Years ago my grandmother told me stories about grinding horseradish. "I used to dread that job," she said. "My mother always put up lots of horseradish, and it was an all day job that burned our eyes." She described how her father would dig and wash the big roots, then she, her sisters, and her mother would peel them, cutting them all up into chunks.
"Then we would carry the entire project outside. Daddy had already attached the food grinder to a table. We girls would take turns feeding the horseradish chunks into the grinder, turning the handle to pulverize the roots. Tears would run down our eyes from the plant's oils as they were released into the air. When one person could no longer stand the burning and crying, someone else would take over and grind. It was an awful job, made only slightly better because it only came once a year."
Horseradish is a native of southwestern Europe and a member of the mustard family. Although horseradish is traditionally a meat condiment, it has many more uses. It lends a delightful flavor to salad dressings, sandwiches, cheese dishes, and more. Most people associate only the roots with the hot flavor, but the smaller, more tender leaves are a nice addition to salads, sauces, and are useful as a seasoning herb. The chopped leaves are subtler in flavor and, when used sparingly, add a nice background nip to vegetable dips. The larger leaves make a perfect garnish on which to arrange sandwiches and hors d'oeuvres for an elegant presentation.
Horseradish also is useful medicinally. In folk medicine, the roots were used as a poultice for rheumatism. And a bite of horseradish sauce has always been a traditional way of opening the sinuses in much the same way as hot mustard.
The nature of horseradish
The roots of the plant are the source for the "prepared horseradish" that we buy in the store. "Prepared" simply means it already has been ground to a pulp with vinegar. Prepared horseradish has a good flavor, and often has little "kick." I like the herb's full bite and hotness, so I began planting and making my own freshly-ground horseradish several years ago. It's a tough perennial plant and grows easily in any average garden soil. Deep, fertile, evenly moist soil in full sun will produce roots four or five inches in diameter and 24 to 36 inches long. However, the plant will thrive anywhere. In my own herb garden, I planted it in a spot that is mostly clay and rock; even in that poor location it produces more large roots than I can use.
Horseradish can become invasive if not harvested and used regularly. I allow my plants to spread to about 24 inches wide and use them as a part of the garden landscape. The leaves get eight to 10 inches wide and 15 to 18 inches long, are a vivid green, and make a pleasant background for my other herbs. The roots should be harvested during the plant's dormancy-any time leaves are not present. Because the roots are rough and often curled, they should be washed well, then peeled.
If you want to grow horseradish and are concerned about controlling the spread of the plant's roots, it would be best to plant the horseradish in a part of the lawn or garden where you can easily till or mow around it. A barrier may help, but because the root grows up to three feet deep, it will not always be foolproof.
CLEANING UP WITH HORSERADISH
Minced horseradish plants are being used experimentally to clean up phenols-water and soil pollutants produced by a variety of industries.
Pulverized horseradish plants can help neutralize pollution when added to contaminated water or soil by a process that causes the phenols to bond with other chemicals (or in the soil, by bonding to humus), which are then washed out and easily removed.
In the journal Biotechnology and Bioengineering, a paper published last year states that the process represents a major improvement over other organic solutions. The process neutralizes up to 100 percent of the phenols from tainted water in 30 minutes, and the horseradish material can be reused.
According to the author, Jerzy Dec, a research associate at Penn State University for Bioremediation and Detoxification, horseradish retained 100 percent of its neutralizing effect after being reused 15 times. Because the plant is inexpensive, easily grown, and plentiful, there is a lot of excitement about the usefulness of horseradish as an enviromental cleanup tool.
Processing your own horseradish
Unlike the experience my grandmother had of slowly grinding the eye-stinging roots outside, a food processor effortlessly grinds everything to a pulp in seconds, making the job easy.
Put in enough chunks of root, about the size of golf balls, to half-fill the processor bowl. Pulse-grind a few times until a coarse pulp is formed. Next, pour in about a cup of cider vinegar and add a few more chunks of root. Turn the processor on full grind and process for 30 seconds to a minute. Pour the pulp into a bowl and repeat with the remaining roots. Drain the excess vinegar and use it for the following batches, until all root pieces are ground.
When you make horseradish, put it up in small plastic freezer containers. Pour back some of the vinegar over the horseradish, and press it all down in the container and put on the lid. Preserved this way, horseradish will keep in the freezer for a year or more.
Horseradish & Tofu Sandwich
These sandwiches are best eaten immediately after assembly. If you're packing a lunch for later, keep the tomato and tofu slices in a separate container.
1/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1-1/2 teaspoons freshly grated horseradish (or 1 tablespoon bottled horseradish)
Small dash cayenne pepper
8 slices whole grain bread
1 10.5-ounce package lite silken extra-firm tofu, thinly sliced
1 large tomato, thinly sliced
1 cup alfalfa or radish sprouts
In a small bowl mix together yogurt, horseradish, and cayenne; spread on bread slices. On four slices of bread, layer tofu, tomato slices, and sprouts. Top with remaining bread slices.
Makes 4 sandwiches.
L PER SANDWICH: 189 CAL(13 PERCENT FROM FAT), 12g PROT, 3g FAT, 29g CARB, 309mg SOD, 0mg CHOL, 4g FIBER.
Horseradish Salad Dressing
This thick dressing is delicious on green salads, as a sandwich spread, or as a condiment for other dishes.
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks
2 red radishes, trimmed, halved
1-1/2 teaspoons freshly grated horseradish (or 1 tablespoon bottled horseradish)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
Combine all ingredients in blender or food processor and process until smooth. Refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour for flavors to meld. If dressing is too thick, thin with a bit of apple or pineapple juice. Stir before serving.
Makes about 1 cup.
V PER TABLESPOON: 11 CAL(68 PERCENT FROM FAT), 0.1g PROT, 0.8g FAT, 0.7g CARB, 2mg SOD, 0mg CHOL, 0.3g FIBER.
Friday, July 20, 2007
GINSENG: The adaptogenic and immune-system boosting elements of ginseng are now clinically studied and verified.
My first experience with American ginseng was twenty years ago. I was hiking with a friend in the Buffalo National River area, high above the river on a path known as the Goat Trail. We stopped hiking for a few minutes and rested on a tiny rock ledge overlooking the river valley. My companion reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a white, wrinkled piece of root. Breaking off some, he handed the larger portion to me.
"Here, break off a piece and chew it slowly."
"What is it?" I asked, as I reached in my pocket for my knife.
"American ginseng," was his reply. "And you should never cut ginseng with a knife. It's considered sacred by some cultures, so I observe that by never cutting the root with a knife. Break off a piece," he continued, "or just bite off a small portion."
American ginseng is used by some people as a stimulant when they are tired, "Sort of like drinking a cup of coffee," he explained. "It will help you maintain your energy level as we continue hiking."
As I sat chewing the pungent, earthy root, I watched an eagle riding on air currents over the river far below. Snow outlined the river in places and steam rose from the rapids. The entire river, hundreds of feet below us, was just a silvery ribbon, wrinkled by the white foam of rapids every quarter mile or so. The taste of American ginseng always evokes for me that first introduction to this remarkable, ancient plant.
American ginseng is a native plant of the United States and Canada, and other varieties of ginseng are found in China and other countries. The Chinese have records of medicinal uses of ginseng dating over a thousand years. They use ginseng as an equalizer, rather than a simple stimulant, because of a belief that illness is caused by the lack of equilibrium between the body's systems.
Native American cultures have relied upon American ginseng for energy, and as an overall tonic and balancing agent. They carried it on long journeys, much like my friend had on our hike, biting off tiny, pea-sized bites as daily energy regulators.
