Rosemary fills the bill when no other herb will suffice

Tag：Garlic Granules

Of all the herbs in my garden, if I had to pick a favorite, I simply couldn't do it.

perhaps I'd say basil, if it were the height of summer and my tomato crop were in full production.

Or dill, if it had been a great August for pickling cukes and albacore.

Or chives, if it were a normal May and they were in full blossom. (Not this year!)

But one single, solitary, "If you were on a desert island and could only have one herb" favorite? Impossible.

Which takes me back to situational favorites. Meaning that, at this particular time, under these specific circumstances, my very favored herb of the moment is rosemary. Rosemary because it has supported my desire to cook with exquisitely fresh and flavorful ingredients through the most unstable of seasons.

Freeze or shine, this plucky bush has weathered winter ever so graciously, never wilting or shedding leaves.

Even it's heady aroma remains strong and inspirational, nudging the creative side of my brain into overdrive whenever I bring it into the kitchen.

Two weeks ago several sprigs found their way into the cavity of a chicken, along with five cloves of garlic and a sprinkling of coarsely ground pepper. I then placed the bird in the roasting pan on a bed laden with more rosemary sprigs as well as one yellow onion that had been sliced into slender rings.

At frequent intervals during the cooking process, I basted the bird with the flavorful juices that had developed in its cavity and around the pan.

Then, last weekend, it came into play while grilling a batch of fresh halibut for a small gathering of friends. Between the top-notch quality fish and the aromatic magic of the rosemary, it was an amazing meal.

Rosemary has such an immense talent for flavoring whatever foods it comes in contact with that quite often, little or no chopping is required.

Two nights ago, for example, I simmered a sprig of rosemary with a bit of broth, wine and olive oil during the first phase of preparing a simple pasta sauce. After its flavor had been absorbed by the other ingredients, I simply plucked the sturdy sprig from the sauce.

In a far more decadent approach to this flavoring concept, I learned from Italian cooking expert Marcella Hazan that her "quick and dirty" pasta sauce involves several sprigs of fresh rosemary, some garlic cloves, a spoonful of beef bouillon granules and a fair amount of butter.

All of these ingredients are gently simmered together in a saucepan for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, the spaghetti (or other long, slender pasta) is cooked, drained and placed in a pasta bowl.

The sauce is then poured through a strainer onto the pasta, tossed grated Parmesan, then served.

If you have not yet brought rosemary into your world, this spring would be the perfect time to do so. It thrives under a vast range of conditions, making it very difficult for even the most novice of gardeners to kill. And in the kitchen, is a joy to use.