For the Democrat-Herald

Betty Goergen savors the taste of fresh herbs in her summertime meals.

"I love the flavor they add to regular foods," she said. "For instance, rosemary is great in potato salad. I also use a lot of chives in green salads and with fresh tomatoes."

Goergen, the manager at Nichols Garden Nursery and a Linn County Master Gardener, in her spare time nurtures a variety of plants, including herbs, on her Tennessee Road acreage outside of Lebanon.

"I grow my herbs in my perennial flower beds," she said. "They look good with the flowers, the herbs are easy to reach and the bees love them."

Goergen defines an herb as "a plant, or any part of it, that seasons food."

"It can be the flower, leaf, stalk and even the seeds of the plant," she said.

People like Goergen who use herbs in their cooking have learned that fresh-cut herbs make a wimpy recipe stand up and fight for attention.

Imagine a juicy, sliced tomato with a sprinkling of herb vinaigrette, or fresh corn on the cob with garlic-oregano butter.

Don't forget mint-laced iced tea or grilled chicken sprinkled with pungent rosemary.

Goergen doesn't make a lot of fuss when cooking with herbs.

"I'm a minimalist cook," she said. "For instance, I just stuff the whole stem of fresh-cut rosemary or sage inside the chicken I'm preparing. I pull it out when the chicken is done. The flavor's in - that's what matters."

Goergen finds freezing herbs in an ice cube tray to be a handy, time-saving trick. She packs each compartment with the herb of choice, adds water to cover, and then places the tray in the freezer. When needed, Goergen pops the herb-laced cube into the beverage, sauce or other dish in progress.

"It's not hard to grow them," she said. "All it takes it soil with good drainage and lots of sun. I do think herbs grown outside, as opposed to being kept indoors, seem to have a better flavor."

Goergen enjoys pairing an unusual herb, such as lovage, with an everyday recipe or food, such as a tomato sauce. She believes being creative, even daring, is part of the fun in cooking with fresh herbs.

"People used to think there were all these set rules," she said. "Just use them the way it tastes good to you."

Drying herbs is a way to extend the summer's crop.

"Gather stems of the fresh herb and tie them together," Goergen said. "Hang the bunch of herbs in a cool, dark place to dry. Pull or shake off the dried leaves and store them in plastic bags for use during the winter months."

Be sure to label and date each bag.

Summer is the time to haul out the grill and invite folks over for some good eating. Don't do all that work yourself, however; let herb do some of it for you. Keep fresh ones on hand and use them liberally.

Souped-up spaghetti sauce

Ingredients:

1 32-ounce jar of plain spaghetti sauce

1 medium onion, chopped

2-3 whole leaves of lovage

6-9 small sprigs of oregano

Directions:

Wash the herbs in running water. Place them on a paper towel to drain. Pour jar of sauce into a saucepan and begin to heat it. Add the sprigs of oregano. Add the chopped onion and lovage. Thoroughly heat the sauce so the onion is cooked and the flavors of the herbs blend throughout.

Submitted by Betty Goergen

Garlic oregano butter

Ingredients:

1/4 pound butter

2 cloves minced garlic

1 tablespoon fresh or 1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon fresh parsley

Directions:

Mix together the butter, garlic and herbs. Serve with hot corn on the cob.

From "Basic Herb Cookery," by Rose Marie Nichols McGee

Mixed herb vinaigrette

Ingredients:

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried parsley

2 teaspoons olive or other vegetable oil

1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1 teaspoon chopped fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried basil leaves

Directions:

Shake all ingredients in a tightly covered container. Makes about 1/2 cup vinaigrette.

Adapted from "Betty Crocker New Choices Cookbook"

Virginia Johnson lives in Crabtree and is a regular freelance contributor to the food page. She can be reached in care of the newsroom at news@dhonline.com or 812-6110.