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Add Some Rosemary into your Daily Life

Bring Rosemary into your Life

 We can never have too much Rosemary  in our gardens and Rosemary Recipes are always delicious.

Rosemary is an intensely aromatic shrub native to Mediterranean countries. 

Rosemary grows happily in sandy, rocky places with little soil.   It has small needle like leaves that are dark green and very tough and vibrant blue flowers.

Rosmarinus officinalis - Grows, vigorously and quickly and flourishes in pots.   The common green Rosemary variety is the best and easiest to grow.

Taking its name from Rosmarinus a Latin word for Rose of the Sea this herb perennial herb can often be found growing wild on the sides of cliffs.

Cultivated widely in our gardens, it is valued for its aroma, culinary and medicinal uses and this does provide protection against pests and insects. 

There is a lot of legend and mystery surrounding rosemary and this is known as the herb of Love, Friendship and Remembrance and often used in wedding and funeral ceremonies.   The gypsies believe that this is a beauty tonic and also often put springs under children’s pillows to prevent nightmares.

The Spanish believe in the antiseptic powers of this herb and it is pounded with salt and used as a paste to treat wounds. 

Rosemary has many uses in cooking.  Add to the roasting pan when cooking a chicken,  Remove needles from stems and sprinkle in with your roast potatoes or chop up finely and add to olive oil, garlic and chopped peppadews to make a topping over Feta cheese.  Delicious served as a snack with melba toast.

The volatile oils in Rosemary stimulates the secretion of digestive juices and stimulates the appetite.

Rosemary Sprigs make wonderful garnish when serving your meals and don’t waste these sprigs. Dry them and use as firelighters in your braai.  The smell is wonderful.

Rosemary dried very well and is one of the few herbs that really keeps its flavour when dried.  Store in an airtight container, and dark glass is best, away from heat or light.   Fresh Rosemary is available all year around. 

 

Cook’s Tips

  • Rosemary with Poultry - tuck small sprigs of rosemary under the skin.
  • Rosemary Oil . Put a Large sprig of rosemary in a bottle of olive oil and leave for 2 weeks before using this, to allow the flavour to develop.
  • Rosemary stuffing. – A tablespoon of finely chopped rosemary combined with breadcrumbs, lemon zest. Egg and seasoning makes a delicious stuffing for chicken and lamb.
  • Rosemary with Olives. – Store black olives in a screw top container with plenty of chopped rosemary.  Add enough olive oil to cover.  The olives will keep for weeks.
  • Rosemary Sugar – A sprig of Rosemary in a jar of sugar can be used for baking or desserts.

 

A Recipe to Try:

Grated Courgettes and Rosemary:

Grate 3/4 courgettes into a pan and add salt, pepper and finely chopped rosemary and a knob of butter.  Cover and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally.  Stir in cream and heat through.  Serve over Pasta.

Rosemary Sauce:

Dice 1 onion and 1 apple and fry in 30 mls/ 2 tbsp butter .  Stir 15 ml/1 tbsp of cornflour into 300 mls light stock ( preferably homemade) and add to the pan.  Stir in 75 mls tomato puree and bring to the boil. Sieve and reheat with sugar and finely chopped rosemary. 

 

Let’s Make a Rosemary Pesto.

Why Pesto ? 

A delicious way to bring fresh herbs and leafy vegetables into your life.    Pesto can be made from all sorts of vegetables – basil, rocket, nettle (blanch first), coriander, tarragon and even mint or oregano.

The word Pesto means “to pound”.  Grinding herbs into a flavorful sauce.  Most of use immediately think Basil  but we are able to use seasonal produce and add these creatively to our diets.

Pesto can be used in so many dishes.  Soups, sandwiches, with eggs, vegetable dip and on Pasta and Pizzas.

Unlike basil – rosemary is available fresh all year round.  A wonderful condiment that adds zest and flavour to a wide variety of food

ROSEMARY PESTO:

YOU WILL NEED

  • 1 Cup - Sprigs of Rosemary – Leaves only.  De stork the leaves.
  • ½ cup nuts /seeds (can be pecans, walnuts, pine nuts, cashews or even sunflower)
  • 2 cloves of garlic.
  • ¼ cup of nuts - roasted.
  • ½ tsp organic salt ( All Kinds sells this salt)
  • ¼ tsp freshly ground pepper.
  • ½ cup olive oil - virgin or extra virgin best.
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese.

