Forget Kim Kardashian’s “signature” perfume, and the new scent with the SayWhat? name: “Juliette Has a Gun.” The fragrance that has totally hypnotized me is that of sun-dried oregano from Mt. Taygetos in southern Greece.
I’m sure I’m not the only who who tends to think of oregano as a mundane herb that sits for too long in the spice drawer and gets trotted out pretty much just for pizza. But a friend recently brought me a package of whole branches of dried oregano, imported by Optima Foods. The aroma was intoxicating and made me crave foods that are natural sidekicks for the herb.
For starters, I ordered barbecued chicken pizza from our local Pizza on Pearl and loaded it up with the crushed leaves. Two nights later I made homemade pizza with grilled sweet onion and zucchini, tomato sauce, mozzarella and a blizzard of oregano. I also did a vinaigrette with red wine vinegar, mild olive oil, minced garlic and enough oregano to transport me to the Peloponnese when I closed my eyes. The next night: lamb meatloaf seasoned with…yeah, you get the picture.
We spend lots of money on fancy ingredients and look for inspiration in trendy cookbooks. But, in fact, sometimes all we need is a very simple ingredient harvested and handled with care. (By the way, oregano from Sicily and Calabria is also pretty wonderful.)
Mt. Taygetos oregano is available on-line at many sites, including ChristosMarket.com. I’m guessing it’s also in many supermarkets. A large bunch costs about $3.
For a fabulous bruschetta, rub toasted slices of country-style bread with the cut side of a clove of garlic. Spoon fresh ricotta cheese (preferably room temperature) on top and season with a bit of coarse salt and freshly ground pepper. Sprinkle generously with dried oregano leaves that you’ve crushed in the palm of your hand. Drizzle with some good olive oil.
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