Summer hors d'oeuvres

The seasons are changing here with the air noticeably cooler and the foliage slowly turning from brilliant green to speckles of yellows and browns. 


Which reminded me to share my favorite summer appetizer before it's too late! 


I've been making some variation of this simple treat since I was a teenager. I often bring it to summer potlucks and it's a big hit. 


I'll call it, Marinated Feta Delight


But really it's just feta marinated with lemon juice, herbs and served with tomatoes. 


To make this recipe you'll need


Feta
Lemon juice
Fresh or dried herbs such as thyme, chives, oregano
Tomatoes
optional: bread or crackers for serving. 




Begin with your chunk of feta. 

Crumble it into smaller pieces. 

Add lemon juice. How much? Oh, I never measure. Enough to wet all the cheese with it, but not so much that it puddles on the bottom. Might as well throw some lemon zest in the mix if you've got it. 

Add your fresh or dried herbs. (Go fresh if possible.) How much? I never measure. 

It's best if you can let this sit overnight, but I've served it right away and it's still good. 

When you are ready to serve... Find some delicious mouth watering heirloom tomatoes. 

Slice them up. 

Then arrange the marinated feta and tomatoes on a plate. Get extra fancy and sprinkle some fresh herbs over it all. 

Serve with bread or crackers. 


Enjoy!

Herbal Chai to warm things up

I admittedly have been horribly neglectful in the blogging realm. Besides the usual excuse of busyness, since September my husband and I have been living in a beautiful cabin in the woods that is pretty much off the grid. So all of my online time was carefully manged in email and www.herbmentor.com activities.

However, I soon got tired of needing to go to town all the time, so we opted for a phone and dial up internet. Now I can stay home for a week if I want! And that's pretty much what I've done this holiday season - stayed at home. During the day we get out to go snowshoeing and all other times I am nestled up by the woodstove drinking my favorite herbal chai.

Herbal Chai Tea
With the cold months I love to brew up my own herbal chai. I prefer to use cut and sifted dried herbs for this as opposed to powders, only because I prefer the texture better. This tea blend is very warming and great for digestion.

dried burdock roots, two parts;
cinnamon, one part. (a cinnamon stick or two works great)
dried or fresh Ginger root, one part
cardamon, pods ½ part
cloves – 3 or 4 whole cloves

I am fairly bad at measuring, but to make a medium sized saucepan of chai, I may double the recipe above. I let this simmer (not boil) on the stove for 20 – 40 minutes. You can also put this in a crock-pot on low at night and enjoy it in the morning along with a lovely aromatic house. I sometimes add a tea bag of black tea to my cup and I always add cream/milk and a little honey.

Although I prefer to stick to local herbs I do make an exception for the chai. In these cold months, my cold disposition can be miserable without warming herbs. When I make the above chai for both my husband and I, it's the same as above. (He is constantly complaining of the heat while I am shivering in my woolies.) If I am making it for myself, I cut the burdock and double or triple the ginger. Nice and spicy!

Winter is here, let's bring out the stew.

Winter may be officially lurking over a month a way, but yesterday we received our first snow. We celebrated by cooking up a delicious beef stew, letting it simmer all day on the woodstove. We kept it simple by only adding carmelized onions, garlic, burdock root, carrots, and locally raised grass fed organic beef in a base of bone broth soup.

Bone broth is a staple at our house. Here's a short exerpt I from my latest ebook on colds and the flu for www.herbmentor.com

Nourishing Bone Broth
Grandmothers knew best by spoon feeding us this incredibly rich immune system nourisher, and science has now validated this time-honored tradition by verifying this is high in many vitamins and minerals readily absorbable by the body. Bone broth soup is high in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulphur, trace minerals, chondroitin sulphates and glucosamine. Boiling the bones releases gelatin into the broth. (Which is why it hardens slightly when cooled.) Besides nourishing the immune system, gelatin has been found to be useful in the treatment of a long list of diseases including peptic ulcers, tuberculosis, diabetes, muscle diseases, infectious diseases, jaundice, and cancer. (Weston Price Foundation). The following recipe can be made without the use of burdock, dandelion, and astragalus, but I highly suggest including them. All help the body maintain health and overcome illness. Astragalus especially supports the immune system – using this in our broth is one of the main ways we support our immune system and stay healthy.

