Rosemary- A favorite Garden Herb

Learn about one of Chef Marcellino’s favorite herbs.

Rosemary is a popular herb in Italian cooking and it grows wild in Italy, but was always grown in my mother’s garden. The flavor of rosemary is pungent, and its versatility allows it to be used in a range of dishes from meats and soups to bread. It is one of my favorite herbs and my wife Sima uses it within her homemade Mediterranean Herb Sea Salt. 

 Rosemary is easily grown outside or in a pot on the kitchen windowsill. Cut healthy stems at least 6” in length where the stem meets the branch with sharp scissors or preferably pruning shears. NOTE: The taste is strongest just before the plant flowers.

MAINTAIN FRESH ROSEMARY – Place your cut sprigs in a small glass with no more than 1” of water (check water level daily and replenish as needed) and keep on your countertop, or wrap the rosemary sprigs in a slightly damp paper towel, place the wrapped rosemary in a plastic bag or airtight container, [and] store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

AIR DRY ROSEMARY

  • Tie your rosemary sprigs into small bundles with twine.
  • Hang the bundles upside down in a warm, dry, well-ventilated area out of direct sun.
  • Let them air dry until the needles are brittle to the touch.

Once the rosemary is dried, remove the dried needles by pinching the stem and run your fingers down in the direction the leaves are growing. Store in a glass jar, in a cool, dark place. When properly stored, dried rosemary can last for up to one year. 

COOKING WITH ROSEMARY – I use rosemary in many of my recipes at the risto and at home. Meats, vegetable and finely chopped on my fragrant homemade focaccia. Unless using whole sprigs of rosemary in a recipe always finely chop the needles before including them in the recipe. NOTE: Always follow the suggested amount of rosemary as adding too much of it to a dish can result in it overpowering all the other flavors.