Fresh Herb Marinade for Meats

All winter long I use dried herbs. Then spring comes, I plant my garden and my herbs magically appear, beckoning me to use them. In most cooking it is fun to just add fresh herbs whole or chopped in place of dry. Though my favorite use this year is to make marinades for meat. The other night we grilled some chicken that had marinated for 24 hours in mint, thyme, lemon balm, rosemary, grape seed oil, garlic, salt and pepper. It got rave reviews and I have been requested to post the recipe. Unfortunately I can not give the exact recipe, only the ingredients, technique and suggestions. I believe I covered this before, but just in case. When I season food I try to think of it like music. The flavors fall into 3 basic categories, base, or earthy, mid tones and treble or bright tones. I will try to give you a better idea. The base tones are things like meat, oregano, salad greens, smoke flavor. These are the flavors that act as a platform that all the other flavors build on. The mid tones are flavors like thyme, rosemary, and tomato. The high tones are the high lights that you want to be ever so gentle with as to not overpower the dish. This would be things like citrus, vinegar, salt, fennel, basil, garlic, and peppers. A good way to establish where seasoning fit in this palette is to taste them and see how they feel to your taste buds. Does it feel earthy, then it is a base flavor. Does it make your mouth zing, then it is a high tone. If it lies somewhere in the middle then yes it is a mid tone. When I am seasoning a dish I taste it and search for proper balance, but if it is not balanced then I can discern what tone I need to adjust and start searching for the appropriate flavor to add. But, I digress. The reason this is so important is because with marinades it is equally important to find the right balance. If you are using a stronger meat like lamb, game or beef you can use more of the stronger herbs, or highlights to cut through the flavor. Though if you are using meats like pork or chicken you need to use more of the earthy and mid tones and be careful with the high lights as to not overpower the meat. When I go my herb garden I already know the flavor of the meat and may or may not have an idea for the finished flavor. I usually see what herb call out to me first. One of my favorites is Lemon Balm because it has a light citrus flavor that goes well with almost anything. Rosemary, sages, and thyme are equally as versatile and used in many cultures foods. Mint is very Mediterranean and middle eastern and should be used with caution. I am not saying don't use it, only to use it in small amounts as it can overpower quickly. Fennel, dill and oregano also need to be used with caution. For me a little oregano can really add to a dish. If you add too much it tastes burnt to me. Fennel and dill work best with Chicken and fish and you can use the fronds as well as the seeds. I would never discourage experimentation but if you choose to use these herbs with other meats, use them sparingly. Now that herbs are selected and cut bring them in the house, wash them and put them in your blender or food processor with a little garlic, salt, pepper and grape seed or other high temperature oil. When this is mixed marinate the meat for 5 minutes to 3 days. If you are concerned about a long marinade because of the potential for the meat to go bad, remember that bacteria needs air, water and protein. When you coat a meat in oil it makes it so the air can not get in. Also if your fridge is closer to freezing than not proteins will last longer. I hope this inspires a love of fresh herbs. If you absolutely can not get the fresh herb you can do the same with dry herbs but it will need to sit longer.