Herbs Are an Entire Culinary Mood for Me

One of my favorite moments of summer is when herbs become abundant enough that you start treating them like an entire culinary mood. 

Parsley is no longer a precious sprig, but a fistful of flavor. The basil plant is suddenly producing faster than you can keep up with it. Dill stretches skyward in the garden, begging to be sprinkled into sauces and over salmon. And then there’s mint, who always manage to mount a full-scale takeover of whichever corner of the yard it has claimed as its own.

I love this time of year because herbs have a remarkable way of adding color and freshness to just about any meal without requiring much more than a rough chop. Wild-caught Alaskan seafood, perhaps more than any other protein, seems especially eager to welcome them to the party.

Here are a few herb-forward seafood recipes I find myself returning to each summer: 

Coconut Creamed Corn with Crispy White Fish and Summer Herbs

One of the things I love most about this dish is the contrast. (In fact, I love it so much that it’s featured in my cookbook Eat Wild: Cooking at Home with the Seafood of Alaska, which you can read more about here.) Sweet summer corn. Crispy fish. Cooling herbs scattered generously over the top. Any flaky white fish works beautifully. And when it comes to the herbs, follow your instincts for flavor. Chives, parsley, dill, basil, cilantro, or maybe a mix of all of them — after all, summer is not a season that rewards restraint.

Singaporean Chili Crab Summer Rolls with Fresh Herbs

Summer rolls are one of my favorite examples of how herbs can become a main ingredient rather than a supporting player. This crab summer roll is a page from Alaskan Chef Mandy Dixon’s recipe book, a dish inspired by the heat and sweetness of Singaporean-style crab. Fresh mint, cilantro, and other tender herbs create layers of flavor and texture alongside sweet Alaskan crab. Every bite feels crisp, cool, and refreshing — exactly the kind of meal I crave when the weather turns warm.

Herb-Crusted White Fish with Creamy Asparagus Risotto

This recipe celebrates one of my favorite partnerships: delicate halibut and fresh herbs. The herb “crust” creates a fragrant layer that complements the fish without overwhelming it, while the asparagus risotto grounds the entire meal in the flavors of the season. It's elegant enough for a dinner party but approachable enough for a weeknight when you're feeling slightly more ambitious than usual.

Coho Salmon and Orzo Salad with Feta, Summer Squash, and Herbs

I often think of recipes like this as being composed of snapshots of flavor. Wild salmon provides heft. Summer squash contributes sweetness and texture. Feta brings creamy richness. And then the herbs tie everything together as if with a delicate green bow. It's the kind of meal that feels equally at home on a picnic table, packed up for lunch the next day, or served alongside a gathering of friends on a warm evening.

I am ever awed by Mother Nature’s capacity to provide so much abundance in the Alaskan summer, whether of sun or seafood or herbs. Honoring this abundance is simply a matter of stepping outside and letting the season help you celebrate what you’ll be bringing to the kitchen table.

Live Wild,

Monica

Pictured above: A colorful, sunny plate of coho salmon over a bowl of orzo, summer veg, and a pile of fresh herbs.