Scrumping..... For Rosemary

Shssh don't tell near to where I live are some very large Rosemary bushes and the land on which they sit is currently derelict and going to be re-built on.  In the interim the Rosemary is growing tall and strong and has put on a lot of growth.  Once tended by a host of gardeners it is now left to its own devices and so in the spirit of waste not want not I have been doing small harvests for specific items.  

The fist batch has been tied into little bundles and is currently hanging off my herb string on one of my dressers to dry naturally and then be popped up for use in cooking with roast lamb and with rosemary vinegar, rosemary oil for roast potatoes and salad dressings or massaging into lamb, rosemary jelly, rosemary sugar, Rosemary Focaccia some Christmas star decorations made from twigs some of which will make their way into Christmas parcels.  It is also used in the classic Four thieves vinegar.  The vinegar is reputed to have been used in the 17th Century to protect looters from the plague!  I think vinegars of this nature which in effect were our first simple antiseptics are greatly undervalued and perhaps we should be using them in our homes a lot more to prevent infections. For recipes for the Four Thieves vinegar and other herbal useage treat yourself to the book Gifts from the Garden by Debora Robertson.  It is a little gem. There are lots of lovely ideas in this book and lots of other useful ideas too.

I love the aromatic clean smell of Rosemary fresh or dried.  In fact if the land still has not been developed by the time that Christmas is upon us I may well go and do a raid and tie some of the fresh rosemary onto my Christmas garlands and wreaths and arrangements throughout the house and for some ice bowls.  It would also make a nice little posie for tying to the Christmas knapkins. I am also keen to have a go at making some home made soap and I think it would be quite a nice addition to the soap mix.

Its at this time of year when everything is coming up to its final fling and harvest that I miss being in the countryside having an open fire and using the garden to produce what you need and to forage from the countryside on your doorstep.  You can use dried rosemary together with cuttings of Bay, Bergamot, Eucalyptus, Lavender, Lemon Grass, Lemon Verbena, Mint Rosemary, Sage and Thyme together with fir comes and stripg so dried orange, grapefruit, lemon and line peel and cinnamon sticks to form little bundles leave them in a well ventilated place to dry and store somewhere nice and dry and you have little aromatic bundles of kindling. It would also be nice to make a friend with a fire a little selection of the these bundles to help start their winter fires.

 I am practicing doing bits and pieces at the moment with the little bit that I do do, but one day I hope to be able to pull everything that I have learned together in the house of my dreams and establish a more peaceful way of life one that resolves around the seasons and the land.

Take care

Pattypan

xx