ROSEMARY HERB
Rosemary is most popular in America used with meat, but in England it's often used in jellies and jams--and it is surprisingly good with fruit. Include rosemary's robust flavor in marinades and salad dressings, or lay a few sprigs on pork or lamb chops before grilling or baking.
It is a symbol or remembrance and friendship, and is often carried by wedding couples as a sign of love and fidelity. Tradition says that rosemary will grow for thirty-three years, until it reaches the height of Christ when he was crucified, then it will die. Sprigs of rosemary were placed under pillows at night to ward off evil spirits and bad dreams.
During the Middle Ages, superstitious folk used rosemary to ward off plagues and evil spirits and in World War II, when modern antiseptics were in short supply, hospitals in France turned back to the old methods and burned rosemary with juniper berries to kill germs. Antiseptics aside, it's in the kitchen that rosemary really shines. Slightly piney, with a tiny taste of mint and ginger thrown in, it's an unforgettable flavor that can seem pungent or sweet, depending on how it's used.
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We continue to use rosemary in many of the same ways that our ancestors did: in potpourris to freshen the air, and in cosmetics, disinfectants and shampoos.
Scholars in ancient Greece wore garlands of it to help them remember their lessons. Others, less scholarly but more desperate, rubbed it on their heads to combat baldness. It didn't work, but it is reported to be effective against dandruff.