Ugh, you guys… I suck so much at taking care of herbs.
I bought four different herbs from the farmers’ market: basil, cilantro, thyme, and rosemary. The basil looked beautiful for nearly two weeks, and then it turned a sad yellow color. The thyme turned brittle after a few days. The tall bush of cilantro collapsed into a yellow pile within hours. All three of them never fully recovered. I believe the basil and thyme improve a little bit every day, but the cilantro had to be removed from the pot and tossed. The only plant that still looks functional is the rosemary.
I shouldn’t be surprised. Rosemary smells like pine tree, and pine trees are sturdy enough to sustain even the worst weather in South Dakota; it only makes sense that rosemary can withstand the (apparently unbearable) conditions of my herb garden.
Sadly, of the four herbs I chose, rosemary is my least favorite. To be honest, I don’t even like it that much. I only picked it because I like to season potatoes with it sometimes. (Okay, I also like it in my gin & tonics, but…)
Thus, here is my attempt to make use of the happy rosemary plant I have. I may prefer basil and thyme, but the rosemary in this oatmeal was fantastic! (P.S. The other great quality of rosemary is that it tastes pretty decent dried, which I can’t say about most herbs.)
What you'll need:
- 3/4 cup milk of choice, or water
- 1/4 cup quick cook steel-cut oats (I use Country Choice Organic)
- 1 or 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 1/8 tsp lemon extract OR lemon zest OR 1 tsp lemon juice
- pinch of salt
- 10 (or so) red grapes, halved
How to make it:
- Bring milk (I use 1/2 c almond milk and 1/4 c water) to a boil, add oats, and reduce heat to medium. (If you'd like to add a teaspoon of flax or chia seeds, do so now.)
- Holding a sprig of rosemary at its top, slide your fingers down it, to the bottom, to strip off the needles. Then, gather them together and chop the needles a few times to create pieces that are shorter than half a centimeter. Stir into the oatmeal.Once more of the liquid has absorbed, add lemon extract and salt. Stir.
- When you're pleased with the consistency of the oatmeal, stir in halved grapes.
- To serve, transfer to a bowl and add a splash of your milk of choice and any other additional toppings. Top with another fresh sprig of rosemary to look ~fancy~.
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