Green Power in a glass

About a month or so ago I started Tweeting at the urging of friends. They insisted it could be a great way to attract attention for my blog. Well I had misgiving about the whole things, but in the end after asking myself why? over and over, I thought; “Well, why not”. If I didn’t like it I’d simply stop. So off I went, being the kind of person who likes trying new things. What I have found is that it doesn’t take all that much time and it is a great way to find out about a whole range of things one otherwise wouldn’t come across as well as share information  about things I find important. Now I’ll finally get to what I really wanted to share with you. As I was scrolling through the Tweets I came across a link to a website of a British forager Fergus Drennan (there seem to be more foragers of wild foods in Britain, per capita than in the US , but I will most likely be proven wrong). Anyway, as I was looking through his site I found two things of particular interest. The first thing was a Wild Green Health Drink, which I made my couple of versions  of. On Fergus’ website I also found a link for seaweed cooking. Yes your read it right. A lovely looking young Irish lady with the fabulous name of, Prannie Rhatigan, gave out a seaweed (soup) cook book in 2010. I now wish of course that I could go out and harvest fresh seaweed in the ocean, but living in Washington DC that is not very likely, so I will have to buy my seaweed at the market. I will experiment and tell you what happens. But, how does the recipe “Hanna’s Little Jammie Jewel Cookies” with Nori seaweed sound like? Just yummy. In truth during the great war people use all manners of ground seaweed as thickeners or as a way to extend flour in baking and also to fertilize their fields for greater crop yields. It has great nutritional benefits and in many cases healing properties.

By the way with the roses blooming at this time, don’t forget to gather a few blossoms and sprinkle the leaves on your salad. It is decadently luxurious to eat roses, looks splendid and tastes yummy. Just don’t gather roses that have been sprayed.

Green drinks come in many versions. There are the blue green algae, green power drinks bottled and ready to go and so on and so forth. But you can actually make it at home if you have a fairly decent food processor, or liquidizer and a mix of young dark greens. The darker greens, as you may remember, are more bitter in taste. The green drink Fergus Drennan made was wholly from wild greens. A couple of posts back I mentioned that I sort of worried about whether I’d be able to eat all those greens that grew in my garden? Well now I know. I will have a power drink daily for as long as the wild or tamed greens stay young.  Actually one can prolong the season to a degree, because some of the greens will regenerate at least once if cut way down.

Green Berry Power in a glass

Green is the color of Spring, the Liver/Spleen energy, new growth, cleansing. A green drink would fit into this category and technically we are still in spring for another month. A drink like this also holds all the healing properties of each green added, including a wide variety of vitamins and minerals. It is a potent form of nutrition, but there is a caveat. A potent raw, cold mix like this may be hard on some people’s digestion. Raw greens are energetically Cold and Bitter, so if you have a difficult digestion try a little out first.  I have modified the recipe to adjust for this, but it still may be  a little much for some. It is a great way to get soluble and insoluble fiber. Personally I love the bitter taste. Actually it is just a matter of getting used to, but I know it is a flavor many people avoid. For me it seems that the more balanced my meals have become and the more dark green foods I have added, the less I have thought about sweet foods. I also tried making some variations of this green drink to see how they taste and how they behave digestively. Take a look. You may find ways of adjusting it that is to your liking. For sure it is a brilliant green drink full of  healthy power, so happy grazing to you.

A veritable seaweed salad garden

http://www.theecologist.org/green_green_living/food_and_drink/269820/seaweed_tastes_better_than_chocolate.html

seaweed article

Garden Pesto

It is hard to believe, but I have had to harvest a significant amount of Oregano, Marjoram and Thyme already and it is only May. They will be hung for drying, then crushed and stored in a dark place for use in the winter. The plants I have and there are now quite a few, since I have divided and replanted them, grow on a south-facing bank. Gravity takes care of drainage and the soil is relative poor, which is something these Mediterranean plants like. The bank also gets that hot sun for hours on end that they also like. Little freezes on this bank in the winter, unless we have one of this occasional nasty freezes.  Even then the roots go deep enough and have spread to insure that even the Rosemary and lavender will re-grow.  In the summer, if one bends and touches the plants, they will respond by sending forth a lovely fragrance.

It is busy in the garden these days and I try to be out there whenever I can. The birds no longer pay any attention to me.  The sparrows are noisy, they argue loudly and fight at the smallest provocation. Sometimes I wish I could understand their language and understand what all the commotion is about. Tenacious little birds they are and they could care a hoot if everyone knows they are upset or not. The mourning doves on the other hand seem to be birds of immense grace and peacefulness. But don’t let their demeanor  fool you, give them food in the feeder and they are likely to have a turf fight of great proportions. Cardinals on the other hand are quite shy. They visit the feeder regularly, but they are the ones who will complain loudly to me if the feeder is empty. They flit in, scream a loud tweet and are gone, over and over and I know it is time. The other bird, the finches, the titmice, even the jays are quieter and more polite, perhaps they save their quarrels for the privacy of their nesting area.  It is in any case very entertaining. I was even called upon one year to be a catbird mother’s help mate in protecting her fledging from the blue Jays, but more about that another time. The baby grew up under my watchful eye.

