HerbFresh or dried leaf
Rosemary
Salvia rosmarinus
A woody kitchen herb for roast, bread, and a pine-bright steam.
Rosemary is a shrub you cook with, not a mystery. A sprig in the pan, a needle in focaccia, a stem in a pot of steam. Dried is harsher than fresh — use less.
Traditional uses
- Roast potatoes, lamb, beans, and citrus
- A short steam bowl with a sprig for a stuffy room
- Infused olive oil for finishing, not high heat
How to prepare
- 1
Strip leaves from the woody stem. Chop or leave whole in a stew and fish them out.
- 2
Infusion: 1 tsp dried (or a small sprig fresh) in hot water, 5 minutes — it is strong.
- 3
Oil: warm (do not fry) olive oil with a dry sprig, cool, strain, refrigerate, use within a week.
Kitchen & home
- A plant by the door, picked often, stays shapely.
- Dry extra stems and keep them for winter roasts.
- The woody stems make decent small skewers.
Go gently
- Culinary amounts are the point. Do not drink strong rosemary tea daily.
- Essential oil is a different product — see the oils library.
