Salt, Pepper & Rosemary Cheese Crackers [Recipe]

My conservatory is a sea of green. My tomato, cucumber, pepper & chilli seedlings have now been transplanted and fill one set of shelves. My windowsill is covered with red vases containing an assortment of fresh herbs – rosemary, melissa (lemon balm), basil, coriander, tarragon and mint. The smell of the herbs is intoxicating, particularly when the sun shines and warms the leaves.

I have been using the mint and melissa every day to make tea – I just snip off a small sprig, pop it in a mug and add boiling water. The mint tea is particularly refreshing, while the melissa is a soothing bedtime drink. The basil and mint I use in salads, the coriander on curries and stir-fries. The tarragon needs a bit more time before it is ready to harvest. The rosemary, though, is getting less use than the others. Lest it feel left out, I have been thinking about ways I can use it beyond roast meats or potatoes.

Rosemary has a strong flavour and only needs to be used in very small amounts or it can be overpowering. Used judiciously, though, it can bring a warm, woody note to savoury dishes. The sharp, astringent taste works very well with fatty foods such as oily fish and cheese as well as the classic roast lamb.

I recently received two gifts of cheese from friends overseas (you can see photos over on Facebook), so I decided to make some cheese crackers. I wasn’t really sure what I was doing and whether my proportions would work, but the result was one of the most delicious crackers I’ve ever eaten. I ate three while I was waiting for them to cool – they’re that good. They are buttery and crumbly with just enough seasoning to make them edible on their own, but equally good with a strong goat’s cheese or sharp cheddar. They are also fantastic dipped into hummus. As they’re a bit like a Ritz cracker they would be great as a base for canapés. Easy, tasty and versatile – that’s my kind of food.

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