American ginseng was once found in rich woods from Minnesota to Maine, south to Georgia and west into Oklahoma. As the Chinese exhausted their own indigenous ginseng supplies, they turned to the United States and by the 1940s, the root was being wildcrafted and exported in large quantities to the Orient.
Wildcrafting, the practice of finding and digging roots from wild plant colonies, was once a good income-producer in rural areas of American ginseng's natural growing regions. But over the years, root buyers have made native colonies virtually extinct.
American ginseng is now cultivated in many areas, particularly in states such as Wisconsin, Minnesota, Georgia, Illinois, Virginia, and West Virginia, where the growing conditions are ideal. It requires a rich, loamy, woodland soil with lots of humus. Conditions that keep the roots cool and evenly moist, are necessary. The plant grows naturally in cool, moist but not wet, valleys and on north-facing slopes of hillsides, in shade. It can be found in the early West Virginia autumn under the shade of walnut trees.
Commercial growers cultivate and grow American ginseng in raised beds, under shade cloth. Plants grown in those conditions must have many applications of fertilizer and automatic watering systems, and grow more quickly and straighter than wildcrafted plants.
Wild grown American ginseng, a separate category from wildcrafted American ginseng, is a root that is grown in the woods under natural conditions, without fertilizer or herbicides, by planting the seed or young transplants in areas where American ginseng has been found growing before.
American ginseng has taken on a magical quality in the minds of many people. One reason for that seems to spring from the price. American ginseng has remained one of the most expensive herbs to buy or sell. (This past season it was sold for an average of $450 per pound.) Another mystical quality stems from claims for its use as an aphrodisiac, for strengthening the heart, and for renewing strength and vitality. However, it is worth noting that American ginseng is not recommended for use by people with high blood pressure, since it can raise blood pressure, according to ginseng authorities.
There are many ways to add American ginseng to your life. Tea made from the leaves is an old folk remedy, but have you tried ginseng muffins? If you treat American ginseng as a seasoning herb, you can easily incorporate it into recipes for cookies and jams. Ginseng honey and ginseng chips dipped in maple syrup are flavorful too. Many health food stores offer ginseng-flavored drinks and chewing gum.
American ginseng tastes earthy, like many root crops, and has a warming, stimulating flavor. Some say it tastes vaguely of turnips and horehound candy, with a bite of hot pepper and a hint of sweetness.
Capsules and teas are popular ways to take ginseng. My own preference, however, is to bite off or break off a pea-sized piece of the dried root and chew it. The flavor is much more agreeable.
To make your own American ginseng tea, break off a piece of root about the size of a pea (or a pinto bean). Mash it slightly with the bowl end of a spoon. Pour a cup of rapidly boiling water over the root in a cup. Cover the cup and let the tea steep for 5 minutes. Add a squirt of fresh lemon juice and a teaspoon or more of honey. Sip slowly and enjoy the distinctive flavor.
Pineapple-Ginseng Wake-Up
Use as a refreshing breakfast fruit juice.
A piece of American ginseng the size of 2 pinto beans
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup pineapple juice
1 cup apple or mango juice
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey (or to taste)
Mash slightly the piece of ginseng root. Pour boiling water over the ginseng and cover, letting it steep 5 to 7 minutes. Remove root and save for use again. Combine the ginseng tea with the remaining ingredients, shake or mix well, and refrigerate.
Makes about 2-1/2 cups.
V PER 1/2 CUP: 62.5 CAL(0 PERCENT FROM FAT), 0.2g PROT, 0g FAT, 15.2g CARB, 2.5mg SOD, 0mg CHOL, 0.2g FIBER.
"Here, break off a piece and chew it slowly."
"What is it?" I asked, as I reached in my pocket for my knife.
"American ginseng," was his reply. "And you should never cut ginseng with a knife. It's considered sacred by some cultures, so I observe that by never cutting the root with a knife. Break off a piece," he continued, "or just bite off a small portion."
American ginseng is used by some people as a stimulant when they are tired, "Sort of like drinking a cup of coffee," he explained. "It will help you maintain your energy level as we continue hiking."
As I sat chewing the pungent, earthy root, I watched an eagle riding on air currents over the river far below. Snow outlined the river in places and steam rose from the rapids. The entire river, hundreds of feet below us, was just a silvery ribbon, wrinkled by the white foam of rapids every quarter mile or so. The taste of American ginseng always evokes for me that first introduction to this remarkable, ancient plant.
American ginseng is a native plant of the United States and Canada, and other varieties of ginseng are found in China and other countries. The Chinese have records of medicinal uses of ginseng dating over a thousand years. They use ginseng as an equalizer, rather than a simple stimulant, because of a belief that illness is caused by the lack of equilibrium between the body's systems.
Native American cultures have relied upon American ginseng for energy, and as an overall tonic and balancing agent. They carried it on long journeys, much like my friend had on our hike, biting off tiny, pea-sized bites as daily energy regulators.
American ginseng was once found in rich woods from Minnesota to Maine, south to Georgia and west into Oklahoma. As the Chinese exhausted their own indigenous ginseng supplies, they turned to the United States and by the 1940s, the root was being wildcrafted and exported in large quantities to the Orient.
Wildcrafting, the practice of finding and digging roots from wild plant colonies, was once a good income-producer in rural areas of American ginseng's natural growing regions. But over the years, root buyers have made native colonies virtually extinct.
American ginseng is now cultivated in many areas, particularly in states such as Wisconsin, Minnesota, Georgia, Illinois, Virginia, and West Virginia, where the growing conditions are ideal. It requires a rich, loamy, woodland soil with lots of humus. Conditions that keep the roots cool and evenly moist, are necessary. The plant grows naturally in cool, moist but not wet, valleys and on north-facing slopes of hillsides, in shade. It can be found in the early West Virginia autumn under the shade of walnut trees.
Commercial growers cultivate and grow American ginseng in raised beds, under shade cloth. Plants grown in those conditions must have many applications of fertilizer and automatic watering systems, and grow more quickly and straighter than wildcrafted plants.
Wild grown American ginseng, a separate category from wildcrafted American ginseng, is a root that is grown in the woods under natural conditions, without fertilizer or herbicides, by planting the seed or young transplants in areas where American ginseng has been found growing before.
American ginseng has taken on a magical quality in the minds of many people. One reason for that seems to spring from the price. American ginseng has remained one of the most expensive herbs to buy or sell. (This past season it was sold for an average of $450 per pound.) Another mystical quality stems from claims for its use as an aphrodisiac, for strengthening the heart, and for renewing strength and vitality. However, it is worth noting that American ginseng is not recommended for use by people with high blood pressure, since it can raise blood pressure, according to ginseng authorities.
There are many ways to add American ginseng to your life. Tea made from the leaves is an old folk remedy, but have you tried ginseng muffins? If you treat American ginseng as a seasoning herb, you can easily incorporate it into recipes for cookies and jams. Ginseng honey and ginseng chips dipped in maple syrup are flavorful too. Many health food stores offer ginseng-flavored drinks and chewing gum.
American ginseng tastes earthy, like many root crops, and has a warming, stimulating flavor. Some say it tastes vaguely of turnips and horehound candy, with a bite of hot pepper and a hint of sweetness.
Capsules and teas are popular ways to take ginseng. My own preference, however, is to bite off or break off a pea-sized piece of the dried root and chew it. The flavor is much more agreeable.
To make your own American ginseng tea, break off a piece of root about the size of a pea (or a pinto bean). Mash it slightly with the bowl end of a spoon. Pour a cup of rapidly boiling water over the root in a cup. Cover the cup and let the tea steep for 5 minutes. Add a squirt of fresh lemon juice and a teaspoon or more of honey. Sip slowly and enjoy the distinctive flavor.
