Staying Cool with Chamomile Popsicles: An Excerpt

Are you looking for a way to help your friends and family enjoy herbs? Who doesn’t love popsicles? Cool and refreshing, popsicles scream of hot summer days and the deliciousness of cooling down.

I came up with this recipe with kids in mind but I’ll bet a lot of us older kids will appreciate them as well.

Of course you can easily buy popsicles at the store. However, many of the popsicles commonly found in the grocery stores are simply artificially colored high fructose corn syrup.

High fructose corn syrup is often used as a sweetener in soda pops, candy, processed foods, ketchup, salad dressing, etc. It is being blamed in part for the obesity epidemic now facing many adults as well as a growing number of children. In our household we avoid high fructose corn syrup completely.


This popsicle recipe uses two herbs that taste great as well as offer many health benefits.

Chamomile growing in Geneva

Chamomile is truly an amazing herb. It can soothe a distressed child (or adult!), it calms tummy troubles, and provides support during colds and flus. This all-purpose herb is safe for children and kids usually love its sweet and mild taste.

Hibiscus growing in Yucatan, Mexico

Hibiscus flower is high in vitamin C and has a great tart taste. It also has the added benefit of turning tea red or pink!

These popsicles are a tasty treat for a hot summer day but are also a great remedy for children.

They can replace electrolytes, helping to rehydrate kids (or adults) who have been in the sun too long.

They can be used after a child is recovering from any kind of stomach illness such as diarrhea, upset tummy, or even vomiting. The chamomile can soothe the entire digestive tract and, again, it can help rehydrate by balancing electrolytes.

The prospect of popsicles is very exciting and you may find that you have some eager helpers in the kitchen. When I made the popsicles for this newsletter my little friend Pearl lent me a hand. You’ll see her in the photos below.

My friend Pearl harvesting chamomile

What you’ll need for this recipe:
Two tablespoons of dried Chamomile
One tablespoon of dried Hibiscus
1 and 1/4 cup boiling water
1 cup of greek yogurt
Honey to taste
Pinch of salt
Tablespoon of lemon juice
Popsicle molds (You can use paper cups and popsicle sticks)

Begin by making a tea out of the chamomile and hibiscus. Put the herbs in a cup, pour the water over the herbs, and let steep for 5 minutes. (Sometimes waiting is the hardest part!)

Strain into a small bowl


While the mixture is still hot, add honey to taste. Stir well so the honey combines with the tea. You will be mixing this with the plain yogurt so you may want to make it more on the sweet side.


Add a pinch of salt.

Add the lemon juice.

Let the mixture cool a little.

Add the yogurt and mix well.

Pour into the popsicle molds.


Place these in the freezer until frozen solid. This will take several hours.

My friend Pearl loving making these and especially eating them!

This recipe is just one example of how to make herbal popsicles. There are many different herbs you could use as well. There are also a variety of different ingredients you could use. For example, you could try adding a mashed banana or rose hips. If your family has dairy allergies you can easily substitute coconut milk for the yogurt.

Let your creativity guide you as you find new ways for your friends and family to enjoy the many benefits of herbs.

If you enjoyed this recipe you'll also enjoy HerbFairies. 

This complete herbal learning system for kids is available until April 19th. 

Click the image below to download a free cookbook for kids. 

Dandelion Wine Video

Here's parts 1 and 2 of making dandelion wine. This batch was the best batch of dandelion wine I've ever made. If you've got dandelions popping up in your yard, you might give this wine a try! We like to drink a glass of dandelion wine on winter solstice to celebrate the returning sun.

Blog Party! Summer Weeds

Yay to Darcey for getting the blog parties rolling again. You can see the whole listing at her wonderful blog:
http://desertmedicinewoman.blogspot.com/

Yellow Dock (Rumex crispus)

I love to love yellow dock.

This pesky weed that is despised by so many offers us so many uses whether it be nutritious food, potent medicine, or even beauty in the way of a brilliant yellow dye or a unique flower arrangement.

Leaves as food and Medicine:
Yellow dock grows all over the United States. It is in the buckwheat, or Polygonaceae family along with rhubarb and sheep’s sorrel. Where I live in the Northeastern Cascades of Washington State, yellow dock leaves are some of the first to appear in the spring. I’ve even seen them growing right out of the shallow snow in the late winter/early spring.

