Make Kale chips

Do you have kale bursting with sweet leaves?

 It is November and the winter crop of kale in the Pacific Northwest is beautiful!

One of our favorite ways to eat kale is as a crispy seasoned chip. Kale is an acquired taste for some people. Children like salty, crispy snacks. If they are busy reading or watching TV they may not notice they are eatting a nutrient dense plant.

Start by picking or buying healthy looking firm kale leaves.
If you buy kale the leaves need to be firm to be at their best flavor. Kale is in season in winter here.When you get  home get them out of the plastic bag and wrap them in a damp paper or cotton towel in the vegetable bin. They need to be used before they get wilted at all. They taste bitter if they wilt.

I strip the  leaves from the stalks by running my fingers up both sides of the stalk and pull the leaves off. I compost the stalk generally. They can add flavor to soups also.

Rinse and inspect the leaves, you are quality control in your kitchen. Take it seriously! I often rinse with vinegar or acidic water.

It is important to dry the leaves so the seasonings can adhere better. I lay the leaves on a clean dish towel and pat the water off.

I like garlic powder on most everything. A neighbor introduced me to her seasoning of rice vinegar garlic powder and Liquid aminos or soy sauce or tamari or salt.

I work the kale and seasonings around roughly to get the seasoning all over it's folds. Taste a leaf and see if the seasoning is right to your taste. I have tried to make kale chips out of dragon tongue kale, beet and swiss chard leaves, plantain and lovage leaves. Yeah, don't bother, so far only curly leave kale works for these.

Now the hard part patience... We lay the leaves onto the food dryer set at about 107 degrees and dry them a few hours and check them for just the right crisp! Over 107 degrees is shown to destroy more enzymes.

The kale leaves shrink alittle during drying. But that is not the problem. The problem is we eat them warm off the dryer and can't get any in the bowl???

We ate most of them already, again!
I would store them in a large jar if any made it that far.

Experiment with seasonings till you find your families favorite.  Enjoy!!!

Early Spring Fling!

I had the honor of leading a Weed Walk along the Columbia River today. It was a rare early March sunny surprise!
Camas bulbs were just peaking out, all my usual friends; dandelion, plantain, yarrow, chickweed, oh and Stinging Nettle was perfect six inch tall picking age. There was one mullien and many tiny evening primrose plants to introduce also.
Call me crazy and call me Pixie LaPlante but I felt the plants were happy to be recognized and praised for their individual special talents.

It is mid March in the Pacific NorthWest. It is the time to harvest stinging nettle leaves to dry or cook so they stop stinging and surrender their superior nutrition.
It is time to harvest dandelion leaves from clean sources or the health food store and make good old fashion greens. Saute dandelion greens picked, washed and patted dry between two towels. In the old days they used bacon fat, now I like extra virgin olive oil. The oil helps our bodies absorb the oil soluble vitamin A.

It is the perfect time to harvest and dry dandy leaves for use in teas or soups later.

Chickweed is loving the cold wet weather but will get thin soon. I harvest and dry it to add to weight loss tea blends or ointments for skin ailments.

If I may speak for the weeds, "try us you might like us!"

Thank you to Kathy and the Washougal Community Education Program for the opportunity to do what I love to do!

Nasturtium harvest.

Do you have any nasturtiums? I was watering mine today and found a large amount of seeds hiding under the beautiful leaves and flowers. I love to eat a few first then I fill my pockets with them. I put the seeds in a  labeled and dated paper bag . Now I add the bag to a growing collection of harvestings and forget about it for now.
Now is a good time to put nasturtium flowers and leaves in a nice white wine vinegar for a peppery herb vinegar.
Nasturtiums' round leaves are handy for garnish under a colorful appetizer. The bright flowers are perfect for a colorful garnish on top.

