Thanksgiving Recipes Using Herbs

The Herb Companion Magazine has several Thanksgiving recipes including Cornbread Sage Dressing and Whole Roasted Salmon with Fennel & Rosemary.
Check them out here.

Salad From My Garden in November

Today, 5 November, I harvested vegetables and herbs from my garden for a salad.  That is pretty remarkable in my zone 6 garden. 
My salad contained home grown kale, beet greens, chard, lovage, green onions, miner's lettuce, dandelion leaves, and most amazing - currant tomatoes. 
This is the first year I have grown currant tomatoes.  The flavor was fine though not spectacular.  Due to their small size you have to pick many for them to be usable so I had not planned to grow them again. The weather has been cool enough that larger tomatoes struggle to ripen.  The currants have continued to ripen though more slowly.  I lost some squash to a freeze a couple weeks ago but everything else - including peppers and tomatoes - are still alive.
The cool season plants are doing great.  It will be interesting to see how long I will be able to harvest this year.  Maybe I will contribute a homegrown green salad to Thanksgiving dinner at my brother's house.

Chamomile - guest post by Kiva Rose

Today we are excited to have a guest herbal columnist on our site today. Kiva Rose is a well-known herbal blogger, and co-founder of the Traditions in Western Herbalism Conference.

Kiva is finally coming out with her secrets of how she learns so much about plants without using books. Her plant monographs, like the one below, are famous for their deep exploration into herbs that you will not find in other places.

Click here to learn just HOW she does it. 

Do you REALLY know chamomile? I doubt it. Enjoy the article…

Earth Apple: The Bittersweet Medicine of Chamomile

By Kiva Rose

I am excited to finally be able to go deeper into explaining herbal energetics in my upcoming course, Herb Energetics

Let’s begin with an herb we all know and love, chamomile.

However, do you REALLY know Chamomile?

Chamomile means “earth apple” which is easy to understand when we accidentally trample the flowers and underfoot and suddenly smell the welcome fragrance of apples rising from the earth. In the same way, Spanish speaking peoples often use the name Manzanilla, literally meaning “little apple”.

Even for those largely unfamiliar with herbs, the distinctive sweet scent of Chamomile is often both familiar and comforting. This plant is many people’s first and perhaps only introduction to herbalism, often from a cup of honey-sweetened and belly-calming tea from their grandmother.

Many children enjoy eating the buds or just opened flowers, savoring the sweet aromatic taste of the plant, and rarely seeming to mind the slightly bitter aftertaste. Some patches of Chamomile, depending on phase of flowering and availability of moisture, are much more bitter than others but the fragrant sweetness persists even in the most bitter batches.

Far from irrelevant, these signature sensory characteristics of Chamomile that make the plant memorable in our minds are also the primary keys to understanding how to work with Matricaria as a medicine.

As with almost any herb, the taste and scent of Matricaria tells us a great deal about its properties, allowing us to use our senses to listen to the plant and understand its essence as a medicine. That blissfully apple-like scent that children so love to breathe in from the flowers tends to bring relaxed smiles to their faces and anyone who’s ever drank a cup of the tea can testify to the relaxing, tension alleviating effects of the plant.

That aromatic component, stemming from the plant’s high volatile oil content, is predictably nervine, meaning that it has a discernible effect on the nervous system. In this case, a specific relaxing, calming effect. Additionally, that same volatile oil content is responsible for Chamomile’s actions as a carminative, relieving digestive stagnation in the form of gas, gut cramping and mild constipation. A traditional remedy by several North American indigenous tribes for the uterine cramps of girls just beginning their menstrual cycles, Chamomile is a mild relaxant for the smooth muscles of the gut, uterus, bladder and respiratory tract with a specific affinity for the gut.

Matricaria is not just aromatic, even in the sweetest Chamomile flowers we find a notably bitter aftertaste. Rather than ruining the flavor of an otherwise tasty herb, that bitter element enhances and expands the medicinal properties of the plant. The bitter flavor tells us that it has a distinct effect on the digestive system, even beyond the aromatic/carminative qualities.

