Rosemary

[donna]

Rosemary leaves are obtained from an evergreen shrub of the mint family. The herb was once known as Rosa Maria. All these herbs of the mint family have a similar but distinctly different aroma and taste. Basil and Rosemary, at the end of the scale, have a sweet aroma, while Sage and Thyme at the other end, have a dry flavor. Mint family herbs are Basil, Rosemary, Mint, Marjoram, Oregano, Savory, Thyme, and Sage.

Rosemary is a part of the legends of the ages. One says: "It will grow only in the gardens of the righteous" and another says it is the "symbol of fidelity".

The dried herb resembles a curved pine needle in shape, the needles seldom over 1" in length. The color is grey green. The flavor is distinctively fresh and sweet. The spice companies, such as Durkee, uses Rosemary that comes from France. It also comes from Spain, Yugoslavia, and Portugal. Their Rosemary has much lower costs but is definitely inferior to French Rosemary.

Rosemary is sold almost entirely in the whole form. It is excellent on lamb or beef, roasts and stews. It adds an unusual flavor to soups and boiled vegetables.

From: "A Handbook of Spices" by Durkee.

 

[donna]

One of my family's favorite recipe using Rosemary is Chicken Rosemary. The delicate taste of Rosemary gives this dish its distinction.

Chicken Rosemary

1 3 pound chicken
1 tablespoon flour
5 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon Garlic Salt
1 tablespoon Season-All
1 tablespoon Rosemary Leaves
1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
1 tablespoon vinegar

Cut chicken in pieces and dredge with flour. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a skillet; brown chicken on all sides. Remove chicken from skillet. Brush 1 tablespoon of the oil over bottom of a shallow baking dish and place pieces of the browned chicken close together in the dish, skin side down. Combine garlic salt, Season-All, rosemary leaves, pepper and the remaining oil; brush over chicken. Drizzle with vinegar; cover and marinate in refrigerator several hours before baking. Bake, covered, in 350 degrees oven for 45 minutes. Remove cover and turn chicken, skin side up, then continue baking 20 minutes or until tender.

This dish serves 4.

Recipe from: "Spices of the World Cookbook" by McCormick.

 

[BelleBlackburn]

I love the smell of fresh rosemary. I must be righteous because mine is growing. I have heard of the health benefits of rosemary tea. Has anyone tried it?

 

[nitrofd]

Rosemary does go very well with a leg of lamb.

 

[pamc153PA]

I love rosemary! When I get my plants in the spring, I always get several rosemarys, different cultivars. In Pennsylvania where I live, rosemary is not winter hardy, and though I have succeeded in keeping one alive inside the house through the winter, it's a lot of work: there has to be just the right amount of humidity, which is hard to do in an old house heated by radiators! So usually, I freeze some rosemary chopped up in ice cube trays for the winter, and just buy new plants in the spring. Because of that, I always plant my plants in pots rather than in the ground.

When we were at Monticello last week, I was surprised and jealous to see rows of rosemary plants planted right in the vegetable gardens, and even little cuttings rooting in a small patch. I know that rosemary is hardy in Virginia, but I was green with envy! Wish I could do that!

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