I love taking a relatively simple recipe and making it different … making it mine. In this case, I took a recipe that called for a teaspoon of dried oregano and morphed it into a chopped cup of summer savory, basil and cilantro with caramelized spring onions. Then I turned that delicious herbed concoction into the foundation of a sandwich with homemade herbed cream cheese and draped heirloom tomatoes with a Walnut Fig Balsamic sheen. Talk about so fresh and so clean, clean.
Ingredients: 1 Tsp dry yeast; 1/2 C Warm Water; 1 1/2 – 1 3/4 C All-Purpose Flour; 1 Tblsp minced fresh or dried oregano; 1 Tsp salt; 4 Tblsp olive oil; 1 Medium onion, thinly sliced; 2 Cloves garlic, minced; Salt and Freshly ground pepper; 1/2 C grated parmesan cheese
Instructions: Sprinkle the yeast over the water in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer. The dough can also be made in a food processor or by hand. DO IT BY HAND, FOLKS, IT WILL MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER! Stir to dissolve. Let yeast and water stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Mix in 1C of the flour, the oregano and salt. Mix in enough remaining flour to form dough that pulls away from the dises of the bowl.
Turn the bowl onto a floured surface and lightly knead until smooth and elastic. About 5 minutes. Oil a medium bowl. Add the dough, turning to coat. Cover and let rise for an hour in a draft-free, warm place, until doubled. About an hour.
Meanwhile heat 2 Tblps oil in a heavy skillet over low heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook until the onion and garlic are tender and golden, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper. Lightly oil a baking sheet. Punch the dough down. Turn the dough out onto a surface and roll into a 1/2″ thick rectangle. PLace on a preapred baking sheet. Using two fingers, make indentations over the surface of the dough. Spread with onion, garlic and parmesan cheese. Drizzle olive oil. Let rise in a draft-free, warm place for 30 minutes.
Bake the bread in in a 450-degree oven until crisp and olden brown, about 30 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.
Alternatives: Rather than oregano I used 3/4 cup of summer savory and basil (I like my foccacia herby). I diced up 3 small, fresh spring onions and used in lieu of the yellow onion and garlic. I also baked the dough into smaller loaves with a tad more cheese and less drizzled oil atop. Additionally, I made the foccacia into sandwiches by marinating heirloom tomatoes in a Walnut-Fig Balsamic dressing with basil & mixing farmstead cream cheese with parsley, basil, savory and S&P.
Et Voila!
Summer Savory
This herb has lilac tubular flowers which bloom from July to September.
Summer savory is a traditional popular herb in Atlantic Canada, where it is used in the same way sage is elsewhere. It is the main flavoring in dressing for many fowl, mixed with ground pork and other basic ingredients to create a thick meat dressing known as “cretonnade”, which is excellent with turkey, goose and duck. It also is used to make stews such as fricot, and in meat pies.
Summer savory is called borsikafű in Hungarian, Bohnenkraut in German, sarriette in French, θρούμπι, throúmbi, in Greek, and santoreggia in Italian.
Among the most fragrant of herbs, and on this account recommended to be grown near bee-hives.
‘The juice of savory dropped into the eyes removes dimness of sight if it proceed from thin humours distilled from the brain. The juice heated with oil of Roses and dropped in the ears removes noise and singing and deafness: outwardly applied with wheat flour, it gives ease to them.’
Modern gardeners agree that a sprig of either of the Savorys rubbed on wasp and bee stings gives instant relief.Tags: cooking, food, herbs, photography, therbsday
Melissa Schilling
People are talkin', talkin' bout people