I'm so excited to share this recipe with you! If you know me, you know I am always experimenting with ways to add herbs to our lives ~ whether it's to our days with herbal medicines, to our meals with herb-infused recipes or in this case; a delightful conversation turns inspired recipe! On a recent visit with my neighbour, Brenda, this tasty dish:
Extra Special Potatoes with Lemon Balm ~ was created. Bren wanted me to check out her garden and had a plant that was happily, wildly expanding along her garden's border. Yippee.. My favourite lemon balm (aka melissa officinalis) was rampantly growing (more on what I am making next with that find... soon!)
Brenda, who is a super cook, was tossing together (that's what she calls it) a few things, and when she mentioned that she loves to add fresh mint to her boiled taters, we looked at each other and my eyes lit up and well.. Potatoes with Lemon Balm -- is the result. I have made this extra special dish a few times in the last month and am making again today, as we just can't get enough. If you are not growing lemon balm for all the incredible medicinal reasons then this needs to be the reason you do. It's SO good and if you are not eating potatoes, I bet that this would be just as amazing with other veggies.. I will be experimenting!
How do you best like/love potatoes? I would bet that the delightful taste and fragrance of 'melissa' would be a terrific accent! I've roasted potatoes and tossed with fresh minced greens and I've also boiled new potatoes, as we did that first evening, and this dish is a winner! My family cannot decide which is better!
Extra Special Potatoes with Lemon Balm
~ 2 ways!
OVEN ROASTED Potatoes with Lemon Balm
Ingredients
- Oven Method
- 1 kg approx 2 pounds baby potatoes
- or Yukon Gold for example, but cut into good sized chunks
- ½ cup best olive oil
- sea salt + fresh ground pepper to your taste
- fresh picked lemon balm leaves
- if no lemon balm, substitute with parsley or any mint, oregano or your favourite herb
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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Cut the potatoes in to bite-sized pieces.
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Spray olive oil or add a teaspoon of olive oil to a parchment paper lined cookie sheet
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Add the potatoes.
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Season with fresh ground black pepper and sea salt
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Bake for 50- 60 minutes. Check every 20 minutes and flip with spatula for even baking.
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Remove from oven and move potatoes to a large bowl.
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Allow to cool a little (maybe 3-5 minutes)
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Pick your lemon balm. Pull off the leaves and chop. Compost the stems.
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Add the chopped/minced lemon balm to the potatoes. Toss.
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Spoon or ladle onto your serving plate.
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ENJOY !!!!!
Stove Top Extra Special Potatoes with Lemon Balm
Ingredients
- 1 kg approx 2 pounds baby potatoes
- Salted water to cover
- 3-4 tablespoon butter or good quality olive oil
- sea salt + fresh ground pepper to your taste
- fresh picked lemon balm leaves if no lemon balm, substitute with parsley or any mint, oregano or your favourite herb
Instructions
-
Add the potatoes to a medium saucepan and cover with cold water by 2 inches.
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Bring to a boil and add about 1 teaspoon of sea salt.
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Reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are fork tender (about 15-20 minutes)
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Drain the water from the pot.
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Add the butter to the pot and stir into the potatoes
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Add the chopped lemon balm leaves
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Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
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Mix well
Recipe Notes
After making this dish a few times, I've found that it's even better if the butter, herbs, and S & P are left to 'marry' a little before serving, it tastes, EVEN more scrumptious.
With this in mind, allow to rest with lid on the pot for a few minutes before serving
Whichever way you make these, I hope that you taste what I do ~ fresh and lemony green + delightful!
I am excited to try these with some other root veggies. What do you think? What should be next?
Green blessings to all ~~
May the magic of Melissa
find you + enchant you ~
xo Carol.
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Ernie
Lol "Extra Special" made me think you were adding a certain other herb...
Carol Little
Ernie! Well.. I've never tried it with that other extra special herb.. I'd probably make a pesto first.. Just a thought.
Daniela
I adore everything you do with herbs and I have to say these potatoes look exceptional and the lemon balm must give them such original and wonderful taste! I'm absolutely trying these
Carol Little
Daniela!! I hope you enjoy these.. I just made again this week.. SO good. Crowd-pleaser.
Do you grow Lemon Balm?
Leslie
I love lemon balm! When I lived in Italy it grew all over the restaurant garden where I worked! Herbs and potatoes are such a winning combo!
Christina Shoemaker
Those potatoes look absolutely perfect! And why on earth haven't I used lemon balm before?!! LOVE this!
Carol Little
Hope you enjoy these as much as I do!!!
ChihYu
Love the texture and flavor of this dish. So delicious !
Easy Keto Dishes
I have lots of lemon balm growing, I love the idea of using it like this!!
Carol Little
Heather! I hope you'll try the lemon balm Roasted taters.. LMK how it goes. Hope you love as much as my family does!
Monique
Those potatoes look like they are roasted to perfection! And love the addition of the lemon balm!
Annemarie
I bet these are amazing with the fresh lemon balm! I love fresh herbs in my roasted potatoes.
Carol Little
Hi AnneMarie. I hope you try roasting taters with lemon balm!!
Meredith
Now I need to add lemon balm to my garden! These roasted potatoes sound just delicious... thank you for the inspiration!
Carol Little
You are so welcome! i hope you'll get some asap and get growing it! I have lots of ideas for using it culinarily + medicinally too!
Megan Stevens
I do love using fresh herbs with potatoes, but I've never used lemon balm before with them. Now I'm going to!
Carol Little
Ohhh Megan.. You are in for a treat. Please let me know -- how you like it.. hoping you all do!
Mirlene | Savory Thoughts
Lemon balm always add that extra special taste that you didn't think you needed. I'll try that the next time I make potatoes.
Renee Kohley
I just picked a load of lemon balm and am totally making our morning potato hash with it tomorrow! Thank you!
Carol Little
Renee!! Hope you love it!!
Emily @ Recipes to Nourish
I would never have thought to add lemon balm to potatoes! That is a brilliant idea. These look so good with those yummy golden brown edges.
Joni Gomes
I don't think I've ever had lemon balm, sounds yum!
Jean
What a unique way to cook up potatoes! I gotta go find me some lemon balm leaves.
Carol Little
Such a delightful herb in 101 ways. I hope you can grow some Jean!! It's a mint.. Easy to grow.
Tessa Simpson
roasted potatoes are my favorite preparation...and I would never have thought add lemon balm...fabulous idea!
Carol Little
IT is SO good. I hope that you give it a try. You may be hooked (i am!)
Vertical garden planters
Thanks for your sharing.
Kelsey
There are few things I love more than oven roasted potatoes!!! These sound heavenly!
Carol Little
Please do try these Kelsey and let me know your thoughts!
The Food Hunter
I grow lemon balm...thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Carol Little
Theresa ~ YOU will love these taters!!
Melissa
These look divine. I can't wait until I am done nursing and can use lemon balm again :) Beautiful recipe Carol!
linda spiker
Those look perfect Carol! Love that crispy skin!
Shelby @Fitasamamabear
mmm fresh lemon balm would make them so flavorful!