Charcoal Grilled Chicken - Weekend recipe

First time grilling out!  It is early for grilling season, but sometimes once the weather gets warm I need to be outside and it is way to early to start gardening, so I am going to grill instead.

You don;t need much for this, just some garlic and thyme as the herbs ingredients, but with added lemon this is a special treat.

Charcoal Grilled Chicken

Roaster chicken

 2 Lemons

grate off about 2 Tsp lemon peel from one of the lemons

A large bunch of fresh thyme

One head of garlic

3 tablespoons of butter

salt and freshly ground pepper

Rinse the chicken with cold water (remove giblets and stuff), and pat dry. Salt and pepper chicken cavity thoroughly.  Cut garlic in half  crosswise, so the cloves are all exposed. Insert this into the cavity along with your large bunch of thyme and two lemons cut in half.  (You may only be able to fit 1 1/2 lemons depending on the chicken.  Melt three tablespoons of butter and stir in some lemon peel you grated off the lemons before placing in chicken.  Pour over the chicken, sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and generous amount of salt.

To prepare your grill, get your charcoal hot and then scoop them to the exterior edge of the grill, create a plate with tin foil and place it in the middle hole where there are now not coals. Place the gill grate in the grill and put the chicken on  it above the foil plate and cook for an hour and a half.  it will be juicy and flavorful and you will wonder why you never tired it before.  Do not keep opening the grill, leave the chicken alone for  at least one hour.

When it is close to finished (use a thermometer to know that it has reach 180 degrees in the thickest part of the meat) add vegetables to the grill to make a perfect side.

Book Review - Healing Herbs by Tina Sams

I purchased a book recently that is absolutely what it says it is on the cover.

The book is entitled Healing Herbs: a Beginner's Guide to Identifying, Foraging and using Medicinal Plants.

It was written by Tina Sams, editor of The Essential Herbal Magazine with some input from a few herbal people she knows (including me!)

I love this book.

Not just because of the way it is organized with a chapter for each herb, but because of the wonderful conversational style it is written in.  It is an easy read chocked full of recipes for things from salves to ointments, to a variety of teas, bath items and even a few food recipes.

The book features 20 chapters (so 20 herbs) each beginning with a wonderful photograph and information on the plant's healing components.  It even has a little box with the herb's medicinal benefits for quick reference.  Among the recipes at the end of each chapter is one shared from another herbal person.  In many cases they share why they like the herb and a recipe of their own.  I was asked to share about lavender and included a cooking blend featuring lavender buds.  -- Hey you know how I am with herbs and cooking!

The information included in this compact volume is first rate.  From the beginning where Tina outlines the basics of making salves, tinctures, teas and syrups to the the herb chapters where she provides just enough history and growing information coupled with medicinal properties and ways to use the herbs that you can remember the teachings and do not feel intimidated.  It truly is perfect for a beginner because nothing feels overwhelming, yet it is also not too basic that "you've heard it all before" which is something I dislike about most beginner books. I like this book and have learned something from it.

As someone who converses regularly with Tina on the Essential Herbal Yahoo group, I can almost hear her speaking through the recipes.  They are obvious favorites and have been used by her in the past.  She places the recipes in context too.  You know why and when to use them and all are easy to craft.

Sage benefits

I would recommend this book for a novice, but also someone like myself whose focus with herbs has not been toward medicinal applications as often as food applications.  It has opened my eyes to how easy non-food preparations can be.

The feel of the book enhances its properties as well.  The size is about 7 inches by 7 inches with a soft but not paper cover that has wonderful images.  The weight of the paper and the quality of the close-up images inside add to my desire to carry it around with me. And the slightly raised letters in the title make it fun to handle in terms of texture.  Like the herbs included in its pages the book makes you want to touch.

Here is a sample recipe - This is from page 44

Lavender Spray
1 Tbls. vodka
3 ounces distilled water
30 drops lavender essential oil

In a 4 ounce spray bottle, mix all the ingredients.

This spray can be used to scent linens, freshen the air or even as a body spray,  And according to Tina, if you keep it in the refrigerator during the summer and give your face a spritz after being out in the garden is a heavenly reward.