Pineapple-Ginseng Wake-Up
Use as a refreshing breakfast fruit juice.
A piece of American ginseng the size of 2 pinto beans
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup pineapple juice
1 cup apple or mango juice
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey (or to taste)
Mash slightly the piece of ginseng root. Pour boiling water over the ginseng and cover, letting it steep 5 to 7 minutes. Remove root and save for use again. Combine the ginseng tea with the remaining ingredients, shake or mix well, and refrigerate.
Makes about 2-1/2 cups.
V PER 1/2 CUP: 62.5 CAL(0 PERCENT FROM FAT), 0.2g PROT, 0g FAT, 15.2g CARB, 2.5mg SOD, 0mg CHOL, 0.2g FIBER.
FENNEL: This sweet-smelling flower serves double-duty as a remedy for headaches, coughs and as a cooking garnish.
What gardener wouldn't want to grow an herb that tolerates any soil or watering schedule, tastes like licorice candy, comes in light-green or bronze foliage variations, has numerous medicinal uses, and looks like a delicate (five foot high) fern with flowers? This wondrous plant is fennel, and every part of it, from roots to seeds is delicious.
Fennel has been used as an herb for centuries, and is native to the Mediterranean region. The aromatic plant is found in Greek mythology, Renaissance recipes, and Italian folklore. In fact, the word fennel comes from fenum, Latin for hay, which describes its sweet smell. In antiquity, Roman ladies ate fennel to reduce obesity. They were ahead of their time, since fennel is used today to help make fatty foods more digestible. Throughout its history, fennel has been eaten or taken in tea as a general digestive aid, and has been proclaimed to help numerous maladies, including toothaches, flatulence, coughs, headaches, bladder disorders, and more.
In the kitchen, fennel has so many applications that it's a wonder everyone doesn't grow it along with their parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. Italian dishes taste even better with this feathery herb, whether you use the seeds in pizza, chopped leaves in a salad, or the grated bulb in alfredo dishes. Florence fennel (F. vulgare var. dulse or var. azoricum) is a related variety, It forms a large, bulbous base which can be quartered and roasted for a unique side dish.
Another fennel variety called bronze fennel (F. vulgare var. rubrum or 'Purpurascens'), is absolutely beautiful in the garden and tastes just as good as the green variety. Plant a background hedge of green and bronze fennel behind some white or yellow flowers and wait for the compliments. (You don't have to tell anyone how ridiculously easy they are to grow.) Fennel is also great for attracting swallowtail butterflies and beneficial garden insects like lacewings, ladybugs, hover flies, and soldier bugs.
Fennel thrives in rich, moist soil with full sun, but can grow very well in any conditions. In Mediterranean climates, fennel grows wild on hillsides with complete abandon, even in the rock-hard, bone-dry clay soils of California. If you grow it in your garden under ideal conditions, fennel can easily reach five feet or more in its second year, so make sure you have the room before planting that innocent 2-1/2 inch potful from the nursery.
The mother plant is quite drought resistant once established, and the root bulb is very hardy. This vigorous plant can become invasive due to its ability to reseed, so if you don't want to bother plucking the babies up next spring, you should cut off the flower heads soon after they're done blooming. It will also cross-pollinate with dill, so you may have to choose between one or the other if you're a seed saver.
Fennel leaves don't dry very well if you want to use them later, but the seeds carry the leaves' distinctive licorice flavor. Fennel seeds keep well, and are good in deserts and candies of all kinds. Cut off the seed heads just as soon as they start to turn brown in late summer- you may have to check them every day or you'll lose a lot of seeds when they let go. Another method for gathering seeds is to tie bags over the drying heads when they're almost ready, but if you have a lot of plants this could be time-consuming.
Although fennel can be confused with licorice-flavored anise, or tall feathery yellow-flowered dill, fennel definitely deserves a place in any serious cook's garden. Plant it in a large pot on your balcony, or use a neglected corner of your yard, or create an extravagant backdrop in your herb garden for this graceful and delicious herb with a delicious history.
Tomato and Fennel Soup
Chop the feathery fennel fronds to use as a pretty garnish for this soup. They can also be added to the soup before pureeing to enhance the fennel flavor.
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium fennel bulbs, cored and chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
3 cups vegetable stock
3 cups chopped fresh tomatoes or 1 28-ounce can tomatoes
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup soy milk
Salt and pepper
1. In a large pot over medium heat, cook onion, fennel, and carrot in 1 cup of the vegetable broth until very tender, about 10 minutes.
2. Add remaining stock, tomatoes, and sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
3. In a food processor, puree soup in batches and return to pot. Stir in soy milk, and add salt and pepper to taste. Reheat gently; do not boil.
Makes 6 servings.
V PER SERVING: 75 CAL (17% from fat), 22g PROT, 1.4g FAT, 12g CARB, 106mg SOD, 0mg CHOL, 4g FIBER.
Potato Cakes w/Glazed Apples and Fennel
If you're using leftover cold cooked potatoes in this dish, let them come to room temperature before proceeding with the recipe.
Cakes:
4 large russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 2-inch chunks
2 scallions, chopped
1/2 cup liquid egg substitute or two eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup cornmeal
Pay spray or oil for cooking
Topping:
2 medium fennel bulbs, halved, cored and sliced
1 tablespoon soy margarine or butter
3 tart green apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1/2 cup apple juice concentrate
Salt and pepper
1. In a large pot over medium heat, cook onion, fennel, and carrot in 1 cup of the vegetable broth until very tender, about 10 minutes.
2. Add remaining stock, tomatoes, and sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
3. In a food processor, puree soup in batches and return to pot. Stir in soy milk, and add salt and pepper to taste. Reheat gently; do not boil.
4. Pan-spray a large skillet. Cook potato patties over medium heat until browned, turning once, about 3 minutes per side. Serve hot with warm apple and fennel topping.
Makes 4 servings.
O PER SERVING: 405 CAL (8% from fat), 7.4g PROT, 3.5g FAT, 85g CARB, 664mg SOD, 0mg CHOL, 10g FIBER.
Fennel has been used as an herb for centuries, and is native to the Mediterranean region. The aromatic plant is found in Greek mythology, Renaissance recipes, and Italian folklore. In fact, the word fennel comes from fenum, Latin for hay, which describes its sweet smell. In antiquity, Roman ladies ate fennel to reduce obesity. They were ahead of their time, since fennel is used today to help make fatty foods more digestible. Throughout its history, fennel has been eaten or taken in tea as a general digestive aid, and has been proclaimed to help numerous maladies, including toothaches, flatulence, coughs, headaches, bladder disorders, and more.
In the kitchen, fennel has so many applications that it's a wonder everyone doesn't grow it along with their parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. Italian dishes taste even better with this feathery herb, whether you use the seeds in pizza, chopped leaves in a salad, or the grated bulb in alfredo dishes. Florence fennel (F. vulgare var. dulse or var. azoricum) is a related variety, It forms a large, bulbous base which can be quartered and roasted for a unique side dish.
Another fennel variety called bronze fennel (F. vulgare var. rubrum or 'Purpurascens'), is absolutely beautiful in the garden and tastes just as good as the green variety. Plant a background hedge of green and bronze fennel behind some white or yellow flowers and wait for the compliments. (You don't have to tell anyone how ridiculously easy they are to grow.) Fennel is also great for attracting swallowtail butterflies and beneficial garden insects like lacewings, ladybugs, hover flies, and soldier bugs.
Fennel thrives in rich, moist soil with full sun, but can grow very well in any conditions. In Mediterranean climates, fennel grows wild on hillsides with complete abandon, even in the rock-hard, bone-dry clay soils of California. If you grow it in your garden under ideal conditions, fennel can easily reach five feet or more in its second year, so make sure you have the room before planting that innocent 2-1/2 inch potful from the nursery.