Yellow Pepper Pesto with fennel

Another great spring recipe that can be made in a great many ways is Pesto. It is a great spring and summer food, used for dipping, on crackers, bread or with pasta. It should be remembered that with the amount of cheese and nuts Pesto has, people with Damp conditions should be a little cautious, because it is likely to make one more Damp, except perhaps in the middle of hot summer. I make a number of different Pestos because they are so easy to make.  One is Yellow Pepper Pesto, the other I call “Mock Pesto”. Mock Pesto has a lot of dark greens in it and I thought was my recipe alone. It turns out that it had already been invented in ancient Roman. I had no idea till this week. As they say ”there is little new under the sun”. These ancient Romans crushed garlic, olive oil, fresh cheese, greens of some sort, salt, pepper and some vinegar in a mortar and pestle and called it moretum.  To this they might add different kinds of nuts and they ate it with bread and wine.  A contemporary of Emperor Nero describes moretum thus. Here is my version. I use any of my favorite  spring greens, add herbs and away I go. I do make it in the blender, though I understand that the pestle and mortar version is better. The recipe changes every time I make it, it depends on which greens are growing, which herbs I want to use and what cheese seems enticing. Basil Pesto  originated in North Africa, though Basil actually comes from India.  The first cookbook with a recipe for pesto, as we know it today, was written in 1863 by Giovanni Battista Ratto.  But as with so many things Pesto has been reinvented and improved upon by many as time has moved on, by those who insist their version is best. There are now a variety of pesto recipes using dried tomatoes, edamame, flowers, other nuts. The list goes on. Check out this. You can serve red pesto, yellow pesto, pesto in a variety of greens, hot pesto, mild pesto, you name it. Just have fun with it.

Thyme

Green Spring Soup

The other day, as I was dividing and re-planting hostas to help populate the space left in my front garden from the oak that fell last year, I discovered som large specimens of Chicory, a very large Dandelion and  some large Sows Thistles. Like kale, these leafy green vegetables are full of vitamins, minerals & antioxidants, necessary for good health, good immunity, to help the body fight a range of diseases. Depending on the location and amount of water they get, these plants can either grow small and dense or become large and succulent. The plants I found certainly were juicy. If they are to be used, they need to be used young or they become a too bitter for most, but there are ways around that.  More about it in the soup recipe section.  Dandelion was brought to the Americas with the colonialist wife and became a staple of the garden. Centuries later the Brits brought the dandelion with them to Australia along with the bunny rabbit and the Union Jack, to remind them of home I imagine and at least the dandelion and the rabbit have gone native there.  The Colonial ladies who came with the Mayflower and the ships that followed, left the  dandelion in place in their gardens to grow large. It is a perennial and the plants were used as they were needed for a variety of health issues or food. The one in my garden had leaves 12″ or so long, a dark and healthy green. Chicory is a biannual plant that most people associate with as a coffee additive, but in fact it is a food plant as well. In France and Belgium they grow it under a cloch, and called it Belgian endive, but it can be eaten just by picking it wild as long as you know it hasn’t been sprayed. Many wild plants, including the chicory and the dandelion have historic use and helped people stave off starvation during wars and famines. Apparently chicory is irresistible to deer, so if you won’t eat them yourself, consider planting a chicory plot to keep the deer from your vegetables.

In the back yard I knew I also had several Wild lettuces. The wild lettuces (Lactuca), which do not look like lettuce at all are the forbearer of the domesticated varieties at the market. They grow profusely  throughout the world. The one’s in the Eastern region of the US, where I live, tend to have yellow flowers, though there are varieties with yellow/reddish color and one with blue flowers.  Lettuce has a mild sedating quality, the wild lettuces of course more so than the store-bought variety, as well as digestive properties. The wild variety tastes more bitter than the domesticated varieties, but makes a great addition to a salad never the less.

The trouble or blessing, as I like to look at it, with the four plants I have described, is that once they are there, it takes a lot to get rid of them.  Therefore my approach is to look at them as a food source. Then the plants become  cherished friends. So when I realized these large plants were there, I decided to make soup. I had, truth be told, already added a bunch of chicory to a big beef soup for a friend who family who is going through a difficult time, but there was a lot left over and more will grow. I made a Green Spring Soup for my own dinner that day and lunch and/or dinners for the days that follow. It is really hard to make just a little when there is such an abundance of plants to eat.  But more about this in the recipe section and let me hasten to say that you can of course make this soup with any of your regular green leafy vegetables, if you aren’t too sure about the wild ones. For example forced dandelion greens are readily available and would be suitable used alone in this recipe.

