Rosemary
Rosemary is a common herb in the Mediterranean, and can be easily found in the gardens of the Convento San Griglio. Rosemary is a woody, perennial herb with a fragrant and distinctive smell. This makes it very popular in cooking, especially when used on roasted meats. Interestingly, rosemary is actually a member of the Lamiaceae or mint family. The name rosemary derives from the Latin term rosmarinus. This is translated literally as "dew of the sea". The herb probably was called this due to its tendency to grow near the water.
Rosemary has been used by people in Italy and the Mediterranean for a very long time. The Greek philosopher Athenaeus mentioned the herb in his writing in the 2nd century A.D. The ancient Etruscans were certainly using the herb as of 300 B.C, and would often stuff fish with it prior to grilling. The Etruscans also roasted pork with rosemary, in a preparation still enjoyed today. Rosemary was more then just a tasty spice to the Etruscans: it was believed to be capable of warding off evil spirits. Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote a story wherein a a boat of witches, in cat-form, travel to an island to obtain the witch-herb of rosemary.
The Etruscans would place bouquets of rosemary in their necropolis to protect the dead. In Ancient Greece, meanwhile, hard-working students would wear rosemary garlands to assist their memory. Greeks would also burn rosemary sprigs at funerals, using the herb in a fairly similar way to the Etruscans. The Greeks and Etruscans had it right: rosemary really is a mental stimulant, and the essential oils present in the plant can aid respiratory ailments, anxiety, depression, and renal colic.
Rosemary has a natural affinity for pork, and is often found in Italian dishes featuring pig. A classic preparation from star chef Biba Caggiano is here:
Roasted Pork with Rosemary, Sage, and Garlic
Serves 6
6 medium boiling potatoes (2 to 2-1/2 pounds)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh sage
1-1/2 teaspoons salt plus more for taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper plus more for taste
1 bone-in pork rack roast, about 6 pounds, trimmed of excess fat and frenched
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1. Peel the potatoes. Cut them into thick wedges and place in a large bowl with enough cold water to cover. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine garlic, rosemary and sage, and season with the salt and pepper. Loosen the fat around each bone slightly and pierce the meat in several places with a thin knife. Press some of the herb mixture into the cavities and inside the loosened skin around the bones, and rub a bit more herbs all over the roast. Let the roast stand at room temperature for about 20 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
4. Pour all but 2 or 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large, heavy roasting pan and place the roast in the pan, fat side down. Pour the remaining oil over the meat and season generously with salt and pepper. Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven and cook for about 20 minutes.
5. Drain the potatoes, pat dry with paper towels, and add to the roast. Cook, basting the meat every 15 minutes or so, until the roast is golden brown and it registers 145 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 1 hour. At this point, the meat should be slightly pink.
6. Transfer the roast to a cutting board, cover it loosely with foil and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Check the potatoes which at this point should be tender and golden brown. If not roast them a little longer.
7. Cut the pork between the bones and serve with some potatoes and a bit of the pan juices.
Rosemary also is regularly used in roast chicken dishes, as a topper for fresh focaccia, and in the preparation of steak and beef dishes. In the rest of the Mediterranean, especially Greece, rosemary is often used in preparations of roasted lamb.
Rosemary is not just used in savory dishes. During the time of the wars between the Guelphs and the Ghibellines in Florence, rosemary began to be used in castagnaccio, a chestnut tart made with pine nuts, oil, and honey alongside the eponymous herb. A recipe for castagnaccio can be found here. Rosemary, in tandem with red wine, makes a delightful and unusual ice cream.
Rosemary is an incredibly versatile herb and one of of Italy's most beloved flavors. It is useful in a dizzying array of preparations and dishes, and may be easily found anywhere. Cook with some today!
If you are interested in the Etruscan origins of Tuscan cuisine, this is a highly informative and entertaining article.
This 1897 book on Etruscan Magic and Occult Remedies may also be of interest.
Rosemary has been used by people in Italy and the Mediterranean for a very long time. The Greek philosopher Athenaeus mentioned the herb in his writing in the 2nd century A.D. The ancient Etruscans were certainly using the herb as of 300 B.C, and would often stuff fish with it prior to grilling. The Etruscans also roasted pork with rosemary, in a preparation still enjoyed today. Rosemary was more then just a tasty spice to the Etruscans: it was believed to be capable of warding off evil spirits. Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote a story wherein a a boat of witches, in cat-form, travel to an island to obtain the witch-herb of rosemary.
