Herby Seasoning Blends for Boiled Eggs + Avocado Wedges

These seasoning blends give a simple boiled egg or wedge of avocado effortless personality, creating a distinctively dressed-up, hearty option on the snack plate. But the fact is, once you’ve got a homemade seasoned salt on hand, it becomes a flavor block for almost anything you’re cooking. I like to keep mine in a little bowl right next to my salt and pepper, and this way I’m always reminded to sprinkle them over salads, scrambled eggs, soup, warm beans, roasted vegetables, bowls of rice, popcorn, and more. These blends all center on fresh herbs, which you’ll dry yourself. While you can dry them over a day or two in a draft-free spot, or even inside your oven overnight where the pilot light generates some warmth, I almost always speed things along by cooking them at the lowest temperature my toaster oven allows. SnackingDinner Peak-Season Gazpacho with Watermelon Avocado Wedges with Herby Seasoning Blends Lemony Fried Chickpeas Fresh Ricotta, or store-bought Grilled or Toasted Bread Crudités Sweet Peppers, Cucumbers, Fennel, Gem Lettuces

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Makes about 1 tablespoonIf you don’t have a mortar and pestle, carefully mince some of the seeds using a chef’s knife to crack them open—but whole seeds in the finished salt blend are great, too, because they create a nice texture.

Step 2

Preheat your oven or toaster oven to 225°F (or as low a temperature as it will allow). Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the oregano sprigs on it. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the oregano is completely dried out and crisp. Cool, then gently rub the leaves with your fingers until they all come off the stems, and discard the stems. Meanwhile, toast the cumin seeds in a small skillet over medium-low heat until fragrant, swirling often, 3 to 5 minutes, then cool slightly. Pound them coarsely in a mortar and pestle, then mix with the oregano and salt, using your hands to crush the leaves and salt crystals together. Dump the mixture onto a piece of parchment paper and use it as a chute to slide it into a jar or bowl.

Step 3

Makes about 1 tablespoonHere’s an incredibly fragrant blend—especially good sprinkled over popcorn, as well as almost any kind of roasted vegetable.

Step 4

Preheat your oven or toaster oven to 225°F (or as low a temperature as it will allow). Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper and use a rasp-style grater to zest the orange over one half of the sheet. Set the thyme sprigs on the other side and transfer to the oven. Bake for about 20 minutes, stirring the zest every 5 minutes to help it evenly dry out, until both the zest and thyme are dry. Allow to cool, then rub the thyme leaves off their stems, right on the parchment, and pick out the stems. Use the paper as a chute to transfer the zest and thyme to a bowl, and combine with the salt and pepper by mixing with your fingers. To transfer the salt blend to a container, dump it back on the parchment paper, then use it as a chute again to slide it into a jar or bowl.

Step 5

Makes about 2 tablespoonsLook for a head of celery that you can tell has leaves still attached, though there will likely be plenty of leaves surrounding the celery heart. This is an incredibly fragrant seasoning blend, wonderful on creamy things like soft cheese and scrambled eggs, but also great sprinkled over a platter of crudités.

Step 6

Preheat your oven or toaster oven to 225°F (or as low a temperature as it will allow). Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the leaves out on it in a single layer. Bake for about 20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes, until the leaves shrink and begin to dry out. Allow to cool, during which time they’ll become more crisp. Meanwhile, toast the fennel seeds in a small skillet over medium-low heat until fragrant, swirling often, 3 to 5 minutes, then cool and add to a mortar along with the coriander seeds and salt.

Step 7

Pound to coarsely break up the seeds. Using the parchment paper as a chute, transfer the celery leaves to the mortar and use your hands to crunch up the leaves and incorporate them into the salt. To transfer the salt blend to a container, dump it back on the parchment paper, then use it as a chute again to slide it into a jar or bowl.

Step 8

Makes about 2 tablespoonsBaking this blended salt briefly speeds up the dehydration, but it will also dry out on its own if spread over a plate or platter and left at room temperature for a day.

Step 9

Preheat your oven or toaster oven to 225°F (or as low a temperature as it will allow) and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, mixing with your fingers to coax out oils, then spread on a small baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and bake for about 10 minutes, then leave in the oven to cool—at least 30 minutes. Once the rosemary is dry, use the parchment paper as a chute to transfer the seasoning to a bowl or small jar.

Step 10

If you’re wanting a yolk that’s vibrant in color and has a creamy, fudgy texture, here’s how to do it. I often batch these so that I have them on hand for snacking over the span of a few days, but a just-cooked, still-warm boiled egg is a wonderful treat you shouldn’t deprive yourself of.

Step 11

Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to boil. Using a slotted spoon (or a spider skimmer, or tongs), gently add the eggs to the water. Once it returns to a boil, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 8 minutes. Lift them out of the water with the slotted spoon and transfer to an ice bath or, when aiming to serve them while still warm, peel the eggs under running cold water. Once cool, the cooked eggs will keep for at least 3 days stored in the refrigerator.