From the Pantry
by Paula Gray

A handsome, aromatic plant with extremely fine, feathery, blue-green foliage and chartreuse flower heads, dill is as beautiful to look at in the garden as it is delicious to eat. The distinctive wide, umbrella-like flower heads of this easily grown annual place it in the family of plants known as Umbelliferae. Its proper name is Anethum graveolens.
Dill has been used for centuries as a seasoning and as a medicine as well as for other purposes. The plant’s use is noted in ancient Egyptian texts and referred to in the Bible. During festivals, the Romans wore headgear woven from the feathery leaves. During the Middle Ages, dill was thought to be effective in warding off and counteracting witches’ spells.

Dill was also characterized as an herb that facilitated smooth transitions. In an old German custom, newborn calves received a rubdown with dill and salt. Brides carried dill with them across the threshold.
Dill’s common name comes from the Norse dilla, which means "to lull or soothe." Dill has been used as a digestive aid for hundreds of years. Brewed in a tea, it was given to babies to ease colic and to settle the stomach, and the delicate fronds were used to fan babies to sleep in their cradles. Early American children were given dill seeds or "meetin’ seeds," to chew in church, perhaps to keep them quiet during long sermons.

A member of the parsley family, dill grows two to three feet in height. All parts of the plant are edible. The tan, flat seeds have thin, wing-like ridges, and impart a caraway-anise flavor to rye and pumpernickel breads or hearty casseroles and stews. Dill seeds are a traditional pickling spice for cucumbers, and the whole flower heads make an attractive addition to canning jars.

The subtler tasting leaves, known as dill weed, have a very delicate flavor and should be added at the end of the cooking process to retain the best flavor. Add the chopped leaves to sour cream or yogurt dishes and dips; as a last–minute addition to cooked vegetables, potato soups, or salad dressings; or use them as a garnish for mild cheeses. Dried dill weed can be substituted for the fresh leaves.

To keep fresh dill, place in a bowl of water or wrap in a damp towel and refrigerate. Dill leaves can also be frozen. Keep dill seed in a sealed container in a cool, dark place.

Recipes

Warm Green Bean Salad with Dill

Cucumber Salad or Dip (Tzatziki)

Dilled Bran Muffin Rolls

Tofu-Yogurt Sauce with Cayenne and Dill

Jack and Dill Spread

Feta Garlic Dressing

Warm Green Bean Salad with Dill

Serves 8

Fresh green beans, fresh dill, and dill seeds combine for the perfect summertime dish.

2 lbs. green beans, trimmed and halved

2 Tbs. cider vinegar

1/3 cup olive oil

2 tsp. dill seeds

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a steamer set over boiling water, steam the beans, covered, for 6 to 8 minutes, or until they are just tender. Drain.

While the beans are steaming, combine the vinegar, oil, dill seeds, chopped dill, salt, and pepper to taste in a blender. Transfer the beans to a serving bowl and toss them with the dressing.

—Gourmet, November 1993

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Cucumber Salad or Dip (Tzatziki)

Serves 6-8

Fresh dill takes the spotlight in this traditional Greek dish. Use as a dip for fresh vegetables or with pita bread, or enjoy Tzatziki on its own as a salad.

1 quart plain yogurt

1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, grated, and squeezed dry

3 Tbs. lemon juice, or to taste

4 garlic cloves, minced (or more to taste)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

1 Tbs. chopped fresh dill

Drain plain yogurt in a large sieve lined with double thickness of rinsed and squeezed cheesecloth, for at least 2 hours or overnight at room temperature.

Combine the yogurt, cucumber, lemon juice, garlic cloves, salt, and pepper. Add the olive oil in a stream, whisking until the mixture is well combined. Stir in the dill. Chill the salad, covered, for at least 2 hours to blend the flavors. Transfer to a serving bowl.

—Victoria Hicks

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Dilled Bran Muffin Rolls

Makes 12 rolls

These make excellent dinner rolls, the dill seeds providing an unusual flavor.

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup unprocessed bran flakes (sold in bulk; not cereal)

1 Tbs. dill seeds

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt (optional)

1-1/2 cups buttermilk

3 Tbs. butter or margarine, melted

2 Tbs. honey or light molasses

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a muffin tin with cooking oil spray. In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, bran, dill seeds, baking soda, baking powder, and salt (if desired). Stir in the buttermilk, butter or margarine, and honey or molasses, and blend the ingredients well. Spoon the batter into prepared muffin cups.

Bake the rolls for 20 to 25 minutes or until the tops of the rolls are lightly browned.

—Jane Brody’s Good Food Gourmet

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Tofu-Yogurt Sauce with Cayenne and Dill

Makes 1-1/2 cups

1 cup silken tofu

1/2 cup drained yogurt or sour cream (or additional tofu)

2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for garnish

1 large garlic clove, peeled

1/2 tsp. salt

2 Tbs. chopped fresh dill

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper or hot paprika

Purée the tofu in a food processor with the yogurt and oil until perfectly smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl. In a mortar, mash the garlic with the salt until smooth, then add it to the tofu-yogurt mixture along with the dill and cayenne. Scrape into a serving bowl and refrigerate for an hour so that the garlic-dill-cayenne mixture will suffuse the sauce with its flavor. Just before serving, garnish with a swirl of additional oil and a pinch of cayenne or paprika.

—This Can’t Be Tofu! by Deborah Madison

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Jack and Dill Spread

Makes 1 cup

Try this on your next sandwich or as a dip with fresh vegetables.

1/2 cup grated jack cheese

1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese

1 tsp. dill weed

1 Tbs. chopped toasted almonds

1 Tbs. minced chives or scallion tops

1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Chill at least 30 minutes before using.

—The New Laurel’s Kitchen, by Laurel Robertson, Carol Flinders, and Brian Ruppenthal

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Feta Garlic Dressing

Makes about 3-1/2 cups

Serve this fabulous dressing on crisp greens and raw vegetables. Try it on hot pasta or on a baked potato, too.

1 cup olive oil

2-3 Tbs. vinegar

2-3 garlic cloves, pressed

1 tsp. dried dill weed or 1 Tbs. chopped fresh dill

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1-1/2 cup feta cheese

1 cup milk or buttermilk

In a blender or food processor, whirl all the ingredients except the milk,or buttermilk, for one minute. With the blender running, slowly pour in the milk. As soon as the dressing thickens, turn off the blender, or the dressing will separate and become runny. It should be think and creamy. Chill at least 30 minutes so the flavors meld. Refrigerate, tightly covered. Feta Garlic Dressing will stay fresh for three or four days. If the dressing separates, simply reblend it.

—Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant

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