BS: Got the chervil, Fritz, now what?

Subject: RE: BS: Got the chervil, Fritz, now what?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 20 Jun 06 - 10:45 AM

Thanks for the info about Green Dressing and Goethe, Wilfried. People must have had many herbs about in his time. As for me, I can't try the recipe because couldn't obtain five of the seven herbs.

Last night I invented another dish that uses chervil.
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Green beans with chervil

Cut the stem pieces off fresh green beans, jam handfuls upright into a food processor and slice them into little bitty cross-sections. Melt butter* in a skillet and let it get hot, but not hot enough to become brown. Add the beans and let them cook till they are done enough for you. Stir from time to time. Add a fistul of snipped chervil and a few grindings of black pepper just before serving.

*My mother used to speak of "the good old Wisconsin theory that anything tastes good if you put enough butter on it."

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I don't have a food processor - I have a little Black & Decker appliance which is much smaller and can chop slice things. My mother gave it to me for Christmas years ago. I don't use it often, but it doesn't take up much space and comes in handy at times.

I hate foods that feel hairy, and green beans can feel hairy. Slicing them as described eliminates the hairy feeling gives them an interesting new texture. We had this dish along with chicken curry last night.

Subject: RE: BS: Got the chervil, Fritz, now what?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 19 Jun 06 - 07:37 PM

goat - chevre
herb under discussion - chervil

Why does someone always go and spoil a fine discusiion with things like facts..?

:D (tG)

Subject: RE: BS: Got the chervil, Fritz, now what?
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 19 Jun 06 - 11:36 AM

Chervil is one the indispensable musts of the famous Green Dressing (Salsa Verde), which was highly estimated by the family of the famous German poet Goethe.
It must usually contain seven herbs, mashed boiled yolk and mayonnaise. Delicious with young potatoes, cooke in the skin, then peeled.

The herbs: parsley, chives, chervil, sorrel, dill, borage, cress, tarragon, lovage, lemon balm

recipe
another one
from Wikipedia with references to the French sauce verte and the Italian salsa verde
Unfortunately all in German - but I am too idle to translate.

Eat and enjoy

Subject: RE: BS: Got the chervil, Fritz, now what?
From: freda underhill
Date: 19 Jun 06 - 10:00 AM

chervil leaves can be soaked in water - then use the water as a skin freshener.

Subject: RE: BS: Got the chervil, Fritz, now what?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 19 Jun 06 - 09:52 AM

goat - chevre
herb under discussion - chervil

Subject: RE: BS: Got the chervil, Fritz, now what?
From: mrdux
Date: 18 Jun 06 - 06:02 PM

Just friendly enough . . . and very discreet.

Subject: RE: BS: Got the chervil, Fritz, now what?
From: Peace
Date: 18 Jun 06 - 05:36 PM

Friendly but not toooo friendy, ya mean?

Subject: RE: BS: Got the chervil, Fritz, now what?
From: mrdux
Date: 18 Jun 06 - 05:12 PM

But. . . they're good goats.

Subject: RE: BS: Got the chervil, Fritz, now what?
From: Peace
Date: 18 Jun 06 - 04:52 PM

Please don't mention goats in front of Joe.

Subject: RE: BS: Got the chervil, Fritz, now what?
From: mrdux
Date: 18 Jun 06 - 04:47 PM

D (tG) --

Yep. And it's also the fresh cheese made from goats' milk. Lots of it is now being made on the (US) west coast. Good stuff.

michael

Subject: RE: BS: Got the chervil, Fritz, now what?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 18 Jun 06 - 11:20 AM

Isn't it French for goat?

:D (tG)

Subject: RE: BS: Got the chervil, Fritz, now what?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 18 Jun 06 - 11:04 AM

Mr. Dux is right, Joe, they are different. Chervil is pretty hard to find, and cilantro is not. To me, chervil tastes faintly of licorice, while cilantro tastes cold. I can't explain it any better than that.

The DH dislikes cilantro, so I don't use it. This, coming from the guy who invented the cheese and red cabbage sandwich!

Helen, you are right about putting it in just before serving. In fact, that rules applies to almost all herbs - they are delicate, and heat breaks them down.

SRS, I believe one was supposed to spend 45 minutes cooking the scrambled eggs over a double boiler. Hardly worth it.

Subject: RE: BS: Got the chervil, Fritz, now what?
From: mrdux
Date: 18 Jun 06 - 02:26 AM

Joe --

They're two different plants with two different flavors, although they're both in the carrot family. Cilantro is the leafy part of the coriander plant, pretty strongly flavored, used a lot in Mexican and Asian cooking. Sometimes called Chinese parsley. It's sold in bunches, like parsley. Chervil has much smaller finer leaves, more subtly flavored, sweetish and grassy with a bit of licorice, and is a big favorite in France.

I like to stir some finely chopped chervil and chives into the eggs for an omelet, maybe with a bit of chevre.

michael

Subject: RE: BS: Got the chervil, Fritz, now what?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 18 Jun 06 - 01:14 AM

My wife sends me shopping for chervil, and the stores here in California give me cilantro. Are they the same?
-Joe-

Subject: RE: BS: Got the chervil, Fritz, now what?
From: Helen
Date: 18 Jun 06 - 12:34 AM

I didn't get to see the Nero Wolfe series on Oz tv recently but I did happen to see the scene where the fresh corn cobs were delivered and NW was then seen eating corn fritters - which is a favourite breakfast treat for hubby & I.

