Make a bouquet garni for Oregano soups, stews or stock - A bouquet Oregano is often referred to as the garni (French for "garnished "pizza spice" or a Greek herb. It gets bouquet") is a bundle of herbs these connotations because it grows typically tied together with string and wild in the mountains of Greece and used to prepare soup, stock, and Italy. In Greek, the word "oregano" various stews. The bouquet is cooked means "joy of the mountain." with the other ingredients, but Oregano has tiny, but pungent removed prior to consumption. To leaves and is regarded as a very prepare a bouquet garni, wash the strong herb. When dried, the leaves oregano plant with the leaves on the stems. Tie the oregano to thyme, basil, are considered to be even more pungent. Oregano is widely used in parsley, rosemary, tarragon and/or bay leaves with a string. Drop it in a stock NDOG Italian and Greek cooking, but it also grows well in America and the mixture and allow it to simmer until all United Kingdom, so it has been the flavors are imparted into the mixture. Nashville adapted for many modern and new recipes. Demonstration Use oregano in pizza and pasta sauces - Oregano pairs very well with Organic Using Fresh Oregano tomatoes and other Mediterranean Cut the small leaves from the herbs, such as basil. Add the oregano Garden woody stems with scissors, if toward the end of the cooking you are using fresh oregano. process to help maximize its natural

Wash the leaves thoroughly flavor. Experiment by adding 1 tsp before using them. Take the fresh oregano or 1 tsp dried oregano to leaves in your hands and roll your pasta or pizza sauces. Raise or them between your palms to lower the dose based on your crush them and release the preference. natural oils, and them place them in the recipe.

Make a vinaigrette - Add 1/2 tsp Add oregano after you sauté or dried oregano or 1/2 tsp of fresh cook broccoli, zucchini, onion, oregano to a vinaigrette to create an eggplant or cauliflower - You Visit Nashville Demonstration Italian or Greek-style vinaigrette. Serve it on a bed of fresh greens with may also want to add it earlier in Garden, NDOG, each Friday tomatoes, cucumbers, Kalamata olives stewed dishes with these strong- May through September and feta cheese. flavored vegetables. Both the during market hours. vegetable and the herb pair well with olive oil. Add to a marinade or sauce

with other ingredients that pair Create an appetizer by covering well with oregano - These include crostini, or toasted bread, with olive oil, vinegar, garlic, basil, onion, parsley and thyme. They make an a thin layer of provolone cheese Check out the Howard County excellent marinade for lamb, beef or - Sprinkle fresh, diced oregano leaves on top Farmers’ Market page at chicken. of the cheese and place in the grill or broiler for 5 minutes. Serve immediately. nashvillear.com for updates on what is happening in the Substitute oregano for Add a small amount of oregano garden and what is expected marjoram or thyme if you lack along with basil and other herbs at market . . . those ingredients. Marjoram is a to steamed seafood dishes, such type of oregano and thyme has a For more information contact: as mussels and clams - It also can similar flavor, so they can be used to NDOG Coordinator Gerry be used to marinade and flavor almost the same culinary effect. Wenta (903) 278-6716 Marjoram, Origanum majorana, seafood, but you should use it in low belongs to the genus oregano. There amounts because of its somewhat bitter are more than 50 types of oregano, and taste. Market Managers: all of these plants are part of the mint Debra Bolding (870) 557-2352 family. Marjoram tends to have a more The flowers of the oregano Mary Hartness (501) 472-8092 subtle flavor, so feel free to use it to plant can also be eaten in replace the stronger taste, if you prefer. salads. They are purple or pink. They impart a slightly different, but spicy flavor.