Secret Ingredient: Rosemary

[dexters]

Rosemary bush in my front yard is out of control!!

I've made enough potatoes to keep Idaho's agriculture economy booming, so I need some other ideas.

TIA!

[TexasToast]

Warm roasted rosemary cashew nuts with coarse salt and golden sugar.

TT (menu writer)

[Notorious EMDB]

I buy Penzey's powdered rosemary due to irritable bowels in the family-- the little needles apparently don't digest well for some of my loved ones. But I dried out some rosemary on the branch and then just whizzed it in the food processor recently, and it came out fine. The flavor doesn't last quite as long, but it's still pretty intense.

I put it on everything I would put fresh rosemary on.

[TexasToast]

They'd have to be seedless and you'd need the right type of grape!

TT

[Funwithfood]

Years ago someone here recommended tossing grapes with olive oil and rosemary, then baking them on a low heat. It was actually very good--would be nice with cheese and wine.

[TexasToast]

Try putting rosemary in some creamy, white cabbage coleslaw. It goes really well with BBQ and there'll be that "something" in the slaw that no-one will quite be able to finger.

TT

[paulj]

I've made a rosemary - lemon sorbet (see a recent thread on basil sorbet).
paulj

[natasha]

Toss pasta with crumbled feta, olive oil, lemon, plenty of finely chopped rosemary, and lots of black pepper. A staple for me. Also: simple chickpea salad with finely chopped red onion, rosemary, olive oil and vinegar. Sounds boring, but is addictive.

[dexters]

That doesn't sound boring at all!! I love chickpeas something fierce.

And the pasta sounds awesome too. I'll make that this weekend when my vegetarian father is in town..he'll love it. Thanks!

[mattrapp]

Take whole heads of garlic, cut them in half from side to side, put in a baking dish. Put in EVOO, white wine, and chicken stock. Top with Roquefort, and chopped fresh rosemary, and cracked pepper. Cover and roast for 1 hr, uncover and brown slightly. Spread roasted cloves with all the other bits on fresh bread.

[dexters]

that sounds outstanding!! Roquefort is a huge hit in my house, and the thought of the pairing with roasted garlic & rosemary is making me salivate.
I may have to make that tonight. Just for a little post-work snack. :)
thanks!

[Jeda]

Rosemary biscotti! Or Shortbread! These make lovely gifts, and people swoon over them.

[dexters]

ooo-rosemary shortbread sounds intriguing. ::off to search for a recipe::

thanks!

[Funwithfood]

I love rosemary shortbread--added it to my Christmas cookie selection. It totally rocks. (Beware, non-foodies find it a bit confusing.)

[TexasToast]

Sure, and that's fresh Rosemary and Sage? Do you have to dry them first?

TT (novice salter).

[TexasToast]

That sounds wonderful, PP. Does the salt not crystalize and turn into a lump?

TT

[Petitpois]

No, it remains loose and sprinkle-able. It's a perfect "secret ingredient" and adds a lot of depth of flavor. I can post exact measurements if you're interested.

[Petitpois]

Make aromatic salt! Combine sea salt with lemon zest, minced garlic, finely chopped rosemary and sage. Sprinkle it on roasts or chops, potatoes, grilled chicken breasts, anything really - yum! Store it in the fridge - it keeps up to 6 months and makes a wonderful gift for other cooks.

[dexters]

That is a great idea! I'll definitely make that. Thanks!

[Robert Lauriston]

You can roast fish or meat on a bed of rosemary (or thyme or wild fennel, if you've got a surfeit of those).

[dexters]

I only wish I had a surefit of wild fennel! But I love the idea of roasting fish with it. Thanks!

[carswell]

Use rosemary branches (with leaves intact) as skewers for shellfish, meat or vegetables. Last weekend, friends grilled bundles of thin slices of beef filet that had been pounded thinner, wrapped around a mixture of sliced provalone, fresh bread crumbs and currants, and skewered with rosemary branches (and the occasional toothpick). Very nice. I think they said it was a Batali recipe.

See also the chicken recipe at www.chowhound.com/topics/show/311935#... . I often make it with rosemary and serve it with a gratin of sliced fennel and potatoes.

