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Give me Rosemary and More Time

As a holiday gift from some dear friends, my husband and I received a gorgeous rosemary plant. It actually looks like a little Christmas tree. I wanted to put lights and little baby ornaments on it but adult sensibilities won out. (Isn’t it cute?)

So instead of using it as home decor, I decided to find or develop as many recipes as I could to use it before I killed it. Alas, its death is inevitable. I don’t know if it is me or our tap water. I’m good with outside plants. Houseplants, not so much. I’m hoping it will survive my black thumb until spring and then I’ll transplant it to my herb bed.

I only started cooking with rosemary within the last decade or so. Its piney sharp flavor is not everyone’s cup of tea. But my mind was changed after sampling a roasted potato dish at a restaurant on Madeline Island up near Bayfield a few years ago. My sister and I decided we needed some bonding time, so we took a long weekend and ventured up to the Apostle Islands for some hiking and experiencing the local color. After two days of meals consisting mainly of smoked fish (which we both absolutely adore), we decided to take the ferry to Madeline Island to find a restaurant for a proper vacation meal.

I wish I could share with you the name of the restaurant, but the truth is that my mind is blank to most everything associated with that night. (I think I’ll blame the excellent bottle of chardonnay we shared.) I know we walked to the ferry and then to the restaurant; and I remember I had a really great giggly girl time with my big sis. And I also remember the potatoes. Weird, right?

The spuds were really nothing that special, just oven roasted and then sprinkled with fresh rosemary, sea salt and a smidge of red pepper flakes, then finished with a fine drizzle of olive oil and red wine vinegar. They were served piping hot and as I tasted them, I remember thinking , “Why don’t I ever cook with rosemary? This is fantastic!”

Then I remembered how my friend tried to kill me with a rosemary spear, thus my reason for avoiding the herb since that time. (See my blog, “Cooking from Memory” for the gory details). http://gazettextra.com/weblogs/savory-faire/2010/jun/22/cooking-from-memory/

But I’m glad to say that I’m over my fear and have embraced this most Mediterranean of herbs. If I’m making a bean stew like a cassoulet, I’ll toss in a spring or two. I’ll chop some up and add it to olive oil for a lovely bread dip. Or add it to the aforementioned potatoes. But now the clock is ticking because our poor plant is looking a bit forlorn. Time to use the rosemary. I’m going to give it a haircut and add a generous portion into some mushroom soup for lunch today. It steams up my glasses and makes me think of hiking in a piney forest on Madeline Island. Winter bliss.

Do you use fresh herbs in the wintertime, or have you killed off your windowsill specimens like me?

“Cream” of Mushroom Soup

Adapted from Smittenkitchen.com, who adapted it from The Balthazar Cookbook

(My adaptation was to cut out the cup of heavy cream and a bunch of butter. I don’t think it needed it.)

1 ounce dried mushrooms (porcini, morels, or shitakes)

1/2 cup olive oil

1-4 inch long sprig of rosemary

1 bay leaf

1 large yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground white pepper

1 pound crimini or white button mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced

4 cups chicken stock or water

1. Soak the dry mushrooms in 1 cup of hot water for 20 to 30 minutes, until plump.

2. Strain the soaking liquid through a coffee filter or paper towel to remove grit and reserve, along with the reconstituted mushrooms, until needed.

3. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over a medium flame. Add the onion, with the salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent but not brown. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute until fragrant.

4. Bundle the rosemary and bay leaf together and tie with kitchen twine. Add to the onion mixture.

5. Turn the flame to high and add the crimini or white mushrooms and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. The mushrooms will give off their liquid (which should evaporate quickly due to the high heat) and deflate significantly.

6. Add the chicken stock and the dried mushrooms along with the strained soaking water.

7. Simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the herbs, then working in batches, puree the soup in a blender until smooth. Return to the pot and keep at a very low simmer until ready to serve.

Lisa Parsley is a Janesville native writes about food and cooking for Gazettextra.com. Lisa is a community blogger and is not a part of The Gazette staff. Her opinion is not necessarily that of the The Gazette staff or management.