I'm sure his corn fritters were fancier than ours, but maybe not. The fresh corn cut straight from the cob would be the key element.

I have a few books, including a herbal book with medical info and recipes and a vegetarian cookbook - all of which got me interested in chervil a couple of decades ago. The main thing is to put it in right at the end after cooking has finished - either as a garnish or as the final ingredient in a sauce, etc. I grew a whole lot of it when i first discovered it, then had a plant last spring and I need to replace it now. I'm inspired to go and get another packet of seeds.

Helen

Subject: RE: BS: Got the chervil, Fritz, now what?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Jun 06 - 11:26 PM

The Nero Wolfe series that played on the Biography Channel until very recently did a very nice job of highlighting the kitchen end of things. I loved the food episodes! (Though I can't figure out how one would take 45 minutes to cook scrambled eggs.)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Got the chervil, Fritz, now what?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 16 Jun 06 - 05:08 PM

Glad to hear you've read the books, Peace. Sometimes, when I'm in a quandary, I ask myself, "What would Archie Goodwin do?"

(Archie is Wolfe's assistant, the narrator and legman in all the books.)

Like when the Renfair folks told me that my nephew had had his foot stepped on by a horse, but I couldn't see him because he was in his camper and it was "against the rules" for me and his mother to go there. Yeah, right!

Archie wouldn't have tolerated that, and neither did I.
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Here's one of my favorite sentences by Archie. He is talking about a client who sells gasoline:

"Nothing convinced me to switch to Occidental Oil Company, of which he was it."

And then when he's in a room with a Treasury agent and a pile of counterfeit money:

"He knew that I knew that he knew that I knew."

Subject: RE: BS: Got the chervil, Fritz, now what?
From: GUEST,Charmion
Date: 16 Jun 06 - 03:19 PM

It's also good in a cheese omelette.

Subject: RE: BS: Got the chervil, Fritz, now what?
From: Peace
Date: 16 Jun 06 - 10:17 AM

Mr Brenner would be proud of you.

Subject: RE: BS: Got the chervil, Fritz, now what?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 16 Jun 06 - 10:13 AM

Thanks, Peace. I'll try the sauce.

Inspired by the links, I invented this for a summer's day.

Potato salad with chervil

Mix dressing: 1/4 c. vegetable oil (I like corn oil.) 1 T lemon juice, 1 T lime juice, a few grindings of black pepper. Mix well with a whisk. Stir in a fistful of fresh chervil, snipped. Let stand to blend flavors.

Boil: six medium-size red potatoes (or any kind you prefer except baking potatoes.)

When the potatoes are done, drain them and allow them to cool until safe to handle. (Don't let them reach room temperature, or they will have an unpleasant, waxy texture.) Chop up the potatoes, peel and all, and mix them gently into the dressing. Refrigerate until time to serve.

Let diners put their own salt on.
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At our house, there is a difference of opinion. I thought there was too much lime taste, but my husband thought it was just right. People might want to adjust the amount and strength of the lime juice. Either way, this is good.

Subject: RE: BS: Got the chervil, Fritz, now what?
From: Peace
Date: 15 Jun 06 - 03:37 PM

More here.

Subject: RE: BS: Got the chervil, Fritz, now what?
From: Peace
Date: 15 Jun 06 - 03:31 PM

Chervil Sauce

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons chopped chervil
1 green onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 1/4 cups half and half
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
In a heavy saucepan over low heat melt butter; add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in finely chopped chervil, chopped green onion, and grated lemon peel.
Gradually add half-and-half; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Stir in lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
Serve over fish or vegetables.
Makes about 2 cups.

Subject: RE: BS: Got the chervil, Fritz, now what?
From: Peace
Date: 15 Jun 06 - 03:28 PM

Good link here, too.

Subject: RE: BS: Got the chervil, Fritz, now what?
From: Peace
Date: 15 Jun 06 - 03:21 PM

I read every Nero Wolfe story ever put out (written by Stout). Gotta love the guy. No flummery in that statement.

Subject: RE: BS: Got the chervil, Fritz, now what?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 15 Jun 06 - 02:37 PM

Thanks for the link. Lots of good information there.

Subject: RE: BS: Got the chervil, Fritz, now what?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 15 Jun 06 - 02:32 PM


Here they seem to recommend that it be eaten raw chopped and sprinkled on salads.
G.

Subject: RE: BS: Got the chervil, Fritz, now what?
From: Skipjack K8
Date: 15 Jun 06 - 02:32 PM

Sounds like somewhere in Devon!

Subject: RE: BS: Got the chervil, Fritz, now what?
From: Rapparee
Date: 15 Jun 06 - 02:30 PM

Archaeopteryx in a butter-chervil sauce is quite tasty.

I have some recipes at home, including a great one for spinach dip.

Subject: BS: Got the chervil, Fritz, now what?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 15 Jun 06 - 02:22 PM

If you've ever been a Nero Wolfe fan, you know that his Swiss chef, Fritz, was a remarkable cook and that the grub at the old brownstone was always of the best. Fritz would often use a mysterious herb called chervil.

This summer I am growing a chervil plant in my garden. It's flourishing. It resembles parsley but has a flavor rather like anise.

Does anybody have any practical recipes that use chervil? By useful, I mean not calling for sturgeon, shad roe or kid.

Thanks