Healing Herbs: a Beginner's Guide to Identifying, Foraging and using Medicinal Plants by Tina Sams, published by Fair Winds Press (Beverly, MA: 2015)

All Natural Air Freshener - Weekend recipe

Spring is finally here!  I have been opening the windows and doors for about a week to let in the fresh air, but sometimes that is not enough.  I mix together this essential oil air freshener to finally banish the smells of winter and bring on the crisp freshness of Spring!

All Natural Air Freshener Spray

1 cup filtered water

2 tablespoons unscented alcohol

15 drops or essential oil of lemon

15 drops essential oil of spearmint

Place the water in a spray bottle and add the alcohol (I just use rubbing alcohol, but if you want a sweeter scent use vodka or everclear instead.)  Then add the essential oils by drop and mix well by shaking.  Remember to shake well before each use, then mist the air around the center of a room and it will filter out the edges.

If you want to give your air freshener aromatherapy effects, and not just spring freshness, you can substitute any of these other essential oils.

Eucalyptus: air disinfectant, clear the sinuses and the mind

Peppermint/Spearmint:stimulating, wake-up sent

Lemongrass: fights fatigue; alertness

Sweet Orange: promotes a sense of well-being and happiness

Grapefruit: uplifting, dispels grief

Lavender: stress relief, skin disinfectant; calming, relaxes large muscles

Rosemary: stimulates the mind, energizing

Ylang-Ylang: sensual awareness, releases endorphins which produce euphoria and reduce pain

Rose Geranium:hormonal and mental balancing; repels insects

Visiting the Weed Ladies Sale

This weekend (thru Sunday, March 22, 2015) at Naper Settlement in Naperville, Illinois is a fund raiser for children's programs sponsored by the Weed Ladies.

They craft great dried and silk arrangements of flowers and woodland materials and have them for sale with the proceeds going to children's programs at the Naper Settlement Historical Site.

I needed to see something flowering and nothing is ready here with the snow not even all melted yet, so this was a great opportunity to imagine what things will look like in a few short weeks.

The Ladies were very helpful and I spoke with several about flowers, arrangements and trying to identify a ground cover in a friend's yard.

They had a wide variety of arrangements some as small as a tea cup, other as large as a setting for the center of the dining room table.

My husband went with me and he was especially enamored of one woman's creations (Diane) using fungus and birch bark.  We looked at several and finally decided on a door decoration with yellow roses and peony-like flowers.

The volunteers wrapped it up in a wonderful bag, tied with ribbon.

It looks rather striking on the door don't you think.

If you are interested in supporting a good cause and perhaps decorating your place with some spring color, you might want to check out the Weed Ladies sale at Naper Settlement.  Here is a link to their website.

They are located in the Daniel's House on the Naper Settlement Grounds (523 S. Webster St., Naperville, IL) and admission is free.  They will be open Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm and Sunday 1 to 4 pm..

Flat parsley & Curly Parsley - Herb of the Week

Nothing worse then overlooking an herb as a feature because you are sure you have done it before, only to discover that you have never focused on it. That is the case with Parsley.  I was compiling my list of herbs to research in 2015 and realized that Parsley had never been an Herb of the Week.  So here is to 

    Parsley Petroselinum crispum 

              a well deserved Herb of the Week

There are actually three common varieties of parsley and I will highlight all three here.  The popular one these days is Flat leaf or Italian Parsley (Petroselinum crispum hortense), then you have the one we all recognize from a restaurant plate, Curly Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) and parsnip rooted parsley (Petroselinum crispum var. tuberosum) also known as Hamburg.

Parsley was believed to be the herb of choice for Hercules and as such was woven into wreaths for winning athletes in Greece.  It was also fed to horses to increase their stamina.

Oddly enough it was also associated with death by the Greeks.  It was used to make wreaths for graves.  By the Middle Ages it was being touted as an herbal medicine, credited with curing a great range of ills, including anything to do with the liver and kidneys as well as plague, asthma, dropsy, jaundice and an aid to digestion.