The young leaves are a wonderful spring green. You can eat small amounts raw in salads, or cook them in soups or quiche. Because the leaves contain oxalic acids it’s best not to overeat them raw, and avoid them completely if you have a history of oxalate kidney stones. The leaves are slightly sour when young, becoming increasingly so as they get older.

The cooling and astringent leaves can be used topically to reduce swelling from irritations. I’ve used them on cold sores with varying results as well as stinging nettle rashes with better results.

Yellow Dock Frittata:
This breakfast can be made with any wild greens, but yellow dock gives it a nice lemony taste.

1 cup yellow dock leaves, steamed and well drained
6 eggs
2 Tbsp. Raw cream
salt and pepper to taste
1 medium potato
½ minced onion or leek
2 tbsp. butter
1 cup grated goat cheese
1 tsp. dried basil
1 T mustard

Peel and finely chop the potato. Sauté onion in butter until tender in a cast iron skillet. Add the potato and sauté for about 5 minutes. Whisk eggs, cream, basil, cheese, mustard, salt and pepper together in a bowl. Add the yellow dock greens.

Preheat the broiler in your over.
Add the egg mixture on top of the potatoes and onions. Cook on low heat on the stove top for about 10 minutes until the bottom of frittata is set, but top is still runny.

Put skillet under the broiler for about five minutes or until the top portion is nicely browned.


Seeds as food and decoration:
During the spring and summer, long green flower stalks spring up from among the leaves. By June they are fully formed and by July or August they are abundant rust colored seeds. These are easily recognized in fields and growing alongside the roads. They seem to beckon me each year to harvest the bounty.

To harvest the seeds I cut down the seed stalks and place them in a paper bag. I then keep this bag on its side and leave it outside overnight. You’d be amazed at all the creatures that make their home in the yellow docks seeds. I encourage them to leave peaceably in this way.

The next day I pick through the seeds removing any debris and old leaves. These seeds can then be ground with a mortar and pestle or in food processor.

Why go to all this trouble you ask? Why dock seed crackers of course. My mentor Karen Sherwood taught me this recipe and years later it’s still a favorite in our house.

Dock Seed Crackers:
Ingredients:
one cup of dock seed flour
one teaspoon of salt
and one cup flour of your choice. (My favorites are whole-wheat pastry flour and rye flour.)

1. Mix in enough water to make pliable, but not sticky dough.
2. 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.
3. Bake for 10 -12 minutes at 350 or until crisp.
4. I love these hearty crackers with goat cheese.

The flower stalks also make a fabulous addition to flower arrangements. You can use them when they are green, or later when they are fully mature. I’ve seen them placed with other flowers or even as decoration on their own.

Roots as medicine, dye and fairy tables:
The root is the most commonly used portion of yellow dock. I harvest the roots in the late summer and early fall. They like to grow in hard rocky soil. (Or maybe we just have an abundance of hard rocky soil and it happens to grow there.) In either case I have found that a digging stick is oftentimes more helpful than a shovel in getting the roots up.

The root is a long taproot that has a brown outer covering. Underneath this brown sheath is a brilliant yellow that will knock your socks off. It’s no surprised that this was traditionally used as a dye. When you slice the root you will find growth rings similar to a tree. By counting the rings you’ll discover how old the plant is.

These brilliant yellow slices with beautiful rings rippling out make fabulous fairy furniture. You can create your own designs with a young friend. Although the color will fade as they dry, these slices can also be used as temporarily colorful earrings and necklaces.

Yellow dock root is bitter, astringent and cooling making it a great choice for clearing liver heat with signs of slow digestion that can include a lump or heavy feeling in the abdominals along with constipation. Generally described as an alterative, yellow dock (as are most alteratives) is indicated for clearing damp heat conditions.

Yellow dock root contains small amounts of anthraquinone glycosides, that are believed to stimulate the bowels as a laxative. Also being a bitter herb it helps to stimulate various digestive juices which in turn stimulates the peristaltic action of the bowels. Whether yellow dock acts directly on the bowels, or supports healthy digestion through its bitter properties, the result is a gentle effect to clear food stagnation and get those bowels moving.

It is also appropriate for damp heat signs in the blood that surface on the skin such as oozy, wet, red (hot), irritated rashes. I’ve read several accounts of it being used topically as a wash for ringworm.