[pinstripeprincess]

mmm... i like this idea a lot. someone came out with flavoured wooden skewers a while back that would seep out the marinade through the skewers while cooking into items put on them.

really simple and not necessarily for a meal... but you could make a bunch of homemade rosemary crackers... mm.... even a focaccia would be fantastic. i have a recipe for homemade crackers if you like or there's one that has a great response rate in the chowhound archives by krissy wats.

[dexters]

That is an awesome idea. I just purchased some sharp provolone that I bet would be great with the beef.

thanks for the chicken dish link too, that looks super. Fennel remains one of my favorite vegetables, so the accompaniment sounds superb also.

[Foodrat]

I've used the rosemary branches as skewers for grilled cheese (ciabatta & fresh mozzarella) on the grill (pre-)"basted" w/ melted butter and sprinkled with salt & freshly ground pepper.

I also like it tucked underneath the chicken skin which has been marinating in olive oil and lemon, and s&p and grilled.

[dexters]

Foodrat, would you mind explaining the grilled cheese to me? I love the idea, but everytime my husband or I attempt to grill or smoke cheese, it ends up a gooey mess.
I'm thinking it needs to be a low, indirect heat?

I love the idea of using the rosemary branches as skewers for cheese, and i just purchased some fresh mozzarella that I would love to grill, but just want to be sure I don't waste it!

[Mila]

I saw this recipe on the Jamie Oliver site and I'm dying to try it.
Grilled Marinated Mozzarella
http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/20...

The recipe says high heat. I imagine you would probably lose some cheese as shown dripping off in the pic.
Good luck and I'll let you know what happens when I try it.

[Foodrat]

Here's the recipe from Sunset magazine. The picture was divine I just had to make it. And yes, it does ooze out, but it was easy to clean (at least on my grill).

Spiedini di Mozzarella

~3/4 lb. sourdough or country-style bread (5-in wide loaf)
1/4 c (1/8 lb) butter, room temperature
3/4 - 1 lb. fresh mozzarella (about 3 1/2” wide)
16 fresh rosemary sprigs (about 5” long)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Cut bread crosswise into 12 slices about 1/2” thick. Lightly spread both sides of each slice with butter. Cut cheese across the widest dimension into 1⁄4” thick slices.

Layer three bread slices with enough cheese between slices to cover bread. Holding slices together, cut stack into quarters. Push cut end of a rosemary sprig through each quarter-stack of bread and cheese to hold layers together. Repeat to use remaining bread, cheese, and rosemary. If needed for stability, push toothpicks into stacks parallel to rosemary sprigs. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Lightly oil a barbeque grill over a solid bed of hot coals or high heat on a gas grill (you can hold your hand at grill level only 2-3 seconds). Lay skewered bread and cheese on grill; close lid on gas grill. Cook skewers, turning often, until bread is lightly toasted and cheese is beginning to melt, 2-5 minutes. Serve spiedini hot.

[niki rothman]

Beef filet, filet mignon, always seems flavorless to me, although its tenderness is admirable. How do you up the flavor of the beefiness? No offense, but the beef filet is so bland I would think a very strong herb like rosemary would just totally overwhelm it.

[carswell]

Oh, you're right about filet. Probably the least flavourful cut of beef. Here, though, its blandness works as a foil to the pungent filling and its flavour is ramped up by the char from the grill.

When used as skewers for quick-cooked food, rosemary branches don't overwhelm. Actually, the effect is quite subtle and much of the appeal is visual.

[bdumes]

I use rosemary at least 3 or 4 times per week. It's fantastic with so many things.

I make a scallop dish that I got from Marcella Hazan where you saute garlic and rosemary and then cook some fresh or canned tomatos down to a thick sauce and briefly add the scallops for 2 or 3 minutes, till they shed their liquid. Cook it back down till it's thick again and re-add the scallops for a minute.

You can use it with anything roasted.

I also saute it with garlic and chopped anchovies then quickly panfry Tilapia that's been dusted with flour -- a couple of minutes on each side, then remove the Tilapia and put in 1/2 cup white wine. Cook that down till it's pretty thick and add the fish back in for another minute.

Rosemary is wonderful. Just experiment.

