Botanical Name:
Rosmarinus Officinalis
Description:
Rosemary grows on a small green shrub and is related to the mint family. Its leaves look like pine tree needles and is dark green on top and silver-white on the bottom. The leaves are flat and the shrubs can vary in size from a few stems poking out of the ground to a big thick bush. A purple flower comes up along the stem in the spring and attracts bees into the garden. When you look at the bush from a distance you see a purple tinge behind green leaves.
What are its uses:
The part you eat is the green leaves and they are used on pork, chicken, lamb, and turkey to create a succulent flavour. Rosemary is worn on your clothes on Anzac and Remembrance Day to commemorate the fallen soldiers. The thick stems can be used as skewers to flavour meat from the inside out and it can be used as a brush to marinate.
Planting and Growing:
Plant rosemary outside in full sunshine about 30 cm apart, depending on how thick you want the bush to get, plant it further apart. No fertilizers are needed but can be used. Water every few days if no rain has occurred. To harvest your plant you simply cut the stem off and use the whole stem in your meal. In a really cold area plant it in a pot and bring it inside when it gets below 0 degrees Celsius.
Recipes:
Some great meals can be created using the great flavour of rosemary. These include roast chicken, pork and lamb and it also tastes great on potatoes. There are some great recipes here:
http://allrecipes.com/recipes/herbs-and-spices/herbs/rosemary/
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosemary
http://www.burpee.com/herbs/rosemary/rosemary-in-your-home-garden-article10282.html