Kitchen Medicinals

My first herb garden was a large wooden planter on the deck outside my kitchen overflowing with parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme - a fond memory of the popular Simon and Garfunkel song, Scarborough Fair. I loved to run my hands through the herbs and to nibble the parsley while working in the garden.
(Traditional cultures have favorite spices they use liberally in native cuisine - tumeric in India, ginger in China, garlic in Italy - each has strong taste appeal and contain powerful medicinal properties.)Using zesty herbs in cooking fell out of favor here in the US as our "fast paced" palates increasingly craved the sugar and salt so abundant in processed foods. As a consequence, we are missing out on both the sensory delight herbs add to food and the benefits to our health. Most culinary herbs are high in antioxidants, improve our digestibility of food and protect against harmful bacteria including e-coli. Also, many provide "kitchen cures" for sore throat, fever, stomach, and cough since they are anti-bacterial and anti-microbial.
(It seems we are coming around and recent flavor trends indicate Americans are beginning to embrace new flavors and spices. Also, leading chefs agree that bold flavors are beginning to please the American palate.)
Culinary herbs are easy to grow and can be used fresh or dried. The flowers and leaves of all culinary herbs are edible. Experiment with blending some of your favorites and use them liberally in cooking. I suggest you throw out those herb containers that have been hanging out in your pantry for over a year and plant some culinary herbs in your garden or window boxes this spring. The herbs of Scarborough Fair are a great combination and a great introduction to the many benefits of cooking with herbs.

Parsley petroselinum crispum

Parsley is a powerhouse of nutrition. Rich in vitamins B and C, beta carotene and zinc. It also contains absorbable forms of iron and calcium. Parsley is high in boron and fluorine - both bone strengtheners. It aids digestion and is a great source of chlorophyll, a detoxifier. New research shows that flavonoids and essential oil compounds from parsley act as powerful antioxidants, perhaps slowing the aging process and protecting cells. Parsley is a diuretic that purifies the blood and accelerates the excretion of toxins. Medieval German herbalist, Saint Hildegard of Bingen, prescribed a tonic made with parsley steeped in white wine to aid circulation and relieve heart problems. All that in what is usually left behind as a plate decoration! (The flat leaf variety is considered to have a better flavor and is higher in nutrients.)

Sage salvia officinalis

Sage is traditionally associated with longevity and wisdom and has a reputation for restoring failing memory in the elderly. The plant has lovely purple-gray leaves that can be used to make a strong tea for a mouth rinse to help prevent gingivitis, as a gargle for a sore throat, or as a remedy to help relieve hot flashes and night sweats in menopause - all this and it is great in stuffing mixes as well!. Sage is also effective against E-coli bacteria. (As are garlic, clove cinnamon and oregano) It is easy to grow in the garden. (The root of a related species, salvia miltiorrhiza, is used in China to "move blood." )

Rosemary rosmarinus officianalis

The International Herb Association's Herb of the Year for 2000. Rosemary is traditionally known as the herb of remembrance. Its high antioxidant content helps prevent aging of cells and the aging process is associated with memory loss. Rosemary essential oil is a favorite for treating depression. It contains the compound cineole, that stimulates the central nervous system. (Compounds in Rosemary strengthen fragile blood vessels and at least four of its antioxidants are known as cataract preventors.) Rosemary "tea" is a wonderful hair rinse adding shine and bounce. It stimulates hair growth by improving blood flow to the scalp. Rosemary leaves are used to make an infusion (strong tea) from fresh or dried leaves. The young growing leaves have the highest concentration of antioxidants and concentrations peak during summer. Rosemary grows well in a sunny area with good drainage and pots can be over wintered indoors.

Thyme thymus spp.

