HARVESTING NETTLE

There is a small window of opportunity to harvest tender nettle leaves.  I was hesitant to harvest them too soon when the stalks were very short.  It seems I just narrowly escaped the point at which the plants start to produce seeds. It seems kind of odd to already be thinking ahead to next winter, but that is just what I had to do if I want to enjoy nettle tea when the snow flies. With gloves and scissors in hand, my son and I headed for the garden. Despite exercising extreme caution, we still felt the wrath of the nettle patch. I suffer gladly in exchange for a stockpile of this tea.  Nettle is energizing because it is packed full of protein, vitamins and minerals - there is no other plant that is denser in nutrition, not even blue-green algae. 

NETTLE INFUSION

30 g dried organic nettle leaves

1 litre water

Method: Boil the water.  Put the dried herb into a large Mason jar and fill to the top with the boiling water. Lid tightly and set aside to steep for at least four hours, or overnight.  To use, strain and enjoy or refrigerate for later. Drink 1-2 litres a week for vibrant health and well being.

FORAGED FEAST

     I've felt quite like a bee these days, frolicking in the fields, zig zagging my way round the farm from flower to flower.  It's summer, and the hot sunny days have been the perfect time to collect the wildflowers and herbs that grow on our land.  Once back into the house (which is a cool shady respite from the blazing sun), the herbs are then hung to dry or steeped in vodka, olive oil or apple cider vinegar for various herbal preparations.  The dehydrator has also been getting a workout drying the lovely red clover blossoms that grow in abundance this time of year.  It is such a joy to see my house transformed into an herbal production site - bunches of herbs dangling from the ceiling, sunny window sills and dark cupboards lined with jars of steeping herbs.  There is nothing more rewarding than going outside with an empty basket, and coming back with so many wild herbs.  Mother nature is so great, and provides so much.  There are so many wild plants growing here - and so many more that I can't wait to learn to identify.  

     One plant that I learned about recently is Lamb's Quarters - otherwise known as Wild Spinach.  This plant grows so abundantly in gardens, that most people recognize it as the weed they are always getting rid of.  After having our field plowed this Spring and then planted with Red Clover as a green manure, I was delighted to discover Lamb's Quarters growing, well, like weeds, all over the field.  They especially grow well in the huge pile of composted manure we have up in the corner of the field.  I have been harvesting baskets and baskets of this nutritious plant all week in an effort to stock our freezer full of it for the coming winter.  

     When my husband arrived home last night with a huge container of feta cheese which my mother bought for us, I was inspired to make a pan of Spanakopita with the wild greens.  Lamb's Quarters are a far superior green for this dish for a number of reasons: they taste better, have less water and so yield much more once steamed, and they are free.  What more can you ask for?

     A while back my mother shared her recipe for Greek Spanakotiropita which is the one I always use, only this time I substituted wild Lamb's Quarters for the chard and spinach.  Once you try homemade filo dough, you will never want to use the store bought stuff again.

KEEPING THE CROP

 

 Garden harvesting is in full swing, and each day finds me out in the garden and then into the kitchen to preserve the bounty.  To make things a little extra challenging this year, I must find ways to preserve the harvest that do not rely on freezer space.  We are moving in a few weeks and will be downsizing to one refrigerator.  In other words, we are going from a house with a deep freeze and two upright refrigerators/freezer units down to just one!  Day by day I am using up whatever we've had stored in these freezers, but I am starting to wonder how I am going to work with less freezer storage.  

     Our garden produces so much kale each summer that I usually blanch and then freeze it in Mason jars.  I did some of that this year, but I am also trying out a couple of new techniques.  The first idea I got from my sister who really loves kale.  I was over at her house one day and noticed she was juicing a lot of kale and then pouring the juice into an ice cube tray and freezing it so that she could use cubes of kale juice in her smoothies in the winter.  It's a great way to use up lots of kale and very little freezer space, which is perfect for me.

     I've also been giving my dehydrator a work out drying kale.  This way I can powder it and add it to whatever I like in the winter - popcorn, soups, smoothies, baby food - really the possibilities are endless.     