The lettuce, chard, spinach and peas are coming in strong, as well, along with the wild foods and when I look out over the garden in the spring, I wonder, “will I ever be able to eat it all”?

Bodil believes strongly in  a healthy diet as the base for health in the body. She sees clients at her office for a variety of health concerns. To learn more about her, click here. Check out her range of experience.

Mourning dove

Spring Pasta with garden vegies

There is something about eating greens that have just been picked. (Spring Pasta) You just taste it, I am not jesting. You may think there isn’t much difference, but there is. Not dissimilar to an egg, laid only a day or two earlier to the one that has sat in a warehouse and then at the grocers for days, maybe even weeks. Eggs have a 45 day sell-by-date USDA . Freshness of food, as in time from the live source to the table does impact taste and the farther apart these dates are the more foods lose nutrition and often taste. We no longer have the time, the luxury nor are most of us living in locations where shopping daily or frequently as in “olden days” is possible or convenient. We now shop for a week or more at a time, even online without even actually even seeing the food. Nor can many of us go out in the garden to pick foods.  Community gardens have been around for a long time of course with people finding the time to till a small plot. But there is a new movement afoot, the using of any available urban space, even parts of parks to create a food-producing gardens often for those less fortunate of us and they are sprinkled around many metropolitan areas with young and old participating.  Years ago I dug up a space on the front lawn where we were living. The older generation in the neighborhood consoled themselves with the fact that I wasn’t from these shores, and that I was creating a victory garden, reminiscent of WWII. There was some snickering of course.  It was a novelty in an urban setting at the time, but now with rising food prices, incomes that often don’t rise with it, gardening for food anywhere there is sun is becoming commonplace. You may thing gardening is difficult, but it is not really. We are blessed these days with the abundance of information available at a click of a button, as well as the number of classes available, online and in a classroom situation. Give a child a large pot with soil and let them grow anything they want, even a dandelion  and you will end up with an adult who cares about the environment.

Lunch Company

I love my little plot of land. Every spring I bring my office to my front porch.. I can observe the goings on, watch the denizens I share my garden with.  Every spring there is a “getting used to each other again” period with the wild animals that share my space. The birds and squirrels seemingly send emissaries onto the porch to sit there, usually on a chair across from me and stare at me intently for what seems forever, while I nearly hold my breath, hoping to pass muster. This year they sent a mourning dove, such a quiet reticent bird. (But don’t let this demeanor fool you, they have quite a feisty, forward side to them.) The “interview” always ends well and after that they pay me no attention but whizz by alarmingly close sometimes, going about their own business. The birds and even the bees fly straight through my porch, sometimes startling guests. Occasionally a bird will dash in only to become scared mid-flight and literally back up. Flying around the porch is only 4 wing strokes more, I think. One year I even got a visit from a small lizard who laboriously crawled  up the staircase, walked across the floor boards stopping in front of me cocking its head sideways and staring at me for what seemed forever, its visible eye roving over me, before continuing its journey across the floor boards and disappearing over the edge at the other end. It was a bit unnerving I must admit to be so intently scrutinized. Then the same happened the following day too and I have on occasion later wondered what that was about. It becomes hard not to anthropomorphize. Over the years many such encounters have taken place.

Scrutinizing Lizard

Yesterday I made myself a pasta dish with whatever vegetables I happened to have in the fridge. It was a quick to make and delicious meal, especially if you have fresh herbs. I also came across an article about heart health and optimism and wanted to share it with you.  Optimism (Mayo Clinic) in the face of life’s challenges is good for just about anything that ails one, including; Increased life span -  Lower levels of distress – Greater resistance to the common cold – Better psychological and physical well-being – Reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

Bodil sees people in consultation at her office, for a large variety of health issues. To contact her directly, click here

Sardine Pate on 6 grain toasted bread. High in Calcium, Magnesium and vitamin D

Last week I talked about what goes into creating optimal health. One of them is sleep. You may have read about it as one of the things that is necessary for well-being, be it feeling good about oneself, having enough energy to get not only through the day, but have some fun as well. Sleep is essential for many body functions and as they have discovered, plays a role in managing weight, in whether one does or does not get diabetes, or is able to manage diabetes. Sleep plays a role in cardiovascular health, how our brain functions and responds to stimuli and also in how good our immune health is. There are few people who thrive on less than 7-8 hours of sleep, though there are many who pride themselves in managing with less.  And as you may know teenagers need even more. Here is what Centers for Disease Control has to say about it. A number of things occurs in our bodies while we sleep. I use this explanation to my clients; “If you can imagine what happens when a large and busy city tries to do major road work repairs to traffic arteries throughout that city at the height of morning and evening rush hour, imagine what havoc that would create.” Our bodies need this downtime so the brain can “defragment” and the body’s maintenance crews can “clean up files and programs” for optimal function, just as much as your computer does.