Several bones from poultry or beef (preferably bones that have marrow)
1 T apple cider vinegar (helps to draw out the calcium from the bones)
1 onion coarsely chopped
2 carrots coarsely chopped
2 big pieces of burdock coarsely chopped or a handful of dried root
Several dandelion roots coarsely chopped or a handful of dried root
5-7 slices of dried astragalus root
2 celery ribs coarsely chopped
Handful of herbs such as rosemary, thyme, or oregano

Place everything in a large pot except for the handful of herbs. Fill the pot with water and bring to a boil slowly. Once it is boiling, reduce to a simmer. After awhile you will see some foam forming at the top. Gently skim this off every couple of minutes until the broth runs clear. Add the handful of herbs and simmer for 8-12 hours. When ready, strain off all materials and discard. Store the broth in the fridge or freezer until ready to use for soups, roasts, chili, etc.

Methow Valley Plant of the Week: Lamb's Quarters

Botanical Information

Scientific Name:

Chenopodium album

Family:

Chenopodium or Goosefoot

Lamb’s quarters are a common weedy vegetable that countless people try to rid from their

garden in vain. When I see this hearty green popping up in my garden soil I am overjoyed for here is a highly nutritious plant that is easily cultivated, harvested and consumed.

This inconspicuous plant is recognized by its wavy triangular green leaves and whitish

coloring underneath. It grows anywhere from one foot to ten feet tall and has plentiful black seeds. It often has a reddish tinge at the base of the stem. As always be sure to correctly

identify this plant before consuming.

The leaves are incredibly high in calcium, beta carotene, thiamine, niacin, and potassium.

A 1/2 cup of the seeds provides the recommended daily allowance for calcium and healthy servings of niacin and potassium.

Historical Uses:

Lamb’s quarters has been used by many cultures all around the world. Archaeological findings show that it was an early food in northern Europe as well as in northern and southern America.

It was historically grown during times of warfare when other food sources were scarce. The black plentiful seeds of this plant were grounded to make a black bread for Napoleon and his troops.

Contemporary Uses:

Lamb’s quarters taste very

similar to spinach and can be used in the same way. We love them in scrambled eggs, crepes, or quiche. They can be eaten raw or cooked. However, also like spinach, they contain oxalic acid which can be rough on the kidneys—so moderation of raw greens is advised.

The greens are best when harvested young, or less than a foot tall. They can be blanched for future use by boiling for one minute and then freezing.

Lamb’s Quarters Quiche

1 prepared pie crust

1/2 onion chopped

1 lb of nitrate-free bacon

Several handfuls of Lamb’s

Quarters

6 Eggs

Pinch of Salt

Tsp mustard

Tsp of dried basil

1 Cup of Local Raw Milk

1 cup Goat Cheese

Chop the bacon into small slices about a 1/2 inch wide. Sauté until almost entirely cooked, add the

onion and cook until onion is

translucent.

In a medium bowl combine the eggs, salt, basil, milk, and mustard and mix well.

Place the cooked bacon and

onions in the prepared pie crust, sprinkle the goat cheese over the bacon, and then add the egg

mixture.

Cook at 350⁰ or until the edges are brown and it is solid in the center. Let cool and eat warm or chilled.

Works consulted:
Linda Runyon, Crabgrass Muffins to Pine Needle Tea
Janice Schofield, Discovering Wild Plants

May Blog Party: Spring Greens - Native Wildflowers

This month's Blog Party is being hosted by Darcey with the theme of spring greens.

We arrived in the Methow Valley last September, so this is our first experience of spring and the scrumptious, beautiful, bountiful greens it brings. The Methow Valley is in the Northeastern Cascades of Washington state. The ecology ranges from sage brush shrub step to alpine pine forests with several rivers and many lakes running through it all.

