Rosemary is a bush with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple or blue flowers. Rosemary has been in culinary use since at least 500 B.C.
Rosemary Zawedde, a farmer, stresses that as a medicinal herb, rosemary has long been recommended for strengthening the brain and memory. The herb contains substances that are useful for improving digestion and increasing circulation.
In cooking, rosemary is used as a seasoning in a variety of dishes, such as soups, casseroles, salads and stews.
Use rosemary with chicken and other poultry, game, lamb, pork, steaks, and fish, especially oily fish. It also goes well with grains, mushrooms, onions, peas, potatoes and spinach.
Preparation
Rinse fresh sprigs of rosemary under cold running water and pat dry. Recipes usually call for whole leaves, which are easily removed from the woody stems. Whole sprigs of rosemary may be added to stews and meat dishes.
To store rosemary, place the sprigs in a plastic food storage bag with a damp paper towel. Fresh rosemary can be kept for about one week in the refrigerator.
Zawedde demonstrates how you can prepare a meal of rice and beef with rosemary.