The Etruscans would place bouquets of rosemary in their necropolis to protect the dead. In Ancient Greece, meanwhile, hard-working students would wear rosemary garlands to assist their memory. Greeks would also burn rosemary sprigs at funerals, using the herb in a fairly similar way to the Etruscans. The Greeks and Etruscans had it right: rosemary really is a mental stimulant, and the essential oils present in the plant can aid respiratory ailments, anxiety, depression, and renal colic.
Rosemary has a natural affinity for pork, and is often found in Italian dishes featuring pig. A classic preparation from star chef Biba Caggiano is here:
Roasted Pork with Rosemary, Sage, and Garlic
Serves 6
6 medium boiling potatoes (2 to 2-1/2 pounds)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh sage
1-1/2 teaspoons salt plus more for taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper plus more for taste
1 bone-in pork rack roast, about 6 pounds, trimmed of excess fat and frenched
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1. Peel the potatoes. Cut them into thick wedges and place in a large bowl with enough cold water to cover. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine garlic, rosemary and sage, and season with the salt and pepper. Loosen the fat around each bone slightly and pierce the meat in several places with a thin knife. Press some of the herb mixture into the cavities and inside the loosened skin around the bones, and rub a bit more herbs all over the roast. Let the roast stand at room temperature for about 20 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
4. Pour all but 2 or 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large, heavy roasting pan and place the roast in the pan, fat side down. Pour the remaining oil over the meat and season generously with salt and pepper. Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven and cook for about 20 minutes.
5. Drain the potatoes, pat dry with paper towels, and add to the roast. Cook, basting the meat every 15 minutes or so, until the roast is golden brown and it registers 145 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 1 hour. At this point, the meat should be slightly pink.
6. Transfer the roast to a cutting board, cover it loosely with foil and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Check the potatoes which at this point should be tender and golden brown. If not roast them a little longer.
7. Cut the pork between the bones and serve with some potatoes and a bit of the pan juices.
Rosemary also is regularly used in roast chicken dishes, as a topper for fresh focaccia, and in the preparation of steak and beef dishes. In the rest of the Mediterranean, especially Greece, rosemary is often used in preparations of roasted lamb.
Rosemary is not just used in savory dishes. During the time of the wars between the Guelphs and the Ghibellines in Florence, rosemary began to be used in castagnaccio, a chestnut tart made with pine nuts, oil, and honey alongside the eponymous herb. A recipe for castagnaccio can be found here. Rosemary, in tandem with red wine, makes a delightful and unusual ice cream.
Rosemary is an incredibly versatile herb and one of of Italy's most beloved flavors. It is useful in a dizzying array of preparations and dishes, and may be easily found anywhere. Cook with some today!
If you are interested in the Etruscan origins of Tuscan cuisine, this is a highly informative and entertaining article.
This 1897 book on Etruscan Magic and Occult Remedies may also be of interest.
The lowly dandelion is truly a universal weed, found the world wide, and has been used as a food source, an herb, and for medicinal purposes since the beginning of recorded history.
Herbal/Medicinal Use:
The leaves, roots, and flowers of the dandelion have been used for centuries as a diuretic, and also for liver detoxification and for inflammation reduction. Because the dandelion is so high in potassium, it is considered preferable to many other diuretics, which, as a rule, deplete the body's potassium reserves. In addition, the dandelion flower contains the antioxidant luteolin. Dandelions are also used to cure breast illnesses, bloating, aching joints, and skin conditions.
Recipe:
Dandelion Tea
When life gives you lemons make lemonade. If your lawn gives you dandelions, make dandelion tea! [Common dandelion: Taraxacum officinale]
PREPARATION: Once you pick the dandelion greens, wash them thoroughly to remove dirt particles.
When clean, store them in a plastic bag which has holes punched for circulation, keeping them cold and humid. Use them as soon as possible, since greens are quite perishable.
Select young, tender leaves for the tastiest dandelion tea.
Individual portion:
Pour: 1 cup boiling water over: 1 teaspoon dried dandelion leaves
For a pot of tea:
Pour: 1 cup boiling water for each person over:1 teaspoon dried dandelion leaves for each person.
Throw in: 1 teaspoon dried dandelion leaves "for the pot."
Cover and let steep 3 minutes. Stir and let steep another minute.
Serve with your choice of: lemon, orange, mint, or honey.
Culinary Use of Dandelion:
The leaves and the bud of the dandelion have been a part of traditional Mediterranean and Asian cooking for centuries. In the United States, it is most readily associated with rural poor southern cooking. However, the dandelion has risen in popularity recently, not only used as a traditional salad green, but also braised. In temperate climates, it is found in the spring and summer.
