Rosemary is possibly my favorite herb. It is an essential seasoning in
any chef’s pantry, and comes in an array of shapes, growth habits and
flower colors.
The most common forms are either upright evergreen shrubs (up to 3
feet tall), or low-growing groundcover plants. Their flowers can be
pink or white, but most often they’re blue.
One of the latest varieties of Rosemarinus officinalis to filter into
the nursery is called ‘barbeque rosemary.’
My first inclination was to rub a branch to see if it smelled like barbeque.
Not in the slightest. Like most of the rosemary I’m familiar with, it had
the fragrance of pine.
What is unique to this rosemary, however, is its upright growth habit, and
its long, straight stems. The stems clearly inspired the name… because
they make perfect barbeque skewers.
All the chef/gardener needs to do is cut off 12 inch sections from the
plant. These herbal skewers will release special aromatic and savory
essences into the food as it cooks, and are perfect to use as shish kabob
sticks or as pins for butterflied meat and poultry.
They will transform your ordinary barbeque food into succulently infused
delicacies!
Barbeque rosemary is easy to grow. Just plant it in a sunny location
with good drainage and it will flourish. When mature it will reach a height
and width of 3 to 4 feet. It is evergreen, winter hardy, and fairly drought
tolerant. Another plus? Deer won’t touch it. Let’s fire up the grill.
Over to you, Mick!
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Rosemary-Skewered Kebabs
by Mick Vann
4 one-inch cubes of lamb per kebab (boneless pork or chicken thighs
may be substituted)
2 one-inch wide sections of onion per kebab
1 one-inch wide section of red bell pepper per kebab
¾ cup olive oil
Juice of 1 small lemon
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons onion, chopped
½ teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 teaspoon fresh, minced finely)
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 rosemary skewer per kebab, stripped of leaves, trimmed of side branches,
5-6” long
Salt to taste
Pre-skewer meat and vegetables with the end of a thin chopstick or an
ice pick. Combine oil, juice, garlic, onion, oregano, and pepper in a
food processor or blender and puree to make a marinade. Place meat in
a re-sealable plastic bag with marinade, massage well, and marinate
chilled for 1 to 4 hours. Remove and drain meat, saving the marinade for
basting. Assemble kebabs by threading on rosemary skewers: meat-onion-
meat-pepper-meat-onion-meat. Grill skewers over indirect coals, or
under a broiler, basting with reserved marinade until medium rare (pork
should be grilled to 140º, chicken to 155º). A bunch of parsley makes a
nice basting “brush”. Season with salt and serve over rice or couscous.
Mick Vann is a chef, food writer, restaurant consultant, horticulturist
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End notes
This is the perfect time to control fire ants, white grubs, and fleas in our
turf grass. A product called ANTidote kills these pests naturally without
the use of chemicals or insecticides. ANTidote contains thousands of
microscopic beneficial nematodes or worms that hunt and destroy these
lawn pests.
Mixed with water and sprayed on the lawn or drenched on individual
mounds, a container of ANTidote will treat up to 8,000 square feet.
Please remember; time is running out for fall weed control with organic pre-
emergent corn gluten. This safe “weed and feed” is effective through the
second week of November to control short-day winter weeds.
Happy Gardening everyone!
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It's About Thyme 