There is much folklore associated with Parsley.  It is believed that only a witch or pregnant woman could grow it, and that a fine harvest was only ensured if the seeds were planted on Good Friday.  Also it is said that if parsley is transplanted misfortune would descend upon the household.

To Grow

This biennial herb that flowers only in the second year is brightly green leafed.  The leaves are divided pinnately into feather-like sections that lay flat like celery leaves or curl into small frilly leaflets depending on the variety.  Parsley has been naturalized through out the temperate region needing full sun to part shade. Curly parsley grows 12 to 16 inches tall and can be grown easily as far north as zone 5.  The flat leaf parsley is taller growing 18 to 24 inches and is best for cooking.  Hamburg parsley is a perennial grown for its root, which can get up to 6 inches long.  An old plant that you find only occasionally as it has fallen out of favor as a root vegetable with other easier to grow plants available.

 

flat leaf at the top of photo, curly here in the front

Curly Parsley, as a bright green compact plant, makes a nice border or edging plant.  Parsley is susceptible to underground attackers, like nematodes and parsley worms, due to its large tap root.  As a result one should relocate parsley at the end of its lifecycle.  Many people treat it as an annual, removing the plant at the end of the season.  Some like to allow it to flower the second year, but once the plant sprouts a flower shaft, the leaves become bitter and untasty.

You can sow seed directly in spring once the soil temperature reaches 50 degrees F.  It transplants badly so it generally best to sow it where you plan to grow it.  Drill in the seed about an inch deep.  Parsley will go to seed in the second year, so most people treat it as an annual.  It is slow to germinate (up to 6 weeks) because the seed of parsley actually has a germination inhibitor.  You can cover the seed with a moisture retaining material, water frequently, pour boiling water over the seed before covering it or even treating the seed by soaking, refrigerating or freezing.  I tossed the seed packet in the freezer and then planted it one year with good success.  Winter sowing also works well with parsley.

 

Hamburg Parsley

Six plants set 6 to 8 inches apart will supply the average family and allow extra for freezing or drying.  To keep the plant productive weed it often and cut back the full length of the outside stems and remove all flower stalks.

The soil needed to grow parsley is deep and not light or acidic.  Rich and well draining is important to avoid rot.

To Use

So many think is it only a decorative green, but it is actually has more vitamin C per volume than oranges.  It also contains Vitamin A, several B vitamins, calcium, and iron.  Beyond this contribution of vitamins and minerals, however, it is not considered significantly medicinally. You can use a tea made from the seeds of parsley to kill hated lice.  Pour it over the head after washing and rinsing, wrap your head in a towel for 30 minutes and then allow the hair to dry naturally.  Equally the seeds and leaves steeped in water can be used as a hair rinse.

That camphory odor that parsley tends to have is the work of a combination of volatile oils found in the leaves and stems.  This scent attracts rabbits.  Parsley is a diuretic and has been used as a tea to treat bladder infections. Avoid using it in excess as it can irritate kidneys and decrease pulse rate.  Pregnant woman should avoid parsley oil or large quantities of parsley, but the sprinkle or sprig is just fine.

In many food regions Parsley plays and important role, in the Middle East it is an important part of tabbouleh, in France it is used with ham, garlic, butter and escargots.  Belgians and Swiss make deep fried parsley and the Japanese make a deep-fried parsley tempura. In Mexico it is part of Salsa Verde and even the English use it, making a parsley jelly.

If you want a good Parsley to dry, try Petroselinum crispum var. neapolitanium, a flat-leaf Parsley.  With a slightly stronger taste it is best for drying.  You can freeze curly parsley to help it retain color and flavor. Cooking with parsley enhances the flavor of other foods and herbs.  The best flavor is had if added just before the end of cooking.

Boil Hamburg parsley as a root vegetable or grate raw into salads.  Using in soup mixes, the flavor resembles both celery and parsley.

Create a sauce for cold beef, shellfish and pasta by pureeing a bunch of parsley with garlic, olive oil and ricotta cheese in a food processor of blender.

