Saffron

If you enjoy cooking then you’re bound to have a well stocked pantry containing ingredients that are also herbal remedies.

Take dill for instance, the seed improves appetite and digestion and sweetens the breath while the oil kills bacteria and relieves flatulence. In Ethiopia dill and fennel leaves are chewed to treat headaches, and in Ayurvedic medicine dill is used to treat indigestion, fevers, ulcers, kidney and eye problems, and uterine pains. It’s also one of the ingredients in the popular colic medicine for babies, Gripe Water.

In the Orient chives are used to treat the common cold, flu, and lung congestion while coriander tea is used to treat measles and dysentery. In other parts of the world coriander seeds aid digestion, improve the appetite and reduce gas, and in East India an eyewash is made from the seeds to help prevent blindness in smallpox patients.

Powdered caraway seeds have been used as a poultice for bruises and a once common indigestion remedy was a cordial made by infusing 28 gram seeds in cold water for 6 hours. After it was strained up to 15 ml was given every hour to infants suffering from colic.

Saffron, although quite expensive,  is still used by the Chinese to treat depression, shock, menstrual and menopause problems. They also believe it has actions  that are related to the heart, spleen, and liver.

Fennel seeds aid digestion, relax smooth muscle, and are said to be very helpful in digesting fat, and it promotes milk in nursing mothers. Eating the inside of a stalk is said to promote a restful state. It improves eyesight and is reputed to reduce the effects of alcohol on the body; Culpeper, a seventeenth century herbalist, used fennel seeds to help the liver neutralize poisons.

There are many more herbs and spices that are usually found in the kitchen such as basil, garlic and ginger and I will be writing about them in the near future. Until then take a look and see what herbal remedy is lurking in your pantry.

Belle Gibbons

Medical Herbalist,

The Home Herbalist Courses Proprietor, Author, and Tutor

On the first of each month the little town where I live has a huge market where fresh potted herbs can be bought quite cheaply so at the New Year’s Day market I stocked up  with the above herbs.

They are so healthy and fresh and only cost two dollars or so each. I also purchased some clay pots and saucers at the local hardware store and they were inexpensive as well. Some time ago my niece had given me three lovely painted herb pots as a gift so I decided to use them too but any useful things such as old teapots and jugs can be used as long as they have holes drilled in the bottom of them and some type of saucer underneath.

So I had fresh potted herbs and the pots to put in them in but I needed a place in the kitchen for them where they would get enough sun. Fortunately I have  deep windowsills in the kitchen and other parts of our cottage that we built last year, which are ideal for plants, however, when I had the idea to have potted herbs in the kitchen it was the end of winter and the sun was still shining on the windowsill above the sink. Now I have the herbs potted the sun has moved across the sky so, although they have good light, they don’t get enough sun. My husband, who could see I was quite disappointed, suggested I buy another lot of herbs and clay pots and swap them over every few days so they all get some time in the sun. Because the whole exercise is much cheaper and fresher than purchasing fresh herbs from the supermarket I’ll be off to the markets once again to stock up.

Potted herbs can be grown anywhere in the house such as on a kitchen bench or near a window as long as they can get enough sun and if this isn’t possible then swapping them around like I’m going to do is an easy alternative and will ensure that there is always a continuous supply of the herbs of your choice.

Keep enjoying your herbs,

Belle

Pavlova with Berries

My family live over a vast area – from Innisfail in Far North Queensland to Tasmania so there has never been a Christmas when we could all be together. It was even more difficult this year because of flooding from all the rain we’re experiencing. Fortunately, one of my brothers and his wife live behind us – they moved here the same time we did, about three years ago – and since we’ve all been here we have Christmas together.

Christmas dinner this year was typical Queensland fair – barbecued fish, chips, salads, crumbed prawns, garlic bread, and a family tradition – pavlova that I’ve cooked every Christmas since the early 1980s.  Of course there were drinks, beer, wine and elderflower champagne; you can guess which drink I had! The elderflower champagne was delicious and refreshing and contained no alcohol; I think it’s called champagne because it fizzes well.

