Cooking Resources

MrsBench · 05-10-2010, 05:42 PM

I just recently decided to grow Lemon Balm this year, but I'm not really sure of many recipes with it. I figured I could make some nice tea, but other than that I was hoping to find some savory recipes that include it. I was thinking maybe a pasta recipe or a chicken recipe. Any ideas on how to use it outside of the beverage and ice world?

**DaveSoMD** · 05-10-2010, 07:16 PM

I have a huge pot of Lemon Balm still growing form last year. I'd love some recipes for it.

BreezyCooking · 05-10-2010, 08:03 PM

I'll look around for a tea bread recipe I have somewhere for it, but it's definitely at the bottom of my list for culinary use. I find its scent a dead ringer for lemon-scented furniture polish. In fact, there are, I believe, recipes for using it to polish furniture - lol!

For lemon-scented cooking herbs, I much prefer Lemon Thyme & Lemon Verbena.

sparrowgrass · 05-11-2010, 11:33 AM

I made sugar cookies with minced lemon balm the other day--they were good.

BreezyCooking · 05-11-2010, 04:02 PM

Not re: cooking but re: growing Lemon Balm - when it blooms, make SURE you deadhead it religiously, as it self-sows with a vengeance & can become invasive.

thymetobake · 05-11-2010, 05:07 PM

I've always read that it loses it's flavor when cooked. I can't remember the exact flavor of it (how sweet it is?), I haven't grown it in 20 years, but you might like it in salads or salad dressings. I suppose you could make a pesto, of sorts, with it and toss with pasta right before serving or drizzle the pesto over vegetables or fish. Torn leaves might be good in spring rolls, - the kind made with rice paper not the fried kind. Or use in fruit salad.

Lemon Thyme is extremely sweet to me and I pretty much only use it in salad dressings. I can't stand that one with fish or pasta. So, let the sweetness be your guide.

sparrowgrass · 05-12-2010, 09:58 AM

I did cheat on my sugar cookies--I put the lemon balm in, but I also used some lemon zest.

Claire · 05-27-2010, 08:28 PM

When I cannot get lemon grass or kaffir lime leaves, I use lemon balm in southeast Asian dishes. You can never have too many fresh herbs in Vietnamese and Thai dishes.

杰里米亚 · 05-28-2010, 01:21 PM

@ Claire, Yes, you are right! ^_^ there is a lot of lemon balm in SE Asian dishes :) I'm impressed that you know that. I've only seen it used in Thailand, not "American Thai" food :) Have you been to Asia, or did you find a really authentic recipe?
So yeah, it's REALLY good in many Thai soups :)

Claire · 05-29-2010, 03:54 AM

No, I've never been to Thailand or any other part of Southeast Asia. I did live in Hawaii for years and just loved the fresh-herb-heavy Thai, Cambodian, and Vietnamese restaurants there. I've always had great herb gardens, I just cannot imagine many of these dishes without a lot of mint, parsley, cilantro, etc. Lemon balm just goes great with these dishes. I agree that in American restaurants, even those owned by and/or have chefs from those countries, they don't use as many fresh herbs as the restaurants in Hawaii did (does that make any sense?).

When I make a SE Asian-style soup (no, I do not use authentic recipes, just go by taste) or bun or chop chae (OK, we're not in SEA any more, but Korea), or roll-your-own summer rolls, I sometimes, if it is the season, just take stems of fresh herbs, freshen in cold water, and put on a plate and have everyone tear off what they want to shred into their own dish.