Recipes

Fines Herbs ala Marcy

1 part chives

1 part chervil

1 part parsley

1 part tarragon

Blend together dried herbs and store in an airtight jar.  Use on a variety of dishes, including eggs, fish, and chicken.  Make a great salad vinaigrette when you blend a tablespoon with 2/4 cup oil and 1/4 cup vinegar or lemon juice.

Fish Bouquet Garni

2 sprigs parsley

1 sprig French tarragon

1 sprig fennel

2 leaves lemon balm

Tie the fresh herbs together in a bundle and add to the cooking liquid in casseroles, sauces, soups, broths and stews and use to brush fish or place in water when poaching fish.

Tabbouleh

Tabbouleh recipes originally come from the Eastern Mediterranean. There are thousands of versions out there for this one we are using Quinoa.

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water (or vegetable broth)
2 cups chopped parsley
2 cups chopped fennel bulb
6 chopped green onions
1 cup of sliced cherry tomatoes
1 cup diced cucumber
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup of freshly squeezed lemons (about three lemons)
zest from lemons, minced
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
paprika to taste

The first step in our tabbouleh recipe is to cook the quinoa. Rinse the dried quinoa well, then add it to a medium sauce pan along with 2 cups of water (or vegetable broth). Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer for 18-20 minutes or until the water has been absorbed and the quinoa is light and fluffy. Set aside to cool.  Meanwhile gather the veggies, tomatoes and mint and get those chopped and sliced. Measure out the olive oil, lemon juice and zest. Once the quinoa has cooled put it in a large bowl along with all the prepared veggies, tomatoes and mint. Pour in the lemon juice, olive oil and lemon zest. Stir well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir well. Sprinkle with paprika and it’s ready to serve. We like this tabbouleh as a side dish to rosemary chicken.

Cottage Garden Plans

We discussed the things to consider with a Cottage Garden design back on March 5.  Now we have the plants for you.

The earliest cottage gardens were more practical than their modern descendants with an emphasis on vegetables and herbs, along with some fruit trees, perhaps a beehive, and even livestock. Flowers were used to fill any spaces in between. Over time, flowers became more dominant. The traditional cottage garden was usually enclosed, perhaps with a rose-bowered gateway. Flowers common to early cottage gardens included hollyhocks, pansies and delphinium, all three essentially 19th-century flowers. Others were the old-fashioned roses that bloomed once a year with rich scents, simple flowers like daisies, and flowering herbs. A well-tended topiary of traditional form, perhaps a cone-shape in tiers, or a conventionalized peacock, would be part of the repertory, to which the leisured creators of "cottage gardens" would add a sun-dial, crazy paving on paths with thyme interspersed, and a rustic seat, generally missing in the earlier cottage gardens.

Cottage Garden border

When designing a cottage garden whether as an entire front or back yard or just as a border or entrance, you can use fences, walls and other things as a focal point and build your cottage style around that.

The Plans

This plan uses a house as the background and a walkway as the front border, then the plants are placed cottage-style between the two items.

Herbs, flowering perennials and a focal point of a bird bath complete the design.  You can use a sundial or piece of sculpture instead of  a bird bath, but you want something permanent as your focal point.

For this design I used a mixture of plants, not all of them herbs to give color and texture.

A = Lady's Mantle
B = red flowering Verbena (might need 2 plants)
C =  Black eye susan (3 plants)
D = Day lily (yellow or orange)
E = Russian Sage
F = Hyssop
G = Yarrow, yellow or red
H = Lemon Basil (for the contrast)
I = Purple Ruffled Basil (3 plants and cut frequently to make them bushy)
J = Golden Oregano (Origanium vulgarus 'Aureum')
K = Smokebush (Cothus coggygria 'Royal Purple)
L = Comfrey 
M = Lungwort
N = Gialnt Allium (Allium giganteum)
O = Lavender (6 plants is perfect)
P = Japanese Spirea (Spiraea japonica ‘Goldflame’)
Q = Sedum 'Autumn Joy' or sprinkle in Nasturtium Seed
R = Winter savory  shaped to a ball shrub

S = White Yarrow

T = Tarragon as a back drop the colorful flowers or you can put in a shrub with large foliage
U = Jewel Blend Nasturtium (the orange and cream flowers will anchor the corner.)