Most of us have a bad night where sleep is elusive from time to time. It is not much fun to lie there, eyes wide open getting more and more restless and cranky while trying to think of options in one’s arsenal of getting the eyes to close voluntarily. However, when sleeplessness becomes frequent enough to interfere with ones daily life, it is time to find out WHY. If you get the brush off by your primary care person, don’t leave it there, press on to find out why, so you can find a solution.

There are a number of things that can help make falling asleep or staying asleep more regular. Eating a health diet and avoiding foods or drinks you know will keep you awake. Creating lifestyle adjustments that allow for a slower pace in the evening, be it choices of TV programs one is watching, books one is reading, not doing work right before sleep or perhaps setting aside time to meditate and stretch before going to bed.  Getting enough exercise is another tool. If you have health conditions that prevent you from participating in what is normally considered exercise, consulting with a  trainer or health care expert who can help set up a program specific to your needs. Exercise han be done sitting or lying down, not just up on one’s feet. And…… if you have chronic health problems, having a talk with one’s doctor or health preferred health care practitioner is the way to go. There are nutrients that are essential for good sleep. Have your doctor run a panel on essential vitamins and minerals to see if you are deficient is one area or other. Many medications can deplete key nutrient. Some medical practitioners routinely do this, but if your’s  doesn’t, ask for it. There are many herbal remedies that can be helpful, but without understanding why falling asleep or staying asleep is so difficult, chosing one on your own may be like shooting an apple in the dark.  That said, in Chinese Medicine, for example, medicinals such as Mu Li (Oyster shell) and Long Gu and Long Qi (bone), which essentially are calcium are used to settle the spirit. Calcium , Magnesium and nerve function. Now I am not at all suggesting you take loads of calcium and Magnesium, but if you are already taking these supplements, consider taking them in the evening. For Calcium etc. try out this week’s recipe; Sardine pate, either with Greek Yogurt or Tahine. As the CDC says “Sleep isn’t a luxury, it is medical necessity a sign of vital health.

Takoma Park, MD Farmer's Market

Mid April brings a spring time ritual to Takoma Park, MD. It marks the start of the summer season at our Farmer’s market, a time when the community comes together to welcome back the summer vendors. The Takoma Park Farmer’s Market is open all year around downtown where Carroll and Laurel Avenues meet, but some of the vendors open their stalls only during the summer months to offer a larger variety of fresh or freshly made items, all produced within a 125 miles of our fair “Azalea” city. This year April 15 marked this event, the weekend when Chalk4Peace.org co-host an event with Art Works Studio School and get kids to help create a giant sidewalk mural as part of global peace awareness campaign. Friends of the Takoma Park Library hosts a spring poetry reading and to the delight of all kids, young and old,  the Banjo Man and The Jazzy Juggler are back.  The market is a place to meet up with your neighbors and the vendor’s you have come to know over the years and perhaps have a cup of coffee or lunch from Mark’s Kitchen , Middle Eastern Market, Takoma Bistro (a new venture by Bread & Chocolate), Roscoe’s Pizzeria or Capital City Cheescake. It is the market where you can get all the best local produce grown during the season and where I get the free range, pastured and pasture finished meat I serve at my own table from Smith Meadows Farms. They have their own way with animals, cow Tai Qi (?) and all. There are of course many wonderful farmer’s markets around, but this one is my favorite. But then it is the one I have gone to for the over 20 years I have lived here. So if you don’t visit farmer’s markets regularly, take time to visit one near where you live. To find one; http://search.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/  they have a good listing.

Bodil  consults with people for a variety health issues at her office in Takoma Park. Visit her website, Midnight Sun Herbal Health  or  contact her directly. To see her area of experience.

Hard boiled egg. with cucumber, caviar, parley and mustard lettuce on prairie bread

