I Am an Herbalist - Appreciating Rosemary

The first year that Jay and I were married, he came home with a little Christmas tree for our small living room.  It looked different to me from other pines or firs and when I reached out to press the needles with my fingers a wonderful, herbal fragrance spilled into the room.  This was not pine, it was Rosemary, or Rosemarie, or Rosmarino (in Italy.)  My first memories of Rosemary are in my paternal grandmother's kitchen.  She was from the Le Marche region of Italy where porchetta is a traditional dish.  There is nothing more fragrant or tasty than pork roasting in the oven pierced  with skewers of rosmarino sprigs.  After Christmas we planted the Rosemary bush, not too far from the door where I could run out for a sprig whenever a recipe called for it.

Rosemary is an ancient herb.  There is much myth and superstition surrounding it. Sprigs of it have been placed under pillows to ward off evil spirits and bad dreams.

"There's Rosemary, that's for remembrance" says Shakespeare's Hamlet to Ophelia.  It is often planted around war memorials and in cemeteries. It symbolizes loyalty and friendship so often I will tie a sprig of the herb to the ribbon of a present I am taking to someone.

It is said that "in the house where rosemary thrives, the women of that house are its strength."  I even read in the Treasury of Botany that Rosemary will only grow well if the mistress is the master so many lords of the manor privately injured a growing rosemary to destroy evidence of their want of authority!

There are recent study results that suggest that it also protects our brains against neuro-degeneration from free radicals and can help our brains and memory.

Today in our Mediterranean Cuisines class we are going to be discussing spices and herbs used in the Mediterranean area.  As a treat I am bringing some Rosemary Lemon Cookies.  I found many versions of this recipe on the internet and here is how I ended up making mine:

Rosemary Lemon Cookies

1 cup butter at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg - crack open and reserve about 1 tablespoon of the egg white
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tablespoon of rosemary leaves, very finely chopped
1 Tablespoon of lemon zest, very finely chopped
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup of raw sugar

Beat butter and sugar together until light; add egg (minus the 1 tablespoon of egg white you are reserving for later) and vanilla.  When well blended, add the rosemary, lemon zest, salt, flour and mix well.  I end up using my hands.

Divide the dough in half and using some waxed paper, form the dough into two logs about 1 1/2 inch in diameter.  I placed these in the refrigerator overnight. You could probably just refrigerate them for a few hours so that you can easily slice the logs.

After they are chilled, preheat your oven to 375 F degrees.  Brush the logs of dough with the reserved egg white and roll them in the raw sugar to coat.  Slice the logs into 1/4 inch slices and place on parchment paper covered cookie sheets.  Bake them for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are beginning to brown.  Cool the cookies on a wire rack.

Oh...by the way...my Rosemary bush FLOURISHES!