|
Brad's:
Thank you to my good friend, avid reader and great cook in
her own right, Marsha Perry, for suggesting the addition of this wonderful herb to Olde
Time Cooking.
Rosemary...for
remembrance |
 Latin name: Rosmarinus
officinalis
Common names: Rosemary, Moorwort, Mist of
the Sea
History
Rosemary can be traced back at least 3,000 years to the Egyptians and Arabs, who
planted Rosemary as a border plant for their splendid rose gardens. The Romans took
the herb to England, where it truly thrives in the southern part of the country. The
English still place a wreath of rosemary on the graves of their soldiers on Armistice Day.
Growing
 Rosemary is an
erect perennial evergreen. It grows readily in poor, dry, limy soil. Within
two years, you should have a wonderfully dense hedge about 2 feet in diameter at which
time it will bloom. Rosemary will not go through a freeze. Rosemary can also
be started by tearing off a piece, being sure to keep a "heel" of the bottom
branch, and placing in wet sand until it becomes rooted. To dry, cut off as much as
you need and place on a screen in a dry, warm place. Once dried, remove leaves from
stem and keep tightly sealed.
Uses
Rosemary, a member of the mint family, has been
around as long as recorded time. It has been used for cooking, both in recipes and
as decoration, in aromatherapy (such as sachets or in nosegays) or strictly as an
ornamental shrub. In the right climate (dry and hot) Rosemary will grow to 5 feet
tall and has beautiful pale-blue flowers.
 The medicinal properties of rosemary
are in the oil extracted from the leaves and leafy stems, the flowering dried twig tips,
and the fresh and dried leaves. We know that it contains properties that are antiviral and
antimicrobial. It has anti-spasmodic properties, anti-convulsive properties, stimulates
circulation, and contains flavonoids that provide antioxidant benefits.
It may be rosemary's antioxidant properties and it's
ability to stimulate circulation that gives it's scientific basis to be labeled as "rosemary
for remembrance." New research shows that chemicals in rosemary may play
an important role in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's. These chemicals may
combat the cell oxidation, inflammation process, and the deficiencies of choline and
acetylcholine linked with the development of Alzheimer's.
Comments from Your Host, Brad
One word of caution; Rosemary goes a long way!
Use it sparingly so that it does not overpower your dish. You can figure on
1/8 to 1/4 TEASPOON will flavor a dish for four. The recipes which follow use dried
rosemary, which is less potent that fresh.
Recipes using Rosemary:
Rosemary
Roasted Chicken
Rosemary Butter
Cream of Carrot Soup
Know someone who
would appreciate this?
|
|
