Perk Up Those Bland Winter Meals

Now that my garden is covered with snow, I miss my fresh garden herbs and their fragrance and flavor. Can you suggest any herbs that I can use this time of year to perk up my senses?

Rather than longing for the fresh, leafy, summertime herbs, think spices, those pungent, aromatic herbs from far away places. Arabs introduced them to the Romans and went so far as to make up fantastic stories of their origins to keep their sources hidden. Even after finally admitting that cinnamon came from a tree, they reported that the tree was on an island in the middle of a lake guarded by griffin vultures that would attack and eat anyone who came near.

Remember your history lessons on European explorers and the Spice Islands? The Spice Islands, or Moluccas, encompass most of the Indonesian islands, also called the East Indies. The Portugese opened up a sea trade route in 1498, creating new access to the spice trade; the previous route traveled through Africa and Constantinople to Venice. That city held the European monopoly on spices.

Wars were fought over the spices that grew only in the warm, humid air of the tropics. Spices were so valuable, they were kept under lock and key in the kitchen of those lucky or rich enough to acquire them. The Dutch, who colonized the East Indies, kept prices inflated for nearly 200 years by restricting the cultivation of some spices. It was not until some plants were smuggled out to the West Indies in the late 18th century that prices finally fell.

What is a spice? Think exotic seeds, bark, nuts, and tubers like nutmeg, allspice, star anise, cardamom, coriander, cinnamon, cumin, pepper, cloves, ginger, saffron and vanilla. Other spices such as mustard and chili were also discovered in far-off places, then brought back to Europe and successfully cultivated in colder climates. If you have ever grown cilantro in your garden and allowed it to go to seed, those sweet, fragrant seeds are coriander.

Here’s some interesting information about a few spices:

Pepper is one of the first and most desirable spices to be traded. Both black and white pepper grow on a vine. Black pepper is the entire peppercorn or berry; white pepper results when the berry is soaked and the hull stripped off. White pepper is a milder in flavor than black.

Vanilla actually comes from the tropical forests of the Americas and was introduced to the Spaniards by the Aztecs who used it to flavor their chocolate. Pods grow from a vine and are not harvested until their third year. The pods are picked and cured by alternately being sweetened and dried.

Vanilla beans are expensive but can be reused many times to flavor recipes. Boil a pod in milk to flavor it. Then rinse it off, dry it and store in an airtight container for future use.

Buy only real, pure vanilla extract. You don’t even want to know what goes into the artificially flavored one. If you travel, beware of large bottles offered at a steal of a price. It is probably not the real thing.

Curry powder is a blend of ground spices, usually containing some or all of the following: turmeric, ginger, clove, cinnamon, cardamom, fenugreek, cumin, cayenne, mustard and coriander. In India, household cooks take great pride in their unique recipes handed down from relatives.

Curry is fun to play with. Making your own is a great way to study the individual spices, learn how they complement each other and how proper cooking captures their best flavor. Often a curry spice recipe requires quick roasting of some ingredients in a hot skillet which releases more aroma and taste. If making curry powder is too time-consuming, choose several kinds from different manufacturers in the store and have a taste test to see which you prefer.

Saffron is the world’s most expensive spice. It takes 250,000 stigmas from 76,000 blue-violet crocus flowers (Crocus sativa) to make a pound. Because of its cost, saffron is often adulterated. In 15th century Germany, people were burned at the stake for doing just that.

Buy the dry threads in small amounts. Known for adding color to foods and also used as dye, saffron’s flavor is subtle but distinctive. It is used in many rice dishes such as paella and is an essential ingredient in bouillabaisse.

Nutmeg and mace come from the fruit of a tree a bit like an apricot in form. When ripe, the fruits are shaken down into baskets and spread to dry in the sun. The outer fleshy peel is removed from the nut; this is mace which has a very strong, nutmeg-gy flavor. When the nuts are dry enough to hear the kernel rattle inside, the shell is broken to release the nutmeg inside which is then graded for quality.

Buy and keep nutmeg whole and use a fine grater to get the amount you need. The sweet, nutty, spicy flavor is useful in baked goods, fish, eggs, mulled wines and dairy drinks, spiced puddings and more.

Easy ways to includes spicy flavorings to your food:

·  Add curry powder to vegetables in broth or sauteed chicken for a welcome, distinctive change of taste.

