Welcome to the LWTM – ‘Cooking with herbs’ blog series
In this blog series you will find historical information and recipes about the most commonly used kitchen herbs. They do not only add flavour, but they also make a positive impact on our health and well-being. To find out more about other kitchen herbs, please type ‘cooking with herbs’ into the search box.
Dill – Anethum graveolens 
Dill is an annual herb that has feathery leaves and a distinctive aromatic smell. It grows about 2 feet tall and has feathered leaves.
Dill, like caraway and fennel, cleanses and strengthens the digestive tract. When used an herb tea dill it strengthens the bladder, combats stress and is also good for the throat. If you feel a cold coming on and have a fury tongue, an old recipe suggests to chew dill seeds.
But it is a well loved herb for adding flavour and one of the main ingredients in Swedish cooking. The flowers and seeds are used for pickles, but the leaves as seasoning for salads, especially cucumber and potato salad, yoghurt sauces and salmon (gravad lax).
Here are two recipes:
1. Yoghurt-dill dip
This is a great condiment for baked potatoes, fish and meat dishes. But you can also serve it as a starter with raw vegetables, such as carrots, celery or cucumber.
Ingredients: 250 g cream cheese or quark, 2 tbsp. creme fraiche, salt & pepper, 1 tsp lemon zest and a small bunch of finely chopped dill.
Add all ingredients together and serve cold.
2. Potatoes with dill
Ingredients: a handful of new potatoes, 2 tbsp of chopped dill, a dollop of butter, salt
Steam the potatoes with the peel for about 20 minutes. Once cooked, remove the peel and add a knob of butter, salt and the chopped dill. These potatoes are best served with fish dishes.