Lemon Balm |

Lemon Balm

LEMON BALM – Melissa officinalis

HERB OF THE YEAR 2007

Lemon Balm has been around, delighting people for over 2000 years. It is a perennial in the mint family, Lamiaceae but it also seeds itself profusely. In the spring when the ground is moist and you can see the seedlings, it is a good time to thin out the plants that you don’t want. These thinings can be used in tea, salads, on fruit or any where else you want a lemony flavor.

It likes full to partial sunlight and the soil to be well drained. However, the oil content will be higher, thus more flavorful, if it is grown in full sun. Some think of it as invasive, like mint, but if you cut it regularly before it flowers and set seeds, you can keep it better under control. I love the lemony fragrance and flavor and it is a welcomed herb as one of the first perennials to come up in the Spring. I just like to rub the leaves as I walk past so to fill the air with the lemon-like fragrance. For culinary uses, lemon balm is best used fresh. Use it in tea (fresh or dried), green salads, fruit salads, marinated vegetables, chicken salads, poultry stuffing, punch and marinades for fish. It also is a nice addition to corn, broccoli, asparagus, lamb, shellfish, olives and beans. It is also an ingredient in liqueurs and can be put along with Johnny-Jump-Ups in ice cubes for a pretty addition to lemonade. I candy lemon balm leaves as a garnish on cakes.

The use of Lemon Balm throughout history is very interesting. It may have been one of the plants mentioned in Homer’s Odyssey, it was used by Dioscorides, a Greek physician, on scorpion, insect and dog bites and put in wine for a soothing drink for patients. Shakespeare mentions it as a strewing herb in The Merry Wives of Windsor, it was used to close up wounds without inflammation and Nicholas Culpeper (a mid-17th century British herbalist) wrote, lemon balm “…causeth the mind and heart to become merry…and driveth away all troublesome cares and thoughts out of the mind, arising from melancholy and black choler…” Beekeepers once rubbed lemon balm inside a hive to encourage a new swarm to stay. It is also used as a bug repellent because of the citronella oil so rub it on your skin as a natural mosquito repellent.

GRILLED VEGETABLES

Makes 6 to 8 servings
2 small zucchini, sliced in 1/4-inch slices
2 small yellow squash, sliced in 1/4-inch slices
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
6 spears asparagus
2 cups green beans, blanched or any other desired
vegetables
Herbs (6 branches of lemon balm or lemon basil,
about 6-inches long) or 2 Tablespoons Herbs de
Provence

Tear off 18 inches of aluminum foil. Put zucchini, yellow squash, bell peppers, asparagus and green beans on the foil. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste and put branches of lemon balm on top of the vegetables. Roll up foil, sealing the ends and place on the grill while you are grilling the meat.
Depending upon how hot the grill is, it will take about 10 to 15 minutes to cook

LEMON BALM and CHIVE BUTTER Makes about 1 cup

This lovely butter is delicious on any steamed vegetable, tossed with grains or pasta, and with fish or shellfish. Of course, it is great on a just-baked biscuit or any bread.

8 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons minced lemon balm
1 tablespoon minced parsley
1 tablespoon snipped chives
Salt to taste

Soften the butter and combine with the minced herbs. Salt to taste and cover and chill overnight to ripen the flavors.

GRILLED VEGETABLES Makes 6 to 8 servings

2 small zucchini, sliced in 1/4-inch slices
2 small yellow squash, sliced in 1/4-inch slices
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
6 spears asparagus
2 cups green beans, blanched or any other desired vegetables
6 branches of lemon balm, about 6-inches long

LEMON-ROSEMARY SORBET

The combination of lemon balm and rosemary in this herbal sorbet is very refreshing on a hot summer day. The vodka improves the texture of the sorbet, but you may omit it if you wish. Make your sorbet several hours ahead so that is can “set up” in the freezer before serving. This recipe is from Theresa Loe.

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
6 sprigs lemon balm (each about 5-inches long)
1/4 cup roughly chopped, fresh rosemary
3/4 cup lemon juice
1 Tablespoon vodka

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, add herbs and cover. Set aside for 30 minutes to steep. Strain mixture and discard herbs. Add lemon juice and vodka and chill mixture for 30 minutes. Place in an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions.

COLD CHERRY SOUP Serves 4

2 pounds. fresh cherries
2 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
4 – 6 inch sprigs of lemon balm, leaves removed from stems
2 Tablespoons imported kirsch (optional)
juice of 1 lemon
1 cup crème fraiche, heavy cream, lightly whipped or sour cream

Pit cherries. In a medium saucepan, stir together the water and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Add cherries and lemon balm and bring to boiling. Cook for about 5 minutes. Puree the mixture in a food processor. Strain the pulp through a medium mesh strainer. Add lemon juice and kirsch to the strained cherries. Taste and add sugar to sweeten or lemon juice if it needs to be tangier. Chill well. Fold in crème fraiche, heavy cream, lightly whipped or sour cream right before serving.

MILK CHOCOLATE SAUCE with LEMON BALM

1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 Tahitian vanilla bean, split horizontally
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon balm, finely chopped or fresh lemon basil, finely chopped
8 ounces 41% milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
Put corn syrup and cream into a medium saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the pan. Add lemon balm. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and add both chocolates and the salt. Whisk until the chocolate is melted. Pour the sauce into a 1-quart glass measuring cup. With an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Use immediately or let cool to room temperature, pour into a jar, cover and refrigerate. It will keep for at least 2 weeks. To reheat, sir over low heat.
Serve over ice cream, cake, crepes, waffles or use to dip apples, strawberries, cherries or any of your favorite fruits.