Sunny day

It was a beautiful day here in the Pacific Northwest. The garden is vibrant with life's energy. I felt the best way to maximize this feeling was to make a green drink. I collected 2 leaves of everything edible into my blender and gave it a whirl. What is in there you ask?
Two leaves of red raspberry, some ripe raspberries, two strawberry leaves and some fruit to begin. Nipplewort leaves, lambsquarter leaves and purslane is just poping up under the peas. Oh yes,  peas and pea leaves too. Next two leaves each, french sorrel, dandelion, cat's ear, echinacea and valerian  I threw in a couple mallow leaves for a thickener and the Johnny jump-up leaves and flowers were irresistable.
After I rinsed everything and added water I put two tablespoons of yogurt and a dash of Braggs amino acids or (soy sauce ) and let it blend. Today I wanted the fiber so I drank it and chewed my way through the blend. Some times I filter it for a easy swallowing.
I thank the plants, sun, rain and Mother Earth for the gifts and thourouly enjoyed a energized green day!

Herbs 101 Plants are Important Friends!

Join me

 Feb. 6th , Monday night for

Planning a First Aide Garden 

Check out other great classes in your local Community Ed programing!

Go to www.washougal.k12.wa.us/wcer

or call 360-954-3000

Plants are our friends!

Are Plants superior beings?
Can anyone be more, "IN THE NOW, than the plants?"
Have you ever wondered what plants think?
“Be Here Now” says the plant to the person. “Sit by me, smell and taste my leaves. Now sink your roots deep into the luxurious soil, relax your trunk and let your hairs feel the breeze like leaves waving in the wind.
Be Here Now, be trusting and content. “

“Like you, we are made by our Creator who doesn’t' make junk or mistakes. We trust that we will find what we need to survive. Our mission in life is to be the best we can be, thrive where ever we get planted and multiply. If you notice the more we are trimmed and used the faster we grow. We are happy to share our millions of years of expertise in living long and well on this planet.
We have the same adversaries as yourselves. The big 6 virus, bacteria, yeast/mold, parasites, solar radiation and oxidation.
We offer our special protection in your herbs and daily wholesome foods.
You are often like an adolescent rebelling against your parents, claiming you know better than the parents what you need to eat.
We Plants are waiting for you to notice we are waiting to be your best friends like we have been for millions of years. We truly are all around you all the time waiting to serve you.
Will you grow up, respect and value our unique contributions and regain your God given health? “
　
Using herbs for medicine is really about your relationship with each plant. With out respect the plant is present but not its’ spirit.

Are you using herbs here and there not sure of the effects? Do you know how much of what herb and when and why to take it? How can you tell if it is really what the label says?
When a person starts studying herbs for their ailments they ask which one should I take? My answer is what do you already have on hand? Parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil and garlic have most all the healing properties we need. Thyme is a bronchial dilator, rosemary has over 20 antioxidants and oregano is an excellent anti fungal. The best herbs and foods to use for our health are the ones we will use moderately and consistently.
The taste of an edible plant can help clue us in to the amount we need. If a food is good all by its self like kale or spinach or tomatoes and squash we probably could eat a lot of it.
If the plant is strong like cayenne peppers, ginger, or thyme it probably needs to be used consistently as a spice. It is more important to look at what we consume daily than what we take occasionally for our health.
If a plant is really strong flavored like goldenseal or Echinacea they are medicine with medicinal dosing.

If you swallow your food and medicine in pills or tinctures you by pass your tongue. Your tongue tells your brain how much of something to eat. How many cups of peppermint tea do you enjoy at a time. Maybe 2-3 for myself. If I take capsules I am more likely to take more “you know if one is good more is better?”
　
Learn to trust your taste buds. Get out one herb or spice you already have and crush and smell it. Taste it, look it up on line or your favorite books. I have put many of my trusted author’ s books on this site to direct you to who I trust. Now find a way to use a little daily. Experiment with tastes. Each person experiences tastes differently. The protection plants offer are from consistent use so find ways to enjoy your herbs daily.
　

Plants trust our creator.

Plants don't worry if they can succeed, be useful or get praise.

A plant knows and trusts its seed will land in soil eventually, receive the blessings of the rains and perfect sunshine.

A plant doesn't ask how tall it should grow, it will give everything it can to reproduce, honoring the promise to beatify this orb with each plants unique gift and beauty.

Plants trust that their contribution to the planet is good, to sow their seeds.