There recently  was an article in The Washington Post about Mindfulness as a “cure” for many ills, especially stress. The article  describes Rep. Tim Ryan from Ohio who is travelling the country to talk about this topic. He recently wrote a book about his own experience, which came after he had had a transformative experience at a retreat led by the director and founder of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the Massachusetts Medical School, Jon Kabat- Zinn.  The article relates that even the US Marines currently use the technique. Mindfulness is of course nothing new, it is part of the ancient practise of meditation and yes it is a wonderful tool for de-stressing, getting a broader perspective on one’s own life and life in general and an important tool in staying healthy. Mindfulness is the part that you strive to carry with you into the rest of your daily life, not just while you are meditating. Perhaps like being “present in a situation, but not being it.  Being present in the moment, not just rushing through the day on the way to something else.” The topic of mindfulness was brought up at a dinner party recently and I realized I had neglected to talk about other aspects of “What goes into being healthy”, not just appropriate food/diet. For me gardening is a meditation and a way to be present, being in nature is as well, as is making art. A runner can get into the zone while running, an artist, in any genre while producing work or performing it. Others again may have their own way of reaching that rather blissful state, the state that helps one curb the unruliness of the busy little mind that keeps jabbering quite a bit at one, not wanting to leave one a single moment of peace and quiet. One becomes delightfully part of the Universe and everything in it. Presence in the moment, Mindfulness, Meditation and other de-stressing practises are essential tools for good health. The moment is actually all one has, one moment after another. If one has never meditated before get some basic instruction first and start with 5 – 10 – 15 minutes if sitting still for a longer time is hard. It doesn’t have to be half hour or nothing, but of course as one continues practice, longer meditations gets one more.  There are other practices that also facilitate mindfulness and being in the present. For example; Yoga and Tai Chi. Check Qi Practises.

Interestingly I recently found an article that explains why gardening is so especially pleasurable to me, besides putting me in the Zone, and probably is the reason why others are drawn to it too. Would you believe it, but there is a Mycobacterium vaccae in the soil that is responsible for increasing the feel good neurotransmitter, Serotonin. For me getting dirty under the finger nails has always been a sure cure for the occasional blues, almost an addiction in a way. Just being outside makes me feel happy, so there you have it. I have always had a hard time putting gardening gloves on and gave up trying to have “pretty lady nails” years ago.

Of course exercise is another necessity for good health, exercise that is appropriate for you and your health status, whether it brings you into the zone or not. It can actually also be used for meditation, walking meditation for example. Exercise increases blood circulation, helps combat cardiovascular disease, helps “oil” the joints, increases vitality, energy, sleep and helps the body rid itself of waste. Exercising outdoors provides needed daylight into the eyes to combat SAD. Exercise appropriately vis-a-vis sensible and good food intake helps combat an increase in the waistline.  In “olden times”, not so far back actually, people walked far more than we do now and that is perhaps why they could afford to take 20 eggs and a quart of cream for their recipes. The American lifestyle now does not allow for that because walking everywhere is no longer possible for most of us and we often get to busy to bother with it. If it is hard to exercise on your own, whether it is getting yourself outside, following one or the other of the many video programs or CD’s that are available, sign up for a class. Sometimes paying for a class is the thing that clinches staying with it.  Whatever works, works. If you find yourself having stopped exercising, just get back on “the horse” again. Every day is a new day with possibilities. Yesterday is gone.

With the weather becoming warmer, the promise of visiting an out-door cafe or sitting in one’s own garden, on a porch or just next to an open window enjoying the mild breeze is becoming a reality. My mother who lived single for several decades taught me one important way to honor myself, especially important I believe if one lives by oneself. “Honor yourself by making good and nourishing foods for yourself, set the table nicely for yourself, sit down and eat, take the time to digest.”  If we don’t celebrate ourselves, who will?

I have decided this week to give you some hints on how to make those delicious and inviting, nearly artistic Open Faced Sandwiches one find in Scandinavia. They are little works of art that need not be calorie rich, but of course can be. Check it out. I borrowed quite a few of the photos  this time though. It would take me weeks to get through such an array if I was to make them all.  Enjoy.

Sardine Pate on Cibata or toasted bread

http://smithmeadows.com/farm/why-eating-meat-can-be-ethical/

Tuscan Bean Soup

Last Sunday I bought a container of Tuscan Bean Soup from our Farmers Market and it was just delicious. I decided right then to recreate the recipe and serve it with a fresh spring salad with a twist and get some crusty hearty bread to serve with it, dipped in Olive oil.

The early spring brings many friends to my garden, edible “wild” friends that it.  Like spinach and kale, which like cool weather and lettuce like Mesculun mix,  which needs a little more warmth to germinate and grow, there are counterparts in the wild.  Would you believe it that of the thousands of edible plants in the world most people concentrate on only about 4-9. Most people don’t know that the vitamin and mineral content of the wild plants generally is much higher in the cultivated varieties, plus, this was the way people ate before there were grocery stores. They either grew or foraged for the greens they needed. However, store-bought and foraged greens easily mix easily to make lovely salads or cooked dishes. Of course you can just use the greens you are used to in any of the recipes I give you.

