Page title and description
Rosemary, Thyme, Marjoram, Oregano And Sage Introduction
Simple cooking & prep
Rosemary, Thyme, Marjoram, Oregano And Sage Introduction
Method
Prep time:
5 min
PT5M
Cooking time:
10 min
PT10M
-
Step 1
These hardy, bushy perennials are fairly slow growing and can take a year or more to establish but are then pretty low maintenance. The dried version can be acceptable but fresh is better and it always feels so good just to step out and pick a sprig of something you have grown yourself, wherever the rest of the ingredients in your dish come from. Four foot of a two-foot deep bed in a reasonably sunny spot will accommodate enough for any domestic kitchen. The soil should be well drained, so a raised bed is good, but these herbs don't need much fertility. They are, in fact, indigenous to poor, semi-arid Mediterranean soils, where the most they can hope for is a goat dropping once in a while.
-
Step 2
- Rosemary: Good in marinades for lamb, or simply with roast lamb - also in anchovy sauces (a favourite with Jane) and tomato sauces. Add a small bunch when boiling beans such as haricot, borlotti or cannellini or when roasting squash.
-
Step 3
- Thyme: The strong flavour of thyme means that it is normally added early in the cooking, though the flowers can be used raw. Try roasting it with vegetables and using in gratins, tomato sauces, casseroles and stews.
-
Step 4
- Marjoram: For flavour, the best variety is sweet marjoram. It has many of the same uses as rosemary and thyme but is also good in sauces with blue cheese (gorgonzola is best) and walnuts to serve with polenta and pasta.
-
Step 5
- Oregano: As with so many herbs, the flavour can vary widely according to variety and growing conditions. The flowers can be used fresh but oregano is otherwise one of the few herbs that is better when dried. Jane's preference is for Sicilian wild oregano, which she claims has a distinctive flavour. At the River Café she added it to ribollita, an Italian cabbage and bean soup, but for most of us oregano is associated with pizza.
-
Step 6
- Sage: Though sage is traditionally used in stuffings for poultry, I didn't develop a taste for it or appreciate its potential until Jane served it on top of a rotolo, a pasta roll filled with spinach, ricotta and squash. Her Sage Butter, served with roast squash, ravioli, veal or pork, is a revelation to the uninitiated. She also has a thing for Sage and Anchovy Fritters.
