Rosemary Herb ~ Love, Friendship and Trust


Rosemary Herb ~ Love, Friendship and Trust


I had a wonderful opportunity to take a Kitchen Medicine in the Culinary Garden herbal  class presented by herbalist Erica Galentin with Sovereignty Herbs and Companion Plants.  Fantastic class learning how simple it is to make herbal tinctures, summer herbal beverages, harvest herbs, and propagate herbs.  Great hands on experience and we also had the opportunity to see how they grow in nature.  Just as nice was the chance to purchase some quality herbs from Companion Plants.  
I left the class with much useful information but I want to share 

with you what I learned about the Rosemary plant since this 
little butterfly caught my attention as it hovered and rested on all the rosemary plants for quite awhile.  Butterflies also love herbs, especially Rosemary! Herbs are a source of nectar and a good home for their eggs.  Herbs benefit since butterflies help with pollination.  

Living in Columbus OH, a zone 6, I can not get my Rosemary to survive the winter, which left me feeling like I had a bit of a black thumb.  However, Rosemary likes to grow in sandy soil and grows ideally in warmer weather.  The best solution is to bring my Rosemary plant indoors during the cold winter.  A 
simple solution really appreciated. 

Rosemary is a member of the Mint family (Lamiaceae) and widely used to enhance the flavor of foods and for it’s medicinal benefits.  It is a native to the Mediterranean are and thrives in other warm and sunny parts of the world.  Historically, this herb has been a symbol of love, friendship, and trust. 

In Ayurveda Rosemary is called Rusmari, is best for vata and kapha dosha but can be helpful with pitta dosha imbalance.  It is pungent, bitter and astringent with the qualities of being hot, and clear.  

Rosemary is known to improve memory and thinking skills, improve circulation, alleviate fear and feeling blue,  support digestion, used to  prevent halitosis, alleviate headaches, and treat insects bites. Due to it’s antimicrobial properties, it also inhibits food borne microbes.  

Two primary active ingredients found in Rosemary are attributed for it’s therapeutic affects: carnosic acid and rosmarinic acid. Carnosic acid is a preservative and an antioxidant.  Rosmarinic acid exhibits properties as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antibacterial.

Recent scientific research indicates Rosemary inhibits the breakdown of acetylcholine, a compound that plays a role in sections of the brain responsible for memory and reasoning. Rosemary may also enhance memory function by increasing blood flow to the brain.
Here’s a delicious way to add Rosemary to your diet.  I often use it in soups, stews and roasting vegetables or meats.  

Roasted Root Vegetables with Rosemary 

Ingredients: 

  • 1 carrot, 2 potatoes, 1 parsnip, 1 fennel bulb chopped into 1 1/2 inch pieces (or any combination of your favorite root vegetables) 
  • 3 tbsp olive oil (use one with a higher smoking point such as virgin, light or regular) 
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt or kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1 1/2 tbsp rosemary (fresh is best)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced 
Directions:
Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit
Place the chopped vegetables in a large bowl and drizzle with the olive oil.  Evenly coat the potatoes with olive oil using a spatula or clean hands. 
Next, add salt, pepper, rosemary and the minced garlic and toss it all together again to evenly distribute the ingredients and lightly coat the vegetables.  
Place vegetables on a baking pan, and bake in the pre-heated oven for 25 minutes.
Remove potatoes from oven and gently toss, turning the vegetables over as needed. Bake for another 15-20 minutes or until vegetables are done roasting. Enjoy!
References: 
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4749867/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21877951: 

https://umm.edu/Health/Medical-Reference-Guide/Complementary-and-Alternative-Medicine-Guide/Herb/Rosemary