The second plan uses a fence as a center point.  You can place this along the front of your property or the back or even the side.  The fence becomes the anchor and you plant herbs and flowers and even vegetables on both sides of the fence.

A= Dwarf purple Basil (used as a border plant)
B= White yarrow (or if you do not have children Tansy)
C= Iris, Siberian (purple or yellow)
D=  Pine apple Sage (can be in containers)
E= Anise Hyssop
F= Pineapple Mint
G= Nasturtiums (use a traditional mix with red flowers)
H= Lavender (might try white for contrast)
I= Foxglove
J= Parsley, curly (used as a border plant)

I grow Yellow Flag Iris, because the root can be used as a fixative in potpourri.

Stop back in a few days and we will delve into Four Square Gardening.

The Unlucky Ides of March

I had a Latin teacher in High School who held a party on the Ides of March each year.  As a result as soon as March 15 comes around I am feeling a need to say something so the Ides of March does not pass without comment.

According to the Romans the Ides, or the 15^th, of the month was considered unlucky, I am sure Julius Caesar would agree! But how does one ward off the negativity of an unlucky day?

There are many herbs you can use to ward off evil or at least bad behavior.  Here is a short list:

1. Angelica - Wear a sprig inside your lapel to protect yourself from evil, but be careful you could also keep yourself from seeing opportunities.

2. Borage (see the herb of the month post on Borage) Borage leaves or flowers placed nearby will encourage people to tell the truth so you can avoid secrets, and dishonesty.

borage about to bloom

3. Caraway – wear the seeds in an amulet to protect against disease and ill health.  And if you put some in your spouses pockets it will protect against infidelity.

4. Dill – Hang a bundle of dill over a child’s bed to protect against evil fairies.

5. Fennel – bunches hung over the door were believed to keep away witchcraft.

6. Lavender will shield you and your home from negative energy.  This can be fresh or dried lavender, lavender essential oil or perfume or even incense in a lavender scent.

7. Marjoram – long known as a protector and healing herb, you can sprinkle it by the doorjamb to keep away burglars and unwanted visitors.

marjoram

8.  Pennyroyal – this mint plant has a musky scent and can be burned to protect a home against domestic abuse or violence.

9. Rue: Wear a sprig fresh or dried in an amulet to protect yourself against illness.

rue seeds

10. Rosemary – used in a bath can protect the bather from negativity and evil.

11. Yarrow – packed into amulets to protect against blindness, robbers and barking dogs.

Carrot & Pineapple Slaw - Weekend recipe

This week I learned that pineapple is especially good for you in controlling blood sugar, so when I found this recipe I decided to try it.  There is still snow on the ground here, so I purchased the cilantro from the local store and left out the Pineapple sage, because that lost its leaves months ago and is still recovering on the window ledge!

Carrot & Pineapple Slaw (Serves 8) 

2 pounds carrots, shredded

2 cups pineapple, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

1/2 cup roasted salted peanuts, chopped

1/4 cup lime juice

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 cup torn cilantro leaves

1/2 cup pineapple sage leaves (optional)

salt and black pepper

Directions:

Toss together the carrots, pineapple, peanuts, lime juice, canola oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Refrigerate for up to 8 hours. Just before serving, toss with the cilantro.

Designing Gardens - Cottage Garden

Every spring I start planning my gardens, both real and imaginary.  It helps get me through those last deary weeks of winter and this year they are indeed a bit dreary.   With the temps barely escaping Zero degrees it is hard to think Spring will every come this year.

I thought I would start the design series this year with a cottage garden.  These are not fancy, some see them as almost wild, but they do have a plan.  I will give several plans over a couple of days so check back for several cottage garden ideas.

