ROSEMARY : It tends to take over a culinary herb garden in a genuinely flamboyant fashion, yet no self-respecting cook can get along without this fascinating, aromatic herb.

Is rosemary replacing basil as the herb of the ‘80s? It certainly seems likely, for not only is it being used by itself more often, it is being combined with basil in many dishes to add still another deliciously aromatic element. Fortunately the two herbs are excellent complements.

As experienced cooks and kitchen dabblers know, rosemary is not one of the more subtle culinary herbs. It has a decided aroma and imparts an elegant, yet pronounced, flavor to foods.

A woody, shrublike plant, rosemary grows rampant under the right climatic conditions. Never will I forget traveling through southern Italy and watching local cooks casually harvest rosemary for their day’s cooking from enormous bushes that grew wild along the median strips in the main streets in several small towns. Undoubtedly the constant culinary pruning kept the bushes under control, while the pervasive scent of the evergreen herb made one hungry.

Inexperienced gardeners who have planted rosemary expecting to have a nice small, controllable patch of the herb are often horrified to find it is a shrub to be reckoned with. Over a period of years, it can grow to almost six feet high, and sprawling. It tends to take over the garden unless closely monitored. So if you plan to plant rosemary in your herb garden, consider planting it at the back of the garden in a sunny spot with plenty of room for it to spread out. Or, if space is a problem, plant rosemary in a large pot so you can control its growth.

With the ready availability of fresh herbs of all kinds, it seems a shame to settle for seasoning foods with dried rosemary. But, admittedly, there are times when those little bottles on your spice shelf come in handy.

The usual problem with dried herbs and spices is that people tend to keep using them long after they have lost any semblance of flavor. Rarely do people think to replace a jar of herbs or spices unless it’s empty. And it’s impossible for old, tired, dried herbs to do their seasoning job properly. If your bottled herbs seem to be losing their oomph, a good deep whiff of the opened jar should reveal the story.

No aroma--or a weak aroma--means it’s time to replace that particular herb. And while you’re about it, check the herb’s color. Dried herbs that should be green but have turned an anemic gray are over the hill. Herbs are used to provide flavor, and when the flavor is gone, it’s false economy not to replace the herbs. The rule of thumb, incidentally, for substituting fresh herbs for dried herbs is generally three to one: Use one tablespoon of fresh herbs for each teaspoon of dried herbs.

One of the great charms of rosemary is that it goes so well with such a variety of foods. It is strong enough to stand up to red meats such as beef or lamb; it blends well with olive and other oils to make excellent salad dressings; it adds aroma and flavor to egg dishes, and so on. Do remember when using fresh rosemary in particular, however, that it’s better to err by adding too little rather than too much. It can become overpowering if not handled with caution.

One other tip for using fresh rosemary: When you use it in soups, stews and the like, don’t bother stripping the individual leaves from the sprigs. Use the sprigs whole and simply remove them before serving.

The following recipes show the wonderful versatility of this memorable seasoning.

ROLLED LEG OF LAMB

1/2 cup minced onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons butter or margarine

2 cups soft bread crumbs

1 tablespoon minced rosemary leaves

Salt, pepper

1 (4-pound) boned leg of lamb

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Olive oil

Saute onion and garlic in butter until tender. Stir in bread crumbs and rosemary leaves, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Open leg of lamb flat on board. Spread mustard over inside of lamb. Set aside 1/2 cup crumb mixture and sprinkle remaining crumb mixture over mustard. Roll meat into original shape and tie with string. Rub olive oil over outer surface of lamb and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place lamb in roasting pan. Pat reserved 1/2 cup crumb mixture over lamb. Roast at 325 degrees to desired degree of doneness, 160 degrees for medium or about 30 to 40 minutes per pound. Allow to stand 15 to 20 minutes before carving. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

ROSEMARY BRIOCHE

1 package yeast

1/4 cup warm water

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 eggs

2 egg yolks

1 cup softened butter or margarine

2 tablespoons rosemary leaves

3 1/2 to 4 cups flour

Sprinkle yeast over water in small bowl. Stir to dissolve. Heat together milk, sugar and salt until slightly warm. Beat 4 eggs with egg yolks. Beat in yeast, milk mixture and butter. Add rosemary. Add enough flour to make soft dough. Knead lightly and place in lightly greased bowl in warm spot. Cover and let rise in warm, draft-free spot until dough doubles in bulk.

Punch down and shape into 2 braided loaves or 12 individual brioche on lightly floured surface, adding flour as necessary.

For braided loaves, divide dough into 4 parts. Roll each part into strand about 16 inches long. Braid 2 strands together to make 1 loaf, pinching ends together. Repeat for second braid. Place on greased baking sheet. Let rise until doubled. Beat remaining egg and brush braids. Bake at 400 degrees 12 to 18 minutes or until golden brown.