The mother plant is quite drought resistant once established, and the root bulb is very hardy. This vigorous plant can become invasive due to its ability to reseed, so if you don't want to bother plucking the babies up next spring, you should cut off the flower heads soon after they're done blooming. It will also cross-pollinate with dill, so you may have to choose between one or the other if you're a seed saver.
Fennel leaves don't dry very well if you want to use them later, but the seeds carry the leaves' distinctive licorice flavor. Fennel seeds keep well, and are good in deserts and candies of all kinds. Cut off the seed heads just as soon as they start to turn brown in late summer- you may have to check them every day or you'll lose a lot of seeds when they let go. Another method for gathering seeds is to tie bags over the drying heads when they're almost ready, but if you have a lot of plants this could be time-consuming.
Although fennel can be confused with licorice-flavored anise, or tall feathery yellow-flowered dill, fennel definitely deserves a place in any serious cook's garden. Plant it in a large pot on your balcony, or use a neglected corner of your yard, or create an extravagant backdrop in your herb garden for this graceful and delicious herb with a delicious history.
Tomato and Fennel Soup
Chop the feathery fennel fronds to use as a pretty garnish for this soup. They can also be added to the soup before pureeing to enhance the fennel flavor.
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium fennel bulbs, cored and chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
3 cups vegetable stock
3 cups chopped fresh tomatoes or 1 28-ounce can tomatoes
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup soy milk
Salt and pepper
1. In a large pot over medium heat, cook onion, fennel, and carrot in 1 cup of the vegetable broth until very tender, about 10 minutes.
2. Add remaining stock, tomatoes, and sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
3. In a food processor, puree soup in batches and return to pot. Stir in soy milk, and add salt and pepper to taste. Reheat gently; do not boil.
Makes 6 servings.
V PER SERVING: 75 CAL (17% from fat), 22g PROT, 1.4g FAT, 12g CARB, 106mg SOD, 0mg CHOL, 4g FIBER.
Potato Cakes w/Glazed Apples and Fennel
If you're using leftover cold cooked potatoes in this dish, let them come to room temperature before proceeding with the recipe.
Cakes:
4 large russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 2-inch chunks
2 scallions, chopped
1/2 cup liquid egg substitute or two eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup cornmeal
Pay spray or oil for cooking
Topping:
2 medium fennel bulbs, halved, cored and sliced
1 tablespoon soy margarine or butter
3 tart green apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1/2 cup apple juice concentrate
Salt and pepper
1. In a large pot over medium heat, cook onion, fennel, and carrot in 1 cup of the vegetable broth until very tender, about 10 minutes.
2. Add remaining stock, tomatoes, and sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
3. In a food processor, puree soup in batches and return to pot. Stir in soy milk, and add salt and pepper to taste. Reheat gently; do not boil.
4. Pan-spray a large skillet. Cook potato patties over medium heat until browned, turning once, about 3 minutes per side. Serve hot with warm apple and fennel topping.
Makes 4 servings.
O PER SERVING: 405 CAL (8% from fat), 7.4g PROT, 3.5g FAT, 85g CARB, 664mg SOD, 0mg CHOL, 10g FIBER.
EPAZOTE: An herb crucial to Central American cooking is an easy-care herb gardeners dream of.
Epazote, crucial to Central American cooking, is one of those easy-care herbs gardeners dream about. It prefers poor soil and thrives on neglect. You may not even notice it growing there - and might mistake it for a common weed - but when you brush against it, its startling methylic odor changes your mind. In the kitchen, epazote makes the difference between a "good try" and a delicious authenthic dish.
As late as the early 1980's, this herb was found only in groceries serving a large Hispanic population. Also known as Mexican Tea, it originated in South America, spread northward through Central American, and now has naturalized in many parts of the United States - particularly where it spread from former plantings. Yet, until quite recently, seeds for home gardeners were hard to find. Today, many seed companies with a serious herb section carry Chenopodium ambrosoides.
Growing it is easy. An assertive annual, once started it will self-seed almost any place, even areas with very cold winters, where it readily germinates every spring. For top production, newly purchased seeds should either be sown in the fall or put in the freezer for a couple of weeks before planting.
Epazote does best in full sun and poor, well-drained soil. If you plant the seed half an inch deep, and thin the young plants to a foot apart, it will be four feet tall by mid-summer and produce tiny yellow-green flowers. A member of the goosefoot family and a close relative of lamb's quarters, its young leaves and shoots can be cooked as nutritious greens. Leaves of any age can be used as a seasoning.
While epazote's freshly picked flavor leaves a distinct unusual aftertaste - even unsettling after the first time its tried - a finely minced sprig added to salsa or dried bean recipes creates just the right subtle overtones. It dresses up a lot of recipes through South and Central America, and it's indigenous to Mexican cuisine where it seasons many tortilla concoctions, a wide range of sauces, and almost all bean dishes.
Epazote, as a folk remedy to relieve the gas which often accompanies legume meals, has been scientifically proven. Now a pharmaceutical crop, specific oils in Chenopodium ambrosoides are distilled, making if far more powerful than the few leaves we add for taste, and used in the medicinal world to purge the intestinal system. And therein lies another of its common names: American wormseed.
As a cooking herb, a couple plants are more than enough. For winter use, the entire plant can be snipped off before it blooms and hung upside down in a shady, dry location. When the foliage is thoroughly dry, crumble and stores it in an airtight jar in a closed cupboard. The stumps left in the garden will continue to grow for the rest of the summer, and will seed next year's crops before winter arrives.
Pinto Bean & Rice Stew
If you're so inclined, you can zip up this hearty stew with hot sauce or peppers.
4 cups water
1 cup dried pinto beans, washed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh epazote, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups cooked white rice
In a large pot, bring water, beans garlic, and onion to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until beans are soft. Add chili powder, cumin, parsley, epazote, tomatoes, and salt, and cook over medium low heat for 15 minutes. Stir in rice and serve.
Makes 4 servings.
V PER SERVING: 243 CAL (4% from fat), 8g PROT, 1g FAT, 52g CARB, 440mg SOD, 0mg CHOL, 7g FIBER
Tortilla Casserole
It's fine to use stale tortillas for this easy stovetop casserole.
10 corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch squares
6 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 to 3 jalapeños, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon fresh epazote, chopped, (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1/2 cup water
3 ounces cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1. Preheat oven to 350° and lightly pan spray a baking sheet. Spread tortilla squares over prepared sheet and toast for 20 minutes, or until no longer pliable.
2. In a large skillet, cook onions and jalapeños in 2 tablespoons water for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add tomatoes, epazote, and remaining water, and cook over medium high heat for 10 minutes, or until tomatoes begin to break down. Cover with tortilla squares, sprinkle with cheese, reduce high to low, and cook, covered, for 5 minutes, or until cheese melts.
Makes 6 servings.
L PER SERVING: 194 CAL (29% from fat), 8g PROT, 6g FAT, 29g CARB, 257mg SOD, 15mg CHOL, 4.4g FIBER
Tortilla Soup
To prepare dried peppers, first wipe them clean and then toast them in a dry cast iron skillet over high heat until they soften and plump up slightly. Remove seeds and ribs and proceed as directed in your recipe.
6 corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 dried pasilla peppers, toasted and chopped
4 medium tomatoes, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium russet potato, peeled and diced
5 cups vegetable stock
1 tablespoon fresh epazote, chopped, (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 350° and lightly pan spray a baking sheet. Spread tortilla squares over prepared sheet and toast for 20 minutes, or until no longer pliable.
