The secret ingredient you’ve been looking for all your life? It grows (practically) everywhere

“It’s all about the fresh herbs,” he said, gazing into my eyes as he minced a pile of minuscule thyme leaves without glancing down. “He” was my boyfriend, Henry, then the poissonier (“fish guy”) at Lutèce, one of the most acclaimed restaurants in New York City at the time, and very French.

We were at Henry’s house in Bridgehampton, and he was making — of all things — tuna salad. Henry’s tuna salad consisted of standard-issue canned tuna, Hellman’s (a.k.a. Best Foods) mayonnaise, a spoonful of Dijon mustard, a squeeze of lemon juice, a few dashes of Tabasco, a big spoonful of sweet relish, finely chopped red onion and celery, kosher salt and, finally, the magic, the “secret ingredient” we’re all always looking for: fresh herbs! In this instance: thyme and Italian parsley.

Fresh herbs are the unsung heroes of the kitchen that make your food sing. Woody herbs such as rosemary and thyme add a layer of flavor to roasted meats and other vegetables as well as to soups, stews and stocks.

But the focus here and now, in the height of summer, is on soft herbs: those bright, sprightly greens with tender stems that you see locked up in plastic clamshells at grocery stores and piled abundantly at farm stands. They are the game changers.

Each herb has its own story to tell, but collectively, these herbs, including (but not limited to) basil, parsley, mint, chives, tarragon, cilantro, dill, oregano, marjoram and chervil, can be used for a specific recipe, and they can also be used improvisationally and with creative abandon.

I like to grab a fistful of whatever I have and cut them with scissors directly over whatever I’m making — a green salad, a salad of canned beans, or onto roasted vegetables or baked potatoes — or potatoes cooked in any way. You can finely chop them and stir them into mayonnaise or a vinaigrette. One of my favorite things to do is to make an herb-based condiment such as the Argentine chimichurri, or the bright, herbaceous French pistou or this spicy Asian, herby hybrid Sichuan chimichurri.

During summer, when basil grows like a weed and is more fragrant than ever, classic basil pesto is a no-brainer. (I know people are getting all creative with pesto made with carrot tops and other greens, but have you ever tasted a carrot top? There’s a reason pesto is made with basil.) A spoonful of any of those takes something simple, like grilled steak, chicken or fish to make into the kind of finished dish your friends will ask you the recipe for. Spoon the condiments into soup and you might never be able to have soup without a fresh herb condiment swirled into it again.

And the good news is, this isn’t like a $200-bottle-of-balsamic-vinegar kind of secret. Fresh herbs are cheap. Here in Southern California, with the exception of cilantro, which sprouts and goes to seed really quickly, and tarragon, which, like so many things French, has a reputation for being temperamental, fresh herbs are easy to grow year-round.

Kathy Delgado, who owns the beloved Vintageweave (her interiors shop used to be on Third Street near the Grove; now she operates the business out of her home studio in Long Beach), has fresh herbs in charming vintage vessels throughout her French farmhouse-inspired garden. She swears by a mix of quality potting soil and chicken or cow manure. “It only smells for a day,” she assures us.

Once you’ve planted yours — or brought a bunch (or bunches) home from the market — the possibilities are endless. I am not a deft dill user, so I’m excited to try this Slow-Roasted Salmon with Dill and Lemon Salsa Verde. And since I’m all for maximum flavor with the least amount of effort (especially for summer meals), I appreciate the whole herbs added haphazardly over this Whole Grilled Branzino.

And I love the way cilantro, mint and Thai basil leaves are added whole and abundantly, as if one of the “lettuces,” to Sandy Ho’s Napa Valley Chicken Salad.

Now with the secret to a million delicious meals unlocked, it’s time to get growing.

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Summer Squash Ribbons with Green Beans and Herbs

What I love about this recipe is just how simple it is: just a few ingredients, all speaking loudly and clearly for themselves. Use the best olive oil you can find, more salt than you think you should, and don’t measure the herbs. Just grab a handful of whatever you have and use scissors to chop way more than the 3 tablespoons called for over the squash and beans.
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Cooking time: 45 minutes. Serves 4.

(Dillon Deaton / Los Angeles Time)

Creamy Soft Scrambled Eggs with Fines Herbes

Fines herbes sounds a little too French and fancy for my style, but, as it turns out, it’s just a combination of three ordinary herbs — parsley, chives, tarragon (very French, slightly sweet, with an anise-like flavor) — and one you might not have used before, chervil (a delicate leafy herb with a flavor between parsley and tarragon; if you can’t find it, use more of the others). The combination transforms these perfectly scrambled eggs into not just an ideal breakfast — you could serve it for lunch or dinner.
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Cooking time: 25 minutes. Serves 2.

(Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

Soup au Pistou with Parmesan Croutons

Soup au pistou is a classic French summer vegetable soup, whose defining characteristic is the pesto-like condiment that is generously swirled into it. The word “pistou” (like Italian “pesto”) comes from the Latin pistillum, which means to pound. For both pistou and pesto, the basil is traditionally ground using a mortar and pestle. (The difference is that unlike pesto, pistou doesn’t contain Parmesan cheese.) Pounding the herbs (this pistou also contains parsley leaves) as they’re called for here is still the best way to go as it gives you control over their texture and prevents the herbs from heating up from a whirring blade. But don’t let lack of a mortar and pestle stop you. You can make it in a food processor. Do so in small batches and not to over-whir the herbs; you want the condiment to have texture.
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Cooking time: 1 hour 20 minutes. Serves 6 to 8.

(Eric Boyd / Los Angeles Times)