     I am also back into the lacto-fermentation groove.  The beets from the garden are now delicious lacto-fermented Pickled Beets.  The cabbages that barely survived a full out attack from some sort of caterpillar army managed to produce a nice large jar of Cortido once I cut off all the nasty bits and removed the critters still living in and on them.  The onions and fatty carrots Scott planted also made their way into the cortido, which was really exciting because pickling is so much more gratifying when you use vegetables from your very own garden.

     It was also high time I dug up the rest of the potatoes and figure out what to do with them until we are ready to eat them.  I had no idea you need to be very careful when you harvest potatoes.  Any little blemish or scratch on the surface of the potato could cause it to spoil and ruin the bunch when they are in cold storage.  Next year I will be extra careful not to stab them with the pitch fork when I dig them up, nor will I carelessly toss them into the basket.

     I had big plans to spend the afternoon packing, but when I got home from the market all I wanted to do was pickle and make immune boosting herbal remedies for the winter.  No one was home, so I went with it.  Besides, something had to be done with all the cucumbers growing in the garden.  Last week I made a batch of my favorite Cucumber Relish, and really wanted to use the rest to make my ultimate sweet sliced dill pickles that taste amazing on sandwiches.  

SWEET SLICED DILL PICKLES

Makes about 5-500ml jars

4 lb organic pickling cucumbers

6 medium sized organic onions

3 cups local honey

4 cups organic apple cider vinegar

1 cup water

1/2 cup sea salt

5 cloves organic garlic

5 heads fresh organic dill

Method:  Slice cucumbers into 1/4" slices, and the onion into thin onion rings.  Set aside.  Combine honey, vinegar, water and salt in a large stainless steel saucepan, bring to a boil.  Add the onion and cucumbers to the liquid and return the mixture to a full boil.  

     Place 1 clove of garlic and 1 head of dill  in a hot jar.  Pack cucumber and onion slices to within 3/4" of top rim.  Add pickling liquid to cover cucumbers to within 1/2" of top rim.  Remove air bubbles, readjust head space and wipe jar rim.  Screw on lidd and place jar in canner.  Repeat.  Return water to boil and process for 10 minutes.

     My oldest son is starting Kindergarten this year, and so I've been getting him prepared for school - getting him a knapsack and clothes, organizing his lunch kit.  I am now starting to think about winter colds and him being exposed to so many children on a daily basis.  The whole family has started taking fermented cod liver oil to bump up our vitamin A & D, not to mention all that essential fatty acid goodness.  While at the health food store I was about to pick up a bottle of elderberry syrup when I suddenly remembered this post by a friend of mine over at Sparrow Tree who shared a simple homemade version.  Now I must admit to having fantasies of finding a spot nearby where wild elderberries grow so I could wildcraft and then make healing syrups, but I have yet to locate this special place.  So, until then I will use dried berries from the store.  This stuff is so delicious, I am pretty sure I won't have any trouble getting my son to take a spoonful of it every day to keep him healthy.  I think I am almost ready to send my little boy off into the world.  Sigh.

WILDCRAFTING: St. John's Wort

This morning found me loading the kids into the car and heading down the beach road near our house to where I've discovered St. John's Wort growing in profusion.

 Rolled down the windows and left the kids in the car, set up the tripod and voila, a mini vlog on how to harvest St. John's Wort flowers.

     St. John's Wort is the go to herb when you need to brighten your day - it is a popular herb for depression and anxiety.  But lately I am really into creating an elite first aid kit, chock full of herbal remedies, band-aids, and tweezers.  So, in about a month when my oil is done infusing, we will be blessed with a powerful remedy for bruises, sprains, burns, and injuries of all kinds.  My jar of oil is incubating on the sunniest windowsill in our house as I eagerly wait for it's medicinal loveliness to magically transform into a ruby hued wonder.

LITTLE STAR LADY

Welcoming spring with open mouths.

The earth is alive, and we have been grateful recipients of her bounty this week.  First it was the dandelions, then the asparagus we've waited three years to feast upon, and today, we relished the freshness of the little star lady, Chickweed.  Stellaria media can easily be overlooked as an unwanted common garden weed.  I myself am guilty of having haphazardly ripped her from the earth in an attempt to clear my garden of unwanted visitors.  

