Dishes featuring fresh oregano

I have a lovely, large oregano plant and am looking for ideas-appetizers, sauces, whatever. All suggestions are welcome. Thanks.

DebJ
  • Posted by: DebJ
  • April 5, 2018
  • 6447 views
  • 10 Comments
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10 Comments

DebJ April 6, 2018
Thanks, all! Great suggestions!
 
amysarah April 6, 2018
One of my favorite things to grill in the summer is a butterflied leg of lamb, marinated in olive oil, lots of garlic, lemon and oregano (sometimes thyme and/or rosemary too.) Actually, lots of Greek lamb dishes use oregano.

Salsa verde - good with any kind of grilled meat, fish or vegetable. And I really love roasted red/yellow peppers, marinated in good olive oil, garlic and oregano - with some crumbled feta or griddled haloumi, a fantastic appetizer.
 
AntoniaJames April 6, 2018
Also, in marinated feta - perfectly divine. Let it sit for a day or so before eating. https://food52.com/blog/20141-how-to-make-marinated-cheese (I always add a few strips of lemon zest.)
Also, make pickled red onions: Warm the vinegar + water solution with the sprigs of oregano in the bottom of the jar; when doing this (I like this iteration for tacos), I also crush and wrap in a cheesecloth bundle a teaspoon or so of cumin seeds, three or four allspice berries, and some peppercorns; that bundle goes into the brine with the sprigs. Then I add the sliced onions, heat in the microwave for 45 seconds at 80% and let them sit for at least a few hours. A full day is better.

Fresh oregano is also wonderful in a frittata or omelet with artichoke hearts + feta. ;o)
 
PHIL April 6, 2018
Forgot about the feta idea. I like the idea of the lemon zest. Lemon and oregano make such a good pair.
 
PHIL April 6, 2018
Marinate some thin sliced chicken breasts in oregano , garlic olive oil and lemon, great on the grill.
Or stuff some springs and lemon slices into a whole branzino and grill. Also nice on swordfish. I like it with fresh squeezed orange juice and olive oil in a salad dressing too. Make oregano butter or freeze some mixed with oil in an ice cube tray.
 
MMH April 5, 2018
We freeze whole stems.
 
Smaug April 5, 2018
The plant looks like it's entering the bloom cycle- it grows very fast at that stage, but you'll want to use it pretty soon, once it blooms it stops growing for the most part- this early in spring, your best bet would probably be to cut back the plant and dry most of it; it should grow back quite quickly at this point, and oregano- like most perennial herbs- dries quite well. I'm guessing that's and 8" or 10" pot, in which case it really won't be all that much oregano. It'll need restrained but steady feeding with a moderate amount of nitrogen to regrow well in a pot- something like a 10-10-10 all purpose fertilizer should do well.
 
AntoniaJames April 5, 2018
Oregano has a bold flavor - especially plants that are in full sun most of the day. I use a lot of it -- much more than the 1 tablespoon, chopped, stated -- in this recipe: https://food52.com/recipes/31134-herb-feta-and-quinoa-filled-frittata, often with parsley, when basil is not in season. I pick 2 or 3 full sprigs (leaving the leaves at the bottom for renewed growth), strip the leaves, and then very coarsely chop.
Oregano is also good, chopped, in meatballs; and with ground beef + cumin + a dollop/good squeeze of tomato paste, for tacos (I add finely chopped cilantro stems as well; the cilantro leaves go onto the taco with the other fillings).
If your plant doesn't thrive all year, don't forget to dry some for the winter months, toward the end of the season. ;o)
 
Nancy April 5, 2018
Marinara sauce.
Worked into bread or rolls, before second rise.
With two or three other soft-leaf herbs and used in quantity in green salad (about 2:1 lettuce:herbs by volume).
 
Liz D. April 5, 2018
Chimichurri?
 
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