2. In a blender or food processor, puree peppers, half of the tomatoes, garlic, and 1/2 cup of vegetable stock.
3. In a heavy soup pot, cook onions in a 1/4 cup of vegetable stock over medium high for 5 minutes, or until soft. Add pepper mixture, potatoes, remaining stock, and epazote. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in tortilla pieces and serve with cheese, if desired.
Makes 6 servings.
L PER SERVING: 132 CAL (9% from fat), 3g PROT, 1g FAT, 25g CARB, 258mg SOD, 0mg CHOL, 3.3g FIBER
As late as the early 1980's, this herb was found only in groceries serving a large Hispanic population. Also known as Mexican Tea, it originated in South America, spread northward through Central American, and now has naturalized in many parts of the United States - particularly where it spread from former plantings. Yet, until quite recently, seeds for home gardeners were hard to find. Today, many seed companies with a serious herb section carry Chenopodium ambrosoides.
Growing it is easy. An assertive annual, once started it will self-seed almost any place, even areas with very cold winters, where it readily germinates every spring. For top production, newly purchased seeds should either be sown in the fall or put in the freezer for a couple of weeks before planting.
Epazote does best in full sun and poor, well-drained soil. If you plant the seed half an inch deep, and thin the young plants to a foot apart, it will be four feet tall by mid-summer and produce tiny yellow-green flowers. A member of the goosefoot family and a close relative of lamb's quarters, its young leaves and shoots can be cooked as nutritious greens. Leaves of any age can be used as a seasoning.
While epazote's freshly picked flavor leaves a distinct unusual aftertaste - even unsettling after the first time its tried - a finely minced sprig added to salsa or dried bean recipes creates just the right subtle overtones. It dresses up a lot of recipes through South and Central America, and it's indigenous to Mexican cuisine where it seasons many tortilla concoctions, a wide range of sauces, and almost all bean dishes.
Epazote, as a folk remedy to relieve the gas which often accompanies legume meals, has been scientifically proven. Now a pharmaceutical crop, specific oils in Chenopodium ambrosoides are distilled, making if far more powerful than the few leaves we add for taste, and used in the medicinal world to purge the intestinal system. And therein lies another of its common names: American wormseed.
As a cooking herb, a couple plants are more than enough. For winter use, the entire plant can be snipped off before it blooms and hung upside down in a shady, dry location. When the foliage is thoroughly dry, crumble and stores it in an airtight jar in a closed cupboard. The stumps left in the garden will continue to grow for the rest of the summer, and will seed next year's crops before winter arrives.
Pinto Bean & Rice Stew
If you're so inclined, you can zip up this hearty stew with hot sauce or peppers.
4 cups water
1 cup dried pinto beans, washed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh epazote, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups cooked white rice
In a large pot, bring water, beans garlic, and onion to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until beans are soft. Add chili powder, cumin, parsley, epazote, tomatoes, and salt, and cook over medium low heat for 15 minutes. Stir in rice and serve.
Makes 4 servings.
V PER SERVING: 243 CAL (4% from fat), 8g PROT, 1g FAT, 52g CARB, 440mg SOD, 0mg CHOL, 7g FIBER
Tortilla Casserole
It's fine to use stale tortillas for this easy stovetop casserole.
10 corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch squares
6 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 to 3 jalapeños, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon fresh epazote, chopped, (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1/2 cup water
3 ounces cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1. Preheat oven to 350° and lightly pan spray a baking sheet. Spread tortilla squares over prepared sheet and toast for 20 minutes, or until no longer pliable.
2. In a large skillet, cook onions and jalapeños in 2 tablespoons water for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add tomatoes, epazote, and remaining water, and cook over medium high heat for 10 minutes, or until tomatoes begin to break down. Cover with tortilla squares, sprinkle with cheese, reduce high to low, and cook, covered, for 5 minutes, or until cheese melts.
Makes 6 servings.
L PER SERVING: 194 CAL (29% from fat), 8g PROT, 6g FAT, 29g CARB, 257mg SOD, 15mg CHOL, 4.4g FIBER
Tortilla Soup
To prepare dried peppers, first wipe them clean and then toast them in a dry cast iron skillet over high heat until they soften and plump up slightly. Remove seeds and ribs and proceed as directed in your recipe.
6 corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 dried pasilla peppers, toasted and chopped
4 medium tomatoes, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium russet potato, peeled and diced
5 cups vegetable stock
1 tablespoon fresh epazote, chopped, (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 350° and lightly pan spray a baking sheet. Spread tortilla squares over prepared sheet and toast for 20 minutes, or until no longer pliable.
2. In a blender or food processor, puree peppers, half of the tomatoes, garlic, and 1/2 cup of vegetable stock.
3. In a heavy soup pot, cook onions in a 1/4 cup of vegetable stock over medium high for 5 minutes, or until soft. Add pepper mixture, potatoes, remaining stock, and epazote. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in tortilla pieces and serve with cheese, if desired.
Makes 6 servings.
L PER SERVING: 132 CAL (9% from fat), 3g PROT, 1g FAT, 25g CARB, 258mg SOD, 0mg CHOL, 3.3g FIBER
CHIVES: This garlic-flavored herb was once used to treat blood poisoning but now is now used mostly as a flavoring agent in cooking.
Native to the northern hemisphere, chives once grew wild throughout Eurasia, from Siberia to Corsica, and in North America as far south as the Great Lakes. Thousands of years ago, Chinese herbalists recommended eating raw chives as an antidote for poison and to control excessive bleeding.
The Romans cooked with chives, which are mentioned in the famous cookbook of Apicius. Eventually chives caught on in the rest of Europe, and were popular in 16th century gardens. This perennial member of the onion family was used to flavor soups, eggs, cheese, and salads. Bunches of chives were hung in old world homes to ward off evil spirits.
Chives made their way into American gardens before 1806. Dutch settlers in America planted chives in their cow pastures to create chive-flavored milk.
The two most common types of chives are Allium schoenoprasum and Allium tuberosum, also known as garlic chives. The mild onion-flavored Allium schoenoprasum have slender, two-foot high tube-shaped leaves and purple, clover-like flowers. Allium tuberosum have narrow flat leaves with star-shaped white flowers and a garlicky taste.
Chives' main use is culinary, as a flavoring or garnish. The French consider chives a necessity in fine herbs, a mixture of equal parts parsley, tarragon, chives, and chervil - all fresh, of course. Fine herbs flavor savory sauces and soups, and when added at the last minute of cooking, release their essential oils, but retain their freshness.
Sprinkle chives on salads, vegetables, and potatoes, and use in cheese and egg dishes for a mild onion or garlic flavor. They are especially good in cottage cheese. Chive blossoms can also be eaten - toss them into salads, chilled soups, and marinated vegetables. Chives are best used fresh, but can be dried or frozen as well.
All members of the Allium genus contain sulfur, some iron and vitamins (chives are especially high in vitamin C), and are a mild antibiotic. They also contain the phytochemical allicin, which may help reduce cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and prevent certain types of cancer. Chives sprinkled on food stimulate the appetite, promote digestion, and can also serve as a mild laxative.
Even folks with brown thumbs can grow chives. Although the easiest method is to buy small plants from a nursery, they can also be started from seed, or by dividing the roots from an older clump. Individual bulbs should be planted five inches apart in full sun or light shade in rich, moist soil. A mixture of two parts garden or potting soil, two parts peat, one part sand, and one part compost works quite well.
When cutting chives often for use, enrich the soil monthly. Chives are evergreen in mild regions, but go dormant where winters are severe. Clumps can be grown indoors in winter, to provide fresh leaves for cooking. They need at least six hours of sun a day.