The leaves contain considerable amounts of vitamins and minerals, including A, C, K, calcium, potassium, iron, and manganese. As a matter of fact, dandelion greens contain more iron and manganese than the notoriously iron-rich spinach.
Recipes:
Dandelion Wine
3 qts dandelion flowers
1 lb golden raisins
1 gallon water
3 lbs granulated sugar
2 lemons
1 orange
yeast and nutrient
Pick the flowers just before starting, so they're fresh. You do not need to pick the petals off the flower heads, but the heads should be trimmed of any stalk. Put the flowers in a large bowl. Set aside 1 pint of water and bring the remainder to a boil. Pour the boiling water over the dandelion flowers and cover tightly with cloth or plastic wrap. Leave for two days, stirring twice daily. Do not exceed this time. Pour flowers and water in large pot and bring to a low boil. Add the sugar and the peels (peel thinly and avoid any of the white pith) of the lemons and orange. Boil for one hour, then pour into a crock or plastic pail.
Add the juice and pulp of the lemons and orange. Allow to stand until cool (70-75 degrees F.). Add yeast and yeast nutrient, cover, and put in a warm place for three days. Strain and pour into a secondary fermentation vessel (bottle or jug). Add the raisins and fit a fermentation trap to the vessel. Strain and rack after wine clears, adding reserved pint of water and any additional required to top up. Leave until fermentation ceases completely, then rack again. Set aside 2 months and rack and bottle.
This wine must age six months in the bottle before tasting, but will improve remarkably if allowed a year.
(http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/dandelio.asp)
Cream of Dandelion Soup
4 cups chopped dandelion leaves
2 cups dandelion flower petals
2 cups dandelion buds
1 Tbsp butter or olive oil
1 cup chopped wild leeks (or onions)
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups water
2 cups half-n-half or heavy cream
2 tsp salt
1. Gently boil dandelion leaves in 6 cups water. Pour off bitter water. Boil gently a second time, pour off bitter water.
2. In a heavy-bottom soup pot, sauté wild leeks and garlic in butter or olive oil until tender.
3. Add 4 cups water.
4. Add dandelion leaves, flower petals, buds, and salt.
5. Simmer gently 45 minutes or so.
6. Add cream and simmer a few minutes more.
Garnish with flower petals.
(http://www.prodigalgardens.info/dandelion%20recipes.htm)
Dandelion Salad
4 c. chopped dandelion leaves
3 hard-cooked eggs
3 slices bacon
Dressing:
1 1/2 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 egg
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 c. vinegar
2 c. milk or water
Wash and chop dandelion leaves.
Fry bacon, crip then crumble.
Remove bacon from drippings.
Dressing:
Mix together flour and salt; add egg, vinegar and water.
Stir until blended.
Add to bacon drippings in pan and cook until thickened.
Cool slightly.
Pour dressing over dandelion leaves and mix lightly.
Garnish with sliced or chopped hard-boiled eggs and crisp bacon pieces.
Serve immediately.
Makes 6 servings.
( http://www.mountain-breeze.com/kitchen/dandelions/5.html)
-submitted by Gerarda J. Simmons, 06/11/09
Wild Carrot: good things come in small packages
It seems the most difficult thing about wild carrots is obtaining them. The most important part is, naturally, the root of the carrot, but because wild carrots are much smaller and paler they are more difficult to pull from the ground and identify from the mess of other roots or dirt. However, after your first carrot pulling experience it becomes much easier.
It seems the most difficult thing about wild carrots is obtaining them. The most important part is, naturally, the root of the carrot, but because wild carrots are much smaller and paler they are more difficult to pull from the ground and identify from the mess of other roots or dirt. However, after your first carrot pulling experience it becomes much easier.
Once you have procured your seemingly insignificant prize it is pretty much ready to be tossed into some soup. Just bending the carrot releases a fresh scent that indicates the massive amount of nutrients packed into the tiny root. Saviana explained to us that the carrots contain 4 to 5 times as much fiber as a large orange carrot that can be found at any grocery store. The other difference between the two is that wild carrots are not actually eaten once they are cooked unless the cook desperately needs fiber. Rather, the wild carrot contributes its nutrients and flavor as it is boiled, and it then is removed from the soup.
Poppies: divine herb of joy, or evil weed of demons?
Poppies are wonderful cheerful plants! Vary in color from orange/red to white/pink, and even blue. The poppies in the garden are what we call in the States “California Poppies”, and are the most typical image when you think of poppies.
Poppies are wonderful cheerful plants! Vary in color from orange/red to white/pink, and even blue. The poppies in the garden are what we call in the States “California Poppies”, and are the most typical image when you think of poppies.
