Spice (62 page)

O
REGANO
, S
UMMER
S
AVORY
, S
AGE
, R
OSEMARY
,
AND
T
HYME

The Mediterranean herbs in this chapter are hardy; they are stiffer, stronger, and more concentrated than “soft” herbs such as parsley, dill, and mint. Hardy herbs contain less water than soft herbs and don’t bruise as easily when chopped. They should be chopped finely and used sparingly: too much in one mouthful can overpower a dish.

Sage and rosemary are used most frequently in the central Mediterranean region, whereas oregano, summer savory, and thyme have more of an eastern Mediterranean flavor. These herbs are often interchangeable and blend very well; in combination they create complex layers of flavor. They work on just about anything from fish to meat to vegetables, but there are perfect marriages: sage with squash or pork, oregano with tomato, rosemary with lamb, thyme with mushrooms or potato, and summer savory with olives.

O
REGANO

Oregano, which means “joy of the mountain” in Greek, is a bold, savory, peppery perennial with round leaves that is native to the Mediterranean region, where it grows abundantly.

The flavor of
rigani
, or wild Greek oregano, which grows in the rocky hillsides, can vary greatly depending upon climate and soil conditions. In the United States, dried Greek oregano is sold in markets, but it has lost much of its wild, robust flavor. Oregano is used liberally in Mexican cooking, but Mexican oregano, a member of the Verbena family and not the Origanum family, is a shrub and has a very strong flavor, too strong for my taste.

A fresh oregano and basil combination is a familiar ingredient in pizza and pasta sauces here in the United States, mostly because it pairs so well with tomatoes. Oregano is also great with eggplant, zucchini, beef, lamb, pork, garlic, feta cheese, and other bold foods. In addition, I like to use it on fresh tomato salads, with fried green tomatoes baked with Parmesan cheese and tomato sauce, and with a bubbly casserole of shrimp and feta cheese.

S
UMMER
S
AVORY

Summer savory is an annual herb with long, leggy stems and oval leaves. It’s better to cook with than its hardy, woody counterpart, winter savory, which is favored by gardeners for its full shape. Native to the Mediterranean, summer savory was introduced to England by the Romans, who thought its strong fragrance to be an aphrodisiac. Summer savory was one of the first herbs to be brought to America by the Pilgrims, and it is still a traditional ingredient in Thanksgiving stuffing.

Summer savory, which also can be used as a mild substitute for oregano, is wonderful in pickle brines and in salads, with tomatoes or in smooth green tomato soup. It’s also perfect with egg dishes, beans, lentils, and peas. Summer savory is sometimes sold as za’atar in Middle Eastern markets.

S
AGE

Sage is a hardy perennial with wiry, greenish-purple stems that become woody as the plant ages. The pungent leaves are wide, silvery-green, and downy soft, and they smell fresh and almost piney. Sage tastes herbaceous and sharp with subtle eucalyptus undertones; it should be used with a careful hand so as not to overwhelm a dish. Its botanical name,
salvia
, is derived from the Latin
salvere
, which means “to save” or “to heal,” and the herb is still used medicinally, as it has been for millennia.

Sage is native to the northern Mediterranean coastal areas of southern Europe and it still grows wild on the hills of Dalmatia, the Croatian region on the Adriatic Sea that is famed for the quality of its sage.

There are hundreds of different varieties of sage, many used for garden decoration and fewer used for cooking. Garlic sage really tastes like garlic and is wonderful tossed with pasta. Pineapple sage is fun to dry and then steep in water; it makes a light and delicious chilled tea.

Because of its astringency, sage pairs well with heavy, fatty foods; it cuts right through pork, goose, and duck. I also like to combine sage with mushrooms and squash, add it to rich brie soup with fried oysters, and sprinkle it over eggplant, onions, dumplings, potatoes, beans, and peas. Fried sage leaves in butter is a great garnish for fish. Frying it softens the flavor, which will better suit fish.

R
OSEMARY

Hardy rosemary is a sun-loving perennial that can grow upright or creep and spill over retaining walls. Both varieties have woody stems and leathery, needle-shaped leaves. Rosemary’s fragrance is piney, cooling, and slightly minty. Its flavor is astringent, woody, peppery, warming, and minty. It is a strong herb and, like sage, must be used carefully or in small amounts, because it can overwhelm other flavors in a dish.

