Wednesday, April 16, 2008

"BUY HYACINTHS to FEED the SOUL" ~ ROSEMARY OLIVE FOCACCIA

"If of thy mortal goods thou art bereft,
And from thy slender store
Two loaves alone to thee are left,
Sell one and from the dole,
Buy Hyacinths to feed the soul."
~ Sheikh Muslih-uddin Saadi Shirazi
( The Gulistan of Saadi, 1270 )

~ Hyacinth soul

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ROSEMARY OLIVE FOCACCIA

~ Easy recipe using frozen bread dough

adapted from 1992 TOO BUSY TO COOK (Bon Appetit)

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1 pound thawed frozen bread dough

3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 heaping Tbsp. minced fresh rosemary (1 tsp. crumbled dried)

freshly ground black pepper

1 cup (or more) grated Parmesan cheese

8-10 chopped Kalamata olives

4 thinly sliced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes

2 thinly sliced large garlic cloves

Fresh rosemary springs

  • Preheat oven to 450-degrees. Place bread dough in bowl. Add 1 tablespoon oil and minced rosemary. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper. Knead dough until ingredients are combined.
  • Roll dough out on lightly floured work surface to 9x6-inch rectangle. Transfer to baking sheet. Flatten and press dough into 12x9-inch rectangle. Rub 1 tablespoon olive oil over. Sprinkle half of the Parmesan cheese over; press gently into dough. Bake until bread is almost cooked through and cheese begins to brown, about 12 minutes.
  • Arrange Kalamata olives, sun-died tomatoes and garlic atop bread. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese to cover lightly. Drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over. Top with rosemary sprigs. Continue baking until cheese melts and bread is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Cut into squares or wedges and serve. (4 servings)



9 comments:

Jane O' said...

First of all, what a gorgeous pink color.
Second, what can I do? My husband doesn't like rosemary. I love the scent and it's fun to grow but he prefers that I don't use it in a recipe. I've tried sneaking it in, thinking he won't notice. No luck. I'll save this recipe for a lunch with my friend.

TYRA Hallsénius Lindhe said...

Two of my favorites Focaccia and Hyaciths thank you, just have to try that recipe...hm...frozen dough? that's sounds good.

joey said...

Hi Jane Marie ... if your husband doesn't care for rosemary, try sweet basil & oregano. It will remind him of pizza (if he likes pizza).

Thanks Nancy. Loved your parrot tulip photos and can't wait to see mine. I see green feet popping up in my garden but their heads are still asleep.

Thank you, Tyra. You can find prepared frozen bread dough in the frozen food section at the grocery store, which makes the recipe a bit easier than making dough from scratch. Yea Spring!

A wildlife gardener said...

I'm definitely a pink girl :) Gorgeous photo montage of the hyacinths :)

I also loved the sentiments of the poem at the beginning of your post...a bit like 'Man cannot live by bread alone'..and I do believe that flowers feed the soul, and that heaven will be full of them :)

Fancy a spot of dancing? Yes? You will need to bring your wiggly tail...:)

chey said...

Beautiful photos! Love your collage. Such a soft pink color. Can almost imagine their wonderful smell.

Rose said...

I wish I could print out these photos and hang them on my wall! I love pink.
My daughter would make focaccia bread when she used to live with us. The only problem was that we would stuff ourselves silly with it--it was so good.

Anonymous said...

What a gorgeous vignette of photos above. That is really nice. I'll have to figure out how you did that!
Brenda

joey said...

You're a soul after my own heart, Wildlife! Indeed, there will be flowers in Heaven ... hoards of them ... and those that leave before us pave the way. I know a garden will be waiting for me there ...

The hyacinth scent is unique, Chey. Some like the scent and some don't. It reminds me of spring and the powerful hue of this pink is powerful. Thanks for visiting.

Such kind words, Rose. No wonder with your lovely name that you love pink! Please feel free to use these if you choose. My daughter makes focaccia also ... even tastier than mine. Love it when my children surpass me!

Thank you Brenda ... it's easier than you think. Grab your camera, shoot, and hook in to any good photo editing software ... some might come with your camera or for ease, try Google's free Picasa.

Anonymous said...

This is a great recipe, thank you for sharing. I always use Rhodes Frozen Bread Dough it is the closest to homemade in taste. Thank you for sharing.