·  Bake sugar cookies or shortbread with anise, coriander or cardamom added.

·  Add poppy seeds to breads, buns and biscuits.

·  Stew dried or fresh fruit with cinnamon, allspice and cloves.

·  Add ground, cumin, coriander and green chilis to a chili or lentil soup recipe.

·  Vanilla custard is real comfort food.

·  Add candied or crystallized ginger to a granola recipe.

·  Crush a few strands of saffron and add to a creamy vegetable or fish soup or rice.

Though we think of delectable flavors when we think of spices, many have significant therapeutic value. Turmeric is liver protective and an important herbal anti-inflammatory. Ginger and hot chilies offer varying degrees of vasodilation that can stimulate blood flow to the extremities and mucous membranes. Fenugreek seeds are used as a poultice for boils and may help lower cholesterol. Studies on cinnamon suggest that it helps with sugar metabolism in the body, and cardamom and anise have soothing digestive effects.

So rather than long for what is past, indulge yourself in the new possibilities of more exotic, less familiar herbs and spices, and delight in your new fragrant, culinary herbal adventures.

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Merry Harrison, RH(AHG) is a clinical herbalist, teacher, author and wildcrafter.
For class schedule and to ask questions: www.millcreekherbs.com

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Reprinted with permission: Catalyst Magazine

Be A Culinary Adventurer!

I was a culinary adventurer yesterday. I got Lion's Mane mushroom from Biocentric Bros and Black Cod tips at the Winter Downtown SLC Farmers Market. 

Thank goodness they told me how to cook them because I had no idea. Mushrooms freak me out and I am trying to gain a better understanding of them and I had never tried or even seen Lion's Mane except in pictures. I sauted fish and mushrooms separately, added sauteed shallots and zucchini, made brown rice but felt Crumb Bros. Sourdough to be a better compliment and Voila! Delish! And I have leftovers for tonight. That was really fun and healthy.

Herbs for the Holidays

Now that my garden has been put to bed for the winter, I miss having the fresh smells of aromatic herbs in my home. I have dried my culinary herbs. Do you have any tips on how to use herbs during the holidays for food, festivities and fragrance?

Herbs, a perfect addition to holiday traditions, home comfort and gatherings, add to the enjoyment and memories of the occasion by communicating with us through multiple senses. They are beautiful to look at, tasty in recipes, and fragrant, setting the mood and enhancing the holiday atmosphere.

Take down those hanging bundles of dried herbs and use them to make a decorative door wreath. I use an inexpensive grapevine wreath from the craft store, attaching bundles of herbs with a glue gun. Dried garden sage, lavender sprigs, rosemary, some white statice and a big bow look lovely on the door. I spread pine boughs along the length of my fireplace mantel and tuck more of these bundles of dried herbs into it. Some candles or holiday figurines add a finishing touch. You can use the same idea for table decorations or centerpieces. Dried herb bundles also look lovely tucked into napkin rings or under the bow of a wrapped present.

Everyone recognizes particular aromas of the season, and there are many ways to infuse them into the air. The light of scented candles adds to the holiday ambience. Bayberry is especially familiar; the first settlers made candles from the wax of this plant and burned them during the winter holidays. Many artificially fragranced options can be too strong, and sometimes people have allergic reactions to them. As a candle alternative, add allspice and cinnamon stick to a pot of simmering water to fragrance or refresh the air. Essential oils in a diffuser can substitute for the fresh pine smell that our artificial trees cannot provide. Cinnamon, clove, cedar, orange or tangerine oils also produce holiday fragrance. One word of caution: Essential oils are very flammable, so never put them directly on a heat source like a light bulb or near a flame, and keep them out of reach of children. To make a house spray, combine 6 drops of pine, 3 drops orange and 2 drops cinnamon in an eight-ounce spray bottle of water.

Seasoning food with herbs opens a world of endless opportunity. Put roasted garlic in the mashed potatoes. Add one teaspoon each of crumbled or ground sage, thyme and marjoram to four cups of unseasoned stuffing. Add fresh snipped chives, parsley, dill, and salad burnet (which stays green under the snow all winter) with a little chopped red pepper to a sour cream dip. Green mint liqueur or syrup over vanilla ice cream topped with a cherry is a colorful and easy dessert. Use cilantro in spicier fare. Herbs make lovely garnishes, too. With all the rich recipes this time of year, people really appreciate the refreshing taste of herbs includesd in unexpected places. I like to add chopped ginger and cinnamon to warm apple cider to relieve winter's chill.