It is commonly thought that yellow dock contains high amounts of iron and is frequently used for anemia especially anemia associated with pregnancy. There is a growing consensus however, that yellow dock does not actually contain large amounts of iron, but rather it helps the body to better utilize iron. When we view yellow dock in this fashion it makes sense to combine it with nettle leaf or to make a concoction of the root with an equal part of black strap molasses added.

Rich in minerals yellow dock infuses well in apple cider vinegar. This can be used as a base for salad dressings, or simply taken before meals to aid digestion. Additionally it can be taken to relieve food stagnation and constipation following a meal.

Besides vinegar and water, yellow dock root can also be extracted in alcohol. This year I hope to infuse the root in honey.

Although I have no experience with this myself, it’s worth noting that historically yellow dock salve was used externally on tumors.

Last fall I made a video about harvesting yellow dock root and then infusing it in vinegar. You can watch this at www.herbmentor.com.

I love to love yellow dock. It is abundant, easy to harvest, and has such a rich history of use for practically every portion of the plant.

Elderberry Capers

Elderberries are coming into season here in the Methow, but you can still find an abundance of unripe elderberries for this fabulous recipe. I first made this with my mentor, Karen Sherwood of Earthwalk Northwest.

This following recipe straight from Billy Joe Tatum's Wild Foods Cookbook, but I omit the sugar when making it for our family.

We enjoy these elderberries as we would regular capers - on fish, salads, and tuna fish sandwiches.



Elderberry capers:

2 cups unripe elderberries stems removed
¼ cup salt
1 cup water
¼ cup sugar
1 cup cider vinegar

1. Wash the green elderberries, drain well, and place in a sterile crock or jar.
2. Dissolve salt in water and pour over berries. Cover with a cloth and let stand for 2 days.
3. Drain elderberries or buds and pour into sterile half pint canning jars.
4. Boil sugar and vinegar together for 2 or 3 minute s and pour into jars (jars should fill to top) and seal at once.

Pickled Bullwhip Kelp

Pickled kelp is one of my favorite treats. I learned about harvesting and processing kelp, Nereocystis luetkeana, from my mentor Karen Sherwood of Earthwalk Northwest. Her 5 day Coastal Foraging class is absolutely spectacular and this is just one of the many culinary delights students learn and prepare in class.

For our first wedding anniversary we planned a trip to Canada to see a friend as well as the famous anthropology museum in Vancouver, BC. From there we headed to Lopez Island off the coast of WA state for several days. Originally I had planned on harvesting some kelp fronds for drying and some bullwhip kelp stipes for pickling. One night before falling asleep I had a great idea. Let's can 50 jars of kelp! And thus our anniversary vacation turned into a working vacation. :)


Kelp is very mineral and vitamin rich. I think of eating even a small portion of kelp each day as a better alternative to taking a multi-vitamin. Kelp is especially important for those of us with a low thyroid function as the high iodine amounts help to nourish the thyroid. Often called the world's most perfect food herbalists from Susun Weed to Ryan Drum tout it's far reaching health benefits. We eat dried kelp daily in our gomasio, or in seaweed cookies another favorite treat. I also throw kelp into almost all the stews we make, and I put a small clipping in with dried beans while they are soaking.

The picture to the right is various seaweeds drying in the sun.

To harvest kelp in good amounts you want to go at a low tide. We celebrate our wedding anniversary on the full moon in June and since full moons also present the lowest tides it worked out great. Following the tide schedule we kayaked around a couple of bays looking for healthy stands of kelp. I have only harvested kelp about five times, but in my experience it likes to grow next to rocky outcroppings and sure enough we found a very healthy stand on the side of a bay. All in all we harvested about 60 stipes and fronds, but the stand was so large it didn't make a dent in the overall numbers.

For those of you unfamiliar with kelp, it grows in large stands with a long hollow tube attaching it to the bottom of the ocean floor. This tube floats on the surface with the kelp leaves or fronds trailing alongside it. If you have visited the ocean as a child you probably remember picking up those long hollow tubes and whipping them around as if you were a old time western bandit.

If you are only interested in harvesting fronds it's very easy to do so in a manner that illicits very minimal impact. Where the hollow tube (stipe) ends, you can see little attachments and then the fronds come out from there. By using scissors to cut the fronds a couple inches from the attachments you can be assured that the kelp will continue to grow.