Plants seem meek, “the meek shall inherit the earth.”

Plants love and give of themselves freely to everyone equally.

They just ask you let their seeds survive.

Plants have devised chemical combinations to protect them from bacteria, viruses.

Plants have devised ways to protect themselves from parasites and molds.

Plants have had to deal with climate change many times. They have devised sun protection and antioxidants for radiation.

Plants have many many secrets to share.

Plants are waiting to be your best friends too!

Go Soak Your Nuts

Why bother soaking your raw seeds and nuts before eating them?
 Try it, you might like it!
 Eat a handful of raw unsoaked nuts and check in with your stomach in 1/2 an hour. Then soak the same kind of nuts over night, and eat the same amount. It takes 20 minutes for our brains to register that we have eaten. So in a 1/2 hour I can tell which nuts digested easier and lighter. 
By removing the enzyme inhibitors and other natural nut protections, we can eat and digest nuts much easier. The nut is transformed from a nut to a vegetable. Everything comes alive and we benefit from the miracle of life.
 Just add water.

If you look closely you can see the jars have nuts in water. Look at the stuff that comes off the nuts and clouds the water. Yukk !

 Nuts and seeds contain protein and when you put them in water bacteria can grow so treat them with respect and keep them refrigerated after soaking.

1.Put 1/4 cup raw nuts in a jar and fill couple inches over the nuts with clean water.
2.Set the jar on the counter overnight.
3.In the morning you will have dirty looking water like in this picture.
4.Drain out the water and rinse and inspect the nuts.
5.Any nut that isn't looking right, toss.
Now you have washed off the enzyme inhibitors and natural deterrents nuts and seeds have for their own protection.
6. Store the jar of rinsed and drained nuts in the refrigerator uncovered and rinse once daily and eat from the fridge. They must be kept under refrigeration and inspected and smelled before eating. They are good for about three to five days.
The cold storage gives them a delicious crunch.
Other nuts good to soak are filberts, almonds, cashews, and pecans.

 I add soaked nuts and seeds to green drinks or fruit smoothies for a complete protein drink . They add great taste and crunch to salads, or stir fry vegetables.

Dry the nuts and seeds after soaking then, they can be carried without refrigeration dried.

This is just the tip of the iceberg of what nuts and seeds can do for us!

Gratefully, Pixie

Harvesting valerian

There is snow in the mountains and frost on the valley floor along the Columbia River here in the North West and it is time to harvest what the roots have in store.

 Today some friends and I harvested Valerian officinalis from my garden. Tahnee is girling the camera for us. It is 38 degrees and as usual I can't find my gloves but the rain is holding off nicely.

Josh tried to dig a wide circle around the Valerian roots. Valerian doesn't have a tap root system and most of the roots are not terrible deep. Some roots always get cut off. Some of them grow back.

The easiest way I know to get the extra dirt off at this point is to drop the clump several times on the ground. This loosens a lot of soil.

Once you have smelled Valerian in any of it's forms you will always know when you have harvested the right plant!

We choose to harvest in winter after the first frost and in the last 1/4 of the moon because the roots are their healthiest. They have stored all they need to get through winter.

We place the roots in a bowl of water in the garden to start rinsing the soil away. We want roots clean of soil but scrubbing the roots removes too much. Often the best nutrient load in a plant is right under it's peel where contact with soil takes place. For fruit the contact with the sun gives the best nutrition.

We empty the rinse water in the garden. We give another rinse and we are ready to take them in the kitchen.

Now we can rinse in the sink and avoid dirt in the pipes.

This is always best done with friends. Sherilyn and Gina join us. We cleaned and picked our way through the plants, removing the thicker roots and thinner rootlets.

Next we put the roots in the blender and cover with vodka. 40 proof or stronger is fine.
When I make a tincture  fresh herbs I fill the bottle with the herb then fill it again with vodka. This I put in a blender and pulverize the best I can.

After it is chopped the best the machine can do pour the chopped roots and vodka into bottles and label them.

It is important to put what and when on your label.