Remember herbs on your gift list. Little pots of culinary herbs make pretty and useful presents. Area garden centers usually have topiaried rosemary plants that you can give for use as a centerpiece. Bottles of imported spices are a nice gift. Fill a pretty jar with lavender blossoms that a friend can take to the workplace or put by her bathtub. Sleep pillows stuffed with herbs can be used well past the holidays. Dried and living plants make wonderful gifts.

So this season, think of herbs first when you are seeking ideas. Enjoy them yourself as you package them up. At the end of a busy day, fill a little muslin bag with lavender and let the water from the faucet run over it as you are running the tub for a relaxing bath.

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Merry Harrison, RH(AHG) is a clinical herbalist, teacher, author and wildcrafter.
For class schedule and to ask questions: www.millcreekherbs.com

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Reprinted with permission: Catalyst Magazine

Why I Became An Herbalist.

M.D.s and Herbalists

When people learn I am an herbalist, they often share their frustration and dismay that their “regular doctor” does not sanction the inclusion of herbs and supplements in their diet and health care. Discouraging comments or disagreeable advice from their very important primary healthcare providers perplexes many people. Doctors’ responses range from “I don’t know anything about it” to “Where is the data? It has not been clinically proven.”

OK, fair enough. Doctors are reluctant to offer anything that has not been clinically proven because it is a risk. Should anything go wrong—side effects, allergic reaction or negative results from the inadvisable mixing of herbs and pharmaceuticals—they could get sued.

Curious about just exactly what data physicians require to recommend herbs and supplements and also what new information they look to for positive assurance, I attended the conference, “Natural Supplements: An Evidence-Based Update,” sponsored by the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine in San Diego. The lineup of 27 speakers from around the country and Canada was impressive, with all but two being MDs or PhDs. The topics were indeed mostly about supplements, but some presentations included herbs, and there were workshops on medicinal spices; one on coffee, chocolate and tea brought herbs to the fore.

Mary Hardy, MD, reported on her review of herb and supplement clinical trials, listing significant results: Increased intake of Vitamin D improves bone health; folic acid was proven to improve cognitive function over a three-year period. Black cohosh is associated with reduced incidence of breast cancer. Red yeast rice has applications for coronary heart disease and diabetes and it lowered cholesterol. Genistein, an active agent from soy, benefits heart and bone health. Essential oil of lavender did not promote gynecomastia (breast growth in boys). Gargling with tea catechins reduced the risk of flu in elders. Smooth Move® tea was effective for constipation. Taking cranberry for four months significantly reduced the incidence of urinary tract infections in women who had been prone to have at least six per year. Hardy suggested that broader acceptance and use of herbs in healthcare would probably come with the introduction of “simples”—preparations using a single herb. Perhaps some day hospitals will offer chamomile tea for poor digestion and warming, or arnica oil might be used topically to relieve arthritis pain.

Mark Blumenthal, founder and executive director of the American Botanical Council and editor and publisher of HerbalGram magazine, was the voice of herbalism in his presentation, “The Role of the Herbalist: A Global Perspective and Future Trends.” He pointed out that herbs often offer a gentler, safer approach to medicine that may be more in line with the patient’s philosophy. He predicted wider consumer acceptance and demand as more research verifies the benefits of herbs.

A final presenter was Tierona Low Dog, who was an herbalist before she became an MD. She directs the education program in integrative medicine and clinical assistant professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Arizona School of Medicine. Hearing her talk in the realms of more familiar territory about the sensual, physical and therapeutic qualities of herbs and even explaining how to prepare them put me at ease. Noting that abdominal fat and insulin resistance can contribute to polycystic ovary disease, she listed the herbs cinnamon, fenugreek and bitter melon to inhibit the condition, including directions for how to prepare the melon and a description of how real cinnamon can be identified (“The bark rolls in the same direction and is very breakable”). She went on to talk about the benefits and applications of licorice, peony, chaste tree berry and sawpalmetto for hirsutism (hair growth). She proclaimed, “I do not worship at the feet of evidence-based medicine!” It was all I could do not to jump up and yell “Bravo!”