TO MAKE:  

  • Put the Rosemary, Garlic, Nuts/seeds , salt and pepper into the food processor. Drizzle in a touch of olive oil. Pulse for 30 seconds.
  • Stir in the Parmesan Cheese.
  • Place mixture into a glass jar that seals.
  • Top with Olive oil to cover.
  • Store in the fridge.

 

ROSEMARY THYME SALT

Delicious salt sprinkle that is also good for you.    Both these herbs have strong antibacterial properties and help fend off colds and flu.   Effective digestive aids you can sprinkle the salt onto salads, vegetables, soups, rice and potatoes.

YOU WILL NEED:

  • ½ Cup Course Organic Salt
  • 1 Cup Fine Organic Salt
  • ¼ Cup Fresh Rosemary Leaves
  • ¼ Cup Fresh Thyme Leaves - you can use Lemon Thyme.

 

 TO MAKE:

  • Place the course salt, Rosemary and Thyme into the processor.  
  • Grind until fine.
  • Add fine Salt
  • Pour into a shallow glass dish and allow it to dry for 2 hours - must be totally dry.
  • Transfer into a Glass Jar and seal.   
  • Shelf Life is not limited.
  • Do not add liquid to the powder or it will spoil. Scoop powder out of the jar with a dry clean spoon or scoop
  • Makes a lovely hostess gift.

 

ROSEMARY LAVENDER VINEGAR

A versatile home remedy that can help you digest your dinner.  Also fights off colds and flu, gives you soft silky hair or use it to clean your kitchen counters and appliances.

  • Add to your Salad Dressing
  • Stir a couple of tablespoons into a cup of warm water and sip if you feel a cold coming on
  • Add to your bath to soften the skin or rinse your hair.
  • Use to clean the tub after your bath.

 

YOU WILL NEED:

  • 3 cups of fresh Rosemary.
  • 2 cups of Fresh Lavender
  • 5 cups of white distilled vinegar. (You can use apple cider or white wine vinegar instead)
  • A glass jar for preparing your vinegar – Wide neck is best.
  • A pretty glass jar for storing the vinegar. This can be a bottle.

TO MAKE:

  • Sterilize the glass jars. This can be done in a low oven or by washing in a food grade preservative like Potassium Sorbate.
  • Fill the wide neck glass jar with springs of rosemary and lavender.
  • Fill the bottle to the top with vinegar.
  • Cover tightly and place in a sunny position for 4-6 weeks.
  • Filter the vinegar mixture through a coffee filter paper.
  • Discard the Rosemary - Add to your compost heap.
  • Heat the vinegar until it begins to simmer ( not boil) 
  • Pour the strained vinegar solution into the storage bottle.
  • Seal and Label.
  • Best stored in a dark place.
  • Use within 1 year.

 

ROSEMARY FOR HEALTH AND BEAUTY

Besides the alluring taste rosemary also has lots of other wonderful uses.

Rosemary improves circulation, relieves headaches, joint pain and arthritis.  A great cleaning tonic for the skin and hair while also calming the nervous system and assisting with fatigue and anxiety.   

Let’s explore some ides to enhance your Memory, Stimulate your Circulation, Digestion and more.

BATH SOAK:

YOU WILL NEED:

  • Rosemary Essential oil
  • Or Fresh Springs of Rosemary.

Soak in a hot bath to which you have added 3 drops of Rosemary Essential oil or add a few springs of fresh rosemary to the bath which you have gently crushed with your hands to release the oils.

Relax and Soak in the goodness.    Do not use if you have high blood pressure. 

 

 

A QUICK ROSEMARY HAIR SHAMPOO

One of the best things you can use for your hair to stimulate hair growth and add shine and texture is Rosemary.   Add A Rosemary Spring to your shampoo and let it infuse for 2 weeks.  This may turn the shampoo slightly brown coloured this is natural and the shampoo is not off.  If you use a clear shampoo base this will go a dark brown.  It has a medicinal smell with a hint of rosemary.  You can enhance this by adding a few drops of Rosemary Essential oil (3 drops for 500 mls ) or a  combination of  2 Drops of Rosemary and 2 Drops of Thyme EO.   Both work wonders on your hair and help with thinning hair as it stimulates hair growth.

HAIR RINSE.

You can also do a quick and easy Rosemary Hair Rinse.   Prepare the rinse by adding a few springs of Rosemary to a pot of water.   Simmer do not boil.   Leave for 10 mins.  Then cool.  Wash your hair normally and after washing give the hair a rinse with the Rosemary solution.    Softens the hair and adds shine and body.


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