Dill, It's Not Just for Pickles Anymore

Dill is another one of those savory herbs that originated in Eastern Europe and found its way to American cooks everywhere. And even though it is widely used by many professional and amateur cooks, you either like or you don't. It's fine feathery leaves appear delicate to the touch, but the aromatic herb is actually quite stout and dices up quite fine for recipes. Dill works well for pickling foods and enhances fish dishes by taking them over the top and to another level. Dill also pairs quite nicely with hearty and robust salads like chicken, egg, tuna, potato and macaroni.

Going outside of the culinary box and into natural healing, dill has not been overlooked when seeking remedies for alleviating gastritis and digestive issues. It has also been rumored to stop annoying hiccups and some sleeping disorders. Dill weed is closely related to the carrot and parsley family and is packed full of vitamins and minerals from calcium and zinc to folic acid and vitamin E. The appealing and flavorful forest green herb was at one time used as tithe by the Pharisees.

Dill has become even more popular in recent years due to the Food Network, Martha Stewart and other culinary experts that demonstrate how to capitalize on the flavors of spices that once used to collect dust at the back of food cupboards. In fact dills recent culinary status has prompted people to take notice and it has worked. The herb has been chosen this year for the Midsummer Herbfest that is held in Almonte Ontario on July 25^th, 2010 as a celebration for healthy living.

With dill being such a versatile herb and readily available in your grocers produce department, it would be a crime to snub it when dreaming up your next casserole, soup or dip. Fresh dill stores easily in a plastic sandwich bag after wrapping the freshly washed leaves in clean white paper towels.

Dried dill is available in the spice section and has a shelf life of about six months, but it can be a bit pricey. Fresh dill is the better bargain since it can be frozen up to two months and will offer more flavor than its dry bottled version. The term dill weed refers to the foliage itself, while the seeds are usually just referred to as dill.

Dill Recipes

Party Dill Potato Salad

7 large russet potatoes, cooked, peeled, and diced
6 eggs hardboiled, peeled, and chopped
3 medium scallions diced
1/2 cup celery diced
1 cup Hellman's mayonnaise
1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh dill weed chopped fine
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 fresh clove garlic peeled and minced
1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped fine
Salt & cracked black pepper to taste

Boil the diced peeled potatoes in salted water until fork tender. Drain and rinse under cool water. Allow to dry completely. Hard boil the eggs for 20 minutes. Cool, peel, and dice. Add the remaining ingredients, folding them together gently. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving.

Deli Style Egg Salad

8 medium hardboiled eggs, peeled and cooled
2 tablespoon Hellman's mayonnaise
1 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
1 tablespoon fresh dill weed diced
1 teaspoon fresh parsley
1 teaspoon paprika
2 scallions diced
Salt and cracked pepper to taste

Boil the eggs for 20 minutes. Rinse under cool water and peel. Dice the eggs into bite size pieces and fold with the remaining ingredients. Serve the egg salad on good sourdough or wheat bread as a sandwich.

Savory Deli Tuna Salad

2-3 ounce cans of water-packed tuna, drained
2 to 3 tablespoons Hellman's mayonnaise
1 teaspoon sweet pickle relish
2 scallions diced fine
1 stalk celery cleaned and chopped fine
1 clove fresh garlic peeled and minced
2 teaspoons fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh dill weed chopped fine
1 teaspoon celery seed
½ teaspoon paprika
Salt & cracked black pepper to taste

Mix all of the ingredients together and serve on good sourdough, rye, pumpernickel or Italian bread.

Cucumbers & Dill Salad

2 large hot house cucumbers peeled and thinly sliced into circles or half moons
1 small red onion sliced thinly into circles or half moons
3 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
½ cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh dill chopped
Salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Place the cucumbers and onions in a large serving bowl. Mix the remaining ingredients together and pour over the cucumbers and onions. Refrigerate one hour to allow the flavors to marry.

Dill Party Dip

1/2 cup Hellman's mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon fresh dill weed
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon onion salt
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chopped garden fresh chives
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

Garden fresh yellow & red peppers, broccoli, radishes, cherry or grape tomatoes, carrots, etc. sliced for dipping

Mix all of the ingredients except for the vegetables in a small serving bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve. The dip can be spooned into a hollowed out hot house or beef steak tomato, bell pepper or a rounded hollowed out edible Italian bread bowl.

Cheesy Garlic & Dill Spread

2-8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1-8 ounce package deli feta cheese, crumbled
2 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and finely minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Options: Sourdough crackers, Artisan flatbread, onion bagels, vegetable crackers or an array of thinly sliced vegetables for dipping or spreading.

Mix the cheeses, garlic and dill together in a serving bowl with a fork until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate 1 hour to allow the flavors to marry. Serve with a variety of vegetables, crackers or flatbread.

Dill Facts

If you love butterflies then dill is one way of inviting them to your garden. The colorful insect is highly attracted to the bright yellow flowers found on the dill plant.

Dill is considered a unique plant in that both its leaves and seeds are used as a seasoning.

According to the New World Encyclopedia dill provides a large function for the ecosystem; not only as a food for herbivores, but the scented flowers provide food for bees, which in turn pollinate the plants.

Dill is a close cousin to carrots and parsley, making them kin folk.

Medical texts dating back to 3000 B.C. lists the dill weed as an important herb for medicinal purposes.

Dill derives from the Old Norse word "dilla" which ultimately means soothing, calm or rest.

Dill is considered by the Romans to be a sign of good fortune or luck and by the ancient Greeks a sign of wealth and prosperity.

Dill was at one time used by the ancients as protection against witchcraft and as a main ingredient in a concocted love potion.

Sources:
http://www.citizendia.org/Dill
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dill
http://herbfest.info/5.html
http://homecooking.about.com/od/foodhistory/a/dillhistory.htm
http://www.culinarycafe.com/Spices_Herbs/Dill_Seed_Weed.html