Valerian Root vodka date

Thank you, Pom

You are so right to use oat straw this time of year. The calcium and magnesium help the nervous system, it improves libido and is soothing in general. I like to make a tea of 1/4 cup in a quart canning jar. I cover the oat straw with boiling water and let it sit till morning. Then I strain it and refrigerate it if I am not making soup till later in the day. The strained tea becomes the stock I add to the other ingredients.
If I was new to using oat straw tea, I would try a regular size cup of tea and be sure it agrees with me.
I have grown oats to it's straw stage but it was not worth the space and time for me. I trust Mountain Rose Herbs company to get the best for me. If you want to try oat straw tea and stock, you can get a couple ounces for inexpensive and see if it brings the best out in you.
Call me when soups on will you?

Winter Whispers.....by Pomella O'della

Winter whispers....It's time to slow down and listen to our bodies. Can you hear me?
The roses that we once stop to smell have gone to sleep.
So let us seek yet another way to take a moment and reflect.
Winter whispers....It's time to be in the now.
As our lives switch from one season to another shall we make some season soup?
So be it ,we cant stop and smell the roses until spring but we can stop and sip the soup!

Corn Mother Soup

Soup base...oat straw infusion nice and green and rich! Vegetable stock,

Add..,"To name a few", Dandy Lion Root,Carrots,onion,Celtic salt,garlic,corn, potatoes (Jerusalem Artichoke} if  solanaceae  intolerant.....whip it up folks!...
Mountain Rose Herbs is a dandy place for your roots if you don''t have access to them locally.
I love Oatstraw anyway I can get it! In a soup is so satisfying to the moodswings A luscious nerve tonic!
Enjoy!

Calendula, are you growing her?

Calendula

 (Calendula officinalis)  Pot Marigold

My Calendula was singing her own praises this morning. It is past time to plant our winter crops and calendula needs to come out for the cold frame this year.

"Pick me! No Pick me!," They chatter like school children to be sure I gather every single plants seed heads. Oh, and their flowers, "leave nothing to waste they plead".

 I collect the flowers in the early morning this time of year and put them in paper bags to dry. Calendula makes a great skin soothing oil or ointment. So one paper bag gets the seed heads, ready brown and dry or still a little immature and green. The other bag I use for the opened flowers.

Each plant fights for survival by every clever means they can find over these millions of years. Calendula reseeds itself very well as they grow and drop their curly seeds under themselves. Calendula is an annual so I knows it's job is to grow tall, flower, seed and die and get out of the way for their seeds to take off for another year.



Usually in the summer I put the bags of herbs to dry in the back seat of my car. Usually they are dry in a couple days. My car smells unique everytime I get in her.

After they are dry I will put the flowers in a jar and cover it with usually olive oil. I label and store it on a saucer in case it seeps. After about 2 months I strain and store in the refrigerator for skin rashes.

If fresh herbs are put in oil to sit the water in them can create a place for botulism to grow so I always use dry herbs in oil.

I use the dried petals pulled from the flower as a saffron substitute in rice sometimes.

There are smaller starts of calendula in the same area. I will dig and transplant them out in the front barrels. Calendula will flower well into winter until a solid frost.

I gave the worms the leaves and stems as I promised to utilizes all of the plants.

If you are asking yourself if I am crazy hearing plants in my head, I assure you, I may be crazy, but I am not dangerous.

Weeding is what you do when you haven't learned to harvest your weeds!

Buckwheat Sprouts and Greens

SPROUTS!

Imagine for pennies you can grow and eat a live vegetable that will grow in any climate, rival meat in nutritional value, ( and tomatoes in Vitamin C), matures in three to five days, may be planted any day of the year, requires neither soil or sunshine, has no waste and can be eaten raw.

Buckwheat up close and personal !

Sprouting is as easy as 1,2,3,.
1. Put a 1/4 cup of buckwheat groats in a quart jar and cover with 1 cup filtered water for about 2 hours.
2. Pour the soaked groats into a sieve and rinse thoroughly, when you feel the rinse water and it isn't gooey it is ready to sprout.
3. Put the groats back into the jar put a sprouting screen lid on the jar and leave the rinsed sprouts in the jar at an angle upside down, repeat rinsing and setting upside down 3 times a day for 2-3 days then eat or refrigerate and eat within three or so days.  Rinse once a day and store in the refrigerator.

