A herbal harvest
Now that we are well into summer our herbs are at their peak. Harvest them in the morning, just after any dew has dried off of them. They can be used fresh, frozen (packed in ice cube trays and transferred to freezer bags works well), dried in a dehydrator (on a cool temperature), or hung to air dry. Blend them for a bespoke herbal tea of your favourite flavours. Or make other herb based treats to enhance your other dishes.
Here are a couple of ideas for making use of those garden herbs.
FRESH ROSEMARY AND LEMON OIL
YIELD ¼ CUP CONTRIBUTOR THERESA O’BRIAN
This flavoured oil is adaptable to all types of meats as a condiment. It is particularly nice on roast chicken. With some experimentation, you can customize it to your taste.
METHOD
Combine first four ingredients and let sit for several hours to absorb the flavours.
Drizzle the cooked meat with the sauce and serve.
INGREDIENTS
¼ cup olive oil
1-2 tablespoons fresh rosemary (or thyme, if you prefer)
1-2 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon lemon zest (optional)
Spinach Eggah
YIELD 4 SERVINGS OVEN 350° CONTRIBUTOR BONNIE BROWNSTEIN
This is an adaptation of a traditional north African dish, similar to a frittata or omelette, making it a great meal for brunch, lunch or dinner. Bonnie adapted this from Middle Eastern Cooking by Suzy Benghiat, and she’s included options to make it gluten-free.
The addition of chopped fresh herbs with the spinach would make this a real summer treat.
METHOD
Put the spinach in a heavy-bottomed pan over low heat to thaw slowly. Add the butter. When it has melted, raise the heat so that all the water evaporates from the spinach. Sprinkle in the flour and combine thoroughly.
Stir in the milk a little at a time, thoroughly blending with each addition. As you stir, scrape the bottom and sides of the pan to prevent the mixture from sticking.
Add the grated cheese. Continue to cook gently until the mixture has the consistency of a dry pureé and is not runny. Leave to cool.
The dish can be prepared in advance to this stage.
Preheat oven to 350°.
Heat a baking sheet in the oven. Choose a shallow dish, such as a quiche dish or pie pan, which the mixture will half fill. Butter the dish and coat it thoroughly with breadcrumbs, shaking off the excess.
Stir the eggs, one at a time, into the spinach mixture. Check the seasoning, and add salt (if you want), pepper, ground nutmeg and ground allspice. Pour the Eggah into the baking dish and place it on the hot baking sheet in the oven. Bake for 35 minutes. It is done when the centre is firm to the touch.
INGREDIENTS
1 pound package frozen chopped spinach (two 300- gram packages frozen)
4 tablespoons butter plus more to grease baking dish or frying pan
1 rounded tablespoon flour (or ground almonds or potato starch for gluten-free)
⅔ cup milk
1 cup grated cheese, to taste (Asiago adds a tangy flavour)
Breadcrumbs for coating baking dish (or finely chopped nuts as a gluten-free option)
5–6 large eggs
Salt, pepper, ground nutmeg and ground allspice – to taste (the salt in the cheese and butter may suffice)
