Oyster-Corn Chowder & Garlic-Rosemary Biscuits

Nowadays, we think of oysters as a luxury food, but a few centuries ago they where in such bountiful and accessible supply that people actually complained of having to eat too many. Too many oysters - can you imagine?

Roast Leg of Lamb with Rosemary Marinade & Roasted Vegetables

Lamb leg is considered the choicest cut for roasting, although a boned shoulder or a rack of lamb is also delicious. Legs are usually sold range in weight from 5 to 10 pounds. You may have the leg prepared couple different ways for your cooking. A French way - leg has the shank bone left in and trimmed. An American way - the shank bone is removed, and the meat turned under and either tied or secured with a skewer. If you have trouble carving a leg of lamb, have the shank bone left in, the other bones removed, and the roast rolled and tied. This gives you even slices and presents no trouble at table to the carver.

Filet Mignon Steak with Blue Cheese & Rosemary Butter, Spicy Potato on a Side

Simple dinner idea with a twist under 40 minutes time. Butter blended with fresh herbs, known as a compound butter, makes a simple but delicious embellishment for any kind of steak.

Roasted Rosemary Pumpkin with Black Rice & Cashew Nuts

Hearty and heart-healthy, this roasted butternut squash dish makes a warming main course for a weekday family dinner. Beautiful and simple plate for a Monday night.

Rosemary New York Strip Steak & Pickled Onions

This is one of the most delicious steaks I have ever eaten. It was cooked together with butter, rosemary and garlic. Try it this way!

Have a gorgeous weekend!

Osso Buco Lamb with Sun-dried Tomatoes

Perfect for a chilly spring night, this hearty dish is very delicious. The flavors are amazing. The lamb is fragrant with wine, rosemary, thyme and garlic, and falling-apart tender. My husband loved it and would be worthy of repeating.

Grape Focaccia With Rosemary

This amazingly light bread has a thin crisp top crust with a fine layer of of aromatic rosemary and sweet grapes. Its delicately flavored moist, tender crumb; its top is golden and sparkling with crystals of salt and sugar. Serve with good cheese, like Gorgonzola or Roquefort, it makes a perfect cheese-and-fruit course. Or snack on a warm slice with espresso in the afternoon, a glass of wine in the evening.

Shiitake Mushroom Quiche with Gluten-Free Crust

Shiitake Mushroom Quiche with Herbed Gluten-Free Crust recipe is ideal for brunches, lunches, light afternoon meals or picnics. Shiitake mushrooms give a special and wonderful flavor. The wine and sage are counterpointed by the earthy mushrooms in this preparation. This quiche is adequate for six people as a starter or for four as a luncheon main course. Best served with a salads like tomato, cucumber and radishes or steamed fresh asparagus.

Eggplant Dip with Rosemary and Roasted Tomatoes - Baba Ghanoush Recipe

You can use a food processor to make eggplant dip, but take care not to make it too smooth; this is supposed to be a rustic, slightly chunky dip. I overdid it a little-)) Also you may add tahini (sesame paste), but I didn't, I am on a diet, so mine is fat free.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium eggplants, about 2 pounds
• 3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice of one lemon 
• salt and cayenne pepper to taste
• 1 Tbsp. chopped rosemary

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Grill the eggplants over a gas grill, rotating it around until the skin is completely charred, about 10 minutes. Then bake the eggplants until they are soft inside, about 20 minutes.Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise, drain off the liquid, and scoop the pulp into a food processor. Process the eggplant until smooth and transfer to a medium bowl.Combine the eggplant, minced garlic, cumin, lemon juice, the salt,chopped rosemary, and a pinch of cayenne. Mix well. You want the mixture to be somewhat smooth but still retaining some of the eggplant's texture. Top with a lightly roasted tomatoes. Serve with celery, or cucumber slices.

Eye of Round Roasted with Herbs

From A Dissertation Upon Roast Pig by Charles Lamb (1775-1834)
"Mankind," says a Chinese manuscript, "for the first seventy-thousand ages ate their meat row, clawing or biting it from the living animal just as they do in Abyssinia to this day."

From those early challenging days when raw meat was devoured to today's Steak au Poivre, Veal Scallopine, and Rosemary Shish Kebabs, almost everyone has relished the taste of meat. Correctly cooked and imaginatively seasoned, it has great appeal.



Ingredients:

• 1 eye of round beef roast, 3-4 lb.
• 1 1/2 cups beef stock
• 5-6 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 tsp ground mustard seeds
• 3 or 4 fresh rosemary sprigs, chopped
• 1/4 cup cognac
• salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

Mix together the seasonings with cognac and set them aside.

Take out the roast, rinse it and pat dry with paper towels. Rub the seasonings all over the roast, and let it sit out on the kitchen counter for 30 minutes. This allows the roast to reach room temperature, plus it lets the seasonings settle onto the roast.

Preheat an oven to 400°F.

Place a large Dutch oven over high heat. Add the meat and brown on all sides, 7 to 8 minutes total. Then add the beef stock and roast, uncovered, until the meat is evenly browned on top, about 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 375°F, cover and continue to roast for 1 hour more.

Transfer the meat to a cutting board. Let rest for 10 minutes. Serve with your favorite vegetables.

Preserved Lemons with Rosemary

Preserved lemons are a classic Moroccan condiment often used to flavor stews and sauces. Boiling the lemons softens them more quickly than soaking them in a salty solution alone, cutting your soaking time to around three days. Keep in mind that lemons with thinner skins will take less time to soften. Thinly slice or chop preserved lemons (both rind and flesh), and add to fish, lamb, or chicken recipes. They also give a big flavor boost to tuna, lobster, and pasta salads. Remember to taste before seasoning the dish with any additional salt.



