Rosemary - bread inspired by the previous posting!

Rosemary Flat Bread

This is from Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook. I haven't cooked it but am going to this w/e, particularly as SR says it's easy enough to do standing on your head. I will stand on my feet, and report back.

For 6 medium-sized flat breads:

200g strong white flour

half teaspoon dried yeast

150ml tepid water

1 tblsp olive oil

salt

rosemary, coarsely chopped

Put the flour into a large bowl and add the yeast. Add the warm water, olive oil and pinch salt, and mix to a rather sloppy dough. Once you have a ball of dough, knead on a floury surface for 5 mins until slightly elastic but still tacky. Leave the dough under damp tea towel for an hour. It will double in size. Pre-heat a medium oven. Break off a 5cm-sized ball of dough and roll it out on a floured surface to a thickness of about 5mm. Repeat until you have used all the dough. Brush each flat bread with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, and scatter with rosemary. Bake on baking trays for about 10 mins, until the surface starts to bubble and turn a golden brown. Don't cook too long or they'll turn into cardboard. Serve immediately.

Yum.

ROSEMARY - a personal reflection

This picture of Rosemary was taken in the grounds of Chichester University on the first day of my MA course in Transpersonal Arts and Practice. It only a small bush (with the promise of growing to greater heights) but has great personal significance. Feeling very daunted by the morning's lecture and wondering if I had the strength of mind to continue, I took a lunchtime stroll through the grounds and came across this plant. I remembered that Greeks used to put twigs of rosemary in their hair to help boost concentration, and Ophelia refers to its memory-enhancing powers in Hamlet: 'There's rosemary, that's for remembrance.' It reminded me of the amazing support that my family have given my in this venture, and it made me determined to go back into the classroom with fresh resolve.

BORAGE or Starflower

This borage is growing my Chichester garden. Borage grows well in pots or windowsills. It is essentially a wild flower and tends to spread rapidly in the garden.

Borage is often considered a rather boring herb as the leaves have little fragrance or taste (they have a cucumber flavour). However, on further investigation I found there to be lots of interest about this herb.

Borage is also known as Starflower in reference to its five petalled star-like flowers which are attractive to bees as they are rich in nectar. It is said that the blue colour of the flower was the inspiration for Madonna's robes in Renaissance paintings. Borage grows well near tomatoes and acts as a natural pest control. Perhaps the most interesting point of all is the link between borage and cancer management.

Borage leaves

Borage leaves are rather rough and hairy. They have a cucumber flavour when chopped and put into salads. But do pick the leaves when young and tender, and do not use too much as the texture is not always pleasant. If you have an abundance of borage, the leaves can be cooked and eaten like spinach. They lose their hairness when cooked.

Borage leaves do not dry well as they tend to lose their flavour.

Borage for courage

The Greeks and Romans considered borage to be a source of courage and comfort. Blooms are said to have floated in the drinks enjoyed by Crusaders before battle. Today borage flowers made an attractive additions to Pimms, Claret Cups and other alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Elizabeth Peplow remarks that maybe it is the wine that brings the courage rather than the borage - but adds that recent research indicates that borage brings cheer to the heart and pushes melancholy out of the window.

Borage leaves can be candied before adding to drinks, but as you can see from this photo they can simply be allowed to float on the drink (a glass of chilled rose in this instance) and make a good talking point.

Borage and GLA

In recent years, borage seed (extracted from the flower) has been shown to contain gamma linoleic acid (GLA), an omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid, which is active against various cancers, including breast, brain and prostate. It is thought to help prevent the spread of malignant tumours by restricting blood vessel growth.

In fact, borage seed has the most potent concentration of gamma linoleic acid found in nature, containing twice as much as is found in the evening primrose which is commonly used to help with pre-menstrual syndrome.

It is now possible to buy capsules of borage seed oil from health food shops for supplementing your diet. Borage seed oil is also used for massage.