DILL
Anethum
Best known as an ingredient in dill pickles, but there are a few dishes from sauerkraut to apple pie to which the seeds would not add interest. Chopped leaves have rare affinity for sour cream and cucumbers.
Dill is an annual with a height of about 2-5 feet. Tiny yellow-green flowers grow in flattened umbel clusters in the summer. The leaves are aromatic, feathery green. Dill weed is what most recipes ask for, dill leaf is the same thing.
Pick leaves fresh for eating at any time after the plant has reached maturity. Although leaves can be dried, great care is needed and it is better to concentrate on drying the seed for storage.
Dill doesn’t mean pickles but "dill pickles is so common it seems like one word. Don’t confine this versatile herb! A few sprigs work wonders for potato salad and try the yellow flowers in green salads. It is used as a flavoring for soup, lamb stews and grilled or broiled fish. It can also add spiciness to rice dishes and be combined with white wine vinegar to make tasty dill vinegar.