Click here for the pavlova recipe.

Now we’re all looking forward to the New Year celebrations, which will probably be quiet this year.

Happy New Year to you all.

Belle

Don’t you just love Mother Nature and the way she gives individual herbs so many uses? Hops (Humulus lupulus) is a prime example of just how versatile herbs can be. Since ancient times it has been used for food and medicine as well as in the household. This article explores some of the uses of hops including a simple recipe for making beer.

First though let’s look at hops as herbal medicine:

Medicinal Uses

To begin with the herb contains B Complex vitamins and minerals including traces of iodine, zinc, copper, manganese, magnesium, and iron.

Hops’ actions are sedative, bitter, antibacterial (when used topically), diuretic, soporific, and spasmolytic.

The many conditions it treats include nervous or irritable coughs, irritable bowel syndrome, insomnia, excitability, sleep disorders, restlessness, painful or absent menstruation, and externally it can be used to treat crural ulcers. It treats other conditions too but self-prescribing for these is not advisable.

Simple Herbal Remedies

An infusion of hops flowers can be taken as a mild sedative and applied externally as an antiseptic. they can also be added to any tea to help aid digestion and improve appetite, and when sprinkled with alcohol and placed inside a pillow they will help induce sleep.

Adult Dose Three Times a Day:

Infusion of dried herb – 0.5 to 1g

Tincture 1:5 – 1 to 2ml

Warning: This herb should not be used by those who suffer from depression, and those who work with hops have reported experiencing symptoms very like those that hops treat.

Culinary Uses

Male flowers can be parboiled and tossed in salads, young side shoots can be steamed and served like asparagus, and young leaves can be added to soups after they’ve been blanched to remove their bitterness.

Household and Garden

If you like to dye textiles you can boil the leaves to obtain a brown dye. Stems can be woven into baskets, and used to make paper and cloth.  Dried flowers add an attractive touch to arrangements and garlands while the whole plant trained on a tripod will provide a pretty screen. Treat yourself to a relaxing bath by making an infusion and adding it to the water.

Hops Beer

Boil 75 g hop flowers in 18 litres of water for 1 to 1 ½ hours then remove from heat and stir in 625 g brown sugar until dissolved. Strain in to a plastic bucket that has a lid. When the liquid is lukewarm add one packet of brewer’s yeast or two tablespoons fresh yeast, cover and place in a warm place for two days. Skim the top very well and strain through cheesecloth or muslin in to sterilized bottles. Place corks in the bottles and leave in a cool place for several days after which you can drink the brew.

Note: This old recipe doesn’t state if the flowers used are dried or fresh but I presume fresh are used.

Until next time…

I love it when Spring arrives bringing cheerful colour to the countryside after a long, very cold winter. Where grass was browned by many frosts new shoots are  emerging spreading a carpet of green dotted with pink, white, and purple wild verbena flowers. Bright yellow wattle blossoms are bursting forth along the roadside and wild ducks waddle along with their ducklings taking advantage of Mother Nature’s bounty.

In my herb garden comfrey plants are waking up with new leaves appearing everyday while yarrow, which seemed to have a difficult time throughout the harsh winter conditions, has a new lease on life. The Echinacea plants seem a little lazy still and must be sleeping in but they should soon be seen above the ground with new leaves that will precede the delightful purple or pink flowers.

Lavender plants along the path are covered in flowers; they are so profuse that just brushing them while walking past fills the air with their delightful scent. Honey bees love them and are working busily gathering their pollen. Parsley, marjoram, lemon thyme, and common thyme all have new growth and tansy is covered in new leaves. Nasturtiums with their pretty cheerful flowers are weaving their way among the other plants.

In the fields stinging nettle is waiting to be harvested, which I’ll do when the moon is waxing and two varieties of cobbler’s pegs, one with yellow flowers and the other with white are growing quickly; it’s a wonderful medicinal herb.

All the plants have been fertilized just before the first Spring rain that has arrived now so this will help them grow well throughout the coming months so they will be strong and healthy ready to face the heat of summer.

