Rub-A-Dub-Dub

When Luisa sent me to David for his recipe for a sage-rosemary-garlic-salt rub for just about any food, I went happily, as I always enjoy reading with envy about David's life in Paris. (I'm so casual with their first names that you'd be forgiven for thinking I actually know these people, instead of just being a groupie lurker). They are friends I've never met.

It just so happened that my sage plant and my neighbor's rosemary plant were in desperate need of pruning, so the timing was perfect. I used the chopping attachment for the wonderful stick blender that My Beloved's daughters gave me for my birthday, and it worked a treat for rendering those woody and wooly herbs to near-dust condition. Blended with minced garlic and coarse salt, it smelled wonderfully pungent.

I sprinkled some all over and in an organic, pastured chicken and roasted it in the usual way. The result was really tasty but, at the first bite, I was already dreaming of embellishments. Next time, I'll add lemon peel to the chopper for a citrus lift. I'd also push the mixture under the skin instead of sprinkling it on top so the flavors have a better chance to infuse the meat - chicken stubbornly tastes like, well, chicken, unless you do something forceful to it. I might also add some flat-leaf parsley next time to coax the flavors out of winter and into the summer a bit.

All in all, however, I'd recommend this simple rub. I was too excited to await the drying process and just used it fresh, but I think I will prune again later and dry it for little Christmas gifts. It would be especially welcome for someone who is still working and needs a quick way to add flavor and pizzazz to a weekday meal.