All right...

[liralen]

... what do people use marjoram for?

I originally thought of it as a tastier/stronger version of oregano, and it works pretty well for that, but I bought this tiny two-inch container of the stuff, and it's now trying to Take Over My Herb Box.

Help?

Instances of what you use oregano for (other than pizza and spaghetti sauce), would also be very welcome.

Comments

[foomf.livejournal.com]

Penny says to tell you...

Oregano is extremely good in most pork dishes. In fact, fresh oregano stripped from the stems can be mixed with garlic and olive oil, and injection-inserted into a pork roast which has been marinated overnight with lime juice and orange juice and a bit of red wine. That's a popular Cuban recipe.

Oregano also goes well with eggplant.

Marjoram is excellent in chicken. You can stuff a few Marjoram branches into the hollow of a chicken, strip the leaves and mix with butter and garlic and pack under the skin of the breast, lay it on a bed of whole garlic cloves (with a small amount of olive oil to keep from sticking too badly) in a Dutch Oven, then lay more Marjoram around the chicken and bake it for an hour or so. This also works with Thyme or Rosemary.

Now, in return... Penny asks about Szechuan peppercorns ... the bag we just opened is about 50 percent twigs and stems by volume. They still smell good, but .. eww. So is this normal, or should we look for a better brand?

[liralen.livejournal.com]

Hi, Penny! Thank you very much!

You should probably find a better brand/store. My Szechuan peppercorns are either the peppercorn or the leaves/bud/flower petals that surround the corn when picked.

oregano

[rowanf.livejournal.com]

Other than the obvious, I put oregano in my tuna salad. Also I often sprinkle oregano and basil on zucchini or other veg that I'm steaming. That's about it though. I don't really use marjoram very regularly.l

Off-topic, but...

[robotech-master.livejournal.com]

...where did you and Liralen get those little cartoon-style LJ user icons? I want one. :)

Re: Off-topic, but...

[rowanf.livejournal.com]

http://www.stor.co.uk/

Have fun!

Re: oregano

[liralen.livejournal.com]

MMmmmm... steamed vegetables. We're starting to do a lot more of that, so this is a really great tip! Thanks!

[bryant]

You can put a bag of oregano on your dashboard as an incentive to keep yourself from speeding.

[liralen.livejournal.com]

Hee!

It would be mildly embarrassing to be arrested for trafficing in oregano...

... but I've been searched thoroughly because of a few containers of tea. *grin*

[marypcb.livejournal.com]

well, the artist who drew the comic that I've clipped this userpic from - Bryan Talbot - was an underground comic artist for many years (although he now does fabulous comics like One Bad Rat and Heart of Empire through Dark Horse and DC and lots of other places: plug for the Web site). When a health and wholefoods shop in the town closed down, Bryan bought their stock of dried herbs (rosemary, oregano etc). He was raided by the police who went down into the cellar and saw row upon row of big jars of dried herbs: they thought Christmas had come early and scurried around taking samples...

roast potatoes!

[(Anonymous)]

I love roast potatoes with marjoram, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Yum.

Marjoram also, I think, goes nicely in mushroom & rice pilafs too, especially if you use chicken stock as the liquid. I've used it in stews, and in meat or chicken pot or shepherd's pies in the past. One really yummy use for it was in a tourtiere (meat pie) that used ground turkey instead of ground beef.

It also makes a nice seasoning in something like a stuffed eggplant, the kind where you mix in breadcrumbs with egg and rice and eggplant bits.

Now I'm hungry!

Teresa

Re: roast potatoes!

[liralen.livejournal.com]

OOooooo!! Those are wonderful ideas! I didn't think of marojam for the meat stews and pies, and mine always seemed to be missing something... and I'd try parsley as I knew it needed something herby, but it was always kind of flat. Very keen.

Thanks!

Its herbal uses are as good as its culinary ones.

[tanais.livejournal.com]

Its a great tranquilliser when used in a decoction. Pretty good as a tonic and particularly recommended after illness when one has a loss of appetite. I found it useful when treating headache and I have treated lame horses (so this applies to humans too) for rheumatism with a Marjoram compress, bound to swollen or stiff joints. If you have a cold, boiled in water and breathe deep its vapours. As an essential oil it's great for PMT, perod pains, headaches and rheumatic, arthritic or back pain (applied with horses as a massage oil). Sprains and sports injuries can also benefit but please be very careful if using Marjoram essential oils herbs are still potentially dangerous especiall in their essential oil form. Marjoram must not be used in pregnancy. Use with sparingly with young people and children.

Re: Its herbal uses are as good as its culinary ones.

[liralen.livejournal.com]

I'd guess that as much herb as one would use in cooking would be safe for toddlers? It's only the essential oils that should be avoided for pregnancy and kids?

Re: roast potatoes!

[(Anonymous)]

Rosemary is another favourite in stews. Also parsley sage and... thyme. Hee ;)

Teresa