A Neapolitan pizza would be incomplete without oregano. This plant is native to the temperate and subtropical regions of Eurasia, but it grows wild as far north as central Scandinavia and the northern parts of the former USSR as well as in North America.
In the first century B.C. the largest producer of olive oil was Italy, where the olive tree was introduced by the Greeks. Olives, as we know them today in the form used to flavour dishes typical of the Mediterranean region, were not known at that time.
Its delicate aroma and flavour have made parsley the most widely-used culinary herb which can be added to practically all dishes that are not sweet. The finely chopped leaves are used either fresh or dried. It can be combined well with other kitchen herbs.
Crushed parsley seeds may be used for flavouring instead of the leaves, though this is not a common practice. Parsley leaves are an important component of bouquet garni and a common ingredient of a great variety of commercial sauces.
Put a few drops on a salad of fresh green peppers or tomatoes, close your eyes, and it does not take much to imagine you are by the warm Mediterranean Sea. It is particularly good mixed with wine vinegar or lemon juice, but the addition of other herbs would only spoil the illusion.
Two types are cultivated: the one for its curly leaves, used for flavouring and as a garnish, the other for its fleshy root, commonly used as a vegetable. In the autumn the plants may be put in pots, thus ensuring a continual supply of fresh leaves, rich in Vitamin C, throughout the winter. As cooking destroys vitamins it is recommended to add the chopped leaves just before serving - 16035
In the first century B.C. the largest producer of olive oil was Italy, where the olive tree was introduced by the Greeks. Olives, as we know them today in the form used to flavour dishes typical of the Mediterranean region, were not known at that time.
Its delicate aroma and flavour have made parsley the most widely-used culinary herb which can be added to practically all dishes that are not sweet. The finely chopped leaves are used either fresh or dried. It can be combined well with other kitchen herbs.
Crushed parsley seeds may be used for flavouring instead of the leaves, though this is not a common practice. Parsley leaves are an important component of bouquet garni and a common ingredient of a great variety of commercial sauces.
Put a few drops on a salad of fresh green peppers or tomatoes, close your eyes, and it does not take much to imagine you are by the warm Mediterranean Sea. It is particularly good mixed with wine vinegar or lemon juice, but the addition of other herbs would only spoil the illusion.
Two types are cultivated: the one for its curly leaves, used for flavouring and as a garnish, the other for its fleshy root, commonly used as a vegetable. In the autumn the plants may be put in pots, thus ensuring a continual supply of fresh leaves, rich in Vitamin C, throughout the winter. As cooking destroys vitamins it is recommended to add the chopped leaves just before serving - 16035