The busiest vendor booth sold fish oil capsules, the substance most frequently mentioned in presentations. Turmeric was another hot seller, recommended to reduce inflammation which many professionals now regard as the root of almost all disease.

To many at this conference, this was breaking news; I have heard this same information at herb conferences for 15 years.

Many clinical studies of herbs validate what herbalists already know. Besides showing whether a therapy works, clinical trials often explain its physiological mechanism. The documentation presents the information in a format that physicians can assimilate into their medical knowledge.

On the plane ride home, I browsed through a peer-reviewed journal, Journal of Alternative Therapies, that had been distributed for free at the conference. The Brief Report inside was on the use of nettle stings for pain by Les Alford, MSc. The author researched the age-old use of gently slapping skin with nettle leaves to relieve pain after a patient reported he had gotten significant relief of lower back pain by doing so. Alford investigated a study of such therapy that had shown similar, positive results. At the end of the article, he rhetorically asks “Is it time to add nettle leaf sting to heat and ice as home physical therapies for short-term pain relief?” I say, “why not?”

One glaring omission— the report never mentions that only fresh nettle triggers the pain-relieving action. Confusion and doubt about an herb’s healing potential can develop when essential details are not included about its proper use. This is precisely where I see the role of the herbalist as a necessary affiliate of any integrative health-care team. Herbalists base much of their practice on old healing wisdom handed down to become home remedies and practical therapies. Attending the conference did not assuage my perplexity at the disconnect between botanical medicine and the widely accepted practice of western medicine, but a quote in Krista Tippett’s book, Speaking of Faith, offered me an interesting insight. Substituting the contrast between western medicine and herbalism for that between science and religion in the following quote describes my view of this quandary.

“Beyond our culture’s entrenched debates, a parallel universe of dialogue is unfolding.... It’s not so much true that science [medicine] and religion [herbalism] reach different answers on the same questions, which is how our cultural debate has defined the rift between them. Far more often, they simply ask different kinds of questions altogether, and the responses they generate together illuminate human life more completely than either could do alone.”

This article was previously published in Catalyst Magazine and has been reprinted with permission.

Managing Stress

Question: I work full time as a teacher, parent twin toddlers and my elderly father has just moved in with us. I drink a lot of coffee but I feel tired all the time.  I am concerned that I might be more susceptible to getting sick. Do you have any herbs that can give me more energy and keep me healthy?

It is understandable you feel tired with all the stress and demands of your life because you are tired. Prolonged stress can take a toll on our health. We were made to handle extreme stress just long enough to escape from a saber tooth tiger but not chronic, ongoing stress lasting years. Coffee only ramps up our nervous system which depletes our energy even further. And when our energy reserves get spent, we seem more susceptible to illness.

There is a category of herbs called “adaptogens” which may be helpful. Usually we think, to get more energy we need to stimulate our bodies with caffeine or herbs like Ephedra. This just isn’t so. Adaptogens actually minimize the sympathetic stress response in our bodies. This is the innate, uncontrollable, physical response we have to stress. An example is that blood rushes to our vital organs and away from our extremities when we suffer a fright. Everyone does stress differently. Some people eat more, some less. Some want to sleep all the time, and others can’t hold still. Whatever your personal response is to stress, adaptogens can be useful to diminish it, and that is what allows us to feel like we have better energy.

Some of the most frequently used adaptogens are the ginsengs (Panax spp.). There are several species and to confuse matters, some are cured which changes how they affect our bodies. To simplify things let’s just consider Chinese (Panax ginseng) and American ginseng (Panax quinquefolium). There are many types of preparations available but the most important thing (as always with herbs) is good quality. Because ginseng is one of the most expensive herbs on the market, it is also, unfortunately, one of the most adulterated. The reason it is so expensive is that it takes years to grow the useful root, and it is in high demand.

There is fascinating history about this plant. One tidbit is that only men were allowed to use it in China where it has been revered for thousands of years. Also, early European settlers in America had a thriving trade in American ginseng which they harvested from the hardwood forests and shipped to China. It apparently helped with the libido among other things.

Years ago when I was on a layover in the T‘aipei airport I saw beautiful, red velvet lined boxes holding single, large, anthropomorphic, ginseng roots that owners displayed in their homes or gave as gifts. The price on some was $500! The more humanoid features the root has, the more desirable it is especially if there is a resemblance of genitalia.

