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Greek Oregano Recipes
Oregano Herb Cheese
8 ounces of cream cheese, softened
4 ounces of butter or margarine, softened
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
1 tablespoon chopped chives, fresh
Mix all ingredients together until smooth. Refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to blend. Scoop cheese into bowl in a rounded shape. sprinkle with chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano and garnish with edible violas (organically grown) and sprigs of oregano. Serve with fresh vegetables, crackers or bread.
Italian Oregano Tomato Soup
1/2 medium onion chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups fresh or canned chopped tomatoes
4 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano
Zest from one lemon
Juice from one lemon
Saute onion in olive oil until soft, but not browned. Add tomatoes, stock, oregano and zest and simmer for 30 minutes. Cool and put in blender for a few minutes to pulverize tomatoes and onion. Add lemon juice. If serving hot, reheat and add 1/2 cup cooked rice to each bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon of fresh minced oregano or 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano to top of soup in bowl. If serving cold, chill soup and serve with 1/4 cup chopped cucumber in bottom of bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon of fresh minced oregano or 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano to top of soup in bowl.
Garnish soup with a teaspoon of sour cream and a sprig of fresh oregano.
Oregano Lemonade Sorbet
Juice of one lemon
Zest of one lemon
1/2 cup sugar
Reconstitute lemonade to equal 4 cups total liquid
Heat lemon juice and sugar with lemon zest just until sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. Refrigerate lemon juice and sugar syrup until cold.
Place lemon syrup with zest in a 4 cup measure and add lemonade until exactly 4 cups. Add one tablespoon of freshly minced Oregano or Sweet Marjoram.
Put in ice cream maker and freeze until firm. OR freeze on a cookie sheet until somewhat firm and scrape with a fork . Freeze again until firm. Serve with a sprig of fresh oregano.
Kathleen’s Note: this sorbet was served at our 2005 Herbfest when oregano was the Herb of the Year. Our customers enjoyed its refreshing flavor. A real summertime treat!
Herb Bouquet Rub Mix
for fish, beef, pork, chicken, turkey, vegetables
Add all ingredients in in a bowl, mixing well after each addition:
Add 1 teaspoon granulated lemon peel
Add 1 teaspoon black pepper
Add 1 tablespoon granulated onion
Add 1 tablespoon powdered rosemary
Add 1/2 cup oregano, dried and crumbled
Add 1/2 cup thyme
Combine the ingredients above and stir until well blended. Place in a glass jar and cover tightly.
To Use: Sprinkle and rub the mix according to taste on both sides of fish, beef, pork, chicken or turkey before grilling, broiling, baking or frying. A general guide for use is 1/2 to one teaspoon per serving.
Italian Herb Vinegar
Place three six-inch fresh sprigs of each herb: lovage, sage, oregano in a quart jar.
Push herbs into jar with end of wooden spoon.
Add 1/8 teaspoon of granulated garlic to the bottle.
Fill bottle with red wine vinegar to 1/4 inch from the top. Put bottle on a tray to catch spills before pouring .
Put lid on tightly. Do not use a metal lid. (The vinegar will corrode it.) If the quart jar has a metal lid, cover lid with plastic wrap and seal tightly.
Wipe bottle dry and apply label. Date jar.
Allow vinegar to age in a warm, dim location for two weeks. Strain out herbs. Rebottle vinegar in sterilized bottles with cork or plastic closures. Add a few sprigs of fresh herbs if desired. Use as a salad dressing, marinade or to sauté meats and vegetables to give the subtle taste of herbs to your foods.
Vinegar and Oil Salad Dressing
Mix 1/4 cup vinegar with 1/2 cup olive oil. Wisk to blend and toss with salad greens. Add snips of herbs as desired. Shake well before each use.
Herb Seasoning for Pasta
Mix together the following dried ingredients:
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon basil
1 tablespoon parsley
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
Mix well and bottle in airtight jars. Allow about one teaspoon for four servings. Sprinkle on pasta, vegetables, potatoes, meats. Pinching the dried herbs into foods releases more flavor.
Oregano Pesto
1/2 cup fresh oregano leaves
1/1/2 cups fresh parsley leaves
2 large garlic cloves
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup walnuts or pine nuts
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and fresh ground pepper
Combine the oregano, parsley, garlic, cheese and nuts in a food processor or blender. Process to mix. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste and process to desired consistency. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Makes about 1 1/4 cups
This is a nice summer pesto, delicious with tomatoes, zucchini and eggplant. Add a little cream and Parmesan cheese and toss with fresh pasta. This pesto will be more flavorful if you use Greek oregano.
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