Thyme is a member of the mint family and like other plants in this family it is high in antioxidant compounds. Thyme may be used as a decongestant, antiseptic, cough remedy and digestive aid. Thyme tea is effective for bronchial problems and laryngitis because it relaxes lung tissue and promotes the flow of mucus. Place 1 teaspoon of dried herb in a cup of hot water, cover and steep for 15 minutes. Take 3-4 x a day as needed. Thyme is highly antiseptic and is a useful mouthwash and cleansing wash for the skin. Traditionally, thyme was used in the bath to help relieve rheumatic pains and aids the healing of bruises and sprains. Another historic use was as a worm expellant. Avoid large amounts if pregnant or nursing.

" By most definitions, a weed is a plant that is growing where it isn't wanted. All we have to do is want it, and it's no longer a weed. They become welcome friends for our health" Jim Duke, Ph.D.

Each year we spend countless hours digging out weeds in and around our gardens. Dandelions, plantain, clover, purslane, chickweed, lambs quarters, and nettles are some of my favorite enthusiastic growers. Wild plants are a superior source of nutrition and have strong healing properties to help prevent disease. The phytochemicals in plants are recognized by our bodies and easily assimilated - unlike the synthetic vitamins and pharmaceuticals we regularly use. We spray with pesticides to destroy these plants and then buy vitamins at the drugstore! Chefs at 4 star restaurants are using gourmet wild greens in their soups and sauces and getting rave reviews for the unique flavors. Perhaps I can help you look at them with new eyes and begin to appreciate the healing potential and culinary flavors of a few.

Chickweed stellaria media

Perhaps the most common weed and it grows all over the world. Often you can clear a patch of snow and find chickweed growing. It is rich in calcium, iron, potassium, protein, silica, vitamins and minerals. Chickweed has a mild flavor and can be used raw in salads or cooked and blended into soups. Chickweed is a popular ingredient in salves and creams to help draw toxins from the skin.

Dandelion

Before flowering in spring, the leaves are tender and have a nutty bitter flavor. Gather and mix with other greens in your salad. Late in the season the leaves are tough and not as tasty. The leaves are loaded with nutrients, and richer in Vitamin A than carrots. Dandelion leaves are a natural diuretic that do not deplete the body of potassium like pharmaceutical diuretics. You can make a tea from the fresh or dried leaves as a helpful remedy for PMS water retention. Dandelion root can be dug all year, but is best harvested in the fall. The root is a liver tonic and aids digestion by stimulating bile flow and enhances the body's ability to metabolize fat. It also helps regulate blood sugar. You can make a decoction of the root by simmering 2-3 tablespoons of the cut-up root in 1 cup of water in a covered pot for 15 minutes. Drink before meals to help prevent bloating and sluggish digestion.

Nettle Urtica dioica

This is stinging nettle - you may not recognize it, but most of us have experienced the sting. They grow easily along river beds, and woodlands. I don't expect you to plant them in your garden, but they are worth identifying in the wild and nurturing a wild patch if you have the space. The plant is covered with tiny hairs that cause intense stinging upon contact. Long valued as both food and medicine, nettle is a gourmet green and is enjoyed a hundred different ways by wild food enthusiasts. Nettle is dense with nutrients including calcium, magnesium, Vitamin C,Vitamin K and amino acids. It has the highest protein of any green vegetable and is one of the best sources of digestible plant iron..A plant with many uses - gourmet green, medicine and tonic, hair rinse, plant fertilizer, even nettle cloth was made from the fibrous stalks.
Gather the tender tops in early spring before it blooms. Wear gloves and a long sleeved shirt when harvesting. Drying and cooking neutralize the sting. Do not eat raw nettles.
Dry nettle leaves to use as a nutrient tonic tea year round. Crush dried nettles into soups and stir frys.
Steam fresh nettle greens and flavor with garlic and olive oil - or lemon juice and a bit of feta cheese. Delicious and healthy!.

