I just bought my first Bay Leaf.. sapling..They only had humongous trees left..or tiny.. little one stalk 6 inch ones..

Living here indoors..

Ricardo..The QC chef has a glorious one in his living room..

I thought I would start small..Uncanny the resemblance to the Ficus.. and Jasmine:)
I love Bay Leaves.

I use bay leaves in lots of savory stuff....soups stews, chicken, beef pork, lamb and sometimes fish....always in the water for a court boullion.
And I spread them in the bottoms of the drawers where I keep flours and the drawer where I keep crackers and chips and stuff....keeps flour moths away.
bay leaves...I buy them by the oz!.
Linda C

Bay leaves keep meal moths away.
Been doing this forever

Just put two or three leaves in open containers of corn meal, flour, pancake mix and all similar products. Also put a few leaves on your pantry shelves. The leaves may crumble after many years of use but are still effective.

Love it in stew, but for a different "taste", add a couple bay leaves to Navy Bean Soup, or lentils, rice or other grains.

Rub the skin and cavity of a chicken with prepared mustard, then tuck two bay leaves into the cavity before roasting.

Remember to remove the bay leaf from foods before you serve them, nothing like a sharp bay leaf stuck in your throat.

-Grainlady

I love bay leaves in veal osso bucco and tomato sauce. And for those pesky little moths and bugs >!

One of my favorite recipes for a very cold Winter day is Slow Cooker Turkey Breast.

Just put a turkey breast in the slow cooker. Add about 1/4 c. of water and 1 medium large or 2 small bay leaf. Cook on high for 6-7 hours. DELICIOUS!

Monique, good luck with your baby bay.

Michelle

One of the old family favorites when I was growing up was a Mushroom Veal Stew...very simple, Brown veal stew meat then add a little water and a couple of bay leaves. Simmer till tender, then add mushrooms and mushroom soup. Serve over rice.

Hate fishing out bay leaves though, about that time my tummy realizes dinner is soon.... :)

Nancy

What a coincidence...I got my Penzey's order today - with a 4oz bag of bay leaves (among other things I got hooked on because of Canny Camp). Our neighbor makes the best marinara sauce...I was surprised at how simple it is. Lots of garlic sauteed in olive oil, chopped tomatoes and a handful of bay leaves, cooked down until thick. Dumped over pasta and topped with Parmesan and cracked pepper....mmmm.

I have some bay leaves that I dried in my dehydrator 5 or so years ago!! I love them! I've been wanting to plant a bay laurel, Monique...I've been 'sorta' looking for one. The leaves I have were given to me as clippings from some one on the Pacific Northwest Garden Forum. She had a huge tree in her yard, so I'm sure I could grow one too.

Bay leaf is great with fish. And it isn't just for savoury things - try adding a bay leaf to your next baked custard or rice pudding (milky things). Try it in your next white sauce to serve with corned beef or veges.

Stir a bay leaf in the milk when heating for custard desserts, or in the liquid when poaching fish, and when cooking pumpkin, cucumber, zucchini or marrow.

Toss a few Bay Leaves on your barbecue when cooking your meat. The smoke smells delicious, the flavour subtly permeates the meat, and it will help keep the mosquitoes away as well.

Medicinal Uses: Oil from leaves and berries is used as a remedy for bruises and rheumatism. Leaves and branches act as fumigants and insect repellents. Rub a leaf onto a wasp or bee sting to ease pain. An infusion of the leaves is taken for flatulence to help improve the memory and to calm an hysterical patient. It has been found that bay helps the body use insulin more effectively, even at very low dosages. Added to a liniment, it is used to ease the pain of arthritis and muscle soreness. As a wash it is used to cleanse the skin. It is antibacterial and fungicidal and is used to treat skin rashes and bruises. As with all essential oils, it should be diluted in a carrier oil before using. As a hair rinse, it can prevent dandruff. It has been suggested that it may be an antidote for strychnine.

Warning: Professional supervision is advised when using this herb medicinally. Avoid medicinal doses of bay when pregnant. May increase blood pressure and pulse and produce vomiting. Berries are abortifacient. Leaves, especially dried, should not be eaten as they may cause internal cuts and tears, potentially dangerous to haemophiliacs and those taking blood-thinning medications. Remove leaves from food before serving. Except for Laurus nobilis, all other laurels are poisonous.

The bay-leaf-in-canisters thing really works to protect against creepy-crawlies! I scatter it on pantry shelves, too.

It is one of the very few herbs I prefer dried, rather than fresh. They should be the mature leaves, not the young ones.

Every herb garden should have a bay tree. It can become an enormous tree, but is amenable to topiarising - the 'ball-on-a-stick' is the most popular way of doing it.

If you have a bay tree on either side of your front door, you will never be bothered by witches, lightning, or assorted gremlins, demons and hobgoblins (also you are protected from plague and hallucinations). Give bay leaves to a bride to promote a long and happy union.

I like witches so I'll keep the bay leaf away from the front door.

Seldom make rice without tossing a bay leaf in the pan. Fish it out when the rice is done.

: )
lyra

My favorite marinade for pork is made with apple cider and bay leaf, with some black peppercorn.

I also put bay leaf in the pantry for those pesky bugs. Ugh.

Annie