A Gift of Rosemary
My daughter and one of my wife's best friends share the same birthday so we invited them along with another couple over for a light dinner and get together this past Saturday. The other couple brought us a rosemary plant as a gift and now I have it sitting in my office by the window to get the sunlight it needs.
This is interesting because rosemary is a drought tolerant plant that grows in poor soil and has a huge root system that reaches out to find water in its environment. Obviously if you are keeping it in a pot, the roots can't grow and find water so you have to quench its thirst yourself.
Like a Poinsettia, rosemary is not meant to stay in the house year round but can survive a couple of months during the cold winter season. Once it warms up, you can re-pot the plant to a larger pot and have it throughout the spring, summer and fall. Come winter, I guess you can bring the bigger plant inside if you have the space but realize, these plants can grow anywhere from 2 to 6 feet.
Legends and Myths
Did you know that Greek physicians used rosemary to relieve mental disorders? Or that during the middle ages it was prominent at the most elegant weddings as a symbol of fidelity. They would take sprigs of rosemary, dip them in gold, tie them together with a ribbon and give them to the guests. And today they stick it in potpourri.
About Rosemary
I love cooking with rosemary especially with chicken and lam. It has a piney flavor and very distinctive aroma. Although native to the Mediterranean, you can find Rosemary all over the world.
Rosemary looks like a miniature evergreen bush and is a member of the mint family. You often see whole sprigs of rosemary sticking out of a fancy dish in high-end restaurants especially those that like to serve "tall" food.
I have some fun not-so-tall recipes on my web site that include fresh rosemary as a key ingredient including
Puree of Butternut Squash with Pear & Rosemary
Grilled Pork Chops on Fresh Rosemary
Chicken Roasted with Tomatoes, Potatoes and Olives
Plus you can find more if you do a search for rosemary in the searchbar.
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