After growing whatever I could in my raised garden beds, I always found rosemary in that same back corner raising another generation of herself. Seriously, rosemary is a strong woman in the garden. I love her rich and glorious scent. Her flavor is simply summer, itself.
Once you find your rosemary has turned into a large bush, it's time to get creative in the kitchen. It's just organic how you find your way with a garden. When one plant starts to take over and you have to cut it back, you find yourself coddling the plant which was the early underdog, the one who just needed a little more sunlight to bloom. Or maybe a little stake to bolster the tall, skinny sprouts.
But let's get back to the rosemary. It's blooming like crazy this summer. Here are a few ideas you can take to the kitchen right now (but don't expect exact measurements, this is not a chef's blog).
- Mix rosemary, sea salt and garlic together with some butter. Put it on top of veggies or fish and bake.YUM.
- Put some fresh chopped rosemary in a bowl, mix it together with goat cheese and save for later to eat with chopped veggies or crackers.
- Put together some skewered chicken/onions/mushrooms/bell peppers to put on the grill. Use rosemary twigs instead of toothpicks to hold the ingredients together while giving them a wonderful flavor boost.
- Try some goat cheese with rosemary in your mac n' cheese dish. Add some cooked bacon and figs for a totally rockin', Mediterranean flavor boost.
- I love taking a two-day old French baguette and cutting it into 1-inch cubes. Throw the cubes onto a baking tray, drizzle olive oil, sea salt and plenty of fresh, chopped rosemary onto cubes. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes and throw onto your Caesar salad. I do this at least once a week.
- Infused Rosemary Olive Oil: clean the rosemary and then pat dry. Heat 1 cup olive oil at low heat. Put sprigs of rosemary into glass containers and then add heated oil. Close with bottle top for a week. After that, you'll have a wonderfully flavored, infused rosemary olive oil. Use it however you desire. Give a bottle of it to your next door neighbor. She'll love you forever.