This is indoor gardening . The rules are simple.
1. The garden must be watered and tended at least twice preferably three times a day like an outside garden. 2. Drainage  is essential to healthy plants. That is why the jar is kept upside down and at an angle to allow air circulation and good drainage.
3. Sunlight makes everything green when they are ready.

You are in charge of your own quality control!
The three important things for safe sprouting is:
1. Look over your sprouting seeds and remove anything broken of foreign.
2. Use clean jar screens and water.
3. Smell and observe the sprouts for off smell, mold or anything different.
Bacteria need moisture and protein to grow and sprouts have both.
When in doubt throw it out!

As with any new adventure there will be failures. You only loose a few cents worth of seeds so don't become discouraged. It isn't hard to forget to rinse or forget to eat them in time. They are great for the compost too.
Don't give up! The tastes and nutrition are worth the new routine to pick up.

  

As you can see, buckwheat seeds look like little triangles.
We want to sprout the seeds so it is important to look over your seeds and check for too many broken pieces.
When possible pick the broken bits out.
The sprout seeds need to be sold as sprout seeds to avoid chemically treated industrial seeds.

YOU ARE YOUR OWN QUALITY CONTROLLER!
Get picky about how fresh seeds are.

Once the magic of water to seed takes hold it is fun to watch the seed with all the information it needs to grow into it's parents.
I use the sprouts in salads or drinks when the tail is as long as the seed is in size.
 This is the time to dry them for grinding for living food flour.
One of my favorite is to make food bars out of the sprouts, flax seed, fruits and nuts.

Growing buckwheat greens.

The seeds when they are very young get laid gently on an inch or so of soil. I put them thicker than I might think so they grow thick.

Now I cover the seeds gently with 1/4 inch soil and water it.
This tray doesn't have holes but it can sit on the kitchen table if I don't over water.
Soak and drain the soil before layering the seeds and soil.
It only takes sprinkles of water to grow well.

Check out this green beauty!
 With scissors I can trim off the leaves easily.

They taste mild, I don' mean bitter like dandelions, I mean mild like alfalfa.
I try to add their bright leaves to all my dishes.
Then I cut the stems for living food noodles.
Living food means raw food full of their enzymes and energy.
They are as light as lettuce in taste.

The stems get near two inches long and are crisp and delicate.
The redness of the long stems announces the high rutin content.
 Rutin is one of the bioflavinoids that help our capillaries stay strong. Buckwheat is also very high in lecithin that reduces cholesterol.

I sprinkled Italian seasoning, dulse and buckwheat greens in with the stems for a cool nutritious salad.

Enjoy!

" Green Drink" gathering

Two hummingbirds beckoned me into our garden this morning. They invited me to join them as they joyfully danced with each tasty flower! I suddenly needed a "Green Drink"! Buddy agreed, he likes some of my concoctions.


If you, my friend, would care to gather with me, I invite you to try one of the simple gifts of the plants: "The Green Drink".


Experts agree we need to eat or drink a wide variety of foods to insure providing excellent sources of all the building blocks our magical bodies want and need. I create a salad in a glass that energizes, and alkalies my body, mind and spirit.


"Common Sense"  Please be slow and careful about eating anything out of your usual habits. If you suffer allergic reactions, breathing or digestive problems, then this isn't a good idea to consume a variety of new foods at once. If I was starting something new I would put foods I know I am OK with in my drink and one new one "just two leaves" and sip and experience my bodies reaction.


Oh and never put anything in your mouth or drink that you are not two thousand percent sure of its identification!!! This rule has kept me alive and I eat "WILD Things!"


Check out Mountain Rose Herbs for weed seeds. I suggest growing a weed to learn it through each seasons' changes.
 
Use your imagination and create fruit green drinks, With enough blueberries I can hide a big helping of spinach in a fruit smoothy. OK it isn't green?
Try a Thai drink with lemon grass coconut milk, purslane, and maybe lemon tyme. Try Greek, Mexican with alittle jalopenoe pepper, Italian or create your own favorite blend. To be honest mine is different each time. 