Chives make excellent companion plants for fruit trees, vegetables, and flowers. Prevent apple scab by planting chives around the base of apple trees or watering them with chive tea. (Made by pouring boiling water over dried chives, steeping for fifteen minutes, and diluting with two parts water).
The attractive chive plant makes a lovely edging for a flower border or herb garden. The plants blend well with other herbs such as mint and sage. Chive blossoms can be used as cut flowers and can be dried for arrangements.
Tofu-Chive Potato Topping
Creamy tofu tastes terrific with chives. Pulse briefly for a speckled appearance, or blend longer to produce a beautiful pale green hue. Use it as a great dip for crisp vegetables.
8 ounces soft (not silken) tofu
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped chives
Salt and pepper
In a blender or food processor, combine tofu, oil, and lemon juice, process until smooth. Add chives and pulse to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Makes about 1 cup.
V PER TABLESPOON: 26 CAL, (72% from fat), 1g PROT, 2g FAT, 1g CARB, 0mg SOD, 0mg CHOL, 0g FIBER
Caponata with Chives
Here's the latest tasty variation of the ever-popular Sicilian side dish.
1 large eggplant, peeled and chopped (about 4 cups)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon Balsamic or red wine vinegar
1/2 cup chopped chives
1. Place chopped eggplant in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Set aside to drain on a plate or in the sink, for about 1 hour.
2. In a large skillet over medium high heat, sauté onion in oil, stirring frequently, until golden, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and celery and sauté for 2 minutes more.
3. With hands, squeeze moisture from chopped eggplant and add to the skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, until eggplant is tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
4. Stir in tomatoes, vinegar, and chives. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Makes about 2 cups.
V PER 1/4 CUP: 31 CAL (48% from fat), 0.4g PROT, 2g FAT, 4g CARB, 34mg SOD, 0mg CHOL, 1g FIBER
Sour Cream Biscuits with Chives
Pretty flecks of chives add interest to these tender, fluffy biscuits.
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached white flour
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup nonfat sour cream
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup chopped chives
1.Preheat oven to 425° and lightly oil a baking sheet. In a large bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Make a well in the center and add sour cream, oil, and chives. Stir until just combined.
Makes 9 biscuits.
L PER BISCUIT: 138 CAL (22% from fat), 5g PROT, 3g FAT, 22g CARB, 378mg SOD, 0mg CHOL, 2g FIBER.
The Romans cooked with chives, which are mentioned in the famous cookbook of Apicius. Eventually chives caught on in the rest of Europe, and were popular in 16th century gardens. This perennial member of the onion family was used to flavor soups, eggs, cheese, and salads. Bunches of chives were hung in old world homes to ward off evil spirits.
Chives made their way into American gardens before 1806. Dutch settlers in America planted chives in their cow pastures to create chive-flavored milk.
The two most common types of chives are Allium schoenoprasum and Allium tuberosum, also known as garlic chives. The mild onion-flavored Allium schoenoprasum have slender, two-foot high tube-shaped leaves and purple, clover-like flowers. Allium tuberosum have narrow flat leaves with star-shaped white flowers and a garlicky taste.
Chives' main use is culinary, as a flavoring or garnish. The French consider chives a necessity in fine herbs, a mixture of equal parts parsley, tarragon, chives, and chervil - all fresh, of course. Fine herbs flavor savory sauces and soups, and when added at the last minute of cooking, release their essential oils, but retain their freshness.
Sprinkle chives on salads, vegetables, and potatoes, and use in cheese and egg dishes for a mild onion or garlic flavor. They are especially good in cottage cheese. Chive blossoms can also be eaten - toss them into salads, chilled soups, and marinated vegetables. Chives are best used fresh, but can be dried or frozen as well.
All members of the Allium genus contain sulfur, some iron and vitamins (chives are especially high in vitamin C), and are a mild antibiotic. They also contain the phytochemical allicin, which may help reduce cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and prevent certain types of cancer. Chives sprinkled on food stimulate the appetite, promote digestion, and can also serve as a mild laxative.
Even folks with brown thumbs can grow chives. Although the easiest method is to buy small plants from a nursery, they can also be started from seed, or by dividing the roots from an older clump. Individual bulbs should be planted five inches apart in full sun or light shade in rich, moist soil. A mixture of two parts garden or potting soil, two parts peat, one part sand, and one part compost works quite well.
When cutting chives often for use, enrich the soil monthly. Chives are evergreen in mild regions, but go dormant where winters are severe. Clumps can be grown indoors in winter, to provide fresh leaves for cooking. They need at least six hours of sun a day.
Chives make excellent companion plants for fruit trees, vegetables, and flowers. Prevent apple scab by planting chives around the base of apple trees or watering them with chive tea. (Made by pouring boiling water over dried chives, steeping for fifteen minutes, and diluting with two parts water).
The attractive chive plant makes a lovely edging for a flower border or herb garden. The plants blend well with other herbs such as mint and sage. Chive blossoms can be used as cut flowers and can be dried for arrangements.
Tofu-Chive Potato Topping
Creamy tofu tastes terrific with chives. Pulse briefly for a speckled appearance, or blend longer to produce a beautiful pale green hue. Use it as a great dip for crisp vegetables.
8 ounces soft (not silken) tofu
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped chives
Salt and pepper
In a blender or food processor, combine tofu, oil, and lemon juice, process until smooth. Add chives and pulse to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Makes about 1 cup.
V PER TABLESPOON: 26 CAL, (72% from fat), 1g PROT, 2g FAT, 1g CARB, 0mg SOD, 0mg CHOL, 0g FIBER
Caponata with Chives
Here's the latest tasty variation of the ever-popular Sicilian side dish.
1 large eggplant, peeled and chopped (about 4 cups)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon Balsamic or red wine vinegar
1/2 cup chopped chives
1. Place chopped eggplant in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Set aside to drain on a plate or in the sink, for about 1 hour.
2. In a large skillet over medium high heat, sauté onion in oil, stirring frequently, until golden, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and celery and sauté for 2 minutes more.
3. With hands, squeeze moisture from chopped eggplant and add to the skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, until eggplant is tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
4. Stir in tomatoes, vinegar, and chives. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Makes about 2 cups.
V PER 1/4 CUP: 31 CAL (48% from fat), 0.4g PROT, 2g FAT, 4g CARB, 34mg SOD, 0mg CHOL, 1g FIBER
Sour Cream Biscuits with Chives
Pretty flecks of chives add interest to these tender, fluffy biscuits.
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached white flour
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup nonfat sour cream
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup chopped chives
1.Preheat oven to 425° and lightly oil a baking sheet. In a large bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Make a well in the center and add sour cream, oil, and chives. Stir until just combined.
Makes 9 biscuits.
L PER BISCUIT: 138 CAL (22% from fat), 5g PROT, 3g FAT, 22g CARB, 378mg SOD, 0mg CHOL, 2g FIBER.
CHAMOMILE: Chamomile's medicianal properties range from skin inflammations to lightening hair to treating digestive problems.
Native to Europe and the Mediterranean, the herb Chamaemelum nobile derives from the Greek words for "ground apple," a reference to the herb's distinctive aroma, and the Latin word for "noble" or "noted," which indicates its healing qualities. Chamaemelum nobile, often called Roman chamomile, is a low-growing perennial. Tea made from its flowers can be medicinal and bitter tasting. German chamomile, Matricaria recutita, is named for its traditional role as a gynecological herb and is the species most commonly used in the US. This tall, erect annual produces a sweeter, more flavorful tea than Roman chamomile. Both chamomiles belong to the Compositae family, along with daisies, dandelions, and marigolds.
A Soothing Tradition
Dioscorides, a Greek physician in the Roman army, prescribed chamomile for upset stomachs, jangled nerves, and kidney and liver diseases. During the spring, ancient Greek physicians pounded chamomile's leaves, flowers, and roots into lozenges which were prescribed for snake bites.
