Stop and smell the Rosemary
Live rosemary growing outdoors in a Talavera style pot
Growing and using fresh herbs is a great way to ease your way into healthier eating. Talking a walk out to your garden has been shown to perk up your mood as well. One easy-peasy plant to start with is Rosemary.
Rosemary is a hardy plant that is hard to kill, smells great and is delicious on pizza. That’s right, I said Pizza! For one year after diagnosis I dedicated myself to finding vegetarian and vegan recipes that were delicious.
Slices of butternut squash and rosemary pizza
One of my wins was Butternut Squash Pizza. Another Vegan Food Blog has a recipe with gorgeous photos and the bonus of sourcing food from Trader Joe’s!
I never knew that Butternut Squash could be so good. I had only had the fibrous frozen chunks. One change I suggest is DON’T chop the butternut Squash first like Cookie and Kate does for their butternut squash soup. This not only gives great flavor to the squash, but make it MUCH easier to peel.
Roasted Butternut Squash Halves
Another recommendation is a pizza stone. Any one will do but this one will pay benefits to Backyard Breasties. It seems frivolous but a pizza stone gives just a little bit more crisp to your crust. This one is the Cuisinart CPS-445, 3-Piece Pizza Grilling Set (paid link donates to Backyard Breasties)
This is the image from Cuisinart on Amazon.
In your garden Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is a fragrant evergreen herb native to the Mediterranean region, widely appreciated for its culinary, medicinal, and ornamental uses.
When looking for plants that will flourish here, always look from plants from Mediterranean regions.
This hard to kill lovey has needle-like leaves and woody stems. It has a distinct, pine-like smell that enhances the flavor of a variety of dishes, particularly in Mediterranean cuisine. I promise it doesn’t taste like Pine-Sol.
Rosemary has been valued for its potential health benefits, including its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which may support memory and digestion. Its small, blue to purple flowers attract pollinators and it is happy in a pot so it is good for even the smallest gardens.
To learn about the varieties and history of rosemary from a local nursery click here for a great article from Green Thumb in Ventura.