Oven Roasted Eggplant with Summer Savory
Tender roasted eggplant soft enough to scoop from the skin.
Summer savory, most often compared in flavor to marjoram or thyme, is an annual plant with lilac colored tubular flowers. It is a particularly popular herb in Atlantic Canada, where it is used as the main flavoring agents in stuffing- much like sage is used in the United States. Summer savory is also often included in an herbs de provence spice blend. Use summer savory much like you would thyme. Its peppery flavor and spicy aroma liven up many dishes. Add some to an omelet or frittata, or use it in a marinade for chicken or fish.
Handling: Add a sprig/s to any slowly cooked soups, stews, tomato-based sauces, or plain rice during cooking and remove before serving. Sprigs can also be placed in the water for steamed or boiled vegetables. If using fresh leaves in a dish, it’s a good idea to strip the leaves off the woody stems. It can be a bit painstaking but using a fork to strip the stems helps.
Storing: Store fresh summer savory in the fridge in a plastic bag.
Freezing: Freeze branches on cookie sheets, then strip off the leaves, put them into plastic containers and return them to the freezer. Or mix finely chopped savory with just enough olive oil or butter to bind them together, and freeze the mixture in ice cube trays.
Drying: Dry entire branches on racks, or tie them into bunches and hang them in a dry, well-ventilated spot away from direct sun. Store dried leaves in airtight jars.