SW Indiana Master Gardeners cottage garden

Cottage Gardens are a mixture of shrubs, perennials, herbs, flowering annuals and ground covers.  Along with the mixture of plants is the quaint garden ornaments of gates, fountains, bird baths, sundials or sculpture.  A cottage garden is an oasis of plants and the animals and insects they attract.

Here are a couple of shots of a sample cottage garden taken at the Home and Garden Show in Chicago back in 2012.

The cottage garden is a distinct style of garden that uses an informal design, traditional materials, dense plantings, and a mixture of ornamental and edible plants.

English in origin, the cottage garden depends on grace and charm rather than grandeur and formal structure. Homely and functional gardens connected to working-class cottages go back several centuries, but their reinvention in stylized versions grew in 1870s England, in reaction to the more structured and rigorously maintained English estate gardens that used formal designs and mass plantings of brilliant greenhouse annuals.

The earliest cottage gardens were more practical than their modern descendants with an emphasis on vegetables and herbs, along with some fruit trees, perhaps a beehive, and even livestock. Flowers were used to fill any spaces in between. Over time, flowers became more dominant.

The traditional cottage garden was usually enclosed, perhaps with a rose-bowered gate. Flowers common to early cottage gardens included hollyhocks, pansies and delphinium, all three essentially 19th-century flowers. Others were the old-fashioned roses that bloomed once a year with rich scents, simple flowers like daisies, and flowering herbs. As time passed they became more elaborate with a  well-tended topiary of traditional form, perhaps a cone-shape in tiers, or an abstract animal shape.  The gardener would also add a sun-dial, crazy paving on paths with thyme in-between the stones, and a rustic seat, generally missing in the earlier cottage gardens.

Thyme between stones in the Rotary Garden In Wisconsin

Modern-day cottage gardens include countless regional and personal variations of the more traditional English cottage garden, and embrace plant materials, such as ornamental grasses or native plants, that were never seen in the rural gardens of cottagers. Informal climbing plants, whether traditional or modern hybrids, are also a common cottage garden plant. Self-sowing annuals and freely spreading perennials continue to find a place in the modern cottage garden, just as they did in the traditional cottager's garden.

THE PLANS

A cottage garden says, Come in. Wander. Stay awhile. It's freewheeling, not formal; generous, not stingy. Its abundance may be what you notice first: Vines clamber up porch posts, roses twine across arbors, flowers overflow their beds in the company of herbs and other edibles.

In the next week we will post a couple cottage garden plans.

The bonus for reading to the end of the blog is this link to Landreth Seeds.  One of the oldest seed companies in the U.S. they were instrumental in introducing many varieties of plants to American growers.  Most notably Nasturtiums.

Nasturtiums had become essential to the English Cottage Garden and therefore to the American garden. Both the trailing and the low growing varieties were known, but it was the trailing variety that was the most popular. In the late 1890’s, the Landreths introduced a product designed to appeal to their female customers. They called the product ‘Landreths’ Bon-Bon Boxes’. The ‘Bon-Bon’ boxes were decorated with stunning lithographic illustrations and filled with either 25 packets of Sweet Peas, 25 packets of assorted flower seeds or 14 packets of named variety Nasturtiums.  You can still get a nice variety of Nasturtiums from Landreth Seeds

Meadowsweet - Herb of the Week

Time of another unique herb and this one is wonderful for many uses.  

Meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria Herb of the Week

Meadowsweet is a member of the rose family and can easily be found growing wild along streams and rivers, as well as damp woodlands.  It is a high altitude plant that can grow as high as 3,300 feet.  It is native to Europe and Asia and was successfully introduced and naturalized in North America.  It has a tuberous root that is the key to its scientific name.  The name meadowsweet is an Anglo Saxon name, which comes from the fact this herb was used to make mead, and drink made from fermented honey.

Another strewing herb, tossed on the floor in the 16^th century to warm and scent the floors and keep infections at bay, this was a favorite of Queen Elizabeth the I who preferred it in her bedroom.  Gerard, an early herbalist, believed it outranked all other strewing herbs because the scent was delightful and did not cause headaches by being over powering. It was a traditional plant of druids and was in the most sacred category along with mistletoe, watermint and vervain.