A Wild Salad

Chicory , a perennial plant, for one, tends to show its leaves early, especially in the warmer and sunnier spots in the garden or field. The younger and paler green leaves are milder of flavor, the darker green more bitter.  This can be muted by either growing then under a cloche (overturned larger pot) or blanching the leaves briefly. Both the leaves and the roots can be used. Another early bird is Dandelion. I use the leaves in salads or cooked dishes that call for greens. The roots I wash with a vegetable scrubber and saute or cook into various dishes.  It is the most ingenious way of curbing their spread. (Use the flowers to decorate the salad (either shred the flower or leave whole) or make dandelion wine). Chicory, Dandelion and Nettle have been saviours for hungry people during wars and famines and have very deep historic roots.  You can read more about the individual plant here. The (actual) roots of the Dandelion can also be used medicinally for liver related issues, the leaves as among other things a great diuretic, since they don’t leach Potassium. My motto has always been, why kill your weeds when you can eat them, it is just better for you and your environment.

I don’t want to forget the little succulent plant called Chickweed.  Yes, I know many consider it pesky, but it try it. Chickweed, of Eurasian origin is also used medicinally as a demulcent, emollient, vulnerary (for wounds), an expectorant and diuretic.  Talk about eating your medicine. It grows like a ground cover in shady damp areas of the garden. To me it is the Boston bib lettuce of the wild plant kingdom.  Many days in the spring and summer it forms the base of my daily salad .  The taste is mild and soothing, a little stringy, but then your teeth need exercise too.  To read more about foraging in the spring.

If I get started on the virtues of Nettle (click and scroll down) I won’t stop.  My first encounter with it was as a 3-year-old in the countryside of Wartime Norway. I have a vivid image in my mind of my mother picking nettles on a hill-side and cooking it.  They seemed nearly as tall as my mother who was 5′ 2″ in her stockings. For a while in the spring/summer of 1944 it was one of the few foods we had access to. My absolute favorite spring recipe is nettle soup.  Then there are the edible flowers; violets, dandelion, broom, nasturtium, daylily (also buds and root bulbs), roses,  clover, the flowers from the mediterranean herbs and many more.  There is even a salad recipe from an earlier century entirely made from flowers. How wildly wicked is that. Everything in nature has its season, everything its reason.  Foraging

Here is a quote by John Evelyn (1699) from  A Garden of Herbs, by Eleanour Sinclaire Rhode; ” …… it required much skill and judgement (of the housewife) to mingle the ingredients of “a brave sallet” as it must be done to not only agree with the humors (constitutions) of those who eat them but so that nothing should be suffered to domineer, so none of them should lose their gust, savor and virtue.“

Bell peppers with minced lamb, flavored with cumin, topped with Greek yogurt

Last week I talked about how the energies changed as spring arrives.  The ruling energy now being the Liver/gallbladder organ system. The color is green, taste sour, the energy is upwards. Nature moves with the energy of Yang (Winter was Yin). New life springs forth everywhere one looks and it is time to spend time outside, participating with nature; walks, gardening or whatever is ones fancy, losing oneself, as in meditation, embracing it all.

Winter was as you may remember a time of accumulating; energy, warmth,  inward contemplation.  With it came tendencies to accumulate dampness among other things. This for those who have tendencies to allergies now provides ample source for mucous accumulation; runny nose, congestion, swelling and the whole. High Cholesterol in Chinese Medicine is also based in Damp Accumulation. All of this is of course just a small part of the picture. In Ayurvedic medicine (India), Spring is the time to reduce Kapha Dosha which when it is in excess can be damp.   Most traditional medicines describe us as having a constitutional type which needs to be taken into account to maintain health.  But no one is purely one specific constitutional type, we are a mix with one that over rides all. When a constitutional type is in balance, there is good health, when out of balance, we experience health problems.

Peas and Spinach

Spring is therefore in pretty much all these views the time for green foods, which can help reduce mucus and dampness In her book “The Ayurvedic Cookbook“Amadea Morningstar says; ” The classic “Spring tonic” of dark green leafy greens that many cultures have used, is ideal. ……… Such a tonic moves out the accumulated debris of the cold wet months, like a household undertaking spring cleaning. This is a time to exercise, cleanse in all ways, and not to over sleep. …….”.  You have heard me say it before? You may have to refer back to last week’s blog.  However if you are in doubt about what constitutional type best describes you, consult with a practitioner.

I listed last week all the foods that are good now.  Spring is the time for lots of new fresh young vegetables, with an emphasis on green, the color that is especially good for the liver. Look at this change in diet as a way to make the Liver/Gallbladder function easier. It helps the Qi (the body energy) to move freely throughout the whole body. It helps cleanse, rebuild, dry up what should be dried, make things lighter. It is much like cleaning and de-fragmenting the disks in your computer. The whole thing will just work better for you. So find exciting ways to prepare lightly steamed, stir fried (not always raw) ways of serving; spinach, lettuce, kale, chard, dandelion leaves, pea shoots and all the other new young vegetables that are available. There are also carrots, kohlrabi, celeriac, young beets, carrots. If you planted a garden, wash and eat the plants you thin out. Sprout, sprout, sprout, seeds, beans, etc.  Other foods appropriate for spring are; chicken, kidney beans, adzuki beans, peas, wheat, barley, rye, sour fruits (in moderation), pork, duck, shiitake mushrooms and others. Mouth watering just to think about it. This week’s recipe; baked Bell peppers with a garden salad topped with early spring flowers.

