Dallying With Dill: Tasty herb grows best and longest when its started from seed

Every spring I plant dill. Most years, I use it once or twice and find that it has gone to seed the next time I go to pick some.

That would be fine if I wanted the more pungent dill seed for pickles. But I prefer the milder, smoother flavor of the leaves, called dill weed. Unfortunately, once the plant goes to seed, it doesn't produce any more leaves.

Planting some dill this spring reminded me of the problem. So I called up David Bare, the Winston-Salem Journal's gardening columnist, for advice.

The problem, Bare said, is a tap-rooted plant such as dill doesn't take kindly to replanting. "What's happening is you're stressing the plant," he said. When a plant is stressed, it goes into overdrive to complete its mission in life. "All it wants to do is reproduce," Bare said. In other words, a stressed dill plant goes to seed as fast as it can.

Bare recommends starting dill --

and such similar herbs as parsley and cilantro -- from seed. A plant like this that is never moved will have much less stress, and so is more likely to last longer before it goes to seed.

To jump-start the seed germination, Bare recommends soaking the dill seeds overnight to soften their hard coats, then rolling them in paper towels to dry off before planting.

Bare also said that heat is a stressor, too. I did one thing right by planting my dill in the shade this year to keep it a few degrees cooler. That can extend the life of the leaves a little. For the rest, I'll have to rely on Mother Nature to provide a moderate spring and summer.

It's too late now to plant dill seeds. I'll have to wait until fall or next spring. So for now, I've resolved to use my dill early before it gets too hot.

Depending on whom you believe, dill is native to Russia, southwestern Asia, the Mediterranean, Northern Europe or a combination of all these.

Dill is said to date back to 3000 B.C., when it was mentioned in Egyptian medical books. The name comes from the old Norse word dilla, which means to soothe or lull. Romans considered it a sedative and a digestive aid.

Dill is sort of two herbs in one. Dill weed, which is what I usually use, is the leaves of the plant. Dill seed is the fruit of the plant and has a more pungent flavor. Both are sold dried; only dill weed is sold fresh. Dried dill seed works fine in pickles and other uses such as long-cooking stews. But dried dill weed doesn't compare to fresh.

Fresh dill weed is used a lot in Russian and Scandinavian cuisines, but it works in a wide range of foods -- particularly ones that don't have too many other competing flavors.

Dill can be paired with oregano or mint, or is often used as a substitute for them. Dill also goes well with mustard, parsley and horseradish.

Dill is only occasionally used with red meat, added to a beef pot roast, Stroganoff or a lamb stew. Another great example is Greek gyros or kabobs with tzatziki, or dill-flavored yogurt. Dill is also fine with chicken, but it really shines when added to seafood. The classic Scandinavian gravlax, or salmon cured with dill, is just one example of how well dill goes with fish.

Add fresh dill to a vinaigrette and serve with a green salad or as a sauce for any seafood.

Dill also goes well with dairy: mixed with cream, shallots and a touch of horseradish for seafood, with sour cream to dress up cucumbers or with cream cheese or a mayonnaise in a dip. Try adding about 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh dill to a buttermilk or ranch dressing .

Dill also is good in egg, shrimp or potato salad. Hot, boiled new potatoes are delicious with dill-flavored butter.

Here are a few ideas for using fresh dill weed.

Dilled Shrimp Spread

Recipe adapted from Dip It! by Rick Rodgers (William Morrow, 2002). If desired, start with 8 ounces softened cream cheese and beat it with a hand whisk, a mixer or food processor. If using a processor, the shrimp can be chopped in the same bowl with the cream cheese; just add the shrimp once the cream cheese is whipped.

12 ounces peeled and cooked shrimp, finely chopped

12 ounces peeled and cooked shrimp, finely chopped

12 ounces whipped cream cheese, room temperature

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1½ tablespoons chopped fresh dill, plus sprigs for garnish

½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Hot pepper sauce to taste

1. With a rubber spatula, mash the shrimp, cream cheese, lemon juice, chopped dill and Worcestershire sauce in a medium bowl until combined. Season with hot-pepper sauce. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours.