The bitterness increases the secretion of digestive juices and enzymes in the gut, thereby improving digestion wherever there is a lack of secretions, which is a common cause of heartburn and many cases of general gut discomfort. This combined with its obvious nervine properties; Matricaria excels at treating what is commonly known as a “nervous stomach”, which generally implies digestive upset concurrent with anxiety and nervous tension.

Volatile oils and bitter principles together make for a powerful ability to reduce inflammation and promote healing, especially in the gut. I rarely create a formula for those with leaky gut, irritable bowel syndrome or even Crohn’s disease that doesn’t contain some proportion of Chamomile. Even as a simple, this pleasant tasting plant can very effectively reduce gut inflammation, pain and cramping while promoting healing of the mucosa and improving overall digestion. And of course, reducing any anxiety that may be aggravating or triggering the gut issues in the first place.

Just as it soothes and heals internally, Matricaria is also a first-rate external application for almost any case of inflammation, irritation, swelling and even potential infection. It finds its way into many of my compress formulas for eczema, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and other common inflammatory skin conditions.

Steams, baths and infused oil are other effective ways of utilizing the calming, decongestive and healing properties of the herb. It’s also the first plant I think of in addressing the discomfort, irritability, insomnia, belly upset and fever of teething in small children.

Chamomile is one of my favorite remedies for all sorts of eye inflammations and infections. It can be used as a warm compress or saline eyewash to reduce inflammation, possible infection and pain in the treatment of styes, conjunctivitis, pink eye and similar maladies.

It teams up especially well with any Rosa spp. petals where there is a great deal of redness, irritation and swelling in the eye and the surrounding area. Just be sure to strain all those tiny (and potentially irritating) bits of Chamomile flower before using as an eyewash.

Chamomile has a well-deserved reputation as an archetypal remedy for children (or as Matthew Wood says “children of any age”), especially where there is fussiness, restlessness, frequent digestive upset and a tendency to react strongly to any irritant or discomfort. If one were to read the first dozen monograph on Matricaria they came across, the word “soothing” would be likely to show up in nearly every one. While now a somewhat clichéd representation of this common herb, it is nonetheless very accurate.

There’s a tendency by some of us to be less interested in the classic gentle herbs whose effects seem obvious, mild and less than profound. And yet, Chamomile has retained it’s popularity and reputation over the years for a very a specific reason. It works. It’s an effective, widely applicable, safe medicine well-loved by countless generations of mothers, herbalists and more recently, even medical doctors. This small but fragrant apple of the earth remains an invaluable medicine for all of us. Through both sweet and the bitter tastes, Chamomile provides us with a simple yet essential remedy.

Considerations: People with sensitivities to plants in the Aster family may have similar problems with Matricaria. Also note that Pineapple Weed (M. discoidea) often has a stronger bitter component and overall action than the common garden grown M. recutita.

The low down…

Common Name: Chamomile, Manzanilla, Pineapple Weed

Botanical Name: Matricaria recutita (as well as M. discoidea)

Botanical Family: Asteraceae

Taste: Aromatic, sweet, bitter

Vital Actions: relaxant nervine, relaxant diaphoretic, aromatic bitter/carminative, vulnerary,

Specific Indications: Irritability, tension, heat, hypersensitivity to pain

Energetics: sl. Cool, dry

So, exactly how does Kiva learn about plants by using her senses?

Just click here

Chives

Chives

Chives are fairly easy to grow anywhere.   You can grow a pot on your kitchen table or counter or you can grow them in your yard or garden - or both.  Garlic or Chinese chives are also easy to grow.

Chives are small onion like plants which grow in clumps.  Chives have purple edible flowers, rounded leaves, and a light onion flavor.  Garlic chives have white edible flowers, triangular shaped leaves, and a garlic flavor.  If using chive flowers harvest just after they open.  The flowers will separate into small pieces (florets) which can be scattered into salads for an attractive appearance and a chive (or garlic chive) flavor.

Both types of chives can be started from seed, purchased as a plant, or divided from an existing plant.  When starting from seed plant many seeds together since each seed will grow to be one plant.  At first they will look like tiny grass plants but as they grow the stems will thicken and they will be more obviously chives.  Chives can be harvested when the leaves are just a few inches tall.  Since you probably won't have many at first you can still cut them (leaving 1/2 - 1" for regrowth) and throw them in a salad.