I cannot tell whether you are a man or woman, but another adaptogen I like for men and especially women is Eleutherococcus, formerly known as Siberian ginseng. I think the name got changed so the two plants would not get confused in the market place. This is a root from Russia that acts similarly to the other ginsengs by supporting proper function of the adrenal glands that can be adversely affected by long term stress. Siberian ginseng is being overharvested, but it is still very affordable.

One of the beauties of ginseng is that by preventing your body from running itself into the ground, it allows you to stay healthier. James Green explains in his wonderful book, The Male Herbal, “This adaptogen action appears to work through hormonal regulation of the stress response which in turn has a modulating effect on human immunity.”

When you use ginseng, you may find your outlook on life is brighter, and you feel you have more energy for daily living. Be warned though, this sense of well-being may help shift you into new directions in your life or give you the ease to look squarely at something that you have wanted to avoid.

"The Missing Link To Optimum Health” Includes Herbs

 Jo Robinson’s fascinating new book, Eating on the Wild Side, does indeed provide “The Missing Link to Optimum Health” by finally giving us the information we need for “a radical new way to select and prepare foods to reclaim the nutrients and flavor we’ve lost”. She does this by using scientific and historical analysis to explain what sorts of phytonutrients (phyto means plants) have been lost from our ancestors’ ancient wild foraging days and compares them to what is available in the produce section of grocery stores of today.  Get ready to cringe, but take heart, she also has plenty of suggestions that food shoppers, gardeners and even botanists will like, and she even includes recipes.

This book sounds the wake up alarm and school bell, finally giving consumers necessary education they can take to their grocers, gardens and seed catalogues to begin making better choices in the food they choose with the goal in mind of bringing not just better nutrition, but more complex phytochemicals into their diets. These are important compounds like antioxidants, flavonoids, catechins, carotenoids, polyphenols (the list is estimated to be more than 4,000) that help to neutralize free radicals, protect cells, reduce cholesterol, inhibit tumor growth, etc. and have been bred out of our fruits and veggies for the sake of taste, appearance, shelf life and marketability.

Robinson carefully explains that once people started cultivating their own food, they began breeding for what tasted best and produced the most and tried to get the unpleasant flavors of sour, bitter, and astringent out of everything we ate. Those very same flavor constituents that create those “nasty” flavors have the most cancer fighting power and contribute to the plant’s ability to resist pests and disease, and when we consume them naturally, the plant passes that benefit on to us humans. We can pile our plates high with a rainbow of produce from the grocery store, but Robinson’s message is that we are not getting the very important health protective benefits from food because it has been so severely, nutritionally degraded. As a matter of fact, when food gets genetically altered for the sake of salability, nutritional analysis in not even considered as part of the evaluation.

There is one glaring omission in this book, HERBS! There is not even a listing for them in the index. Herbs should never be an afterthought in the diet. True, she writes a great chapter on onion and garlic chives, both native to the Old and New World. Many people are familiar seeing them pop up in abundance in meadows of different bioregions in the early spring. She explains their very significant antioxidant and medicinal value and even cites a study that shows they act as aphrodisiac in rats. Other than this, however, she does not take on the nutritional and antioxidant value of herbs more broadly. I believe they deserve much more praise and attention for many reasons.

Allow me to offer an example of just how powerful they are. Many herbs are antimicrobial and antifungal and if you want to pest proof your garden from either insects or the four legged kind, plant herbs. Just the essential oils in herbs discourage them from munching their leaves and roots. These critters do not eat lavender, sage, oregano, chives, mint, rosemary, salad burnet, calendula, St. John’s Wort, Echinacea, the list goes on and on. You can even pest proof your drawers with lavender and your cupboards with bay leaves. According to the author, when ingested, the defense system of plants often translates similarly in our bodies to ward off foreign attack from outside and within that can cause illness.

As for the nutritional value of herbs, just one cup of fresh parsley is superior and much less expensive than a head of any kind of lettuce. (nutritiondata.self.com) The really good news is that herbs have not been genetically altered to the extent that our food has.

I can only hope Jo Robinson with her wealth of scientific research and knowledge has a sequel to this book called HERBS: Additional Essentials for Optimal Health.