I usually use just a few leaves of each herb in Italian seasoning blends.I put my gatherings right in the blender. I like alot of fresh basil, so I pinch the branches that are trying to go to seed. The leaves get small and tight at the top. I pinch under the leaf node where other leaves are coming out . Everywhere a plant is cut it usually grows two branches, this makes for a happier, bushier basil.

Now Greek Oregano is next. I need to gather early in the morning to avoid the swarms of at least 8 different kinds of bees that love him. Greek Oregano has great flavor for cooking, fresh or dried. Medicinally, Greek is my choice for it's antimicrobial and fungal properties.

Italian Oregano spreads like mint in the garden,  "give mints an inch they will take a mile".

Greek Oregano grows as a clump more and stays where I ask it to. So Igather a couple of leaves from low on the stem.I need the newest, freshest looking leaves from below the tiny white flowers. If you are into growing dried flowers, both oregano's are beautiful! John Kallas, PhD.  I highly recommend his work shops, three day weekend trips and best of all, he finally put out his book! It was worth the wait! The photographs, recipe's and in-depth explanations of garden variety of weeds is unparalleled.

Where was I?  Oh yea, Dr. Kallas says the scale of highest in nutrition of the greens goes amaranth, lambsquarter then kale and on down. The top two are weeds we generally pull out to plant less nutritious choices.

Seriously, with weather patterns changing you may want to know what to eat that adapts very quickly to radically changing growing conditions. I believe our creator didn't make any junk. Not one of us or one creation on this planet is without significance. Have you ever wondered if the reason ,say dandelions, grow so healthily in your garden may be because you need to eat them and God wanted you to notice their gift?

I pick several amaranth leaves from the newest top growth. Delightfully, lambsquarter tastes like spinach and that is a good base for the stronger herbs so I pick several leaves. Lambsquarter leaves are tender and tasty all growing season. Unlike most plants, the leaves are good to gather, top to bottom .

Lambsquarter

Kale is here in my garden, but it doesn't seem to fit in this day. Off to the strawberry patch for two fresh new leaves. And now two raspberry leaves. I think garlic and onion are fantastic in here, if their timing is right. I like chives, and garlic chive leaves and flowers to keep from overpowering the blend.

In the kitchen, I rinse the greens in filtered water. Then  I add a couple tablespoons of plain organic yogurt and a dash of Bragg's Aminos, "which, tastes like soy sauce but is better for you." Onto the blender for a thorough thrashing to release everything into the drink. To my pleasure, my green drink is blue. I forgot I added borage and johnny jump-up flowers to the blend,  being inspired by the hummingbirds.

Borage

Now here I can pour this through a sieve and drink it. New comers to the green scene may need to start here. For myself, I want the fiber. If I don't add something that will stay a little firm the tiny fibers of the drink try to stick in my throat and tickle uncomfortably. I suggest adding soaked sunflower seeds or soaked nuts, about two tablespoons to chunk it up. The nuts or seeds give protein and fat to create a protein shake that alkalises my system, detoxes with chlorophyll and nourish my very soul with the blessing of the green things!

Heads up, after drinking a  raw, live food  packed with enzymes,  have a meal planned. My body gets so hungry after the drink wears off it insists I eat now!

Cheers, "to all things being perfect, possible and magical, amen!
I would love to hear your questions or comments, Gratefully, Pixie

Growing Lemon Balm

Melissa, Lemon balm
I choose to introduce lemon balm first in my blogs because it is a wild edible in the Pacific Northwest. Also she has long been known as an important medicinal herb, it's delicate lemon flavors enhance most any dish, and it is a good potpourri green.

Lemon balm grows well in the sun but prefers shade. It is a fantastic potted companion on your porch. Lemon balm can contain as high as 24% citronella oil. Misquotes don't like the smell. I like to rub her leaves on my exposed arms and legs and put a wreath of lemon balm on my head or at least a piece behind my ear.