To harvest the stipes is akin to harvesting the roots of a plant so great care needs to be taken to ensure you are harvesting from a strong stand. To harvest them my husband paddled around while I gathered healthy looking kelp into the kayak. I would heft the long heavy fronds into a bag, and then pull up the stipes. I quickly found a good balance in pulling hard enough to disengage the attachments, but not so hard that we capsized. I prefer harvesting the medium sized plants the best. I leave the young to continue growing and the older plants are very hard to pull up.

Once we have harvested what we need, we also fill up a bucket of salt water for rinsing the kelp later.

Back at camp we hung the incredible amount of fronds we had on a fence. Seaweed is one of the few herbs you actually want to dry in the sun. It's incredibly mucilaginous. If you don't mind being slimy placing the fresh fronds directly on the skin does wonders for sunburns. Cooling and moistening and draws out the heat - much in the same way fresh aloe does.

I wouldn't necessarily recommend pickling a large amount of jars of kelp while camping to anyone else. It was a lot of work, although I have to say, my husband and I had a lot of fun while doing it as well. Spending all that time outside, working side by side may not be the luxurious way to spend an anniversary, but it was meaningful and rewarding.

Here's a modified recipe I learned from Karen. Basically any basic pickling brine will do.

Pickled Kelp Recipe:
Kelp stipes
Cayenne Peppers
Garlic
Fresh Dill
Pickling spices
2 quarts of apple cider vinegar
3 quarts of water
1/4 cup of pickling salt
1/4 alum or grape leaves

To begin, if necessary rinse the kelp stipes off with seawater (not fresh!). Cut them into tubes that will fit into sanitized wide mouth quart or pint mason jars. OR you can slice the rounds into 1/4 thickness. They look very pretty using the latter method, but you get more in the jar with the former. We cut them into tubes filling the larger tubes with smaller ones - really trying to pack as much as we could in there.

Along with the kelp place one clove of garlic, one cayenne pepper, and one sprig of dill in the mason jar.

In a large pot warm the vinegar, water, pickling salt, pickling spices and alum or grape leaves. Bring to a boil and pour the boiling brine over the kelp. Wipe off the rim and the sanitized lid, and screw on the cap.

I like to eat a slice of kelp every day. We also like to serve it as an appetizer - filled with cream cheese and a sprinkle of paprika for flare.

You can use pickled kelp in the same ways you would use a pickle. On sandwiches, in tuna fish, or for making your own tartar sauce. If you are able to get to the coast I would heartily recommend making friends with this incredibly nutritious ally.

Thank you to Bob for the photos!

Kelp can be made into all sorts of delicious treats.

Here's a recipe for seaweed cookies. 

And don't miss this special seasoning blend, Sea Zest! 

Seaweed Cookies (Nereocystis luetkeana)

This page has moved.
Please go to http://www.herbalremediesadvice.org/seaweed-recipes-cookies.html
to see the seaweed cookies recipe.

Pickled Dandelion Buds

My friend Kimberly Gallagher mentioned she is trying to do one new thing with her favorite plants this year. That seemed like a great idea to me, and so in that spirit I tried pickled dandelion buds.

Recently I harvested whole dandelion plants from a local farm so that I could use the roots (for beverages) and the leaves for pesto. Once home I realized that although at first glance the plants were not in flower, hiding in the baselette of the dandelions were lots and lots of unopened buds... Hmmm, I thought, haven't I heard you could pickle these?

Luckily google came to my aid and I got this recipe from the folks at:
http://www.goodnaturedearthling.com/recipes.htm

I started by separating the flower buds from the stems. I just took the ones that were smaller and didn't have a lot of formed bracts. (Although some I just removed the bracts.) I ended up with a decent amount. When selecting your buds, you definitely want to make sure that the flower buds are close tight and have never been opened before.

I then chopped up some onion, garlic, and ginger and put all of that in a mason jar. I filled the mason jar about a 1/3 of the way with tamari and the rest of the way with apple cider vinegar. I'll wait a couple weeks before sampling.

Has anyone else used the unopened buds before? I've sampled them before while out foraging, but this is my first recipe. I am excited to see how it turns out.

Dandelion Fritters

Wow! this has been a busy week. I guess spring is here and there is lots and lots to do. I spent a lot of time with dandelion this week and did some new things that I'll be sharing. Our lawn just erupted with dandelion flowers - it's so beautiful I just have a hard time understanding why people want to eradicate this plant.

