Lemon verbena, more cucumbers, fresh spinach and nasturtium flowers are just part of this week’s CSA share. Lemon verbena has long been touted as a medicinal herb, but a whiff of the aroma hitting your senses may drive a different desired effect: deliciousness! We like to use lemon verbena as a tea, simple syrup (great for flavoring drinks, deserts and pancakes), scissor cut into ribbons over salad and fruit, baked into cake, and with chicken or fish. It also will find its way into spaghetti sauce For a twist, we made a quick yogurt dressing of chopped lemon verbena and Thai basil with honey, and poured it over pineapple chunks. Consider trying this recipe, substituting cucumber and leaving out the honey. Thai basil is another herb that is considered medicinal and is great in the kitchen, also pleasing to use from savory to sweet. It is commonly used in green and red curry, noodles, and different kinds of meat dishes. In our kitchen it can be found scissor cut into dishes fresh, in tea concoctions and occasionally to enhance desert.