I consider Lemon Balm to be a very dear friend. I often refer to it as her. I find her delicate fragrance, and nurturing supportive effects comforting like a loving motherly companion.
I have grown lemon balm all over the United States. Most nurseries will have some usually in the mint section.
Growing lemon balm requires a  rest in the cold winter ground. She drops her leaves and dies back to stems. So she is not a good house plant in the winter but if you keep her watered and in good ventilation she is a nice house guest for a while.

 During the growing season I often cut mine down to the ground a couple of times. The flavor of leaves is generally thought to be the best just before flowering. I cut them to the ground and dry the leaves for later.
She likes moist and shade and she puts up all fresh leaves and is soon preparing to flower in early summer. Melissa, Lemon Balm's formal name means Bees and they adore her flowers. I let the bees have their fill of the flowers the rest of the summer and welcome the seedlings I am guaranteed next spring.
Lemon Balm can be divided in the winter or seeded in the spring. It is a very giving plant. It gives and gives and gives. I love to give either as a porch plant or for those unable to grow most herbs because they have a lot of shade.
If you want the most detailed information on growing herbs check out my friend and college Professor Arthur Tucker's book The Big Book of Herbs
Art and Tom Debaggio have put together years of science and experience to produce this "Comprehensive Illustrated Reference to Herbs of Flavor and Fragrance".

Sun tea is the easiest, cleanest tasting way to become familiar with Lemon Balm. Cup of tea anyone!

Whether used for food, medicine or wild edible Lemon Balm is a great friend to gather!

Lemon Balm" Melissa officinalis" for medicine

 I am not a doctor all I can legally or morally tell you is what the literature says, what historical literature says and my own experience. But I believe the best information I can share with you is my favorite resources. When it comes to our health it is so important that we check and double check our references!
I am very picky about who I trust with the medicinal information I need. I have been studying herbs as medicine since Back To Eden by Jethro Kloss was the manual for the herb courses of the 1970's the book was originally written in 1939!
 One of my favorite herb authors is James A Duke PhD. He worked for the USDA as a botanist of medicinal plants for 30 years. His book the Green Pharmacy is my favorite but each is a treasure to own. Gratefully he has a web site and link to his herbal data base. He lets you use his site to learn the phytochemical and ethnobotanical information on herbs.  He also gives the activity for the chemicals in plants http://www.ars-grin.gov/duke/
I recommend checking the copyright too when looking for medical herbal help. I insist on three reliable sources before even consider taking some new herb.
Melissa Officinalis is listed as helpful for chronic fatigue syndrome, graves disease, headaches, herpes virus, hypothyroidism, insomnia, shingles, viral infections, mild tranquilizer and is used as a natural Ritalin in natural medicines.

Drying Lemon Balm in the car?

Get your dry Lemon Balm from your car. If you followed me and put some lemon balm in a paper bag to dry then, it is time to bottle our herbs.  This is the easiest way to dry herbs but only if you have a warm dry climate at the time you are drying. If you have any doubt about the weather drying your herbs in three days or less than use a food dryer to insure you don't grow mold on your leaves. If you would like to try dried Lemon Balm with out the work try my favorite herb supplier!

Now this is important! You are your own quality control. For myself I have to get the clean glasses on and turn up the lights and look carefully and consciously at the plant leaves I am gathering.
If I find a leaf that is darker than the others I remove it.

If I hold a stalk of lemon balm at the bottom and pull it through my fingers I get the dried leaves. Now I like to put my dried herbs in labeled dated bottles and keep them cool and dark.

Anyone for a cup of tea?

Cooking with Lemon Balm

I just gathered some more lemon balm and used it to cook 2 whole chickens.

First I washed the lemon balm in clean water and patted it dry.

I wash the chickens and lift the skin by sliding my hand or spatula between the skin and breasts.

I stick in the lemon balm stems and all. This makes getting it out easier before you serve it.

I oiled and sprinkled a little black pepper and we are good for dinner later.

Lemon Balm has such a mellow lemon taste it is surprisingly delicious on chicken, fish or vegetables. I like the young tip leaves in my salads too!

Three dogs can't be wrong, yum!