I've made dandelion wine a few times and swore to never to do it again because it is a lot of work! But once those beautiful flowers showed up I just couldn't help myself. I am waiting for my wine yeast to actually make the wine and when it shows up I'll post about how I make dandelion wine.

We had a couple extra flowers left over so last night I made up some fritters! Definitely wild food junk food - but delicious all the same.

When I gather the flowers I try to get the biggest ones that are completely open. I put all the flowers in a basket that has some holes, or a paper bag. After collecting I leave this out in the sun for about an hour (the paper bag I put on its side) to let out all the creatures that were enjoying their dandelions before I came along and plucked it.


To make the fritters, we first started by taking the bracts off the dandelion flowers. In the picture you can see the one on the left has bracts and the one on the right the bracts have been removed. I was taught to remove the bracts because of their bitter taste.






I then made up the batter. I got my original recipe from Karen Sherwood and just tweaked it a little to fit the ingredients I had on hand.

1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flower
1/3 cup corn meal
1 t baking powder
cinnamon to taste
dash of salt
1 T of butter
2 T of honey
1/3 Cup milk
1 egg
Coconut oil

Mix the dry ingredients together and then melt the butter on low heat along with the honey. Let this cool and add the egg and milk. Mix well and then add to dry ingredients. You want to end up with a consistency like pancake batter.

I then heat up a good amount of coconut oil in the skillet. I like coconut oil because it is great for high heat and one of the most nutritious oils available. Whatever oil you use just make sure it has a high smoking temperature. (Olive oil is a very poor choice.)






Once the oil is hot enough I dip the flowers in the batter and place them in the skillet. I turn them once one side is golden brown.

Once they are done cooking I place them on a plate lined with a paper towel.You could also make these more savory by omitting the honey and adding herbs like thyme and rosemary.

Bee Pollen (Candy)

Bee pollen is a powder-like material that is produced by the anthers of flowering plants and gathered by bees. It has been called the world’s only perfect food because it contains every nutrient the human body requires.

Contains:
8 - 40% Protein, Calcium, Carotene
B-Complex Vitamins, Copper, Sodium
Vitamin C, Iron, Plant Sterols
Amino Acids, Magnesium, Simple Sugar
Essential Fatty Acids, Potassium
Enzymes, Manganese

Like other bee products, bee pollen has anti-microbial properties as well as anti-biotic, anti-viral, antiseptic, and anti-fungal properties.

Useful for combating fatigue, depression, cancer, stimulating the reproductive system for males and females and eases digestive and colon disorders. It also helps people with allergies because it strengthens the immune system.

Choosing bee pollen:
Bee pollen should not form clumps and should be stored in a tightly sealed container and refrigerated. Like other bee products you should only choose locally produced bee pollen, this is especially important for anti-allergenic properties.

Heat destroys bee pollen’s vital enzyme activity and lowers the nutrient value so it is not recommended for teas or cooking. Instead try adding granules to yogurt or cereal, or mix with cinnamon and add to applesauce.

Bee Pollen Candy is one of our favorite household treats. I originally used a recipe from Healing Teas, by Antol, but have drastically changed it over the years.

Bee Pollen Candy:

½ Cup Bee Pollen
2 Tablespoons Cocoa
2 Tablespoons Water
3 Tablespoons Raw Honey
½ Cup Rolled Oats
1 Tablespoon Vanilla
½ Cup Crunchy Peanut Butter
½ Cup Tahini
Coconut for rolling
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cardamon

Dissolve the cocoa in the water and mix with bee pollen in a medium size bowl. Add the raw honey and mix well, and then add the peanut butter, tahini, Bee Pollen, Rolled Oats, Vanilla, nutmeg and cardamon and mix thoroughly.
Using your hand (works well to moisten your hand with water) or melon baller form into small balls, roll in the coconut and store in the refrigerator or freezer.

CAUTION !
An estimated .05% of the population is said to be allergic to bee pollen. So it is wise to start with just a few granules, wait for a reaction before increasing the dosage. In class I have taught people who have had the most reactions are those people who are also allergic to bees, although this is not always the case.

Works consulted:
Healing Teas, Marie Nadine Antol
Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers, Stephen Buhner