Now is the time for us and our pets to take stinging nettle because it’s a wonderful and nutritious Spring tonic that helps to rejuvenate us after winter, especially if we’ve had or are recovering from colds and flu.

Blessings to you all throughout this season of renewal.

Tea (Camellia sinensis) is one of the highest sources of antioxidants, in fact it contains more of these health giving constituents than any vegetable or fruit. The antioxidants in tea appear

Drinking only one or two cups of tea a day may reduce the risk of artery blockage by forty-six percent. Antioxidants in tea belong to a group called flavonoids that are rich in catechins and these are responsible for giving the herb most of its health giving properties. Cell studies showed that one of the most important catechins, epigallocatechin gallate, blocked an enzyme that is needed for cancer cells to grow.

Black tea is made by crushing the leaves and allowing them to ‘ferment’ in the tea’s enzymes while green tea isn’t fermented; both come from the same plant. The most popular non-alcoholic beverage, tea can be purchased in various forms but the finest and most expensive is made from unopened leaf buds and leaves picked from the youngest shoots .

To gain maximum health benefits from tea allow it to brew for at least five minutes to extract the  maximum amount of catechins. Tea can prevent the absorption of iron so try to drink it between meals rather than with them but if you enjoy a ‘cuppa’ with a meal eat a few apricots every day to keep your iron levels up. Drink two to five cups daily and keep tea leaves in  airtight dark glass containers in a dry cool place; green tea has less caffeine than black tea.

It’s amazing how things happen sometimes. For quite a while now I’ve been hoping to find Warrigal greens (Tetragonia tetragonioides) growing on our 6 acre property but it was nowhere to be seen.  A few days ago I decided that it mustn’t grow in this area so gave up any thoughts of gathering this plant to use as vegetable.  As I was walking back to the house I saw a plant that looked like it but only had the time to check it out today. To my sheer delight I found that it is Warrigal greens.

This lovely wild food and medicine plant is growing quite near our house – after living here for just over two years I find it incredible that I have been hoping so much to have it growing here and then after searching for it for such a long time it turns up almost on my doorstep!

Warrigal greens, also known as Warrigal cabbage and New Zealand Spinach, is a member of the pigface family and is native to New Zealand, Australia and Norfolk Island where it grows in arid woodlands and plains, and in salty coastal soils. It also grows in other regions of the Pacific from Japan to South America. It has escaped from cultivation  in Asia, the United States, Africa and Europe.

During Captain Cook’s first voyage to New Zealand in 1769 the ship’s botanist, Joseph Banks, recognized its value. Cook tried to get his crew to eat the plant as a vegetable to protect them against scurvy but they refused until they realized his officers were eating it. It became so popular among them that the supply had to be rationed. Not only did this incredible green vegetable protect the crew from scurvy but it also cured those who already had it.

During this first voyage Cook also discovered Warrigal greens along the shores of Botany Bay, Australia. After European settlers arrived on the continent the plant was gathered and eaten as a popular and easily obtained source of green vegetable.

This wild plant that can also be cultivated contains properties with sedative effects and anti-inflammatory chemicals. It’s also anti-scorbutic and may be effective in preventing the formation of ulcers.

Warrigal greens is a perennial creeping plant with thick stems that grow to one or two metres long. Leaves are thick, bright green, alternate, and are two to eight centimetres long. Small yellow flowers appear in late spring to summer and the green seed capsules are hard and long with three to six small ‘horns’.

Because the leaves contain oxalates, which can be harmful when consumed in large quantities, they should be blanched for three or more minutes then rinsed with cold water before cooking them or using them in salads.

Until next time,

Belle

]]> http://www.thehomeherbalist.com/warrigal-greens-wild-plant-food-and-medicine/feed/ 3 http://www.thehomeherbalist.com/salad-herbs-for-flavour-and-health/ http://www.thehomeherbalist.com/salad-herbs-for-flavour-and-health/#comments Fri, 19 Mar 2010 20:13:11 +0000 Belle http://www.thehomeherbalist.com/?p=1273 As we know, history repeats itself and when it comes to food there is no exception. Culinary habits are becoming more interesting with the reintroduction of ancient grains in to the diet along with salad herbs that haven’t been seen since the sixteenth century.