To divide chives just cut into the bunch with a trowel or spade.  Dig up the portion you want and plant in another location or into a pot filled with good quality potting soil. The pot need not be much larger than the clump you are planting.


If moving indoors to or in a pot your chives will do better if exposed to the first light frost first - then move indoors.

As with other herbs use your imagination: top a baked potato, stir into scrambled eggs, throw into a salad, mix some with softened butter or cream cheese.

Edible Landscaping Blog

In addition to this blog I now have an Edible Landscaping Blog.  You can view and Follow it here: Eat Your Landscape
I also have a general gardening/landscaping blog on my website: Herbarium
I look forward to hearing your comments here as well as there.

Potted Herbs - Moving back indoors

The nights and days are getting cooler so it is time to prepare some of my herbs for the move indoors.  Those I already have in pots include 2 lemon trees, scented geranium, lemon verbena, pineapple sage, and bay.  I will need to move my lemongrass from the garden where it spent the summer back to a pot.

Before moving my herbs indoors I will prune any broken or dead growth or any that seems to be growing in an undesirable direction.   As it gets closer to the move I will then spray them off with water and apply horticultural oil to the leaves, trunk, and stems.  This should take care of any pests that try to move inside with them.  It has always worked so far. 
 

Organic Gardening Ebook

I wrote an ebook on organic gardening to help those who want to get started with organic gardening or those who might like some extra tips.                                                            Organic Gardening ebook - preview copy only $5.00 to the first 100 people. I would appreciate personal feedback about it. You will receive the updated version for free plus a copy of Basic Herb Growing ebooklet.

 

Harvesting My Herbs

I have been harvesting my herbs for awhile now both for immediate use and for preserving for later. 

Many herbs I just pop into a freezer bag and put  in the freezer.  This winter I can just take out the amount I need for a recipe.  After freezing they easily crumble into whatever dish I am creating.  I use them fresh from the bag without thawing first.  I also prepare some by drying. In this case I rinse them off and set them on the trays of my dehydrator.  I don't turn the dehydrator on.  At room temperature in my dry climate they are usually dry in a day or so.  I then seal them in storage bags or glass jars and store in a cool dry place.  Again, I don't crumble them but leave them as whole as possible to preserve as much as the oils as possible. 

Of the many herbs I use fresh from the garden basil is one of my favorite.  I don't think you can ever have too much basil.  When using herbs don't be afraid to experiment.  As long as you know it is edible and does not cause any problems for you specifically (such as allergic reactions) feel free to try different combinations and see what you think.  I love fresh basil, fresh tomatoes, chives, and cheese in my scrambled eggs.  Another way I love basil is to layer fresh zucchini, fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, and green onions in a glass pie pan and bake in the oven until the zucchini is tender.  Sometimes I top it with cheese before baking.  Since it is almost time to eat I think I will go prepare some right now.

Learning About Herbs

Herbs have been a love of mine for as long as I can remember.   When I was young the only herb I remember using fresh was parsley.  Dried oregano was something I always added to pasta sauce although my mom thought I added too much.  I love the smells and tastes of herbs whether fresh or dried.  Learning about herbs is an ongoing process for me.  I have been compiling a list of herb resources that you may want to check out.  If you know of any sites to add please let me know.

Drying and pressing flowers

Have you dried or pressed flowers?  Oregano (the purple flowered variety) has beautiful flowers that dry easily.  Pansies can be set face down and just shrink as they dry creating lovely minature pansies.  Most of my flower drying has just involved placing the flowers in a vase without water or lying them on a dehydrator tray.  Smaller delphinum flowers can turn out beautifully although they are quite fragile. Bachelor buttons are among the flowers that add nice color to potpourri.  Rose petals and lavender are the flowers I dry most often.  Potpourri, decorating sachets, and creating dried arrangements is how I have used most of my dried flowers.  Pressing flowers is something I have little experience with.  Flower Pressing Secrets can give me more ideas of how to dry and press flowers and how to use them.