Rosemary is native to the Mediterranean region, and its botanical name means “dew of the sea.” It thrives in sandy, well-drained soil and misty, sea-spray–filled air.

Ancient Greek scholars believed that rosemary’s aroma improved their memory and helped keep their minds clear, and so they wore rosemary sprigs behind their ears. Rosemary’s association with memory, lovers’ fidelity, and remembrance has stayed with us through the ages, and this idea is succinctly captured in the Shakespeare’s
Hamlet
: “There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance; pray, love, remember.” On a personal note, I wore rosemary in my hair on my wedding day to remember my father, Gary Sortun.

Rosemary counters the richness in meats such as lamb, pork, and duck. It’s the perfect partner for garlic. The Italians love it, and often butchers will tie a strand of rosemary with cuts of lamb. Even though rosemary thrives in eastern Mediterranean countries, it is not used for cooking; cooks in the Middle East find the herb to be too overwhelming.

My favorite uses for rosemary are in breads, with roasted potatoes, and combined with garlic for lamb and rabbit dishes. I also use just a little to lift the fragrance from the walnuts and green olives in my Potato Risotto (page 294).

T
HYME

There are more than one hundred varieties of thyme, many of them hybrid garden plants that creep out between stone or brick. I prefer cooking with plain garden thyme and English thyme, as they are the most straightforward and savory. Lemon thyme is also wonderful because of its bright scent and lemon notes.

Thyme is a perennial that may vary widely in appearance depending its soil and climate. Generally, it is stiff and bushy with stalks that are covered by pairs of small, narrow, elliptical leaves. Its aroma is warm, spicy, and pungent. Thyme adds depth and warmth to dishes.

Thyme is indigenous to the Mediterranean region. The Egyptians used it in the embalming process. The word
thyme
derives form the Greek
thymon
, meaning “to fumigate,” and indeed the Greeks burned this herb during religious ceremonies.

The Armenians make tea with thyme, and the French use it to make bouquet garni: an aromatic package with bay leaf, parsley, and other herbs that flavors almost all French sauce and soup bases.

I use thyme more than any other herb because it adds warmth without overwhelming a dish. It’s great with chicken, meat loaf, bacon-rich soups, potatoes, corn, and in any kind of cooked bean preparation. It also pairs very nicely with fish recipes, such as Cod with Truffled Leek Sauce (page 289).

RECIPES WITH FRESH OREGANO, SUMMER SAVORY, SAGE, ROSEMARY, AND THYME

M
ELON AND
T
OMATO
S
ALAD WİTH
M
OZZARELLA AND
O
REGANO

N
OOKİE
’
S
P
İCKLES
: G
REEN
T
OMATO
, T
URNIP
, C
UCUMBER, AND
P
EAR
V
ARİATİONS

B
RİE
S
OUP WİTH
F
RİED
O
YSTERS AND
S
AGE

G
REEN
T
OMATO
S
OUP WİTH
S
UMMER
S
AVORY

F
RİED
G
REEN
T
OMATO
P
ARMESAN

C
OD WİTH
T
RUFFLED
L
EEK
S
AUCE AND
S
WEET
P
OTATER
T
OTS

P
OTATO
R
İSOTTO WİTH
G
REEN
O
LİVES
, W
ALNUTS, AND
R
OSEMARY

M
ARİA
’
S
S
HRİMP
S
AGANAKİ
F
LAMBÉED WİTH
O
UZO

S
AGE
-R
UBBED
P
ORK WİTH
R
ED
R
İCE AND
B
EANS

Melon and Tomato Salad with Mozzarella and Oregano

This very Mediterranean salad features sweet melon and acidic tomato in a divine combination with fresh oregano and lightly brined cheese. In Turkey, melon is eaten with salty feta as a classic summer mezze. In Greece, tomato and melon salads also feature feta, black olives, and fruity olive oil.

Melon and tomato are very similar in structure, texture, and even taste; melons are just more floral and sweet and balance out the more acidic tomato. This recipe is perfect in August, when you can buy melons and locally grown tomatoes at the farmers’ market. For this recipe, it’s crucial that the tomatoes and melons be at their best.

A delicate white wine such as a Frascati, from the area southeast of Rome would pair well with this dish.

S
ERVES
6
AS A SALAD COURSE