We've been feasting on a lot of weedy greens like dandelion and dock. It was great to get these nutritious greens long before the salad greens started showing up at the farmer's market. And although I love my weeds, lately I've been fascinated with the native wildflowers that offer a cornucopia of food (above and beneath the ground).

Spring Beauty (Claytonia lanceolata)
We've been enjoying lots of salads with spring beauties. They have a crisp distinctive taste that is completely reminiscent of spring. The aerial portions are high in vitamins A and C, and look absolutely beautiful in a salad. The corms found below ground taste like sweet potatoes. They can be baked, boiled, and eaten or dried into cakes for later use.




Blue Bells (Mertensia spp.)
Another great spring green. You can eat the leaves and flowers of this dainty plant that surely must be home to the fairy folk. Because it's in the borage family I limit my intake due to the potential alkaloids- adding a few to salads for decorum.






Desert Parsley (Lomatium triternatum)
This abundant plant in the carrot (umbelliferaceae) family has a spicy taste reminiscent of celery. Imagine celery with a kick, and that's Lomatium triternatum. Besides eating it in salads we are drying a bunch for use as a spice.





Wild Onion (Allium spp.)
Wild onions abound in the Methow. They can be used much like their less wild cousins you find in the grocery store, although they have much smaller bulbs. Tonight we had liver and onions eating both the bulbs and greens. Yuuummmy!








Mariposa Lily (Calochortus macrocarpus)
This might be cheating a bit on the theme since you don't actually eat the greens of this eye catching flower, only the bulbs. Still a great treat in the spring. I've only eaten these raw, but they have a pleasant nutty taste that I really enjoy.







Bitterroot (Lewisa rediviva)
Again, cheating a bit since we eat the below ground portions of this incredibly important food source, but I just had to include it because it is so beautiful and plentiful in the spring. We harvest the roots, cleaning off the outer papery portion and picking out its red heart in the center of the root. We then steam them for hours in a steam pit. I've also pickled them with beats before - they turned this brilliant fuschia color, but still tasted very bitter - making this a very well named plant.



For those of you in the valley (or elsewhere) wanting to try these plants, I urge a lot of caution. There are some very dangerous look alikes (death camas for example - another very well named plant you would not want to harvest for dinner), as well as a delicate ecology that needs to be tended with care.

Spring Beauty (Claytonia lanceolata)

Now that the valley is bursting with life we will be harvesting more and more wild food for our meals. Today my husband spent a few hours harvesting spring beauties. We had this beautiful salad for dinner. We ate the entire aerial plant which is high in vitamins A and C. It tastes much like miner's lettuce from the western part of Washington state. They are both in the Purslane family of the claytonia genus. He also gathered a lot of the corms which we will process tomorrow, so I will post about that with pictures then.

I spent the day harvesting dandelions - the flower, leaf, and root. At herbmentor.com we are studying dandelion this month and I am looking forward to being able to participate in the dandelion discussions. It'll be a big processing day tomorrow - I can hardly wait to get started. Of course I'll take pictures of all my concoctions and share it will you.

Also tomorrow my husband plans to harvest a lot of bitterroot - also in the Purslane family. I'll of course be writing about that as well.

Wow, that's a lot of teasers for one night. :)

Edible Weeds Recipes

I taught a class last week on edible weeds and was surprised to see how many people were just coming around to the idea that weeds are great! I suppose I live in somewhat of an herbal bubble. :) I made up a little booklet of recipes for the class. If you are a part of the herbmentor.com community John will be posting the pdf file so that you can print it out as a booklet. Otherwise you'll just have to read it here. :)


Common Edible Weeds
The following list is for educational purposes. Some of these plants require special harvesting times or special preparation before they are edible.

