Forget the supermarket plastic clamshells of sad, limp dill. Real dill is an experience. It’s a feathery, fragrant cloud of a plant, and on several farms across the Netherlands, you can wade right in and harvest your own from May to September. Picture it: a sunny afternoon, the earthy smell of the fields, and you, snipping fronds from tall plants that sway in the breeze.
The Great Dill Hunt: A Hands-On Guide
Bring sharp scissors or garden shears. Dill is delicate; you want a clean cut, not a yank. Look for bushy plants with bright green, thread-like leaves, 10–15 cm long. Once the flat, yellow flower heads appear, the leaves turn more bitter, so plants that haven’t flowered yet give the best leaves. Give a frond a gentle rub and sniff. If it smells like summer pickles and fresh grass, you’ve found your mark. Cut the stems 2–5 cm above the base, leaving at least 5 cm of stem so the plant can grow back. It’s a game of give and take. Carry your dill in a shallow basket, as the leaves bruise easily. The aroma will cling to your fingers for hours, which is a wonderful problem to have.
Once You’re Home: The Dill-icious Aftermath
You’ll have a lot of dill. Probably more than you think. The best way to keep it fresh? Trim the stems, stand them in a glass of water, cover loosely with a plastic bag, and store in the fridge. It’ll last up to a week. Rinse it gently and pat or spin it dry just before you use it. Or, chop it up, stuff it into an ice cube tray, and cover with olive oil. Instant dill cubes for winter stews.
Dill is a star in creamy sauces and with fish. For decoration, simply arrange generous, fluffy sprigs on a cheese board or float the flower heads in a shallow bowl of water with a floating candle. It’s effortlessly pretty.
Two Cooking Recipes (Because You Picked It Yourself)
1. Dill & Lemon Potato Salad (Hollandse Aardappelsalade met Dille) Boil 1 kg of small, waxy potatoes until just tender. While warm, cut them in half. In a bowl, whisk 3 tbsp mayonnaise, 2 tbsp Greek yogurt, the juice and zest of 1 lemon, salt, and pepper. Toss the warm potatoes in the dressing. Then, fold in a generous ½ cup of finely chopped fresh dill and 2 thinly sliced spring onions. Let it sit for 30 minutes. The flavors marry beautifully. This is not your heavy, mayonnaise-globbed potato salad. It’s bright, herby, and goes with everything.
2. Creamy Dill Chicken (Kip met Dillesaus) Season 4 chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Sear them in a hot pan with butter until golden on both sides. Remove the chicken. Sauté 1 chopped shallot in the same pan until soft. Add 1 cup of chicken broth and scrape up the brown bits. Let it reduce by half. Stir in 1 cup of heavy cream, 1 tsp of Dijon mustard, and a pinch of sugar. Simmer for 2 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan, spoon the sauce over, and cook for 10 minutes until done. At the very last second, stir in ¼ cup of fresh, chopped dill. Serve with rice or boiled potatoes. The sauce is a beautiful pale green and tastes like spring.
One Recipe for Dill Tea
This is a gentle tea to sip after a big meal.
Dill Seed & Leaf Tea In a teapot, combine 1 tsp of dill seeds (crushed slightly) and 1 tbsp of fresh dill fronds (or 1 tsp dried). Pour over 1 cup of water just off the boil. Steep for 5–7 minutes. Strain into a cup. Add a slice of lemon and a teaspoon of honey. It smells like a meadow and tastes surprisingly sweet. Excellent after a heavy plate of stamppot.