But that was before I realized who this lovely lady was, and there is no going back now.  Oh no, Stellaria media is a definite keeper.  Not only does chickweed taste so fresh and delicious in a salad, it is one of the supreme healers of the herbal queendom.

     Stellaria media is best identified by many small, starry white flowers with five petals than appear to be ten petals.  It grows in low, dense, vibrant-green mats.  Chickweed likes to grow in cultivated/disturbed soil in open but cool environments.  The only spot is grows on my land is in my garden because it's presence indicates fertile, mineral rich soil, and around here that only exists where we've imported or created it (unfortunately).  

Luckily my generous neighbour spotted a bounty of chickweed growing in her garden and invited me over for a little harvesting.

 In the kitchen I clean and prepare chickweed much the same way I do dandelion (check out the deets on my Dandelion Harvest post).  The simplest way to serve dandelion is mixed in with your salad greens and dressed with a simple vinaigrette.  If you want to get a little fancy, use equal parts basil and chickweed in your next pesto, or add a handful to your sandwiches in place of lettuce.  Don't forget, keep your eyes peeled for chickweed when you get out there to weed your garden, and for God's sake, don't throw it out!

DIGGIN IT SUNDAYS 10/23/11

I am so in love with herbs.  This past week the herbal "bug" has hit me again and all I want to do is putter in the kitchen and make potions and concoctions.  Last weekend found me wandering through the yard, observing the dying of the plant world all around me, when I realized some of my herbs were still hanging in there.  

Even though they were not in their prime harvesting state I brought them in and hung them to dry.  Little bundles of rosemary, marjoram, thyme and tarragon hung from every corner of the kitchen for a few days and were then removed from their stems by little helping hands (Faegan's) and mommas one afternoon.  

Once dried there wasn't very much, but we now have four little jars of homegrown herbs to use in winter cooking.

     My father adores my herbal healing ointment and has been running low on it for some time.  I finally got around to making a batch to bring him when I visit my parents in Ontario in a few weeks.  I haven't made a batch of this stuff since I sold my natural skin care company 3 years ago!  Good thing it lasts a long time when stored in the refrigerator.

     While I was in the herbal mood, I decided to make Scott some manly man herbals.  The best way to get a guy to ingest herbs is to make them into chocolate.  Rosemary Gladstar has a a great recipe for Energy Balls that contain ginseng, pumpkin seeds, gotu kola and spirulina that is perfect for keeping my man in tip top shape.  Bonus!  he even like them.

ENERGY BALLS

by Rosemary Gladstar

3 parts organic pumpkin seeds, powdered

2 parts organic Siberian ginseng powder

1 part organic ginkgo or gotu kola powder

1 part organic ginseng powder

1/2 part organic spirulina powder

1 cup organic tahini

1/2 cup local honey

1/2 cup organic crushed almonds

organic coconut, cocoa powder, raisins, chocolate chips, goji berries, bee pollen

Method:  Combine the powdered herbs and spirulina, mix well.  Combine the sesame butter and honey together, to form a paste.  Add enough of the powdered herbs to thicken the paste, then add the almonds and any other additions you like.  Roll into walnut sized balls.  Eat two daily.

     The jar of red clover blossoms I harvested last spring came in handy last night when I blended a Women's Liver Tonic Tea for myself to have on hand at tea time.  I am loving getting back into making actual infusions instead of just quick teas, which boosts the healing power of the plants.  

LIVER TONIC FORMULA #2

by Rosemary Gladstar

3 parts organic nettle leaf

2 parts organic dandelion leaf

2 parts organic lemon balm

2 parts organic red clover blossoms

1 part organic alfalfa leaf

Method:  Combine all herbs together and store in a jar.  Prepare as an infusion by boiling 1 cup of water per tablespoon of herbs.  Pour water over the herbs and let steep for 30-60 minutes.

     All this herbal activity has inspired me to get out there and pick some wild rose hips, and to plan a more elaborate and productive herb garden for next year.  Green Blessings everyone!