Adapted from Coastal Living

Preparation time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total: 20 Minutes
Chill: 3 days
Yield: Makes 1 quart

Ingredients:

• 4 lemons
• 1/2 cup Himalayan Pink salt
• 1 tsp dried crushed red pepper
• 4 springs fresh rosemary
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil; add lemons. Boil 5 minutes; drain. Run lemons under cold water until cool enough to handle.
Cut lemons into wedges with pink salt, red pepper, and rosemary in a medium bowl. Pack into a jar. Pour lemon juice over lemon wedges to cover. Seal jar, and chill at least 3 days or until rinds are soft and pliable. Shake container daily. Store lemons in refrigerator up to 1 year.

Tip: Stir finely chopped pieces into hot or cold dishes for a burst salty, lemony flavor.

Creamy Mushroom Soup

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma

Ingredients:

• 6 cups chicken stock
• 2 oz. dried chanterelle or porcini mushrooms
• 4 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 5 Tbs. minced shallot
• 1 1/2 lb. baby portabella  or white button mushrooms, brushed clean  and coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup cognac (optional)
• 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• rosemary leaves for garnish (optional)
• black truffle oil for garnish (optional)

Directions:
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, warm 2 cups of the stock. Add the porcini, remove from the heat and let stand for about 20 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chanterelle or the porcini to a cutting board and coarsely chop. Line a fine-mesh sieve with a double layer of cheesecloth. Strain the soaking liquid and set aside.



In a stockpot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the shallot and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the porcini and button mushrooms and cook, stirring, until most of the liquid has evaporated, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the cognac and cook until the liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with the flour and stir to coat. Stir in the mushroom soaking liquid and the remaining 4 cups stock. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes.
Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender until smooth, then return the soup to the pot. Stir in the 1/2 cup cream and season with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls. Garnish with rosemary leaves and drizzle with black truffle oil.

Roasted Lamb in Herbs and Pomegranate Marinade

This wonderful recipe comes from my dear friend's Carina-Forum



THYME Symbol of Activity from The Spice Cookbook, 1964
Among the attractive accomplishments of proper young ladies of the past was a knowledge of the language of flowers. From the book devoted to the lore, which appeared in 1836, they learned that thyme "is a symbol of activity".
"Beetles of all hues, light butterflies, and vigilant bees, for ever surround the flowery tufts of Thyme,"the author noted. "It may be that to these cheerful inhabitants of the air, whose life is a a long spring, these little tufts appear like an immense tree, old as the earth and covered with eternal verdure, begemmed with myriads of flowery vases, filled honey for their express enjoyment," the author continued.
It is true that bees have never able to resist the fragrance of thyme.The ancient Greeks relished the honey made by the bees buzzing over Mount Hymettus, near Athens, where thyme grew abundantly. So highly esteemed was the delicate fragrance of thyme that "to smell of thyme" was one of the most desirable compliments one Athenian could offer another.
Ladies of the Middle Ages also observed the attraction thyme held for bees. A favorite design that a lady embroidered on the scarf of her knight-errant was composed of a bee hovering over a spring of thyme-which mingled the sweet and amiable with high courage and martial action. To enhance their own charms these ladies included thyme springs in the "tussie-mussies" they fashioned. A tussie-mussie was a demure bouquet of very fragrant flowers and sweet-scented leaves. It was always held tightly by a lady so that the warmth of her hand could release the scent of the lovely bouquet.

ROSEMARY For Remembrance from The Spice Cookbook, 1964

The small flower that is part of rosemary - an evergreen of the mint family - once was white. Legend recounts that one night the Virgin Mary - fleeing with the Christ Child from Herod's soldiers - hung her sky-blue cloak on the rosemary bush. From that day on the color of rosemary blossoms was transformed to blue.

The mention of rosemary will call to mind an ancient symbol of remembrance and fidelity. Shakespeare made this sentiment famous in Hamlet, when the tragic Ophelia speaks the immortal line: "There's rosemary, that's for remembrance."

One seventeenth-century preacher urged at a wedding: "Let this Rosemarinus, this flower of men, ensigne of your wisdom, love and loyaltie, be carried not only in your hands, but in your heads and hearts." It was the custom then for bridesmaids to present the bridegroom with "a bunch of Rosemary, bound with ribands" on the morning of the wedding.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 leg of lamb sirloin, 3-4 lb.
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 250 ml pomegranate juice, natural and unsweetened
• 8 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1/3 cup very finely chopped shallots
• 2 Tbs. fresh thyme leaves or 8 thyme sprigs, each 6 inches long
• 4 Tbs. finely minced fresh rosemary
• 1 Tbs. ground coriander
• 2 Tbs. peppercorns, bruised
• 1 1/2 tsp. sea salt

Combine the minced rosemary, fresh thyme, ground coriander, garlic, finely chopped shallots, peppercorns, salt and olive oil to make a paste. Rub over all of the surfaces of the meat.



Place the meat in a shallow glass dish and add pomegranate juice to cover.



Marinate for 24 hours in the refrigerator, turning once. Bring the meat to room temperature before roasting.



Directions:
Preheat an oven to 375°F.
Put the lamb into a large roasting pan and drizzle the lamb with the olive oil. Cook for 25 minutes per pound for medium plus an extra 25 minutes for well-done, spooning the meat juices over the lamb once or twice during cooking.
Transfer the lamb to a carving board or platter and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Let rest for 10 minutes.
To serve, cut the lamb across the grain into thin slices and arrange on a warmed platter. Serve immediately, spooning some of the accumulated juices over each portion.