By Bevin Cohen

Summer is in full effect right now and that means our gardens are overflowing with the season’s generous bounty of herbs, flowers, and early vegetables. Mint and lemon balm cascade over into the garden paths and our oregano patch has grown far beyond its designated borders. It’s time to harvest these wonderful herbs and enjoy their flavors and aromas in a myriad of culinary creations. 

I often turn these fragrant herbs in flavorful teas, simple syrups, and mocktails, which are perfect for sipping in the shade on a hot summer day… but sometimes I crave something a little more complex. Even in the peak of summer I find myself dreaming of something spicy, something rich and decadent. What I crave is curry. 

This simple Thai-inspired curry recipe replaces the more traditional lemongrass with our friend lemon balm, and we’ll balance her unique flavor with the coolness of mint and the peppery bite of oregano. We’ll also dig into the spice cabinet for cumin, coriander, and black pepper. A traditional Thai curry paste often calls for coriander root, but we can substitute coriander stem and leaf (cilantro). This dish can be enjoyed with chicken, tofu, or whatever veggies are in your garden. I particularly enjoy snow peas, long beans, zucchini, or eggplant if it’s available. Served over rice, this tasty curry is sure to delight the senses as we celebrate the flavors of summer.

For the curry paste:

½ cup fresh lemon balm leaf – tightly packed
¼ cup fresh mint leaf 
¼ cup fresh oregano leaf 
2-3 green jalapeños – deseeded
1-2 green cayenne (optional for more spice)
1 inch piece fresh ginger
4 cloves garlic 
2-3 stems fresh coriander (cilantro)
1 Tbs coriander seeds (or ¾ Tbs ground)
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground black pepper
Pinch of sea salt
½ cup coconut milk

For the curry:

3 cups of diced chicken/veg/tofu (your choice)
2 cups coconut milk
1 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs oil
1 lime (optional)
Small handful lemon balm leaf – roughly chopped

To make the curry paste:

Gently toast the coriander seed and cumin in a dry pan. Grind the spices into a powder using a spice grinder or by hand with a mortar and pestle. Destem the chili peppers and remove seeds if desired. Add lemon balm, mint and oregano to food processor and chop small. Add remaining ingredients, except for coconut milk, to processor and run until chopped fine. Slowly add coconut milk and continue to process until paste is smooth. You might not use all the coconut milk. 

To make the curry:

If using chicken: heat oil in a pan, add diced chicken and cook over medium high heat until browned. Add a small amount of coconut milk to deglaze the pan. Add curry paste and lower heat. Simmer for 3-4 minutes stirring frequently, then add remaining coconut milk and soy sauce. If using, add vegetables and/or tofu. Cover partially and simmer 6-8 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Stir in remaining lemon balm leaf. Serve over rice with a generous wedge of lime. Garnish with small sprig of lemon balm or mint if desired. Serves 4-5 people. 

If this recipe sounds interesting, be sure to join us Thursday Aug 21st at 1pm for Enjoying the Bounty of Our Herbal Harvest with herbalist and gardener Bevin Cohen! We’ve worked hard in our herb gardens all season and now it’s time to enjoy the fruits of our labor! Bevin will share some of his favorite herbs, as well as recipes that highlight the many ways we can enjoy our harvest – in the kitchen and in the apothecary. Enjoy Bevin’s stories as he shares his unique approach to working with plants to explore their flavors, aromas, and textures. Our webinars are free to The Herb Society of America members and are available for viewing after signing into the Member Login page. Webinars are $20.00 for guests. Register by clicking here. Become a member today, and enjoy all of our webinars for free along with access to the webinar library with over fifty program titles.

Photo Credits: 1) A bountiful herb garden (Maky Orel); 2) Jalapeño peppers (Erin Holden); 3) Lemon balm (Erin Holden); 4) Cumin and coriander seeds toasting in a pan (Amy Stephenson); 5) Ginger rhizomes (Public Domain)

Bevin Cohen is an award-winning author, owner of Small House Farm, and host of the popular Seeds & Weeds podcast. He is a food and garden writer whose work has appeared in many national publications, and he’s the author of more than ten books, including The Artisan Herbalist and Herbs in Every Season. Learn more about Bevin’s work at http://www.smallhousefarm.com.