We will explore flavorful ways of having “your cake and eat it too” as we go along. In the meantime don’t forget to go to bed early enough to get enough sleep, go outside, breathe the air and exercise at whatever level is good for you. Sit in the sunshine for a bit where there are trees and grass and let nature sit with you, calm the internal anxieties and concerns. Listen to the birds and smell the flowers. Take time to enjoy it. If this moment is OK, all is well, really. Try staying in the moment, not the past or the future, because you can’t control either.

Frittata

Well, spring sprang Tuesday. In our neck of the woods we have already enjoyed the loveliest spring weather with a few summer days thrown in here and there, over the last couple of weeks.  For many that has been just fine, but for others it has brought on the agonies of allergies.  But before I talk more about that, let me tell you a little about the energies of spring and how that may change how you approach what you eat, how you prepare it and the lifestyle adjustments you may make. Let me say here, that if you want to learn much more in-depth about the topic of eating whole foods with the seasons, Paul Pritchford, author of “Eating with Whole Foods” is the authority.

3 Little pigs at Woodfield farm, my daughter and son-in law's copper weathervane studio

Spring is the time of new, emerging energy, renewal, rebirth, new hope. Hope springs eternal, though I don’t think that is the spring they were referring to.  The new growth burst forth from soil and branches. On the farms lambing has already started, calving and foaling is not far behind. Just watch the frenzied activities of the birds outside. All this activity is carried out with the proactive, creative force of Yang. The seasonal change from Winter to Spring brings us the energy of the Liver/Gallbladder organ system, its color is green, it’s taste sour. The Liver energy is responsible for  making sure the energy is circulating through the whole body and also for “storing” the Blood at night. This energy can get stuck and cause stagnation in TCM terms, which among many other things can create bloating and gas. If Liver doesn’t “store” the Blood well, there may be sleep disruptions.  Of course these issues can come up at other times of the year, because of individual health issues.  It is just easier at this time of year.  For more about TCM

The sensory organ of the Liver is the eyes and the energy shows up in the nails and tendons. The spring climate brings wind, the emotion is anger and the direction upwards.  One wants to shout out in anger or joy. All this energy is brought out of the internal, storing up energy of Winter and Yin. It means we need to make changes in how we now live and eat. In stead of sleeping late it is time to get up early in the morning, go for brisk walks, spend some time in nature. It may mean its time for a cleanse, rejuvenation, but a cautionary note, it has to be appropriate for your constitution, age and health situation  See last post. And, remember to keep the balance, don’t go overboard with anything. If a little sour stimulates the Liver energy a lot can aggravate it.

Bamboo steamer

Spring is the time for lots of new fresh green vegetables, the color green being good for the liver; spinach, lettuce, kale, chard, dandelion leaves, peashoots and all the other new young vegetables that are available.  Wild cousins afoot are chicory, nettle, chickweed, cuckooflower, dandelion, lesser Celadine, plantain, violets, soon to be followed by hogsweed, wild lettuces, Lambsquarters, and much more. They are all around us. This year the cucooflower has gone nuts in our neighborhood, it is everywhere. Touch it and it spits it’s seeds at you. You can hear it. Young starchy vegies, carrots for example, provide a little sweet flavor. Pritchford says in his book “Raw and Sprouted foods can be emphasised”. Cooking should be light; stir frying, steaming (bamboo steamers), light cooking in water, just to wilt the vegies and greens.  Sprouting seeds and beans like peas and chick peas is easy. They are great in breads and provide all the energy of the whole plant as the shoot emerges from the seed. The favored grain is wheat (also sprouts delightfully) and protein chicken. Recipe for this week is a Wild Weed Frittata, but of course you can make it with whatever you get at the market, perhaps fresh from your local farmer’s market.

