Every Jamaican uses thyme in their meals. For me, it’s that essence which is rendered and the depth of flavor it provides to my culinary creation. In my world, thyme is boss, BUT….and that’s a huge BUT; rosemary is giving thyme a run for its money.  These are two herbs that I always have on hand. If I run out of either of them, I panic. I may not even cook. It’s that’s serious. Even if the meal that I’m preparing doesn’t require thyme or rosemary, I still need to know that it is there, just in case. I think it’s an OCD thing. It’s like ‘ALL HAIL THE THYME AND ROSEMARY!’  I despise bland food. My palate just ain’t got time that. I rarely create simple foods. My dishes are complex and full of flavor. I need layers of flavors in each and every bite, so if the preparation of the meal takes and extra twenty minutes, I’m game.

The most time consuming part of a meal is the prepping. That includes but is not limited to the washing, cutting, chopping and setting aside until it’s ‘assembly time’. I’m a morning person. Early in the morning, I’m full of energy and robust. I will pour all my love, heart and soul into a meal, from beginning to end; from farm to table; from pot to plate….and then I rest. Matter of fact, I shower, then eat (because I want to savor each flavor uninterrupted, without distractions)…. and then I rest.

If you want a full bodied, robust, flavorful meal, roast your favorite vegetables with rosemary and compliment the dish with chuck roast. The rosemary is independent, it stands alone, it’s self sufficient and rarely requires any other support. All you need is sea salt, olive oil and pepper to enhance the entire meal. Each vegetable is allowed to be unique, while they represent and release their own individual flavor. Sea salt and pepper, may not sound like much, but keep in mind that the rosemary is boss AND roasting  vegetables will concentrate and release BOLD flavors.

Will you be adding rosemary to your repertoire?