Perfume Illuminated : Rosemary

 

                               
                                                      

                                Rosemary: Flavor

Take the flowers thereof and make powder thereof and binde it to thy right arme in a linnen cloath and it shale make theee light and merrie. 'Take the flowers and put them in thy chest among thy clothes or among thy Bookes and Mothes shall not destroy them. 'Boyle the leaves in white wine and washe thy face therewith and thy browes, and thou shalt have a faire face. 'Also put the leaves under thy bedde and thou shalt be delivered of all evill dreames. 'Take the leaves and put them into wine and it shall keep the wine from all sourness and evill savours, and if thou wilt sell thy wine thou shalt have goode speede. 'Also if thou be feeble boyle the leaves in cleane water and washe thyself and thou shalt wax shiny. 'Also if thou have lost appetite of eating boyle well these leaves in cleane water and when the water is colde put thereunto as much of white wine and then make sops, eat them thereof wel and thou shalt restore thy appetite againe. 'If thy legges be blowen with gowte, boyle the leaves in water and binde them in a linnen cloath and winde it about thy legges and it shall do thee much good. 'If thou have a cough drink the water of the leaves boyld in white wine and ye shall be whole. 'Take the Timber thereof and burn it to coales and make powder thereof and rubbe thy teeth thereof and it shall keep thy teeth from all evils. Smell it oft and it shall keep thee youngly. 'Also if a man have lost his smellyng of the ayre that he may not draw his breath, make a fire of the wood, and bake his bread therewith, eate it and it shall keepe him well. 'Make thee a box of the wood of rosemary and smell to it and it shall preserve thy youth."           From the Bankes' herbal

I have always had a very passionate love affair with the Rosemarinus Officianalis, the oft romanticized herb of love and remembrance !  I love to grow it and I usually am enjoying several different varieties at a time.  Each type is just a little bit different, some have pink  or white flowers and some have blue, some are the shrub type and some are trailing.  All of them have a bit of the wonderful piney astringency that is the hallmark of the fragrant Rosemary plant. Many of them do wonderfully in containers and I have always found them very easy to grow in my northern and western gardens.   Honeybees adore them and if you’ve never had Rosemary honey please try to find some right away. You’ll be very glad that you did! Stirred into a bit of white wine.....ambrosia!

Here in Southern California where I’m fortunate enough to spend a  lot of my time the Rosemary is lush and beautiful all year round. You find it growing everywhere, cultivated in lovely gardens but just as often growing wild on a beautiful hillside. I once went into an open house here in Del Mar because of the incredible fragrance that was wafting out at me from me from the street. Although the house wasn’t appealing to me at all, the patio was absolutely gorgeous. I spent a good half hour sitting outside next to the largest, healthiest hedge of Rosemary that I’ve ever seen, that was made even more delightful because it was covered with little blue flowers and industriously buzzing honeybees!

For years people have asked me what I use on my long hair to keep it healthy even through constant rounds of salon highlights .  My secret is truly simple, freshly harvested Rosemary needles that I’ve infused in a bottle of warm olive oil. I add a few drops of essential oils of Rosemary and lavender and several times a week I use a natural bristle brush to distribute a dime sized amount of the fragrant oil through my hair starting at the scalp and finishing at the ends.  Its smells wonderful and is surprisingly non- greasy. When I wash it out, my hair is left with the delicious fragrance of the oils and feels soft and very supple.  That same homemade oil mixed with a few drops of birch oil and diluted to a much weaker strength makes a wonderful massage oil and when rubbed gently onto the stomach is a very effective antispasmodic, beautifully fragrant and much safer than any over the counter stomach remedy that you can buy!

This same Rosemary oil without the essential oil of Birch but with the addition of a drop or two (No more!) of essential oil of White Thyme is what I put into my bath when I’m feeling  just a bit under the weather.  A steaming mug of lemon water with a bit of cayenne pepper added and sweetened with white raw honey  is the final part of the treatment. Just lie back in the delicious warm water and sip. When you get out, snuggle into your softest pajamas and crawl into bed regardless of the time. When you wake up I promise that you’ll feel better, refreshed from the deep sleep that an herbal bath  and a bit of nurturing can bring!

 

In my home I use fresh Rosemary in my kitchen at least 3 or four times a week ,  loving the fragrance that it imparts to  most everything that I prepare! Handfuls of fresh rosemary, meyer lemon and onion stuffed into a chicken before roasting make the pan juices absolutely delectable.  A bit of dried Rosemary mixed with a bit of olive oil, chopped shallot and sea salt turns the simple roasted potato into a dish that is almost otherwordly . Several long branches of Rosemary can be tied together with kitchen string and turned into a “scentuous” basting brush that you can use when barbecuing. Simply dip the leafy ends into any marinade or olive oil blend that you are using and baste the meat that you are grilling. The heat will release the oils in the Rosemary and leave the meat fragrant and sweet! Gamier meats like lamb , pork or rabbit can be made less pungent by marinating them in a mixture of fresh rosemary, olive oil and any sort of fruit infused vinegar for several hours.  Blend a mixture of chopped fresh rosemary and lightly salted butter for a wonderful steak butter to top  a lovely grilled bistecca!  Rosemary branches that have been soaked in water will create a delicious smoke when tossed atop applewood chips and used as an aromatic to flavor fresh fish or any other meat that you’re cooking on the grill. 

 

Quite often dried Rosemary is one of the herbs used in combination to create the remarkable Herbes de Provence, a mixture that usually will include thyme, fennel, lavender flowers, oregano, basil , savory and chervil. Herbes de Provence is wonderful when baked into a loaf of whole grain bread or mashed with just a touch of truffled salt into a  fresh fromage blanc  and stuffed into a chicken breast that you’ve baked with a bit of  fresh spinach and tomato.  Delicious!

Here’s the easiest recipe I know for a garlic spread that is just wonderful!  All you need is about 30 cloves of peeled garlic and a Cuisinart . Put the cloves into the bowl and add a bit  (just a bit!) of sea salt, the fresh herbs of your choice,  or a good Herbes de Provence mixture. Turn it on and on the pulse settings blend the mixture until smooth adding a thin stream of  flax seed oil.  The mixture should be creamy and smooth when you are done and you can use this for many things. It makes a delicious dip for raw , steamed or grilled veggies and its an excellent  and healthy substitute for a traditional pesto sauce if you add a bit of vegan parmesan and some walnuts! It’s a perfect spread for garlic bread or any type of Crostini!  One of my favorite uses for it is rubbed underneath the skin of a chicken or turkey breast before roasting.  Trust me, there is no better aroma for perking up your spirits on a really cold day!

      

  Please drift on a fragrant cloud over to Roxana Villas illuminated Journal to  

continue reading about Rosemary: Fragrance ! 

   

                                             

Picture of Herbes De Provence Courtesy of: http://timeinthekitchen.com 

Picture of the NYC Cloisters courtesy of : http://www.travelpod.com/ad/The_Cloisters-New_York_City

Picture of Rosemary bush at La Panesquito Ranch : Beth Schreibman Gehring

Comments

[Bethaneandbeyond.blogspot.com]

(Insert ethereal voices here)! Rosemary is among the most comprehensive herbs available-thanks for illustrating its many benefits. Likewise, rosemary has as many cultural applications. Symbolizing "welcome", a ribbon bound sprig of rosemary(ruzmarin)is presented to wedding guests in Croatia. Hand-crafted rosemary schnapps is also customary. Rosemary a.k.a. "seadew" also represents prosperity, love-making and remembrance.
Mine has continued to bloom all winter. Heaven!

[Roxana]

Glorious opening photo Beth, wow!