Over thirteen centuries before Dioscorides, the ancient Egyptians used chamomile in various ways. Its blossoms formed part of the floral garlands worn by statues of deities in King Tut's tomb. Powdered chamomile flowers were sprinkled into the abdominal cavity of the mummy of Rameses II to act as an insecticide. In ancient Assyria, Anthemis tinctoria, or "dyer's chamomile," was used for dyeing and was known as "the gift of the field."
The Anglo-Saxons, too, associated chamomile with the gods, "never...fatally fell man since we to him maythen (chamomile) for medicine mixed up." Maythen was one of the Nine Sacred Herbs given to the world by the god Woden, as listed in the Lacnunga, an ancient Anglo-Saxon manuscript.
Seventeenth and eighteenth century herbalists recommended that "to comfort the braine, smel to camomill." And, "all parts of this excellent plant are full of virtue." Seventeenth-century herbalist Nicholas Culpeper wrote, "bathing with a decoction of chamomile taketh away weariness, easeth pains, comforteth the sinews when overstrained, and mollifieth all swellings." Nineteenth century Eclectic physicians prescribed it for digestive problems, malaria, typhus, and menstrual cramps.
For Beauty, Mind, and Mouth
Today, chamomile tea is commonly used as an antidote to stress. Research has revealed that its volatile oil compounds act as a mild sedative. Chamomile combats insomnia and prevents nightmares. It also helps relax the lining of the digestive tract and therefore helps overactive stomachs and bowels. Chamomile can be used externally to treat skin inflammations, sunburn, hemorrhoids, insect bites, and eczema. As a mouthwash, it helps alleviate mouth inflammations and toothaches.
As a beauty aid, chamomile has various uses. Rinsing the face weekly with chamomile tea helps keep the skin smooth, especially in bad weather. The herb can be used on babies, and even on dogs and cats. Cotton balls dipped in cool chamomile tea and placed on the eyes can relieve puffy bags under the eyes. To condition and lighten hair, boil chamomile flowers for 20 minutes and use the cooled tea as a hair rinse.
Chamomile proves quite versatile as a beverage. The French often drink a tisane of chamomile after dinner. Although chamomile tea is much more popular in Europe and Latin America than in North America, great amounts of it are imported here. Many ex-coffee drinkers find chamomile tea an excellent morning beverage. And on a hot afternoon, an iced tea made of chamomile is thoroughly refreshing.
A Gardener's Friend
Gardeners, too, have found many uses for chamomile, especially for lawns. Shakespeare's Falstaff noted of the herb that "the more it is trodden on the faster it grows." Thousands trample the famous chamomile lawn at Buckingham Palace, with no ill effect to the herb. Chamomile covers garden seats and walkways, allowing people to enjoy its pleasant, refreshing scent as they stroll through the grounds. Old time gardeners called chamomile the "plant doctor," placing it near sick plants and growing paths of it through their herb gardens. They believed chamomile was especially good for cabbages, and if planted a yard away, for onions as well. To treat herbs suffering from transplant shock, some gardeners sprinkle a light mulch of fresh or dried chamomile flowers at the base of the plant and water with hot water.
Grow Chamaemelum nobile in full sun or partial shade in moist, well-drained soil. This perennial evergreen with tiny daisy-like flowers, forms a soft mat three inches high when not blooming, but reaches twelve inches when in bloom. The stems of this creeping herb root themselves as they spread, thus making a good lawn substitute. It can be sown by seeds or division.
Matricaria recutita is a summer annual that stands 2 1/2 feet tall and has finely cut, fernlike foliage. It grows easily in full sun and requires little water once established.
Tasty Herb Tea
For jangled nerves or an upset stomach, a cup of chamomile tea just might do the trick. Snuggle up in bed with a mug of this flowery tisane and your favorite book. Or serve it with pound cake or not-too-sweet cookies for dessert.
1 tablespoon dried chamomile
1 teaspoon apple mint
1 teaspoon dried hibiscus flowers
1 teaspoon dried lemon grass
Combine herbs in a teapot and pour 2 cups of boiling water over them. Stir with a wooden spoon or chopstick. Place lid on pot and steep for 10 minutes. Strain and serve.
An Herbal Bath Pouch
What could be better on a cold winter's night than a hot bath scented with herbs?
1 tablespoon dried chamomile
1 tablespoon lavender leaves
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 tablespoon mint, thyme, sage, or basil
1 5 x 5 inch square of cheesecloth
1 rubber band
1 ribbon, long enough to hang the bag from the tap
Place the herbs in the center of the square of cheesecloth. Gather up the corners and secure the pouch with the rubber band. Tie the ribbon around the rubber band, creating a loop. Hang the herbal pouch by the loop from the tap, allowing the water to run through the pouch. When the tub is full, lengthen the loop and immerse the pouch in the bath water. Reuse the pouch by drying after use, and replacing the herbs as they lose their aroma.
A Soothing Tradition
Dioscorides, a Greek physician in the Roman army, prescribed chamomile for upset stomachs, jangled nerves, and kidney and liver diseases. During the spring, ancient Greek physicians pounded chamomile's leaves, flowers, and roots into lozenges which were prescribed for snake bites.
Over thirteen centuries before Dioscorides, the ancient Egyptians used chamomile in various ways. Its blossoms formed part of the floral garlands worn by statues of deities in King Tut's tomb. Powdered chamomile flowers were sprinkled into the abdominal cavity of the mummy of Rameses II to act as an insecticide. In ancient Assyria, Anthemis tinctoria, or "dyer's chamomile," was used for dyeing and was known as "the gift of the field."
The Anglo-Saxons, too, associated chamomile with the gods, "never...fatally fell man since we to him maythen (chamomile) for medicine mixed up." Maythen was one of the Nine Sacred Herbs given to the world by the god Woden, as listed in the Lacnunga, an ancient Anglo-Saxon manuscript.
Seventeenth and eighteenth century herbalists recommended that "to comfort the braine, smel to camomill." And, "all parts of this excellent plant are full of virtue." Seventeenth-century herbalist Nicholas Culpeper wrote, "bathing with a decoction of chamomile taketh away weariness, easeth pains, comforteth the sinews when overstrained, and mollifieth all swellings." Nineteenth century Eclectic physicians prescribed it for digestive problems, malaria, typhus, and menstrual cramps.
For Beauty, Mind, and Mouth
Today, chamomile tea is commonly used as an antidote to stress. Research has revealed that its volatile oil compounds act as a mild sedative. Chamomile combats insomnia and prevents nightmares. It also helps relax the lining of the digestive tract and therefore helps overactive stomachs and bowels. Chamomile can be used externally to treat skin inflammations, sunburn, hemorrhoids, insect bites, and eczema. As a mouthwash, it helps alleviate mouth inflammations and toothaches.
As a beauty aid, chamomile has various uses. Rinsing the face weekly with chamomile tea helps keep the skin smooth, especially in bad weather. The herb can be used on babies, and even on dogs and cats. Cotton balls dipped in cool chamomile tea and placed on the eyes can relieve puffy bags under the eyes. To condition and lighten hair, boil chamomile flowers for 20 minutes and use the cooled tea as a hair rinse.
Chamomile proves quite versatile as a beverage. The French often drink a tisane of chamomile after dinner. Although chamomile tea is much more popular in Europe and Latin America than in North America, great amounts of it are imported here. Many ex-coffee drinkers find chamomile tea an excellent morning beverage. And on a hot afternoon, an iced tea made of chamomile is thoroughly refreshing.
