# Lemon Balm recipes?



## MrsBench

I just recently decided to grow Lemon Balm this year, but I'm not really sure of many recipes with it. I figured I could make some nice tea, but other than that I was hoping to find some savory recipes that include it. I was thinking maybe a pasta recipe or a chicken recipe. Any ideas on how to use it outside of the beverage and ice world?


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## DaveSoMD

I have a huge pot of Lemon Balm still growing form last year. I'd love some recipes for it.


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## BreezyCooking

I'll look around for a tea bread recipe I have somewhere for it, but it's definitely at the bottom of my list for culinary use.  I find its scent a dead ringer for lemon-scented furniture polish.  In fact, there are, I believe, recipes for using it to polish furniture - lol!

For lemon-scented cooking herbs, I much prefer Lemon Thyme & Lemon Verbena.


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## sparrowgrass

I made sugar cookies with minced lemon balm the other day--they were good.


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## BreezyCooking

Not re: cooking but re: growing Lemon Balm - when it blooms, make SURE you deadhead it religiously, as it self-sows with a vengeance & can become invasive.


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## thymetobake

I've always read that it loses it's flavor when cooked.  I can't remember the exact flavor of it (how sweet it is?), I haven't grown it in 20 years, but you might like it in salads or salad dressings.  I suppose you could make a pesto, of sorts, with it and toss with pasta right before serving or drizzle the pesto over vegetables or fish.  Torn leaves might be good in spring rolls, - the kind made with rice paper not the fried kind.  Or use in fruit salad.

Lemon Thyme is extremely sweet to me and I pretty much only use it in salad dressings.  I can't stand that one with fish or pasta.  So, let the sweetness be your guide.


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## sparrowgrass

I did cheat on my sugar cookies--I put the lemon balm in, but I also used some lemon zest.


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## Claire

When I cannot get lemon grass or kaffir lime leaves, I use lemon balm in southeast Asian dishes.  You can never have too many fresh herbs in Vietnamese and Thai dishes.


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## 杰里米亚

@ Claire, Yes, you are right! ^_^ there is a lot of lemon balm in SE Asian dishes  I'm impressed that you know that. I've only seen it used in Thailand, not "American Thai" food  Have you been to Asia, or did you find a really authentic recipe? 
So yeah, it's REALLY good in many Thai soups


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## Claire

No, I've never been to Thailand or any other part of Southeast Asia.  I _did_ live in Hawaii for years and just loved the fresh-herb-heavy Thai, Cambodian, and Vietnamese restaurants there.  I've always had great herb gardens, I just cannot imagine many of these dishes without a lot of mint, parsley, cilantro, etc.  Lemon balm just goes great with these dishes.  I agree that in American restaurants, even those owned by and/or have chefs from those countries, they don't use as many fresh herbs as the restaurants in Hawaii did (does that make any sense?).  

When I make a SE Asian-style soup (no, I do not use authentic recipes, just go by taste) or _bun_ or _chop chae_ (OK, we're not in SEA any more, but Korea), or roll-your-own summer rolls, I sometimes, if it is the season, just take stems of fresh herbs, freshen in cold water, and put on a plate and have everyone tear off what they want to shred into their own dish.


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## 杰里米亚

Yes, that makes perfect sense. Hawaii is much closer to Asia than FL  That's a really neat idea with the soup ^_^ I'm gonna try that sometime! Thanks.


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## jpinmaryland

I would put it in tea but maybe that's just me. I also used it a little in asian dishes such as shrimp soup  which I think maybe the best use of it as it is not a light herb but sort of musky if that  makes sense.

I finally gave up growing it as it took over the entire garden and we spent considerable time digging it out. Not worth the trouble; this was also mentioned up thread. It is a serious concern..


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## BreezyCooking

"Musky" is a nice way of putting it - lol!  To me it smells like Lemon Pledge furniture polish.  In fact, there are some herbals that recommend using it for just that purpose.


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## jpinmaryland

I think aromatic might be the correct term? Not sure, probably my herb book describes it better. .


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