SUMMER DAYS

After a very wet spring, I've been savouring each and every day of sunshine that has come our way.  The apple trees have blossomed, and now we watch and wait for the apples to grow.  The vegetable garden is full of greens in various stages of growth.  Scott has staggered the planting of salad greens and it is a delight to harvest fresh leaves each afternoon for our supper.  I pick from the larger plants, and watch the younger plants grow bigger each day.  As always, the arugula grew quickly and in abundance, and is now going to seed.  No wonder it's other name is rocket, that stuff shoots out of the ground and reproduces in a very short time.  

     Thank goodness our garlic plants have sprouted their scapes, because locally grown garlic is very hard to come by these days, and I can't live without garlic in my food.  They tasted very delicious in the garlic butter I drizzled on baby new potatoes at supper tonight. 

     As I was gathering fresh oregano for our chicken marinade, I harvested an extra bouquet of it for drying.  I can't believe how tall the oregano plants are this year!  To my surprise, I also discovered that my chamomile plants from last year must have self seeded, because my herb garden is full of lovely chamomile blossoms.  I am harvesting some of those for drying as well.  The bunches of herbs look so charming hanging in the most unexpected places in our kitchen.

I kept thinking I would wait until we had some guests over to use the nasturtium blossoms in a salad, but then I realized tonight was as a good at time as any.  They are in radiant full bloom in the garden.  The bees and butterflies are in abundance right now as well, dancing amongst the flowers.  The herb garden is so beautiful, a symphony of healing goodness.  I can't wait to get in there and do some serious weeding.  I'm not sure why, but the clover really seems to like the soil in the herb garden and are becoming a bit of an herbal threat. 

 

     I've also been having a lot of fun making frozen summertime treats for Faegan (oh let's be honest, I eat just as many of them as he does!)  I came across a really delicious recipe for Banana Cream Pops in a cookbook I took out of the library called Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It by Karen Solomon.  I adapted it a bit to omit the refined sugar and cumin!, (which I replaced with coconut sugar and cardamom) and we've been eating them non-stop all week.  I had to make an emergency trip to the supermarket to pick up some more bananas for another batch.  I am currently using some Baby Cubes with wooden popsicle sticks for molds, but certainly intend to invest in some stainless steel popsicle molds in the very near future.  I am also experimenting with Fudgsicles, which I have yet to perfect, but am enjoying nonetheless.  I will wait until they are awesome to share the results with you.  I hear that freezing pudding makes tasty treats, so I am going to try that next....

BANANA CREAM POPS

4 very ripe organic bananas

1 cup organic plain yogurt ( I was so excited to use our very own raw organic goat milk yogurt!)

1/2 tsp organic ground cardamom

1 tsp organic ground cinnamon

1 tsp pure organic vanilla extract

1/4 cup local honey

1/2 cup organic coconut sugar

pinch of sea salt

Method:  Combine all ingredients in a blender then pour into molds.  Freeze for at least 6 hours before serving.

LIFE ON THE LAND

Spring is such an exciting time of year.  Each day brings new delightful discoveries on the land.  I am especially enjoying witnessing the asparagus  I planted last year find their way out again.  Although they are not ready to eat this year, already they are looking like the real thing!  I was also pleasantly surprised to locate fiddleheads unfurling all around our land, poking their heads out of the moss.  The garden is being planted, a little more each week, and I can't wait until the seeds we sowed start to sprout.  I love going out each day and checking in on all the gardens to see what's happening!  Life is good.

Some dandelion leaves I picked from our yard.  I made a lovely Dandelion Vinegar with some of the leaves.  The rest we ate in fresh salads or boiled and then drizzled with lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt and pepper.

Our new little chicks in the tanning room.

The new turkeys are catching some rays too.

Lovely fiddleheads abound.

Garlic is one of my favorite things to grow.

Scott's very organized garden markers.

Our new homemade cold frame.

The rhubarb appears to have survived the winter.

As did the strawberry plants.

My delicate currant bush.

Bergamot.

One of my favorite herbs for tea in the summer - Lemon Balm.

Tarragon.

Prolific oregano.

Healing comfrey.

Cute little parsley.

And my lavender came back!

Sweet blessings from the earth.  Happy Spring!