The sap contained in the branches of Meadowsweet contains a chemical called salicylic acid.  Isolated in 1853 by an Italian professor, Bayer formulated acetylsalicylic acid in 1899, they called it aspirin after the old botanical name for Meadowsweet, Spirea ulmaria.  The herb is considered much less harsh to the stomach than aspirin.

Meadowsweet is especially suited to headaches in which the person has a hot head and feels a pounding sensation in the head. Meadowsweet is cooling and it promotes circulation, which can relieve stagnant energy in the head. Besides having the ability to relieve pain, meadowsweet is also anti-inflammatory in nature. Taken daily as a tea or tincture it can help relieve chronic arthritic pain and inflammation. Stomach aches and acid reflux.  My favorite herbs for stomach aches and nausea are ginger, peppermint and meadowsweet. Meadowsweet shines as an herb for stomach aches, nausea and poor digestion and is especially helpful for those who find herbs like ginger to be too warming. Meadowsweet removes stagnation (like when you eat a meal and it stays in your stomach too long) and relieves discomfort in the stomach.

To Grow

This hardy perennial grows 2 to 4 feet in height with a spread of 2 feet.  Clusters of strong scented creamy-white flowers in mid-summer.  The leaves are deeply veined and appear in groups of two to five.    All meadowsweet variety are hardy in Zone 4. 

The seed can be stratified, but is not required.  To stratify the seed you need to to place them in a situation where extreme cold will break down the seed coat and end their period of dormancy.  Placed in a plastic bag filled with damp sphagam moss or a damp paper towel for a couple of weeks usually does the trick.  If in a hurry, run the seeds over a nail file to break the seed coat before planting.

Sow prepared seed or plug trays in the autumn.  Cover lightly with soil and winter outside under glass (a cold frame would work perfectly.  Check from time to time and water as needed when dry. Germination should take place in the spring.  When the seedlings are large enough to handle, plant out 12 inches apart into a prepared location.

You can also propagate by division.  The golden and variegate styles must be propagated by division.  In the fall, dig up established plants and tease the plantlets apart; they separate easily.  Replant in a prepared site or place in pots.  A soil of bark, peat and potting soil works perfectly.

The plant prefers sun and semi shade and a moisture retaining soil.  If your soil drains well, you will need to add rotten manure or vegetative compost and leaf mold and plant in a more shaded area. Once a plant is established you will need to lift and divide it every 3 to 4 years in the fall to keep it vibrant.

To Use

Gather young leaves for fresh or dry use before slower appear in mid-summer.  Pick flowers just as they open and use fresh or dry.

Meadowsweet leaves and flowers can be made into an herbal vinegar that is sweet and lovely for salad dressings.  You can also make fritters with the flowers or use them to flavor mead and beer or to make wine.

The whole plant is a traditional remedy for an acidic stomach.  The fresh root is used in homeopathic preparations and is effective on its own in the treatment of diarrhea.  The flowers, when made into a tea are a comfort to flu victims.

A black dye can be obtained from the roots when used with a copper mordant, while the flowers can produce a greenish-yellow dye and the leaves and stems make a blue dye.  One can also use the dried leaves and flowers in potpourri.

A tea made with leaves and flowers will help the body of excess fluid and alleviate heartburn.  It is also a treatment for feverish colds and mild diarrhea.  It even works as a mild sedative and painkiller. Use one teaspoonful of dried flowers and/or leaf blend to each cup boiling water. Infuse for 10 minutes and drink warm. Add honey and cinnamon to improve taste and soothe sore throats

To make a meadowsweet beer; boil 2 ounces each of meadowsweet, betony, raspberry leaves and agrimony in two gallons of water for about 15 minutes.  Strain and add 2 pounds of white sugar, stirring to dissolve.  Bottle when nearly cool.

Add the leaves to soup for a unique and interesting flavor.  You can add the flowers to jams and stewed fruit which lends a slight almond flavor.

