Herbs aren’t just for spicing up your meat, grains and veggies! Combining fruit and herbs is one of my favorite ways to create unexpected flavor combinations. Bringing together sweet fruit and aromatic, sometimes even floral, herbs creates irresistibly bright tastes that pop in your mouth. Plus, fresh herbs (and some spices!) have important health benefits that are great even for the littlest eaters.
I’ve listed a few of my favorite fruit and herb combinations and how I like to use them below. These pairings are fun and new without being intense or overwhelming, making them a great way to get kids to experiment with flavor.
There are a few ways you can cook using fruit and herbs: mixing them chopped in a salad or salsa, pureeing together for drinks or popsicles, cooking them down together in compotes or sauces, or using herbs to infuse anything from drinks to custards.
- strawberry or peaches & basil (compote, drinks, popsicles)
- pineapple & mint (fruit salad, infused water & other drinks, popsicles)
- lime & rosemary (curd or custard, marinade for meat)
- cantaloupe & dill (chilled soup, yogurt sauce, drinks)
- blueberries & tarragon (salad dressing, tarts, sorbet, sauce for sweet or savory eats)
- raspberries & lemon balm (iced tea and other drinks, cakes, tarts, popsicles)
- apricot or grapefruit & cilantro (chutney or salsa, cooked down into a sauce, popsicles)
- lemon & black pepper (sauces for grilled meat or seafood, cookies & shortbread)
What are you favorite fruit and herb combinations? How do you use them?
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Kids change the way we cook, but they don’t have to change how well we eat. Get more family-friendly recipes, tips and techniques to satisfy your own hunger and inspire healthy hungers in your children on Stacie’s blog, One Hungry Mama.