This pungent, piney Mediterranean herb pairs beautifully with lamb, pork, chicken, and fish. The leaves and flowers of this evergreen shrub contain a volatile oil that stands up to baking, frying, or grilling. Its natural bitterness is tempered when it mixes with meat juices, but it's equally at home in baked in breads, cooked with vegetables, simmered in soups, tossed with salad dressings, and even paired with fruit, especially citrus.
Growing Rosemary
Rosemary is easiest to grow from nursery plants or cuttings.
- Take 2-1/2-inch cuttings from an established plant and snip off the bottom leaves. Dip the stem into hormone rooting powder.
- Stick cuttings into sterile potting soil and place in a sunny spot. Mist regularly and provide bottom heat to speed up rooting, then repot and pinch the tips to encourage branching.
- If you plant rosemary in pots, line the bottoms with broken concrete. The lime will leach into the soil and the plants will love it. Do not over water.
- In the garden, rosemary thrives on benign neglect. Give it a well-drained location with six to eight hours of sunshine every day, and add a little lime to the soil.
Rosemary is hardy only to about 25 degrees F. If your winters are colder, bring the plants inside before any deep frosts. Rosemary will survive winter nicely in a sunny kitchen window--making it handy for adding to winter stews and roasts. Mist the plant to provide humidity, and make sure the air circulation is good or the plant might mildew. Rosemary thrives on regular trimming, but don’t remove more than a third of the plant at a time.
- To harvest, just snip or pinch new growth. The newer the growth, the less bitter the rosemary.
- To dry sprigs of rosemary, tie a bunch with kitchen twine and hang in a warm, dry place. Once they're thoroughly dry, strip the leaves and store in an airtight container away from heat and light.
Contact your local garden center or horticulture extension office to find out what grows best in your own backyard.
Cooking with Rosemary
Rosemary is an intense flavoring agent, so a little goes a long way.
- Strip fresh leaves from the stem and mince them with a chef's knife. Thick, stripped stems make savory skewers, too.
- Whole sprigs can be placed on grilling meats and fish, or even tossed onto coals to add flavor.
- Crush dried rosemary leaves before adding to your recipe. Substitute one teaspoon dried for one tablespoon fresh.
Meat, Poultry, and Fish
From Backyard Living magazine. Subscribe to this and other publications here.
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