Oregano

Oregano - Rigani in Greek

Over the summer we have been given 3 large bunches of oregano.  They were all still green so we hung them out to dry.

Now is the time to rub the leaves and flowers and store the dried oregano for use in so many of our daily dishes.  Even the greek salad is not complete without a sprinkling of oregano.  My traditional person sprinkles it over the dish of feta cheese, on his boiled zucchinis, with fried aubergine, it goes in the oil and lemon dressing for fish, on toasted bread, on a bowl of olives in just about any meat dish or soup.  Offal is always served with a generous amount of lemon juice, fresh olive oil and a good sprinkling of rigani.

Here he is rubbing the flowers and leaves into a large bowl.   The smell is pungent and aromatic

The last bunch 

The stalks that remain will be saved for winter's fires

I cut our pot of oregano right back and it is sprouting again.  Now and again I use fresh oregano in cooking but the dried is easier, it is always on hand in the kitchen

3 large jars ready for the kitchen cupboard

Grown in a pot or collected from great straggly bushes on our hillsides, rigani is the most important herb in greek cooking.