Hello from the mountains of Kentucky! I hope your Thanksgiving was amazing and your Christmas will be even better. It’s been busy in our little part of the world as we finish our Christmas shopping, and decorating for our family celebration as Christmas is only days away. With preparing for the festivities I decided to bake some rustic herb bread using two of my top ten herbs, rosemary and thyme. I love experimenting and trying new flavors, new breads, and new recipes. I am excited to share a few of my favorite recipes and uses for my sixth favorite herb in my top ten posts, Rosemary. But first a little information about Rosemary.

Rosemary is an evergreen type of perennial herb that derives from the Mediterranean region. It is reasonably hardy in cooler temperatures as well. I usually pot some each year for quick access for recipes. I also grow several plants in our raised bed that winters over very well as we cover our bed during the winter months. It is easier to start the plant a plant than from a seedling. Rosemary is difficult to start from seed, but not impossible. This aromatic plant also withstands drought quite well. Keeping the rosemary pruned prevents the plant from becoming woody and stiff. Pruning will also help the plant to become more bushy and promote new growth.

Rosemary is a member of the sage family. It has a wonderful aroma that unique and pleasant. It flowers in the summer, but can flower more often in warmer climates. The flowers are small and light pinkish or white blooms. The height of this woodsy plant can vary in size, depending on the location and the amount of pruning. It’s fairly easy to grow, dry, and store. Its aromatic needles have many culinary and medicinal uses as well as uses for personal hygiene. Let’s get started with a few ways that we use rosemary on the homestead.

Rosemary can be used fresh or dried. I dry my rosemary by pruning the plant and washing the sprigs well to remove soil and possible insects that might be hiding. Gently pat to dry and place the herb on a white cloth in a shallow pan. If I have a larger amount, I add the herbs to my hanging rack, which hold much more. Place the herb away from direct sunlight and leave to dry until the sprigs are crisp. I store my dried rosemary on the stems in quart jars and strip the leaves as I need them.

One of my favorite recipes for dried rosemary is my crusty herb bread. A small amount of this delicious crusty bread packs a punch of flavor. I use the following basic bread recipe Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread: Homemade Crusty Vegan Bread and add a tablespoon and a half of finely chopped rosemary and a tablespoon of dried thyme finally chopped as you add the seeds. The dried herbs work great as they are already dried and do not add any moisture to the bread as fresh herbs have the potential to do. This delicious bread is great toasted with most any Italian meal, or toasted to use as a dipping vessel for red pepper hummus. The possibilities are endless.

A second recipe that includes rosemary is our clean vegan summer squash soup. It is delicious year round, but tend to enjoy it most early fall or in the summer months when summer squash is at its peak. The following link will take you to this light , yet hardy soup. The herb bread above is a wonderful addition to this delicious soup. Clean Vegan Summer Squash Soup I also like to melt a slice of plant based provolone cheese on the herb bread for a little extra rich taste.

Rosemary makes a great flavoring for salt as well. This is an easy way to preserve the final sprigs of rosemary of the season and make a few stocking stuffers or gifts for those who love to cook with herbs. This delicious recipe can be prepared several ways, but my favorite is simply equal parts of fresh-cut rosemary and course kosher salt. Strip the leaves from the rosemary and add salt, pulse the mix in the food processor 8-10 times or you may use a spice grinder. You may also substitute the kosher salt with course sea salt. Pink Himalayan salt can also be used, but the shelf life doesn’t seem quite as long.

Once you add the fresh rosemary with the salt and grind set it aside on a parchment lined pan for about six hours to air dry. Add to a jar with a lid. Keeps indefinitely. Another method is to use dried rosemary pulsed in the spice grinder until desired consistency is achieved and add the mix to the preferred salt. This eliminates the drying process with fresh rosemary. Using this method allows you to use the salt immediately as the rosemary is already dried. Rosemary salt is a great addition to tofu scrambles, soups, and potatoes. For those that don’t follow a plant-based diet rosemary salt is great on eggs, pork, chicken, or lamb. The possibilities are endless. The ratio of salt to rosemary can be modified to taste.

Finally, rosemary has been thought to be a nourishing herb for strengthening and thickening hair. Rosemary can also be used in a variety of ways cosmetically. However, hair care is one of our favorites. Sprigs of dried rosemary can be added to a spray bottle of filtered water for rosemary water that can be sprayed daily on hair dry or damp hair to promote thickening and shine. Using dried herbs helps prevent mold from gathering in the bottle. I also prefer to use amber glass spray bottles. The dark color helps preserve the water and protect it from sunlight while also helping to eliminate plastic. Once you add the sprigs of dried rosemary to the water, allow it to sit for at least a week to intensify the aroma and the water to absorb the nutrients from the herb. Use as a refreshing spray to your hair, scalp, or skin.

Rosemary oil can be made from dried rosemary as well. Using throughly dried rosemary, add the sprigs to a glass bottle of oil. I prefer organic fractionated coconut oil for topical use. Seal the bottle and place in a dark cabinet for at least two weeks. After two weeks, strain the oil using cheesecloth adding the oils to either an amber colored glass spray bottle or dropper bottle. The rosemary oil can be used directly on then scalp to nourish the scalp and help promote hair growth. Once the oil is applied, massage scalp evenly for five-minutes then wrap hair with a towel or shower cap. Leave the oil on the hair for at least thirty minutes. Wash and rinse hair as usual. You may also spray hair lightly throughout to help mange dry or damaged hair. Finally, you can add a few drops of the rosemary oil to your favorite shampoo and or conditioner.

These are only a few of the great ways to use this powerhouse of an herb. Because of its diversity, I think a book could be written about rosemary. Other uses of rosemary include adding it to homemade body butter, laundry detergent, sachets, teas, and more. I hope to add more rosemary recipes in upcoming days. For now, God bless and Merry Christmas from the mountains of Kentucky. Feel free to like, share, subscribe and or follow our blog. Your support is appreciated. God bless!