A Gardener's Friend
Gardeners, too, have found many uses for chamomile, especially for lawns. Shakespeare's Falstaff noted of the herb that "the more it is trodden on the faster it grows." Thousands trample the famous chamomile lawn at Buckingham Palace, with no ill effect to the herb. Chamomile covers garden seats and walkways, allowing people to enjoy its pleasant, refreshing scent as they stroll through the grounds. Old time gardeners called chamomile the "plant doctor," placing it near sick plants and growing paths of it through their herb gardens. They believed chamomile was especially good for cabbages, and if planted a yard away, for onions as well. To treat herbs suffering from transplant shock, some gardeners sprinkle a light mulch of fresh or dried chamomile flowers at the base of the plant and water with hot water.
Grow Chamaemelum nobile in full sun or partial shade in moist, well-drained soil. This perennial evergreen with tiny daisy-like flowers, forms a soft mat three inches high when not blooming, but reaches twelve inches when in bloom. The stems of this creeping herb root themselves as they spread, thus making a good lawn substitute. It can be sown by seeds or division.
Matricaria recutita is a summer annual that stands 2 1/2 feet tall and has finely cut, fernlike foliage. It grows easily in full sun and requires little water once established.
Tasty Herb Tea
For jangled nerves or an upset stomach, a cup of chamomile tea just might do the trick. Snuggle up in bed with a mug of this flowery tisane and your favorite book. Or serve it with pound cake or not-too-sweet cookies for dessert.
1 tablespoon dried chamomile
1 teaspoon apple mint
1 teaspoon dried hibiscus flowers
1 teaspoon dried lemon grass
Combine herbs in a teapot and pour 2 cups of boiling water over them. Stir with a wooden spoon or chopstick. Place lid on pot and steep for 10 minutes. Strain and serve.
An Herbal Bath Pouch
What could be better on a cold winter's night than a hot bath scented with herbs?
1 tablespoon dried chamomile
1 tablespoon lavender leaves
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 tablespoon mint, thyme, sage, or basil
1 5 x 5 inch square of cheesecloth
1 rubber band
1 ribbon, long enough to hang the bag from the tap
Place the herbs in the center of the square of cheesecloth. Gather up the corners and secure the pouch with the rubber band. Tie the ribbon around the rubber band, creating a loop. Hang the herbal pouch by the loop from the tap, allowing the water to run through the pouch. When the tub is full, lengthen the loop and immerse the pouch in the bath water. Reuse the pouch by drying after use, and replacing the herbs as they lose their aroma.
ANISE: This licorice-tasting herb is equally at home on the spice rack as it is in the medicine cabinet.
Anise, one of the oldest known herbs, may be indigenous to Egypt and Asia Minor, but it's been cultivated so long, it's hard to tell. The ancient Egyptians grew anise for food, drink, and medicine, using both the feathery leaves and licorice-flavored seed. The pharaohs' medical texts prescribe the aromatic plant for stomach complaints, bladder ailments, and toothache. Egyptian anise was famous in the ancient world, second only to the Cretan variety.The Romans planted the herb all over Tuscany for use in their special spiced cake, mustaceum, which also contains cumin, new wine, fat, cheese, and grated bay bark, and is baked on bay leaves-the world's first spiced wedding cake. The Romans brought anise north to Europe and England. Greek and Roman medical writers recommended suspending anise from a pillow to give the sleeper youthful looks and good dreams.
The herb is mentioned in the Gospel of Matthew, and it shows how valuable an herb it was-mint, anise, and cumin were used to pay tithes. Charlemagne commanded, in the 9th century AD, that the herbs (including anise) growing in Saint Gall's monastery should be planted on all his royal estates, thus spreading the fragrant plant further through Europe. The herb became so valuable in England that importers paid a tax on it. During the reign of Edward I, anise was one of the drugs taxed when carried across the Bridge of London. Cloth bags filled with iris and anise scented the royal linens of Edward IV. Ibn Baithar, the 13th century physician and botanist from Malaga, Spain, mentions its medicinal value.
The American colonists brought the valuable herb to the new world. In 1619, the first Assembly of Virginia decreed that "each man, as he is settled upon his division, plant (among other plants) six aniseeds and that each are to make trial thereof the nexte season." Anise's long popularity throughout so many lands stems from its many uses: culinary, household, cosmetic, aromatic, and medicinal.
All parts of the plant can be used in the kitchen. The seed flavors baked goods, such as German springerle and Italian biscotti, cream cheese, pickles, curries, coleslaw, egg dishes, and liqueurs, such as the French pastis and Greek ouzo. Anisette combines anise, coriander, and fennel seeds in sweet vodka. The flowers can be added to fruit salads, as can the leaves. Freshly-chopped leaves also enhance dips, cheese spreads, vegetables, or green salads. Mixed into stews and soups, the stem and roots of anise give just a hint of licorice.
As a beauty aid, the ground seeds are added to face packs, and the oil scents perfumes, toothpastes, soaps, and mouthwashes. Crushed seeds can be used in potpourri.
Medicinally, an infusion of anise seed makes an antiseptic tea for colds and coughs. It soothes colic in babies and helps nausea. Its essential oil helps to expel gas. Gently crush one to two teaspoons of anise seed to release the essential oil. Pour one cup of boiling water over the seeds and steep for five to ten minutes.
Anise, along with carrots, belongs to the Umbelliferae family. These plants have rounded or flat-topped flower clusters with individual flower stalks rising from the same point, forming an umbrella shape; in fact, umbella is Latin for "parasol." The graceful, attractive annual grows to two feet tall from a thin, spindle-shaped root. The plant has two types of leaves; lower down on the plant they are bright green, and oval-shaped with toothed edges. The upper leaves are smaller, elongated, and divided into three segments. The plant bears tiny white flowers in dense umbels three inches across.
Home-grown anise seeds are much more potent than store-bought, making anise well worth cultivating. The versatile herb grows readily from seed and prefers a moderately rich, well-drained alkaline loam, with a sunny and sheltered exposure. Sow the seeds outside where they're to be grown in late spring (anise doesn't transplant well), and thin to eight inches apart when plants are a few inches high. It can be grown indoors successfully, too.
The plants flower six weeks after sowing. Harvest the lower leaves as needed and collect the flowers as they open. To harvest the seeds, cut the plant at ground level when it begins to turn gray-green at the tips. Dry the seeds by hanging the plant upside down, tying a paper bag over the seed heads to catch the seeds as they fall. Seeds to be sown next year should be kept in a cool, dark place.
For cooking, beauty and health, grow anise and you'll be growing a bit of history.
Anise Cookies
These warm, licorice-falvored treats are always a hit!
1/4 cup butter
1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons whole anise seeds
Cooking spray
1. Preheat oven to 400° and lightly spray two cookie sheets. In a medium bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and mix thoroughly.
2. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and anise seeds. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet. Using a teaspoon, drop dough onto prepared cookie sheets and bake for 5 to 7 minutes, or until golden brown.
Makes 36 cookies.
L/O PER COOKIE: 50 CAL (32% from fat), 1g PROT, 2g FAT, 8g CARB, 41mg SOD, 15mg CHOL, .7g FIBER.
Fruit and Flower Salad
Dress up a summer fruit salad with delicate white anise flowers.
1 cantaloupe, peeled and sliced into thin wedges
1 cup blackberries
1 tablespoon chopped anise leaves
Juice of 1 small orange
2 tablespoons anise flowers
In a shallow serving bowl, combine fruit, anise leaves, and orange juice. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 4 hours. Scatter flowers over salad before serving.
Makes 6 servings.
V PER SERVING: 78 CAL (9% from fat), 2g PROT, 1g FAT, 18g CARB, 12mg SOD, 0mg CHOL, 3g FIBER.
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