2. Serve chilled, garnished with dill sprigs, with pita chips, baguette slices, crostini or cucumber slices.

Hot Artichoke and Dill Dip

Recipe adapted from Dip It! by Rick Rodgers (William Morrow, 2002).

1 14-ounce can of artichoke hearts

1 cup shredded havarti or Monterey Jack cheese

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

¾ cup mayonnaise

1½ tablespoons chopped fresh dill

1 garlic clove, minced or crushed through a press

⅓ cup fresh bread crumbs

2 teaspoons olive oil

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Thoroughly drain artichoke hearts. Chop them and place in a bowl. Add cheeses, mayonnaise, dill and garlic. Mix well.

3. Spread mixture in a 1-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and drizzle with olive oil. Bake until bubbling hot, 20 to 30 minutes.

Makes about 2½ cups.

Green Beans With Onions, Tomatoes and Dill

This also can make a good cold dish with a few changes. Simply cook the green beans alone in salted water until crisp-tender, drain and cool. Then toss with raw onion, tomatoes, dill, salt and pepper. Toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon cider or other vinegar. If desired, add some crumbled feta cheese.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion finely chopped

1 large clove garlic, thinly sliced

1 pound slender green beans, trimmed

Salt to taste

¼ cup water

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved if large

1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat oil over medium heat in large skillet or Dutch oven. Add onion and cook, stirring until slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, green beans, a little salt and the water. Cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until beans are almost tender.

2. Add tomatoes and increase heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring until tomatoes are slightly softened but still retain their shape, 3 to 4 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon dill. Taste and add pepper plus more salt and dill if desired.

Makes 4 servings.

Sauteed Fish With Dill Sauce

Adapted from Simplicity from a Monastery Kitchen (Broadway Books, 2001) by Brother Victor-Antoine d'Avila-Latourrette.

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

4 4- to 6-ounce fish fillets, such as sea bass, halibut or salmon

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

⅓ cup chopped fresh dill

5 teaspoons capers, rinsed and drained

½ grated lemon peel

½ cup heavy cream

Pinch cayenne pepper

6 tablespoons hot melted butter (optional)

1. Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Pat fish dry with paper towels. Season fish with salt and pepper.

2. Place fillets in skillet, skin side up if they have skin on them. Cook about 5 minutes, then carefully turn and cook about 4 minutes more, until just cooked through. Remove from skillet and divide among four plates.

3. Meanwhile, combine dill, capers, lemon peel and heavy cream in a blender or bowl. Blend about 15 seconds or whisk vigorously 30 to 45 seconds. While whisking or with blender running, add hot melted butter if desired and whisk or blend well. Serve immediately with the fish.

Makes 4 servings.

Tomato Dill Sauce: Adapted from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything (MacMillan, 1998).

Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add ½ cup minced shallots and cook, stirring about 6 minutes until soft but not brown. Drain 1 28-ounce can chopped tomatoes (or 2 cups fresh peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes) and add to pan. Simmer, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste plus about 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill. Remove from heat and stir in ½ cup plain yogurt or sour cream if desired.

Tips for using dill

When shopping for fresh dill weed, look for leaves that are dark green without blemishes.

Fresh dill will keep in the refrigerator for one or more weeks, depending on how fresh it is. For the longest storage, set the stems in a glass of water and keep refrigerated.

Dill, as long as it is thoroughly dry, also can be frozen for up to two months in sealed, heavy-duty plastic bags. Some discoloration may occur, but the dill should still retain most of its flavor.

Only the feathery leaves of dill weed are used. The stems should be discarded. Fresh dill weed loses its flavor with prolonged heat, so add it near or at the end of cooking. Dill seed is the better choice for recipes that call for long cooking.