, folding them in only once or twice to distribute evenly. Divide between the six muffin cups.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a knife tip or toothpick emerges clean. Let the muffins cool for about 10 minutes before removing them from the tin and transferring to a wire rack.

 

Lemon Balm

Kathy’s article also focused a bit on Lemon Balm.  Knowing it is in the mint family she addressed the spreading issues that some people experience and gave a solution I have never tried before.

“It (lemon Balm) produces loads of small, white flowers which become masses of seeds, which go everywhere, giving lemon balm its bad reputation. As soon as I see flower stalks developing, I cut the plant back hard - nearly to the ground. It recovers quickly and this eliminates the uncontrolled reseeding.”

Lemon Balm Cut back hard

I’ve trimmed mine to eliminate flower stalks, but never cut it back hard, so I decided she might have something and decided to give it a try.  What I got when it came back, were great fresh bright green leaves that were large and very scented.  I will be doing this from now on.

Lemon Balm coming back

Sorrel

Another lemon herb Kathy mentioned was Sorrel  (Rumex acetosa).  I grow a version of this perennial that has distinctive red veins, rather than the plain green style.  I grow this strictly for personal use to put in salads.  Kathy pointed out it has a tart lemon flavor and when you cook it, it “will moderate the tartness. When cooked, it can be eaten like spinach or used in sauces and soup. Sorrel soup is very popular in Europe, eaten as an early harbinger of spring. It’s high in vitamins A and C and produces a clump which increases in size each year.”

Here is a great recipe for Sorrel soup that is a French version.  My husband is a French-style cook, so this is a favorite of his which allows him to use his emersion blender.

French Style Sorrel Soup

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions, ramps or other wild onion
• 4-6 cups of chopped sorrel, packed
• Salt
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 quart chicken stock or vegetable stock
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup cream

Directions:

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the green onions or ramps and turn the heat to medium-low. Cover the pot and cook gently for 10 minutes. While the onions are cooking, pour the stock into another pot and bring to a simmer.

Turn the heat up, add the sorrel leaves and a healthy pinch of salt to the pot with the onions and stir well. When the sorrel is mostly wilted, turn the heat back to medium-low, cover and cook 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Mix in the flour and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes.

Whisk in the hot stock, stirring constantly. Bring this to a simmer.

To finish the soup, whisk together the egg yolks and cream. Temper the mixture by ladling a little soup into it with one hand, while you whisk the egg-cream mix with the other. Repeat this three times. (You are doing this to prevent the eggs from scrambling) Now start whisking the soup. Pour the hot egg-cream-soup mixture into the pot with the soup, whisking all the way. Add the final tablespoon of butter. Let this cook -- below a simmer -- for 5 minutes. Do not let it boil or the soup will break. Serve at once.

Conclusion

I always suggest that if you love herbs and want to learn from people who are just like you, like Kathy Musser, try subscribing TheEssential Herbal Magazine.  It comes to your email box every two months and is filled with a variety of articles and great photos for beginners and seasoned growers of herbs.  I have been writing for the magazine for years and every issue always gives me new nuggets of herb info.  I am sure it will do the same for you.