Rosemary

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Varieties vary in their growth habits, too. Most are compact, upright sub-shrubs — just right for containers — but others trail beautifully, making them a great plant selection to cascade down a stone wall. In any size, rosemary needs full sun and benefits from periodic trimming to keep it shapely. But beyond routine watering, feeding and trimming, rosemary practically grows itself.

In the garden, rosemary’s biggest limitation is a lack of winter hardiness. A few varieties, including ‘Arp,’ can survive winters in Zones 6 to 7, but most others die when exposed to temperatures below about 20 degrees. To complicate matters, plants are often so large by summer’s end that bringing them indoors for the winter can be problematic. If your winters are too cold for rosemary, but you want to keep the same plant each year, root a few stem cuttings in late summer and pot up these little plants to keep indoors through winter. Better yet, in summer when plants are actively growing, bend down an outer branch or two, scratch off the leaves and bark in the section of stem that meets the soil, and peg it in place with a stone or bent-out paper clip. The buried section of stem will slowly grow roots, and it can be severed and potted up to take indoors in the fall.

Water rosemary only during droughts or, indoors, when its potting soil feels dry, because it won’t tolerate wet feet. Healthy plants always produce plenty of stems, which are easy to dry,

either by hanging long branches in small bunches or laying small sprigs on screens or another flat surface. Kept in airtight containers, dried rosemary will hold its flavor for months.

North Carolina writer Barbara Pleasant is a Mother Earth News contributing editor. Her newest book is The Whole Herb, recently released by Square One Publishers.

Rosemary-garlic Flatbread

The flat bread, called focaccia in Italy, makes a delicious bread accompaniment to soup. This variation has a spongy texture because it is not kneaded.

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 2-inch sprigs fresh rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried)
3 large garlic cloves, quartered
1-1¼ cups warm water
1 package dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup all-purpose unbleached or bread flour
1-1¼ cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup finely shredded provolone or asiago cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary (or 1 tsp. dried)

Place the olive oil, rosemary sprigs and garlic in a small saucepan, and warm over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, until the garlic just begins to sizzle. Turn off the heat and set aside. Place the warm water in a large bowl and sprinkle the yeast on top. Add honey, stir to blend and then add the all-purpose or bread flour. Mix well and set aside for 30 minutes. Remove the rosemary and garlic from the oil. Discard the rosemary and coarsely chop the garlic. Add half of the scented olive oil and the salt to the yeast sponge, stir and then add the whole wheat flour. Stir well for 2 minutes (the dough will be quite sticky). Cover with a damp cloth and set to rise in a warm, draft-free place for 45 minutes. Coat a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Oil your hands with the remaining oil and lightly shape the dough into a ball. Place it on the prepared cookie sheet and press to form a half-inch-thick oval, about 12 inches wide and 14 inches long. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top, followed by the garlic and chopped fresh rosemary. Let rise for 30 minutes. Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven until lightly browned, for about 20 minutes.

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