[dexters]

The scallop dish sounds phenomenal. Unfortunately, it is hard to find good scallops in my neck of the woods, but on the occasion my butcher gets good ones, I'll definitely try that.
And tilapia is my favorite fish, so I am going to make that this week. Thanks!

[niki rothman]

Both of your ideas -
Tomatoes & rosemary and then fish fried and then kissed by a rosemary anchovy sauce sound revolutionary to me.
Thanks a million!

[sweetTooth]

How does Cornmeal Cake with Sweet Rosemary Syrup and Blackberries sound to you? *drool* This is an excellent cake and the syrup is just phenomenal. Leftover syrup is delicious over pancakes, fresh fruit, moistening agent for sandwiched cakes, in lemonade or sangria.. endless possibilities and it keeps forever in the fridge.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/rec...

[dexters]

How does that sound? Um, I'm drooling. That is how good it sounds! Thanks!

[Funwithfood]

That does sound fantastic--some of the older recipes at Epicurious are the best--thanks for linking it.

The blackberry-sage thumbprints (w/cornmeal) are excellent too--suppose you could sub with rosemary.

[sweetTooth]

You're welcome! I couldn't find blackberry-sage thumbprints after a cursory search on Epicurious. Sounds delicious! Do you have a link or a copy of the recipe stashed away?

[Funwithfood]

No wonder you couldn't find it--it's an adaptation of a *Better Homes and Garden* recipe, which won the 2001 Grand Prize winning cookie from their Holiday Baking magazine.

This won "best cookie" at a cookie exchange I attended. Everyone liked it better than me--I gave it a 7 out of 10, but what do I know :) If you make it, let me know what you think...

Blackberry-Sage Cornmeal Thumbprints

2 cups flour
2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup unsalted butter -- room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large egg YOLKS
2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel -- (or 1/8 teas. lemon oil)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
5 teaspoons fresh minced sage -- (or 1 1/2 tsp dried, crushed)
3/4 cup blackberry preserves -- room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (325 convection).

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter on medium-high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar and beat until combined, scraping sides of the bowl to fully incorporate. Beat in the egg yolks, lemon peel (or lemon oil), vanilla, and minced sage until combined. Add the flour in 3 increments, beating until all is incorporated. Cover and refrigerate batter for 1 hour.

Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls and place them 2-inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet (I line with a Silpat). Using the end of a wooden spoon (I use the nipple of a baby bottle), press into the center of each ball of dough. Drop about 1/4 teaspoon of the blackberry preserves into each indentation. (Optional: garnish cookies with a tiny sage leaf, if desired.) Place prepared cookies into the freezer for 15 minutes prior to baking for best results.

Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes, or until bottoms are lightly browned. Cool on a cookie sheet for 1 minute, then transfer to wire racks to cool.

[sweetTooth]

Thanks so much! I have an afternoon tea potluck coming up. Maybe I'll try these out and let you know!

[niki rothman]

lamb or chicken and rosemary are wonderful.
For either, an hour before you want to start them cooking take a plastic bag, if you're using chicken pieces remove the skin. Place meat in the bag with plenty of minced garlic, onion powder, crushed rosemary, pepper, salt, olive oil, lemon zest. For chicken, add dijon mustard. massage into meat and leave at oom temp 1 hour. Preheat oven to 450 - roast until chicken is done or lamb is rare.
Personally, I did this with a small butterflied leg o' lamb in my little Ron Popeil electric "showtime" rotisserie (available widely for under $100) The lamb turned out to be one of the most delicious things i have honestly ever put in my mouth. It was so lucsious - my portion never made it to the table - I devoured it in the kitchen. This rub/marinade would work eqally well with a rack or chops. For the chicken version, I'd prefer skinless thighs.

[dexters]

Oh that sounds divine! Thanks for the suggestion..I'll definitely try that.

[HeelsSoxHound]

it makes a great wet rub for grilled meats/poultry-- chop fine with garlic and shallots, mix in olive oil and a touch of sherry vinegar until it's almost like a paste--not too much--. a little chili flake will give it some zing, too. salt and pepper the meat under it before applying.

[dexters]

that sounds delicious. I love to smoke chickens, and I bet that rub would be fantastic. Thanks for the suggestion!

[niki rothman]

How do you smoke them?