Salad burnet – also called garden burnet, or simply burnet – is a versatile, easy-to-grow culinary and medicinal herb. It’s rich in vitamin C and has a refreshing and unusual flavor.
What is Salad Burnet?
Burnet is a culinary and medicinal herb that originated in Asia. Nowadays, you can sometimes find it at farmers’ markets – or growing wild in the warmer climates of the West and the Midwest United States. But you can also plant this easy-to-care-for herb in your own garden or balcony. You can even buy the seeds online, e.g. at Amazon**. You can harvest burnet leaves from March to August.
Salad burnet leaves are rich in vitamin C and essential oils. For this reason, burnet has historically been used as a medicinal herb, for example, to treat oral inflammations. Burnet tea is also used to relieve heartburn, diarrhea, and coughs. If you’re looking for more traditional remedies, here are seven more natural ways to get rid of a dry cough, as well as some natural home remedies for headaches that really work.
Salad burnet has many uses in the kitchen, too. The leaves have a refreshing, ever so slightly bitter taste, somewhere between mint and cucumber. Sauces, salads, and dips are all improved by salad burnet and its unique flavor profile. It also makes an unusual and flavorsome garnish for lemonades and cocktails. An added bonus: the large, crimson flowers are also especially decorative.
How to Use Garden Burnet
Salad burnet tastes especially good in cold sauces, salads, and dips. It makes an excellent addition to homemade pesto. But be sure to use burnet leaves as quickly as possible, as they don’t keep well for very long. In order not to impair salad burnet’s delicate flavor, and to keep its valuable nutrients, you should only work with fresh burnet. In fact, it’s best to add it to food just before serving, especially warm dishes.
Be as gentle as possible when washing salad burnet, as the leaves are very delicate. As such, they are best used for decorating soups and desserts, or as a garnish for fresh vegetables. Here’s a simple recipe that brings out the best in burnet’s flavors.
Grilled Zucchini with Salad Burnet
Here’s a simple, delicious recipe with salad burnet. For this you’ll need the following ingredients:
- 3 zucchini
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 100 g fresh herbs (burnet, plus some Mediterranean herbs like oregano, marjoram, thyme, or sage)
Method:
- Puree the peeled garlic cloves, olive oil, and herbs – except for the burnet. Season the mixture with salt and pepper.
- Cut the zucchini lengthwise into slices.
- Layer the zucchini slices in a baking dish or grill tray.
- Brush the herb paste over the zucchini.
- Cook the vegetables on the grill or in the oven at 400 degrees.
- Garnish each of the freshly grilled zucchini slices with a few chopped salad burnet leaves.
Find out more about unusual herbs and wild plants here:
- Finding Wild Asparagus
- Chickweed: How to Use this Edible Wild Herb
- Dandelion Honey: How To Make This Sweet Syrup Yourself
- Wild Garlic: Where to Find It, When to Harvest It, and How to Use It
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