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Spring flowers - primrose and rosemary
Posted by: Jekka McVicar, 20 March 2008, 05.18PM
Easter always reminds me of my childhood. I attended a village school in Somerset and we used to pick bunches of primroses (Primula vulgaris), tie them up with coloured wool, place them in baskets and decorate the church.
It is sad to think that in my lifetime so many of our native wildflowers and herbs have become endangered. They are now protected; it is illegal to pick or dig up any wild plant. However, it is heartening that with the increase in more sympathetic farming practices and the demand for organic produce, native wildflowers and herbs are returning to our hedgerows.
The primrose is a herb. In the middle ages it was used as a medicinal herb - concoctions were made from the plants to treat gout and rheumatism. Today it is occasionally used as a mild sedative, being considered a remedy for anxiety and insomnia. The flowers of cultivated forms of primrose can be used in salads. For the more adventurous primrose growers, the young leaves make an interesting vegetable if steamed, then tossed in butter.
Another herb I associate with Easter is rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis). My rosemary plants are starting to flower, which is lovely as the flowers provides early nectar for the bees. The downside is that these plants won't make the flower shows.
My grandmother and mother were both wonderful cooks. Part of the Easter tradition was to have roast lamb with slithers of garlic and rosemary pushed under the skin, roasted slowly in the oven with loads of vegetables. The aroma of this traditional feast is still a pungent memory. Rosemary is a very versatile herb when used in cooking; it works well with lamb, casseroles, tomato sauces, roast vegetables, egg dishes, apples, summer wine cups and oils. It also aids digestion of fatty foods and is an antioxidant.
Comments
Ellie
31 March 2008, 07.32PM
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