RECIPES

Norfolk Punch 

The recipe for Norfolk Punch was discovered in the 1970s in the Leet court records of Welle Manor in Upwell, Norfolk. It was unearthed by Eric St John Foti. The non-alcoholic drink is believed to have been created by Benedictine monks as a tonic, about 700 years ago. The Middle Ages was a time when everyone relied upon the curative properties of herbs for the relief of their ailments, including depression.

Today, the recipe is still made with natural spring water, honey, and a mixture of the numerous original herbs and berries. Produced for several years in Norfolk by the Original Norfolk Punch Company, the brand was sold in 1994 to Orchid Drinks. As a result one cannot find the recipe to reproduce here, but I am told it has 30 different herbs in it including Meadowsweet.

Meadowsweet Sorbet

Meadowsweet sorbet is a special treat. Its relaxing flavor will have you oohing and ahhing with your loved ones.

4 handfuls of Meadowsweet flowers

½ pound brown caster sugar

3 juiced lemons

1 thinly grated lemon rind

3 cups of water

Directions:

Put sugar into water, stir and bring to a boil. Rapid boil the sugar water for 10 minutes to produce a light syrup. Remove the pan from the heat. Now add the juiced lemons and the thinly grated lemon rind. Stir. Next add the Meadowsweet flowers. Stir. Allow to infuse until the syrup is cool/cold. Strain the syrup through a muslin and freeze in a plastic container overnight.

Now take out your frozen Meadowsweet syrup (it won’t be that frozen), and blend with a hand-blender until smooth. Then put back in the freezer for 24 hours. Take out and blend again, then freeze for a further 48 hours. Enjoy.

Meadowsweet Elixir (From Rosemary Glasdstar)

2 cups meadowsweet flowers

2 cups vodka (50% is best)

½ cup (scant) glycerin

Directions:

Place the meadowsweet flowers in a jar. Add the vodka and glycerin to the jar. Shake well. Let this macerate for 4-6 weeks and check on it often. You may find that as the flowers soak up the alcohol and glycerin, the liquid will no long cover the herb.

To remedy this you can take a clean stone or weight and use it to weigh down the flowers below the liquid. If necessary, you can add a bit more alcohol to cover the herb. I opened my jar frequently and pushed down the flowers and that seemed to work just fine.

Once you are done macerating the herb, it’s time to strain off the mixture. The easiest way to do this is strain it through a cheese cloth which you then squeeze the dickens out of until you get all the moisture from the flowers. Once it is strained you can bottle and label it.

Meadowsweet is safe for most people. However, it should be used with caution for the following people

• children under 16 who have the flu or chickenpox symptoms (because of the rare but serious Reye’s syndrome)
• people with asthma (may stimulate bronchial spasms)
• people who are allergic to aspirin
• As with many herbs Meadowsweet should be avoided when pregnant or breastfeeding.

Monthly Bath Recipe - Spring Wonder Bath

This bath will help rejuvenate your dry skin and give you a new vigor of the first blossoming of Spring!

Basic Starter:

1 1/2 cup powdered milk
1/2 cup Epsom salt
1/8 cup baking soda
2 Tbls. cornstarch

Spring Wonder Bath:

• 1/2 cup basic starter
• 1/2 cup oatmeal
• 1/4 cup lavender

Instructions:

Create the base or starter blend.  Use 1/2 cup of starter blended with oatmeal and lavender.  Place in a glass jar and shake to blend.  

Make drawstring pouches out of cheesecloth, organza or muslin, enough to hold anywhere from 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of the herbal mix. Tie about 1/2 cup of the blend into a bag and tie tightly shut so the loose ingredients won’t float out. After use, the contents can be emptied, the pouches rinsed out, washed, then refilled and reused.

To Use:

Hanging method: Two ways these can be enjoyed, either hang a sachet on the tap while the hot water is running, making sure the water is running through it. Once the tub is filled, let them float around.

Infusion Method: Boil a quart of water, turn off heat, add pouch, cover, then steep (for at least 20 minutes for best results). Add the piping hot infusion (and the bag) to a full tub, being careful while pouring to avoid burning yourself.

Note: Do not steep in an aluminum pot.