THYME RECIPES

English Thyme

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Turnip or Rutabaga Puree with Thyme and Leeks
from Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

1 small potato, peeled
2 pounds turnips and or rutabagas, thickly peeled
2 medium chopped leeks, white and light green parts only
1 garlic clove or 1 stalk green garlic, chopped
salt and pepper
2 T or more cream, buttermilk, or milk
2 T butter
2 t chopped thyme

Chop the potato and turnips the same size. If using rutabagas, chop them about half tghe size of the potato. Put the vegetables, leeks, and garlic in a pot with cold water just to cover, add ½ t salt, and simmer, partially covered, until tender, 15-20 minutes. Drain, reserving the liquid.

Mash the vegetables with a fork for a rough-textured puree or pass them through a food mill. Add 2 T or more cream or reserved broth to thin the puree. Stir in the butter and thyme and season with S and P to taste.

Variations: Stir 1 cup grated gruyere cheese into the puree. Or simmer the vegetables in milk instead of water. Add a Tablespoon of roasted garlic and a teaspoon finely chopped rosemary to the puree. Or enrich the puree with a little creme fraiche and stir in 1 cup watercress sprigs that have been blanched briefly in boiling water, then finely chopped.

Thyme, Rosemary, and Wine Vinegar Dressing
adapted from: Cooking with Friends, by Trish Deseine and Marie-Pierre Morel

1 cup olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp fresh rosemary leaves
Sea salt and black pepper

Blend the thyme and rosemary leaves in a food processor or crush them with a mortar and pestle. Put all the ingredients in a bowl and combine with a whisk.

Herbed Rice Salad from Julia

You can make this very quickly if you used your favorite bottled dressing, and just toss all the herbs with the vegetables and rice. You can also vary the herbs, use more, add others to this list, etc.

4 cups cooked firm brown or white rice, not sticky rice
1 generous bunch parsley, washed well, leaves removed and chopped
1 teaspoon each chopped rosemary & thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon sage leaves, finely chopped
2-4 Tablespoons olive oil
zest from 1 lemon
juice from 2 lemons
1 small garlic clove
S & P to taste
4-6 green onions, chopped
grated carrots & radishes, or substitute other vegetables as the season and your garden or fridge dictate.
Grated hard cheese, such as parmesan, optional

Make dressing in a small blender jar: put the oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, rosemary, thyme, sage leaves, garlic clove, and S & P into jar and whirl in blender. (you can use the standard large blender jar if you don’t have a small one)

Toss dressing with rice and vegetables. This makes a great potluck salad.

Thyme
Unlike cilantro, parsley and basil, thyme dries very well. Here are 2 paragraphs from Hurley's The Good Herb:

Lore and Legend: In Biblical times, people sacrificed animals, particularly lambs, to invoke the influence of the gods. To make the lambs more enticing to the celestial powers, they were often sprinkled with thyme. the idea may have derived from ancient Egypt, where embalmers used thyme to ready mummies for their heavenly journeys. Or it may simply have reflected the human fondness for the combination of lamb and thyme. In Greece, lambs were even encouraged
to graze in fields of wild thyme to make them tastier for eating.
Cooking: Thyme tastes green and slightly peppery, with a touch of clove. Though it lends foods a little pizzazz on its own-try sprinkling on fish before grilling-most cooks prize it for its effectiveness at marrying other flavors. If the stew needs some snap, thyme can help by encouraging the ingredients to cooperate. When the vinegrette needs "just a little something" many cooks reach for thyme. Swirl into soups during the last five minutes of cooking, and add it to polenta and risotto.

MUSHROOM PESTO WITH PARSLEY AND THYME

10 ounces white mushrooms, sliced 1/4 -inch thick
9 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper
3 medium unpeeled garlic cloves
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rehydrated in
1/2 cup boiling water until softened, about
5 minutes, hydrating liquid strained through damp paper towel–lined sieve and reserved
1 small shallot, chopped coarse
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup packed parsley leaves, washed and dried thoroughly
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan

1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 450 degrees; line rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty foil. Toss sliced mushrooms with 2 tablespoons oil
and salt and pepper in medium bowl; spread evenly on prepared baking sheet. Roast, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, about 25 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, toast garlic in small dry skillet over medium heat, shaking pan occasionally, until softened and spotty brown, about 8 minutes; when cool, remove and
discard skins.
3. In workbowl of food processor fitted with steel blade, process roasted mushrooms, garlic, porcini and liquid, shallot, thyme, parsley and remaining 7 tablespoons
oil until smooth, stopping as necessary to scrape down sides of bowl. Transfer mixture to small bowl and stir in cheese; season to taste with salt and pepper.

Thyme Between Melted Cheese and Toast
The Kitchen Garden Cookbook by Thompson

Lightly brush one side of thinnish slices of French bread with olive oil.
Brown the oiled tops under a broiler or toaster oven. Sprinkle evenly with
fresh leaves of thyme. Cover the bread with thinnish slices of a melting
cheese such as jack, Swiss, or Muenster. Sprinkle with a light olive oil and
black pepper. Broil until bubbly and serve at once.

Gorgonzola and Fresh Thyme Sauce for Pasta
Recipes from a Kitchen Garden by Shepherd & Raboff
julia's note: this is not a low fat recipe. it could be adapted by making a white sauce, or just skipping this recipe if you're watching calories and or fat...

