Holy Rosemary (Batman)!

While Rosemary might not hold the same lauded and lofty esteem for me as does Basil or Oregano, I still adore her fresh piney fragrance, and delightfully subtle bitterness.

She's still definitely in my top 5 herbs, and I certainly would never push her out of my pantry!

;)

Rosemary is available here all year, and is a wonderfully diverse herb.  I use her in everything from pasta sauces to grilled meats to roasted vegetables, and she comes through every time.

I have a jar of dried rosemary 'leaves' in my spice drawer, but honestly they pale so much compared to the fresh variety, I almost never use them.

Dried rosemary leaves are very sharp and rough, not dissimilar from pine needles, whereas  - with just a small amount of chopping - the fresh variety is still quite soft and pleasant.

Anyway, we found a nice cheap bunch at the market this weekend, and I've already planned a whole schwack of dishes around it.

:)