For individual brioche, grease 12 small brioche molds. Divide dough into 12 parts. Pinch off 1/3 of each piece of dough and roll both large and small pieces into balls. Place large portion into mold. Make slight indentation in top and place small ball of dough in it. Repeat with remaining dough. Let rise in warm, draft-free spot until double in bulk. Brush with beaten egg. Bake at 400 degrees 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire rack to cool. Makes 2 braids or 12 individual brioche.

SMOKED TURKEY SALAD

1 egg

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon rosemary leaves

1 cup olive oil

1/2 cup sliced green onion tops

4 cups diced smoked turkey

1 Red Delicious apple, diced

1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts

In food processor or blender container, blend together egg, mustard, lemon juice, salt, garlic and rosemary. With motor running, gradually add olive oil, blending until mixture is thickened and smooth. Stir in green onions. Toss together turkey, apple and water chestnuts. Fold in rosemary mayonnaise. Chill until ready to serve. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

PORK TENDERLOIN WITH ROSEMARY

2 whole (1/2- to 1-pound) pork tenderloins

Salt, pepper

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 small onions, cut into quarters

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1 tablespoon rosemary leaves

1 tablespoon oil

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup Madeira wine

3 tablespoons flour

Place tenderloins in roasting pan. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with minced garlic. Arrange onions around pork in pan. Melt 1 tablespoon butter and combine with rosemary and oil. Drizzle mixture over pork and onions. Roast at 325 degrees 45 minutes to 1 hour, until tenderloins are tender and cooked through.

Remove tenderloins and onions from roasting pan. Deglaze pan with water. Heat to boiling. Stir in wine. Blend together flour and remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Beat into sauce. Heat to boiling, stirring until thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Slice tenderloins. Serve with onions and sauce. Makes 4 to 8 servings.

MARIAN CROMLEY’S BARBECUED LEMON CHICKEN WITH ROSEMARY

1 cup olive oil

1/2 cup lemon juice

6 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup rosemary, minced

8 chicken breast halves

Salt, pepper

Wet rosemary branches

Lemon wedges

Mix olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and rosemary in large shallow baking dish. Add chicken pieces and coat well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

Prepare charcoal fire in barbecue grill. Place damp rosemary branches on coals when they are ready. Grill chicken about 5 to 6 inches from coals, basting with marinade and turning frequently, about 12 minutes per side or until juices run yellow (not pink) when pierced with fork. Use branch of rosemary for basting brush. Add additional wet rosemary branches to coals during cooking time to keep rosemary smoke aroma going. Garnish chicken with lemon wedges. Makes 8 servings.

JOE SILLANO’S GILROY GARLIC BREAD FOR CROWD

2 pounds butter

2 pounds margarine

3 cups corn oil

1 cup water

4 or 5 large heads garlic

4 bay leaves

1/4 cup fresh rosemary leaves or 2 bunches rosemary sprigs

Salt, pepper

1/4 teaspoon crushed red chiles, optional

15 to 20 long loaves French bread

Chopped parsley

Combine butter, margarine, oil and water in large shallow pan long enough to hold bread. Place on grill over hot coals or over low heat. Separate, peel and crush garlic cloves. Add to butter mixture. Place bay leaves and rosemary in cheesecloth bag and add to butter mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add crushed chiles.

Cook over low heat about 40 minutes or until garlic is nearly dissolved. Stir occasionally. Cut bread in half lengthwise and toast on grill, turning once. When ready to serve, remove cheesecloth bag and stir in chopped parsley to taste. Dip cut sides of bread into butter mixture, remove to cutting board and cut crosswise in large chunks. Serve at once. Makes enough garlic bread to serve about 100 people.

ROSEMARY FETTUCCINE WITH PORCINI

1/4 pound pancetta, cut julienne

1 cup julienne-cut, oil-packed, sun-dried tomatoes

1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rehydrated and cut julienne

Rosemary Fettuccine

Saute pancetta in skillet over medium heat until lightly browned. Add tomatoes and mushrooms. Saute 1 to 2 minutes until heated through and flavors are blended. Toss with hot cooked and drained Rosemary Fettuccine. Makes 12 to 16 appetizer servings.

Rosemary Fettuccine

1 1/2 cups flour

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

2 to 3 teaspoons water

1/4 cup chopped rosemary leaves

Sift flour with salt onto board or into bowl. Make well in center of flour and add eggs and water. (Use less or no water when humidity is high.) Stir liquid ingredients lightly with fork, gradually drawing dry ingredients into liquid to form fairly stiff dough. Or mix dough in electric mixer with dough hook or food processor.

Knead in rosemary. Knead on lightly floured board until smooth and elastic. If dough is slightly too moist, cover with dry cloth and let rest about 1/2 hour. Cut in fettuccine size.

Please see related story on herbs on Page 21. Food styling by MINNIE BERNARDINO and DONNA DEANE / Los Angeles Times