If you are renting a house or apartment from me, you will find a rosemary bush somewhere in your yard – and a big one too! I like rosemary. We have the ideal climate in the San Francisco bay area for growing rosemary. Rosemary stays green and harvestable all year long, even during the dry summer months. Rosemary is an underused herb. It has a warm, piney flavor that is particularly good with lamb, beef, and chicken. Its OK to use dried rosemary in dishes that are cooked for a long time with moist heat, like soups and stews, but because dried rosemary takes a long time to rehydrate, you should use fresh rosemary for most other things, like salad dressings and marinates.
Rosemary Olive Oil. If you would like to give somebody an attractive gift from your kitchen, try rosemary olive oil. Always use fresh-cut rosemary to make this. Cut a few small springs off the rosemary bush. Wash and thoroughly dry the sprigs. Place the springs in a clear glass bottle or jar and fill with olive oil. That’s all there is to it! It’s that simple! Rosemary olive oil looks nice and tastes good too. What could b easier? You can also make rosemary vinegar the same way. Store it in a cool place or the refrigerator and use within a month. They sell attractive kitchen bottles and jars at Ikea that are suitable for this. Considering how easy this is to make, it is surprising how expensive rosemary olive oil is in gourmet food stores.