Seasoned Bread Crumbs

Put 6 slices of torn, stale bread (white, wheat or sourdough are great) in the food processor, or blender, with:

• 2 tbsp., fresh, flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tsp. fresh thyme
• 2 tsp. fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp. fresh lemon zest
• 2 cloves of peeled garlic
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 2 tsp. olive oil.

Pulse until coarse crumbs form, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

Pour crumbs onto a baking sheet sprayed with olive-oil flavored cooking spray (or butter-flavored), spreading into a thin layer. Bake at 200 degrees F. for 1 hour, stirring occasionally to prevent over-browning, until dry and golden.

Cool and store in an airtight container in the freezer.

These can be used to top a casserole, mix into a meat loaf, or use to bread chicken or fish for frying or baking. It also makes a wonderful stuffing mix by adding chopped onions and celery, chicken stock and melted butter to moisten.

You can substitute your favorite fresh herbs for the thyme and rosemary. I often use dill and tarragon. The parsley is a constant, but others are optional as long as the quantities remain the same. Dried herbs can be substituted for fresh, by cutting the amounts to one third that of fresh.

Store-bought crumbs contain preservatives, so you can't be sure what's in the product. Make your own, and control the ingredients AND the flavors! These will keep at least 1 year in the freezer, or can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Be creative and ENJOY!

By Chris Cook