You can easily apply your garnish by putting the oil in a condiment squeeze bottle and then applying it in the design you wish.

Ideas for garnishing with oil include drizzling in a zig-zag pattern, a cross-hatch design, drawing a rough circle around the plate, drawing a spiral, or decorating with dots of oil.

Making Oil Garnishes

Olive Oil

1 c. herbs, finely chopped (parsley, basil and cilantro are all good options)

Coffee filters

In a pot, add both ingredients and then turn on the heat to low. Allow to cook slowly for 2-3 minutes or until the oil begins to bubble and the herbs soften.

Remove the pot from the heat and allow to cool for 10 min. Pour into a blender and blend well.

Set two coffee filters over a cup and pour the oil into it. Allow it to drip through slowly, don´t press or force it if you want a nice clear oil garnish.

The oil can be stored for up to two weeks in the fridge.

Other Ideas for Oil Garnishes

Try using curry powder instead of herbs for a bright yellow oil. You will still need to strain it, however, if you want a clear oil.

Saute mushrooms in the oil for a more pungent flavor. The oil will come out brown or black and is ideal for darker garnishes.

Other herbs such as garlic, peppercorns (use whole, not crushed), and chili peppers can be used as well, but don´t blend them, just strain the chunks out.

Red peppers can be used as with the herbs above. You may want to roast the peppers ahead of time and then saute and blend for a beautiful red garnish.

Sometimes you just need a nice hearty soup . . . not one of the more watery ones. Yesterday, I was totally in the mood for a thick, yet flavorful soup and after a glance through my rather bare cupboards, I came up with this tasty soup.

Oregano Potato Soup

Serves 6

4 c. chopped potatoes
3 medium onions, diced
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 c. milk
1 tsp. beef consomme
enough water to cover the potatoes in the pot
salt to taste

In a pot, boil the potato chunks until tender. Remove from heat.

In a frying pan, cook the onions in a little oil until browned.

Dump potatoes and the cooking water into the blender and blend on high for 3 min. or until smooth. Add a little more water if needed. Return to pot.

Pour milk, oregano, garlic powder, consomme and onions into the blender and blend until smooth. Pour into the potato mixture. Stir over low heat until blended. Salt to taste and serve hot.

This soup is particularly good with Herbed Biscuits. (recipe tomorrow)

To make your dishes look really professional, there are a few tips to follow:

• When using leaves like basil, opt for either a two-leaf pair attached to the stem or the upper bit of the stem, with two baby leaves and two larger ones.
• Don`t be afraid to use flowering herbs. Chocolate mint has lovely flowers that add a great touch to dessert dishes.
• A sprig of rosemary is just fine, but you can also strip the spiny leaves and sprinkle them around the plate or across the food.
• Consider combining herbs with other garnishes. For example, a sprig of mint laid across a lemon slice or a couple leaves of basil tucked into a tomato slice look great.

Fresh herbs are a wonderful way to make your dishes come alive. Just make sure they are really fresh, since wilted leaves just don`t have the same effect.