In the Pacific Northwest, we tend to have a more mild summer than elsewhere in the country and it also stays warmer further into our Fall season. This means the beautiful fresh herbs we see everywhere are flowering later in the summer and available well into the start of Fall! For this Cook Together live class, we cook with sage, cilantro, basil and marjoram!
Seasonal Summer Herbs
Nutrition
Keri RomerdahlHerbs have been used medicinally for thousands of years and for much of our history herbal medicine was our only medicine. still today 25% of the worlds prescription drugs are made from plants.
But after years of over medicating, facing resistant bacteria in the microbiome and treating the illness rather than the root of the problem, people are returning again to utilizing nature as medicine in the form of herbs.,
Culinary herbs which we cook with do not carry the same medicinal value as botanical herbs made into tinctures and used medicinally, but nevertheless they still have highly valuable health benefits.
Marjoram:
Since ancient times marjoram has been considered a symbol of love. According to Greek mythology Aphroditie goddess of love was said to bring marjoram to the earth as a symbol of her beauty! Marjoram is a cousin of oregano and oregano is an herb with powerful antimicrobial properties.
As marjoram is somewhat milder and less potent than it’s cousin oregano, it can be used in larger quantities without overpowering or spoiling a dish. Marjoram is rich in a number of minerals and is an excellent source of calcium, phosphorous, potassium and magnesium. It also contains very good amounts of Vitamins A and C. In its essential oil form, marjoram is known to reduce pain, promote digestion and improve heart health.
Basil:
Basil is a very fragrant herb and in ancient cultures thought to be very sacred. In india was considered an icon of hospitality and in Italy another symbol of love. The oils in basil are highly volatile and best added toward the end of the cooking process. Basil is an excellent source of vitamin K and manganese; copper, vitamin A and vitamin C; calcium, iron, folate, magnesium and omega-3 fatty acids.
Basil is anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory (because of those omega 3’s) and good for cardio vascular health. It’s easy to grow and great to snip leaves off the plant and make pesto and salads and more!
Sage:
Sage was once considered a medicinal cure-all. The ancients considered it a very sacred plant. It was often burned in religious ceremonies to chase away evil spirits and still used today in the form of smudge sticks to clear away inharmonious or negative energy. Sage has an earthy, sweet-yet-savory flavor that makes it the perfect addition to heavy, robust dishes like sausage, stuffing, cured meats, and creamy pasta dishes.
Sage contains large amounts of vitamin K and B vitamins, and is also rich in vitamin A, #iron, #calcium, #magnesium, #manganese, vitamin C, vitamin E, and #riboflavin, and is packed with #antioxidants and is anti-inflammatory so is used to treat #inflammatory conditions like #arthritis. Due to the antioxidants and #antibacterial properties it can boost the immune system and rid the body of harmful free radicals.
It can also be used topically to improve the health and appearance of skin, hair, and nails.
Cilantro:
Cilantro is definitely an herb that people have a love/hate relationship with. Some people are actually hard-wired genetically to have an aversion to cilantro. This aversion affects around 4-14% of the population and to these folks cilantro tastes like soap. Cilantro is anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, cancer protective and is a natural #chelator so can #detoxify lead and other heavy metals such as Hg.
Go easy if you are using cilantro therapeutically; without the right binders on board to absorb the toxins that are mobilized from the cells, one can experience some pretty nasty detox symptoms like moodiness, headaches and joint pain.
This is not likely to happen unless you are eating a big handful on a salad every day, but a little as a garnish most days wont likely have that affect and is a good way to help eliminate some of the bio-accumulation of heavy metals that all of us have likely been exposed to just from living in the modern world. Cilantro is best eaten raw or added at the very end of the cooking process and also is easy to grow in planter boxes or in the window sill.
Recipes
Watermelon, Basil and Feta Salad
Gnocchi with chicken sausage and sage sauce
Watermelon, Basil and Feta Salad
Siiri Sampsondirections
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Step 1. ,
Cut watermelon into 1″ cubes and set in colander to drain inside larger bowl in refrigerator for 20 minutes.
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Step 2. ,
Take all leaves off stems of basil.
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Step 3. ,
Cut feta into 1/2″ cubes and put into large mixing bowl.
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Step 4. ,
Add drained watermelon to large bowl with feta.
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Step 5. ,
Stack basil leaves on top of each other, roll up tightly and thinly slice (chiffonade) with a sharp knife.
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Step 6. ,
Toss basil into watermelon and feta bowl, serve immediately.

Pan Roasted Delicata Squash
Siiri Sampsondirections
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Step 1. ,
Cut delicata in half lengthwise and remove seeds, using a large spoon to scrape seeds out.
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Step 2. ,
Dice squash into 1″ cubes. Toss in light amount of grape seed oil and season lightly with kosher salt sprinkled all over. Saute in medium heat cast iron with until slightly golden brown, in batches.
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Step 3. ,
Toss with 3 tbsp chimichurri and 1 tbsp olive oil, top with salt and pepper to serve.

Chimichurri Sauce
Siiri Sampsondirections
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Step 1. ,
Wash all herbs, cut bottom stems off.
In small batches, add herbs to blender and blend just until cut up and stuck to walls. -
Step 2. ,
Add spices and vinegar, blend till incorporated. Scrape down sides of blender.
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Step 3. ,
Add olive oil with blender on medium speed in a slow, steady stream until completely incorporated.
Put in container in refrigerator for 30 minutes to set.

Honey Marjoram Sauce
Siiri Sampsondirections
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Step 1. ,
Melt ghee in a pan over medium low heat.
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Step 2. ,
Add honey and increase heat until sauce comes together and starts to slightly bubble.
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Step 3. ,
Roughly chop marjoram that has been removed from stems.
Stir in marjoram to sauce and warm for 2 minutes stirring constantly.
Pour into service bowl and use immediately by pouring over individual ice cream, frozen yogurt or sorbet portions.

Gnocchi with chicken sausage and sage sauce
Siiri Sampsondirections
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Step 1. ,
Saute sausage until cooked through, set aside till room temperature, then slice into 1/2″ thick slices.
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Step 2. ,
In a large saute pan over medium heat, add grape seed oil. While it’s heating, mince the garlic, then add into pan and stir constantly while lightly cooking in the grape seed oil.
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Step 3. ,
Meanwhile, take all sage leaves off stocks and stack on top of each other, then slice thinly with a knife. Add sage to oil and saute for 1 minute.
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Step 4. ,
Add salt and pepper and olive oil, and all the gnocchi.
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Step 5. ,
Saute, stirring constantly until gnocchi are cooked through and pillowy soft – 5-10 minutes.
Mix in large bowl with cut sausage, coating all sausage with sage sauce. Serve immediately.
