Rosemary is a herb long renowned for its memory boosting abilities, back in Ancient Greece students would place sprigs amongst their hair when studying (don’t knock it until you try it). It grows in evergreen bushes with needle like leaves and has a deep woodsy scent reminiscent of a dense forest. Rosemary contains several antioxidants and nutrients that help strengthen immunity, increase circulation and sooth stomach aches and indigestion. Two extra special phytochemicals it contains are called carnosic acid and rosmarinic acid. The first has been shown to protect the brain from free radical damage and prevent the cerebral arteries from narrowing, keeping it strong, healthy and highly functioning. The second is a powerhouse with anti-oxidant, anti-allergenic, anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, making it helpful for maintaining balance among many different body systems.
There are a few different ways to incorporate herbs into a meal to impart healthy boosts of flavour and maximize their effect. Using rosemary sprigs as skewers then brushing herbed oil onto the skewered vegetables really allows the herbs to shine. Any combination of vegetables and meats can be used but it is best to cut everything to relatively the same size. Some of the denser items like potatoes or yams can be cut thinner though to guarantee they cook fully in the same amount of time. Here I used a rainbow of summer vegetables to get a full range of minerals, vitamins and antioxidants. Bell peppers are easy to use because they are naturally thin and easy to cut down to size. Zucchini and cherry tomatoes are good options too, they have a high water content so they keep everything nicely moist. Here I used one zucchini that was a lot thicker than the other so I cut the larger one in half to keep more uniform sizes. Onions impart some sweetness as their sugars caramelize and the potatoes weigh the other vegetables down a bit.
- 12 cherry tomatoes
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into 12 squares
- 1 orange bell pepper, cut into 12 squares
- 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 12 squares
- 1 green bell pepper, cut into 12 squares
- 1 yellow zucchini, sliced into 12 pieces
- 1 green zucchini, sliced into 12 pieces
- ½ red onion, cut into 24 squares
- 6 small purple potatoes, each sliced into 4 pieces
- 12 long sprigs rosemary
- 2 tablespoons cold-pressed oil with a high smoke point, camelina or coconut are ideal, or melted butter
- 1 teaspoon Italian dried herb blend
- Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- Start up the grill on high heat, and place a barbecue plate on the grill if available. Pull most of the rosemary leaves off the stem (except for a full cluster at the top) to make the sprigs thinner. Thread the vegetables off, placing them close together. If the potatoes do not skewer easily poke a hole into them first with a thin knife or metal skewer.
- Mix the oil and herbs then brush them onto the skewers with a pastry brush. Sprinkle salt and pepper over top then place the skewers on the grill. Cook for 10-15 minutes, keeping the lid closed but flipping halfway through. If the vegetables start to blacken too quickly on the outside move them away from direct flame.
- Remove from heat, place on a serving platter and sprinkle lightly with more salt and pepper to bring out all the flavours.