I mentioned last week that the herb Nettle can be used as a remedy with seasonal allergies to reduce the reaction.  I also mentioned that to get help from our wild prickly friend, one has to start around 2 weeks before the season start to get the most benefit from it. Nettle is by the way a very versatile herb. Nutritionally it is high in vitamins and minerals. It can be stewed like spinach, cooked in the pot with other foods that call for dark greens, made into a soup, etc.  Use of Nettle goes far back into time. Vikings were buried with a cache of seeds for use after they went to Valhalla. Perhaps they too made soup with it? I like knowing I am using the same herbs as the iron age family, that the tradition lives on. The Romans brought Nettle seeds with them on their long walk to conquer England. It was cold up there they had been told and they planned to whip themselves with the plants, since it stung, brought up velts and made you feel hot, at least for a minute. A really unpleasant way to stay warm, I’d say. Nettle was also grown, especially in Eastern Europe, so their mature stalks could be harvested, threshed, spun and cloth made from the resulting yarn. It makes a lovely linen like cloth.

In my practice, for seasonal allergies, I use Chinese Herbal Medicine, and am able to create formulas that target the specific individual symptoms someone experiences. I have seen great results, quickly. There are also over the counter TCM formulas that work well. In other words there should be no need to suffer. Additionally Homeopathy has some great formulas. With these over-the-counter remedies one may need to try different ones to see which one works best.

If you experience a lot of watery discharges (Dampness), stay away from dairy products, too much sugar or sweets, sweet flavored foods and other Damp making foods, use the greens they are drying, stimulate appetite and clear heat Properties of  Foods.  Allergies are also associated with the Liver energy and the TCM formulas help Course the Liver (allow the Liver’s energy to circulate easily), when it gets stuck it can create Wind, with sneezing, itching and pain that moves around the body.

Chinese herbs

Moroccan inspired cod

I always get really excited at this time of year. Have to check my garden every day to see what is coming up and “talk” to the various plants.  With a large oak tree succumbing last summer to high winds on the heals of the earthquake, I now have 1/3 more garden, with much more sun.  I am of course happy about this now, but will probably grumble when the summer heat sets in and the electric bills skyrocket.  Oh well, this is now, so let’s enjoy it while it lasts. I have installed a second raised bed and have just sowed spinach and sweet peas. A week or so ago the lettuce and chard seed went in, covered with a clear plastic hood. Now thin green stripes are visible. 4 kale plants that survived to face a 4th year are producing baby leaves.  A planter around the corner of the porch holds some chicory plants are already yielding pale green leaves for eating. The nettle is coming up promising wonderful nettle soup and the herbs; oregano, thyme and rosemary are ready all courtesy a mild winter. There is much more wild stuff yet to come. I get easily carried away this time of year and don’t weed to stringently since I like to forage for the delicious wild plants that have snuck on tiny seed feet in under the fence so to speak.

As promised last week  I will share with you yet another way of preparing cod, this time a recipe from Morocco simply to show the versatility of this fish. Salted cod of course was exported all over. This recipe uses spice combinations unique to the region, especially the Harissa paste. It comes in mild/medium and hot varieties, Harissa paste being the North African version of a hot chili based sauce, with distinct regional flavor not found in either Thai, Jamaican, Mexican or other versions og hot sauces found around the globe. Cod then served with this sauce, couscous and traditional roasted vegetable, becomes another delightful dish that still honors the principles of a food suitable for Winter, though I believe that if one uses the hot variety, it would create a delightful sense of beading on the forehead and upper lip, especially in hot weather.  That of course is a great way of cooling down.

I also found a delightful and simple looking cod recipe from Italy that uses orange, rosemary and sage. I would add a pinch of Thyme to it, personally speaking, but then I always need to mess with a recipe, even my own. Sage is cool and helps dry watery discharges of various kind including nasal congestions and post nasal drip.  Rosemary, which stimulates circulation and dispels cold and Thyme which can be helpful with sneezing, chills, cough, aches/pains, watery nasal discharge and many more things.  It is important to understand that culinary use of herbs are very different in dosing than medicinal uses.  To be safe consult with an herbal practitioner. But essentially the recipe fits in with foods useful for Winter.  Therefore if one understands the principles of cooking with the seasons one can without much trouble at all evaluate recipes either to cook one self or to choose at a restaurant and still stay with the principles of this way of eating.

March brings weather changes, “comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb” they say.  It is the time when people start talking about cleanses and the time the first discomforts of seasonal allergies crop up.  To start with cleanses let me say right up front that all cleanses are not for all people. Someone young or on the young side with a hearty constitution, full of energy, never much wrong with them, can tolerate a much stronger cleanse than someone with perhaps a weaker constitution and perhaps with chronic health issues or who is older. If you are considering doing a cleanse and are unsure how to approach it, consult with someone, so you get the results you want. In eating lighter after the holidays I described Cabbage Soup and Kitcharee as two dishes that can help with cleansing. As with anything else, if you have never cleansed before try this out for one meal or two before committing yourself to more.

For those who suffer from seasonal allergies there are remedies out there.  Something as simple as using nettle, in tea form or as tincture can be helpful. It takes time to build up in the system though, it does not work over night.  but we will talk more about this issue later.