While not opium poppies, the ones in the garden will have a sedative effect if eaten. as they contain the alkaloids morphine and codeine. Our poppies also do not contain the common culinary ingredient poppy seed.
Lavender
This beautiful flower can be found in various places around the Convent Property. Like many other fragrant flowers, this flower can be used in teas and floral bouquets alike. The scent of lavender has a calming effect, and when steeped for tea purposes serves as a sedative.
I found this herb so fragrant and pleasing that after doing some additional research I've found various other uses as follows: (note- these uses have come from various sites listed below and I can claim no responsibility if these actually work!!!)
- Aromatic night time sedative: wrap the buds in cheesecloth and place within pillowcase.
- Aromatic Hair rinse: steep flowers in hot water and let cool. Rinse hair with solution to combat dandruff.
- Addititive to salads and other foods: as a relative to mint, sage and thyme, lavender can be used in combination or as an alternative to these herbs.
- Bath additive: buds can be placed in a cheesecloth and submerged in a hot bath for a sedative effect
My favorite recipe found combining this beautiful aromatic flower and a favorite Italian culinary treat:
Honey Lavender Biscotti
Enjoy!
- Amanda
I found this herb so fragrant and pleasing that after doing some additional research I've found various other uses as follows: (note- these uses have come from various sites listed below and I can claim no responsibility if these actually work!!!)
- Aromatic night time sedative: wrap the buds in cheesecloth and place within pillowcase.
- Aromatic Hair rinse: steep flowers in hot water and let cool. Rinse hair with solution to combat dandruff.
- Addititive to salads and other foods: as a relative to mint, sage and thyme, lavender can be used in combination or as an alternative to these herbs.
- Bath additive: buds can be placed in a cheesecloth and submerged in a hot bath for a sedative effect
My favorite recipe found combining this beautiful aromatic flower and a favorite Italian culinary treat:
Honey Lavender Biscotti
Enjoy!
- Amanda
Roses may look beautiful on tables and fill our homes and gardens with a sweet scent, but they are good for more than that! Roses are perfect for afternoon tea, producing a light and gently flavored tea that will remind you of the sweet aroma of the rose garden.
If drying your own rose petals first be sure that the variety of rose pretals you grow are sweet tasting rather than bitter, no one wants bitter tea!
To dry them follow these steps from wikihow.com:
1. Pick the rose petals and make sure they are free of dew.
2. Half fill the net bag and close with an elastic.
3. Hang the bag in a warm, dry and dark place to dry. This will take anywhere from a few days to a week, depending on the humidity of your environment.
Then once the petals have dried you can make the tea, it is however possible to make rose petal tea using just fresh rose petals.
1. Clean the petals under running water.
2. Place 1 - 2 cups rose petals in a saucepan filled with 3 cups of water.
3. Boil for five minutes, strain and pour.
4. Sweeten with honey if desired.
1. Add to salad by sprinkling sweet-tasting fresh petals over fruit salads. Mix petals in whipped cream for fruit topping. Sprinkle spicy rose petals on green salads. Add and shake petals with vinegar-oil dressings for aroma and flavor.
2. Freeze rose petals in ice cubes. The fast way is fill the water trays and freeze until the ice is slushy, and then tuck in a petal or two. Freeze until solid. The more elegant way is to fill trays half full of water. Freeze. Drop in a rose petal for each cube. Cover petals with a spoonful of water and freeze again. Fill trays with water and freeze. Use rose cubes in lemonade, iced tea or punch.
3. Infuse rose water by adding 2 cups rose petals to 1 quart water. Bring to a gentle boil, then turn off heat and let cool. Filter out the rose petals and bottle the water. Refrigerate the water for use in ice cubes or tea. Add rose water in place of regular water for gelatins and other desserts.
4. Garnish with dried rose petals. Spread the petals on a microwave-safe dish or paper plate. Heat them for 1 or 2 minutes until dry. Scatter the small dry petals on everything from appetizers to desserts. Add a dusting of petals to top off vanilla pudding, brownies or ice cream. Sprinkle dry petals on frosted cakes or cupcakes.
5. Prepare rose butter by mixing a half-cup to 1 cup of chopped rose petals in a cup of sweet unsalted butter. Let the blend stand at room temperature for 24 hours, then mix again and refrigerate to fully flavor the butter. Use this rose butter on bread or warm muffins. Substitute rose butter for regular butter in cookie or cake recipes. This butter refrigerates up to 2 weeks and freezes well.
-Ellie
No comments:
Post a Comment