Health News and Information

A native of the warm, sunny sea coasts of Spain, Portugal, France and Italy, where its perfume can often be smelt far out to sea, rosemary is known and cultivated all over the world. It grows best near salt water, and is a valuable garden shrub for seaside dwellers. Sandy light loam suits it best, and it is hardy and drought-resistant, too. Too much water will cause some of the leaves to drop, but normally it will grow under difficult or exposed conditions very well. The more sunshine the better, to build up its stores of oil in the leaves and flowers.

In late winter, when other herbs are well and truly asleep in the cold ground, rosemary starts to flower. It is a valuable plant for bees at this time, when other nectar is scarce, and will bear its white or pale blue flowers right into spring. The prostrate variety (Rosmarinus prostratus), is valuable for rockeries and sunny hot corners, and its spreading growth is most attractive beside brick or stone steps. Reflected heat from walls is atonic for the plant and it will give its perfume more freely under these conditions.

Slow-growing at first, rosemary can live to a great age, over thirty years or more. To grow from cuttings, take a small side stem with a heel of old wood attached, and strike this time in a more sandy soil mixture. It will grow well in a pot, and can be trimmed to a formal shape if required.

A recipe for dressed-up spaghetti comes from southern France, where rosemary grows on the hillsides.

Spaghetti in Herb Sauce

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped onions

2 tablespoons chopped parsley 1 clove garlic (crushed)

1 stalk celery (chopped fine) Rosemary leaves to taste

2 firm tomatoes

1/2 cup white wine

Grated Parmesan cheese

1 lb. spaghetti, cooked and drained

Salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan. Saute the onions till lightly brown, then add the herbs and cook over a low heat for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, and cook lightly. Mix in the wine, salt and pepper, and heat through for a minute. Pour over the hot spaghetti, and sprinkle the cheese on top.

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