Dandelion
Chickweed
Burdock
Lamb’s Quarters
Purslane
Milkweed
Violets
Mustard Family


Salsify
Sorrel
Yellow Dock
Stinging Nettle
Mallow
Red Clover


Dandelion Pesto
2-4 crushed cloves of garlic
1/2 cup cold presses olive oil
2-3 cups freshly picked young dandelion leaves
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Dash of sea salt

Place oil, garlic, and salt in the blender along with half of the dandelion leaves. Blend well, and then add the other half of the leaves. When finished blending it should be of a good consistency and a little runny still. Pour into a bowl and add desired amount of parmesan cheese. Occasionally I add pine nuts or ground walnuts as well. We love this pesto as a dip, on bread, pasta, salmon, or even a couple tablespoons with our scrambled eggs.

Dandelion Greens
One onion
Pinch of sea salt
2 T of olive oil or butter
2 cloves of garlic
Bunch of dandelion greens
Squirt of lemon

Begin by sautéing the onion and salt in olive oil or butter until it has turned to a rich brown color (caramelized). Add the garlic and sauté for a minute more. Add the dandelion greens and sauté until wilted and then add a squirt of lemon juice.

We use this base recipe in quiche, tacos, or simply rolled up in a large kale, chard of lettuce leaf. Delicious!

Dandelion Coffee

Collect dandelion roots after they have gone to seed or before they flower. Wash well, and cut into small pieces. At this point you can dry them well and store them for later roasting or you can roast them in a cast iron until they turn brown and have a pleasant odor. Once roasted I place a couple of tablespoon of roasted root in 8 oz of water, boil for seven minutes, add cream and enjoy.


Dandelion or Red Clover Fritters

One cup flour
One cup milk
One T baking powder
One cup corn meal
4 eggs
Dash of sea salt

Sweet:
One T honey (or to taste)
Cinnamon, cloves, cardamom nutmeg to taste OR

Savory:
Thyme, rosemary, oregano or other savory herbs to taste

Mix the dry ingredients together and then add eggs and mix well. Add sweet or savory ingredients. Dip the flower blossoms into the mix and fry in hot oil until golden.


Wild Greens Casserole
(Recipe courtesy of Karen Sherwood)
2 cups cooked stinging nettles, amaranth greens, lamb’s quarter’s greens, mustard greens, or yellow dock greens
1/4 cup butter melted
4 eggs beaten
1 cup milk
2 garlic cloves minced
2 T Tamari or soy sauce
3 Cups cooked rice or quinoa
8 Leeks
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 t thyme and rosemary

Combine the above ingredients into a baking dish. Bake 40 minutes at 350 degrees


Marinated Burdock Root
(Recipe courtesy of Eaglesong at Ravencroft Gardens)
6—8 first year burdock roots
2 cups of water
2cups of tamari or soy sauce
2 cups balsamic vinegar
4 cloves of garlic sliced
One piece of ginger

Wash and thinly slice burdock root, slice garlic and cut ginger into matchstick size pieces. Add to medium skillet with water. Sauté until burdock is just tender. Add tamari and vinegar and reheat. Pack into sterile canning jars to seal or store in refrigerator.

Dock Seed Crackers

Mix together :
One cup of dock seed flour
One teaspoon of salt
One cup flour of your choice. (My favorites are whole-wheat pastry flour and rye flour.)

Mix in enough water to make a pliable, but not sticky dough.
On a well-floured surface, roll dough as thin as possible. Cut into desired shapes or transfer it whole to a well-oiled cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 -12 minutes at 375 or until crisp. I love these hearty crackers with Brie or goat cheese.


Herbal Vinegar
To make an herbal vinegar I fill a quart jar with lightly packed herbs, then fill it with organic apple cider vinegar and cap with a plastic lid or a plastic lined metal lid. I label it, let it sit for six weeks—shaking daily.

After six weeks I strain off the material and use this vinegar in our homemade dressing.
Favorite plants to make vinegar from:
Nettle leaves Chickweed Leaves Lamb’s Quarters
Dandelion Roots Dandelion Leaves Burdock Roots
Hawthorn Berries Yellow Dock Root Cleavers


Nettle Ale
(Recipe courtesy of Karen Sherwood)
49 Stinging Nettle stalks with leaves
1 1/4 gallons of water
1 1/2 pounds of sugar
1 oz. cream of tartar
1/4 oz of yeast

Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Add nettles an steep 15 minutes. Strain the mnettle reserving the infusion. Add the sugar and cream of tartar stirring until dissolved. When the mixture is tepid add the yeast and stir well. Cover the container with cheesecloth and allow to sit for 4 days. Remove the residue on the top and decant without disturbing the sediment on the bottom. Bottle.