Back then the diversity of [...]]]> As we know, history repeats itself and when it comes to food there is no exception. Culinary habits are becoming more interesting with the reintroduction of ancient grains in to the diet along with salad herbs that haven’t been seen since the sixteenth century.

Back then the diversity of textures, flavours and colours might have come from 50 or more different flowers, leaves, seeds, buds, blanched stems, and even pickled roots.

Following is a list of unusual but delicious salad ingredients you might like to experiment with.

Borage Flowers (Borago officinalis) – Use these pretty star shaped blue flowers to add colour to salads.

Calendula petals (Calendula officinalis) – Sprinkle the petals through a salad to add a mild flavour and vibrant colour.

Chickweed (Stellaria media) – The tender leaves of this lovely herb add a lovely texture to salad greens.

Chive flowers (Allium schoenoprasum) – For a mild onion flavour gently toss the flower petals of chives through salads. Add a mild garlic flavour by using the white flowers of  Chinese chives.

Endive (Cichorium endivia) – A lovely salad green but best blanched or picked young to avoid its bitter flavour.

Garden cress (Lepidium sativum) – In its early stage of growth this herb is usually considered to be “mustard and cress” but if it’s let to grow it becomes a pretty salad green, especially if you want to add a little heat.

Garden pansy (Viola x Wittrockiana) – The pretty flowers of this plant can be used to add vibrant colour to most salads.

Jack-by-the-hedge (Alliara petiolata) – This wild plant has a very mild garlic flavour – chop young tender leaves and add to salad.

Lawn Daisy (Bellis perennis) – Young leaves and flowers can be added to salads; small flowers can be used whole or the petals can be separated.

Meadow crane’s bill (Geranium pratense) – This is a delightful plant that has mild flavoured crimson-veined blue or blue flowers that bloom most of the summer. Add the flowers to salads for colour and flavour.

Mizuna mustard greens (Brassica japonica) – Grows all year when re-sown. The stalk is tasty and both the stalk and leaves have a fresh mild flavour that makes them very useful as a salad green.

Orach (Atriplex hortensis) – Leaves are purple or gold and should be harvested when young and tender to add colour and a mild flavour to salads.

Rape cabbage (Brassica napus) – Grow as a seedling crop and use young leaves to add a mustard/cabbage flavour to salads.

Rose Petals (Rosa species) – Any scented rose petals can be used to add flavour and colour to a salad but remove the white heel at the base of the flower because it is bitter.

Salad rocket (Eruca vesicaria) – Most of us are quite familiar with this herb with its hot spicy flavour. The flowers can be tossed in a salad but be sure to use young leaves as those that are older become quite bitter.

Summer purslane (Portulaca oleracea) – A prolific herb with leaves that add a delicious crunchy and nutty flavour to salads.

Variegated nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus) – This is another well-known salad herb with leaves that add a sharp peppery flavour to salads. The flowers and buds can also be used but have a milder flavour.

Viper’s bugloss (Echium vulgare) – The flowers of this herb are small and are either blue or pink. They contain a sweet nectar and although they have a very mild taste they are an attractive addition to many types of salads.

Winter purslane (Montia perfoliata) – You can cut this herb and it will grow again to give you an almost constant supply of an ideal salad green.

Begin a salad by making the base with leaves that have a mild flavour such as chickweed, summer purslane, lettuce, and dandelion. Next, add small amounts of shredded leaves with sharp or pungent flavours such as nasturtium and basil then add flowers choosing those that have colours that go well together – blue and yellow, orange and yellow, pink and white, or yellow, blue and white. Finally, add small amounts of other culinary herbs such as chervil, thyme, tarragon, parsley, and lemon balm.

Apart from adding flavour and colour to food herbs also have health benefits when used regularly.