Plaintain plantago major and plantago lanceolata

Both species grow in a circular cluster and can thrive between the cracks in pavement and among the greens in empty lots. American Indians called plaintain " white man's foot print" because wherever European populations settled, plantain seemed to pop up in their footsteps. Plantain leaves have antimicrobial and ant-iinflammatory properties and contain natural chemicals that sitmulate wound healing. The crushed leaves made into a poultice are excellent for treating bug bites, stings and minor cuts. It will draw out foreign objects such as a splinter.
The leaves are edible in early spring but get tough later in the season. They are rich in beta carotene, calcium, chlorophyll and the seed stalks contain psyllium - a familiar bulking agent for sluggish or irritable bowel. To keep plantain readily available for poultices, puree fresh leaves with a small amount of water in a blender, freeze in ice cube trays and thaw as needed. A tea can be used to treat mouth sores and throat infections.

Purslane portulaca oleracea

For 2,000 years this was a well-known cultivated garden vegetable in Europe. Smooth, reclining annual plant that can cover yards with its doily like mat of thick, succulent, creeping green stems. Grows in sunny, sandy soil and appears in late spring and dies in the fall. The leaves have a wonderful sweet-sour flavor and are great raw in salads. Purslane contains high amounts of iron, more vitamin C than spinach leaves, is uncommonly rich in omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants in general. I let it grow as a ground cover around my tomato plants and harvest for salads as needed.

Some other gourmet wild greens include - lambs quarters; wild chicory; sheep sorrel; amaranth; violet leaves; wild mustard; burdock root (aka gobo Rx); yellow dock greens and wild leeks .
Hint: Have your children help identify and pick the wild greens then they are more likely to eat them.
Want to learn more? Sign up for one of my workshops.

Guidelines for Foraging
· A good plant indentification guide is important so you are absolutely certain you have the correct plant. If in doubt, consult with someone who can confirm your choices.
· make sure plants have not been sprayed with chemicals. Also, do not harvest plants from heavily traveled roadsides since they might be contaminated by auto exhaust.
· Gather only healthy-looking plants and harvest no more than 20% of the plants in one area to ensure they will reproduce.
· Take only the part of the plant you can use. Don't pull up a plant by the roots if you intend to eat only the leaves.
· Please do not harvest endangered species.
Carefully wash wild plants at home, dry them well and store in refrigerator

How Do Americans Like Their Herbs?

Most herbalists recommend teas or tinctures, but capsules and tablets are the big sellers. Tinctures are alcohol based because alcohol best extracts most compounds and carries them directly into the bloodstream. Tinctures are concentrated forms of an herb's active chemicals and offer several advantages over other preparations:.
· The bottles are easy to carry and do not require refrigeration.
· The concentrated form makes it easier to take large doses.
· They keep for years if stored away from heat and light.
· (Tinctures are easily absorbed into the bloodstream because the herb's active components have been separated from the plant's indigestible cellulose and starch.)
· Four average doses a day usually contain less than one teaspoon of alcohol. This is less than the alcohol found in a ripe banana according to educators at The Herb Research Foundation.

Grate fresh ginger. Add to water and
Simmer 10-20 minutes. Take off the heat and
add fresh squeezed lemons and honey. Grate
Lemon peel as well. Sprinkle with a few grains
of cayenne. This drink will ward off the chills
of an oncoming cold by creating heat and warmth in the body. Tastes good too.

A Rosemary Gladstar recipe

1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
2 potatoes
olive oil
1 large handful of young nettle leaves (about 1/4 - 1/2 pound)
1 1/2 pints of vegetable stock or 1 vegetable bouillon cube
zesty herb seasoning
1/4 pint goat's milk (optional)

· Peel and chop the onion, garlic and potatoes. In a large saucepan, add a little olive oil and saute the vegetables for 3 - 4 minutes.
· With gloved hands, trim the nettle leaves from their stems and discard the stems. Thoroughly wash the leaves and add them to the saucepan.
· Meanwhile, make the chicken or vegetable stock with the bouillon cube and 1 1/2 pints of boiling water. Add the stock to the saucepan and bring to a boil.
· Boil rapidy, uncovered for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender enough to break with a fork.
· Add the contents of the saucepan to a blender. Blend until the mixture turns into a thick soup. Return to the saucepan to keep it hot. Season with herbs and stir in the goat's milk.