Tasty bread spread

One of our current students at the Institute of Structural Medicine (where I live and work) has dedicated his life to helping those with chronic disease. Dr. Paul Chhabra immigrated to the US over ten years ago and has spent more than twenty years in various fields of integrated health. He is an ayurvedic practioner, a physical therapist, and naturopathic physician, master herbalist, an author and more.

He has a very fascinating approach to chronic disease and he addresses nutrition, the lymph system and the fascial system. You can read more about him here as well as buy his latest book.

He is also an incredible chef. Give him twenty minutes in the kitchen and he will whip up healthy vibrant cuisines from all over the world. He left us with some bread seasoning last time he was here and we just can't get enough of it.

The following recipe is from his book, which is full of nourishing recipes.

Olive oil toast

1 1/2 teaspoons of ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons of dried parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons of toasted sesame seeds
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (optional)
1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder (optional)
1/4 teaspoon olive oil
Sea salt to taste (optional)

As I said we're using the seasonings he left behind, so I am not sure what optional ingredients he may or may not have used, but let me tell you it's delicious.

We take a heaping tablespoon of seasonings and mix with with about two tablespoons of olive oil and stir to make a paste. We then spread it onto some sprouted bread and toast it.

Green Eggs and Ham

We often eat eggs for breakfast as we are not really into grains or sugars. Lately we've been adding a special ingredient to our eggs that have revolutionized our breakfast. Dandelion pesto!

In the spring and fall I make as much dandelion pesto as I can get my hands on. We eat lots and freeze the rest. High in minerals like potassium, calcium, iron and phosphorous, and high in vitamins like A, B, C, and D this is a wonderful spring tonic. Dandelion, (or pissenlit - the French word for dandelion meaning piss in bed) is a strong diuretic, but it won't rid your body of potassium like caffeine often will. When we are not adding it to eggs we often eat it as a dip with carrots or bell peppers, or spread it liberally on our meats and salmon.

To make dandelion pesto, gather or buy young leaves from your local health food store. I use a bunch, which is about the size of a silver dollar when holding them by the bottom stems. I place a little olive oil in the blender, add a few leaves, blend, add a little more leaves then oil until it's a good consistency. I then add crushed garlic and salt and blend. At this point I want it to be a little on the oily side. I take it out from the blender and add grated parmesan or romano. I think this is a pretty standard way of making pesto, just substituting the dandelion.

When the chickweed is up, we'll make pesto out of that as well.

Corned Beef and Roots

Last night my husband and I had one of my favorite childhood meals. Corned beef. Every year my dad would make this on St. Patrick's Day, it was a special treat. When I was an adult I realized I didn't have to wait until March 17th! I could eat it all the time. What a relief. Now, I make sure to buy beef that has been raised in a good way, and does not have added hormones or anti-biotics. Also, the veggie portion has changed a little since I was young. Now I add lots of burdock (dried or fresh) along with some dandelion root. It still has that same flavor I've always loved, but now it's just a little wilder.

Another thing I love about this meal is it's simplicity. In the morning I put the corned beef in the crock pot with all the veggies and roots. Besides burdock and dandelion root I like to put in carrots and parsnips. I cover that with water, and then turn it on high (If I want it for lunch) or low if I want it for dinner. If we have cabbage then ten minutes before serving I like to cook the cabbage in the juices of the corned beef and veggies. Any left over broth I save for stews.

As I took the picture of our meal last night I thought, well that's sure a wintry dish. And yes we are still eating roots from last fall. Hopefully soon the new growth will be on it's way and we'll be switching over to chickweed, lambquarter's, and nettle.