1 1/2 cups half and half
6 ounces gongonzola (or blue) cheese,
crumbled
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg or white pepper

Combine half and half, crumbled cheese, thyme and nutmeg. Cook gently,
stirring frequently, until mixture reduces by one-fourth. Add white pepper
to taste. Toss with steaming pasta.
You may add sliced, peeled apples and walnuts to the above.

Leek Noodles
Ten Minute Cuisine by Green & Moine
In a wok, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add 2 shredded leeks and 1
teaspoon fresh thyme leaves. Add cooked noodles of any shape (about 1 pound when uncooked) and stir-fry until heated through.
Season with salt and pepper.

POTATO AND GARLIC SOUP WITH HERBS

Here is our adaptation of aigo bouido, the restorative Provenal garlic soup.
Simmering the garlic tames its bite. A green salad and crusty bread round out
the meal.

2 tablespoons olive oil (preferably extra-virgin)
1 cup chopped onion
4 cups canned low-salt chicken broth or vegetable broth
2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
6 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup minced chives or green onions
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme or 3/4 teaspoon dried

Heat olive oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, sautŽ until golden, about 10
minutes. Add broth, potatoes, garlic and bay leaf; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover
and simmer until potatoes are very tender, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly. Discard bay leaf. Coarsely
puree soup in blender 1 cup at a time, about 20 seconds per batch (do not overprocess). Return soup
to same saucepan. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer until heated through. Ladle soup into
bowls. Sprinkle with chives and thyme and serve.

Serves 4.
Bon Appetit
May 1995

SKILLET-CRUSTED POTATOES

These potatoes are at their best when browned just before serving.

2 1/2 pounds small boiling potatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

In a large saucepan cover potatoes with salted cold water by 1 inch and simmer
potatoes 10 to 15 minutes, or until just tender. Drain potatoes in a colander and
cool. Potatoes may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead and chilled,
covered.

Halve potatoes crosswise. In a 10- to 12-inch non-stick skillet heat 1 1/2
tablespoons oil with 1/2 tablespoon thyme and salt to taste over moderately high
heat until hot but not smoking and add half of potatoes, cut sides down. Cook potatoes, without
stirring, until cut sides are golden and crusty, about 5 minutes, and toss potatoes, shaking skillet, to
coat with oil.

Transfer cooked potatoes to a serving bowl and cook remaining potatoes with remaining oil and
thyme in same manner.

Serves 6.
Gourmet June 1997

The following three come from: Osage Gardens

GLAZED CARROTS WITH PISTACHIOS AND THYME
Serve at Thanksgiving or any other time of year.Serves 4

1 lb. carrots, peeled and cut into ½” slices on the bias
Salt and pepper
¼ cup unsalted butter
¼ cup brown sugar
1/3 cup pistachios, shelled and unsalted and toasted in the oven (10 min. at 350º F)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, picked from stems
Cook carrots uncovered in 2” of boiling water about 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain and season with salt and pepper. Melt butter in skillet. over medium heat, stir in brown sugar and cook until sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally. Add cooked carrots. Cook slowly until well glazed. Toss with roasted pistachios. Garnish with fresh thyme and serve.

THYME-BRAISED ZUCCHINI IN CRÈME FRAICHE
Braising zucchini brings out their subtle, delicate flavor.Serves 4

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 medium zucchini, about 1-1/4 lbs., trimmed and thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Zest of one lemon and juice of ½ lemon
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh thyme
¾ cup crème fraîche
Melt butter over low heat in skillet. Add zucchini, salt, pepper, lemon juice and thyme. Cover skillet and braise over low heat for 6-8 minutes, or until just tender. Uncover skillet. Gently fold in crème fraîche and just heat through. Correct seasoning and serve at once.

ROASTED CHICKEN WITH LEMON AND THYME
There is nothing more satisfying than a simple roasted chicken. Serve with garlic mashed potatoes.

1 natural or organic chicken
1 lemon
Fresh thyme
3 tablespoons softened butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 425º F. Dry chicken inside and out. Rub under the breast skin and all over with softened butter, which has been mixed with 1 teaspoon lemon juice and 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme. Place several sprigs of thyme and the remainder of the lemon inside the cavity of the chicken. Roast on a rack 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350º F and continue to roast until chicken registers 160º F on an instant read thermometer. Let rest at least 20 minutes before carving.

from Wikipedia:

A brief history of thyme
Ancient Egyptians used thyme in embalming. The ancient Greeks used it in their baths and burnt it as incense in their temples, believing that thyme was a source of courage. It was thought that the spread of thyme throughout Europe was thanks to the Romans, as they used it to purify their rooms. In the European Middle Ages, the herb was placed beneath pillows to aid sleep and ward off nightmares. (Huxley 1992). In this period, women would also often give knights and warriors gifts that included thyme leaves as it was believed to bring courage to the bearer. Thyme was also used as incense and placed on coffins during funerals as it was supposed to assure passage into the next life.

A Few Quick Serving Ideas:
Add thyme to your favorite pasta sauce recipe.
Fresh thyme adds a wonderful fragrance to omelets and scrambled eggs.
Hearty beans such as kidney beans, pinto beans and black beans taste exceptionally good when seasoned with thyme.
When poaching fish, place some sprigs of thyme on top of the fish and in the poaching liquid.
Season soups and stocks by adding fresh thyme.