Rosemary is a common culinary herb and a valuable addition to the healing garden.

Growing and Using Rosemary

by Adrianne Lake

Rosemary is an evergreen shrub with needlelike green leaves and small blue flowers. It has been a popular herb for centuries; its benefits on your hair earned it a place with the gypsies, and any bride's bouquet often contained rosemary. Add rosemary to potpourri - and don't forget that there is nothing that flavours a roast better than a sprig of rosemary.

Cultivation:
Rosemary can grow to be five feet high in the appropriate environment. This herb likes well-drained, alkaline soil in a sheltered spot. Typically rosemary is started with a cutting about six inches long, which is best done in the spring. Bury the clipping in soil and leave about 1/3 of the plant above ground. Be sure to water your rosemary carefully, and keep it in a shady spot. In about six months the cuttings should be well rooted and ready for transplanting.
If you wish to grow rosemary from seed, sow in shallow drills about six inches apart. When the seedlings are about three inches high, transplant them to a nursery bed. When the rosemary is five inches high, they are ready to be planted out in a permanent spot. Make sure you keep rosemary plants three feet apart. Rosemary can be harvested in its second year.

Medicinal Uses of Rosemary
Rosemary is an astringent and antiseptic. It is great for digestion, and the circulatory and nervous systems, although large doses can be counterproductive and irritate the stomach or over-stimulate the heart. As with any herb, you need to be sure that using a rosemary herbal remedy is the right thing to do for you, as everyone reacts differently to herbal preparations.

Rosemary is rich in antioxidants and has traditionally been used to ease asthma. Rosemary can also help with headaches, and to give you more mental focus and clarity. It is often used in shampoos and conditioners as it is great for your hair and it has been said that it slows hair loss.

Cooking with Rosemary Rosemary Dressing 3/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup lemon juice 1 sprig rosemary 1 slice lemon peel 1 clove garlic With the side of a knife, crush the garlic and rosemary. Put the lemon peel, garlic and rosemary in a bottle, and add the lemon juice and olive oil. Shake well. Keep in the refrigerator. Rosemary Potatoes Here's a link to a wonderful recipe for Crisp Rosemary Potatoes including step-by-step photos. Rosemary Lamb Chops Lamb and rosemary are a delicious taste combination. This simple recipe makes an easy and nutritious mid-week meal. Ingredients: 6 lamb chops, with fat trimmed off 1 green or red pepper, diced (optional) 2 diced onions 1 can diced tomatoes 1 tbsp vegetable oil 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary or 1/2 tsp dried rosemary Directions: Place oil in a large skillet and brown the chops lightly on both sides. Add onions and green or red pepper; cook over medium heat until onions are soft and translucent. Add tomatoes, rosemary and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. If tomato sauce is too watery, remove lid in the last ten minutes, increase heat, and continue cooking until sauce has thickened. This recipe also works well in the crockpot or slow cooker. Lemon Sole Fish Fillets with Rosemary 3/4 lb thin sole fillets 1 tbsp olive oil lemon slices dried rosemary garlic poweder or garlic salt (optional) salt and pepper to taste Dried rosemary leaves are nicer in this recipe if broken up a bit. Lightly grind rosemary with a mortar and pestle, or break up the dried leaves using the back of a spoon in a small bowl or cup. Heat oil, over medium high heat, in a non-stick frying pan. Add sole fillets in a single layer. Immediately squeeze a little lemon juice over fish, then sprinkle fillets with rosemary, a little garlic salt if desired, and salt and pepper to taste. Turn the fillets, and add lemon juice, rosemary, garlic salt, salt and pepper to the other side. Cook until both sides of the fish are turning golden brown and fillets flake easily with a fork. Serve with lemon slices, rice and salad.

Buy Rosemary Seeds from Nature Hills Rosemary - $2.39 The Rosemary plant, 'Rosmarinus officinalis', has a pine flavor and is a must for lamb, pork, poultry, carrots, and peas. Rosemary is an excellent container herb for indoors and adds a wonderful aroma. The very aromatic smell of the rosemary will make you fall in love with this herb. The Rosemary has very narrow grey-green needlelike leaves that are 1/2 to 1 inch long. Both the leaves and the flowers are edible. Plant in the spring and starting the plants indoors is recommended. Rosemary Beauty Recipes Homemade Rosemary Hair Oil Rosemary is reputed to improve the health of your hair folicles and to help stave off premature hair loss. It also darkens your hair over time and is often used in place of harsh hair dyes to gently darken gray hair. Here's a simple recipe for homemade rosemary hair oil: Fill a mason jar with fresh rosemary leaves and cover the leaves completely with sweet almond oil or sesame oil. Let this mixture steep in a sunny window for four weeks, turning the jar a little each day. After one month, strain the mixture through a coffee filter or multiple layers of cheesecloth to remove the leaves. Decant the oil to a colored bottle and store in a cool dark place. To Use: Place a few tablespoons of rosemary oil in a small bowl. Warm the oil in the microwave, or by placing the small bowl into a larger bowl full of very hot water, until the oil is gently warmed. Work the oil into your hair with your fingers and cover with a shower cap. You could wrap a warm towel around your head to help the oil penetrate more easily. Leave on for 15 minutes to half an hour, then wash and rinse your hair as normal. Rosemary Hair Rinse Simply combine 1 cup of rosemary leaves with 5 cups of water and simmer for about half an hour. Let cool, strain out the leaves, and decant the rinse into a clean bottle. Use as a final hair rinse after shampooing to control oily hair and promote a healthy shine.