Hello Nerve-Loving Herbs + Recipe

The world can feel crazy, and right now it feels very much so! Frazzled and frenzied, muddy and mushy, and drippy and dank are emerging from my corner of the world. Deep breaths and reassuring thoughts of peace, gratitude, and abundance are called in—along with this tea formula.
Hello nerve-nourishing, uplifting herbs to help with this tense, cold, dark moment!

Nerve-Tonic-Uplift Recipe

Oatstraw- 3 parts
Lemon Balm- 1 part
chamomile- 1part
rose- 1/2 part
licorice- pinch
cinnamon- pinch

This blend is made with dried herbs. The herbs are (ideally) weighed to get the parts right. I suggesting using ounces as the parts. And if so, this tea blend makes 5 1/2 ounces. Use about an ounce of the herb mixture per quart of infusion. To make the infusion, let steep for 4 hours, tightly covered. Then strain and drink.

Rosa rugosa is a wonderful species of rose to harvest (or grow). The flowers and hips provide us with food and medicine. Today we call upon the flower for its heart warming, and love-evoking gifts.  

Technique on making oatstraw infusion < click here to view the video. Use this same technique for making the Nerve-Tonic-Uplift recipe, just use the tea mix in place of the oatstraw. https://youtu.be/hE_CX3D6qIM

Rose illustrated page from our book Foraging & Feasting: A Field Guide and Wild Food Cookbook by Dina Falconi; illustrated by Wendy Hollender. More about our book on our site here: www.ForagingAndFeasting.com

This is another species of rose: Apothecary Rose (Rosa gallica) picked in mid June; perfect for eating and medicine-making. And for sure, grow some, if you can!

Lemon Balm illustrated page from our book Foraging & Feasting: A Field Guide and Wild Food Cookbook by Dina Falconi; illustrated by Wendy Hollender. More about our book on our site here: www.ForagingAndFeasting.com

Lemon Balm flowering tops at the perfect stage for medicine-making. I gathered these in mid July (Mid Hudson Valley, New York) Lovely to see you lemon balm who calms and lifts our spirits. 

Sending peace and love!
In gratitude,
Dina

Sweet Violet Valentine's Day to You!

Who is your herbal Valentine, do tell?

Grateful for this nourishing wild food and gentle powerful medicine.

Its heart-shaped leaf is a rich source of vitamin C + other nutrients, while offering a soothing touch to our skin and mucous membranes—and of course those lovely EDIBLE flowers!

To help with ID, harvest and use, here is our Violet Plant Map from Foraging & Feasting: A Field Guide and Wild Food Cookbook by Dina Falconi (me), illustrated by Wendy Hollender. To see more about our book, please go to our site here: www.ForagingandFeasting.com.

Today's Love Tea
This dry mix will make 4+ quarts of tea. Use 1 handful of mix per quart.

Violet from “Foraging & Feasting: A Field Guide and Wild Food Cookbook” by Dina Falconi, illustrated by Wendy Hollender. To see more about our book, please go to our site here: www.ForagingandFeasting.com.

violet leaf 1 oz
hawthorn berry 1 oz
rosehip 1 oz
damiana 1/4 oz
rose 1/4 oz
ginger 1/4 oz
vanilla 1/8 oz
nutmeg pinch
licorice root pinch

To make: Crush herbs right before use. Place a handful of the herb mix (about 1oz by weight) into a quart mason jar. Pour boiling water over the herbs and fill the jar to the top. Cap tightly and let steep for 1-4 hours. Strain, gently reheat in a covered pot, and if desired, add warm cream or milk and a touch of honey. Enjoy!

Do you use violet, and if yes, how so?

WITH MUCH LOVE!

Thankfully, there are so many herbs to help us stay well and to support us when we are sick. An abundance of herbs comes to mind that supports our immune systems: all the “spaghetti sauce herbs”—oregano, thyme, marjoram, and basil, and their wild native American cousin: wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa); the alliums: field garlic (Allium vineale), garlic, onion, Egyptian onion, chive, leeks, etc. And then there is lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), a nice, tasty, relaxing, anti-viral herb. Elder, echinacea, boneset, yarrow, spilanthes, and elecampane are quite helpful, supporting us as move through illnesses. Keep in mind that by supporting the liver, kidneys, lymph, and digestion, we support our health. So bring on the liver supportive herbs: hello dandelion and burdock! Nettle, who so deeply nourishes, also supports these central systems. Grateful to all of this herbal support!

PS: To promote health, a nutrient rich, blood sugar stable diet is key, along with plenty of rest, and a good dose of outdoor activity, especially in nature. Then there is gratitude, the practice of being grateful. So many more thoughts come to mind but for now this will do.

What are you doing to support your health? Do tell!

Please note: this sharing is not intended to be used as medical advice.

Botanical illustrations from our book Foraging & Feasting: A Field Guide and Wild Food Cookbook by Dina Falconi, illustrated by Wendy Hollender ~ Click link in our profile for more about our book or here: http://bit.ly/1Auh44Q

Dandelion: A Constant Companion

Wondering which wild edible to eat right now? = Dandelion. She seems to always be available, offering superior nourishment throughout the growing season. In this mid-fall moment, I like to gather her leaves and add them to salads, adding just enough; too much and the salad becomes too bitter. I also make sure to mince the leaves up, dispersing them well into the milder-tasting greens. This perennial of the Asteraceae, originally from Eurasia, is one of our most common weeds that boasts profound nutrient density: high in beta carotene, vitamin C, calcium and iron. The bitterness, while often not enjoyable to many palates, is quite healthful as a digestive aid and liver tonic. Remember when we support our digestion and our liver — many, many, good things happen. 

To help with identification, harvest and use please, look below at the Dandelion Plant Map from my book Foraging & Feasting: A Field Guide and Wild Food Cookbook by Dina Falconi; illustrated by Wendy Hollender.

From the book Foraging & Feasting: A Field Guide and wild Food Cookbook by Dina Falconi; illustrated by Wendy Hollender.

Wild Bergamot in Bloom

#WildBergamot blooming beautifully= food for the #Pollinators and for us. Right now it's time to indulge in those lovely, light lavender #EdibleFlowers full of spicy sweetness. Sprinkle them onto salads; blend them into softened butter; use them as a flavorful garnish throughout. This wild American native, aka #Mondarda fistulosa, is a perennial of the Lamiaceae family. Look for it in meadows, clearings, prairies, thickets and gardens. Harvest the flowering tops to brew into a strong flavorful tea with a spicy, pungent, oregano-like flavor; has cleansing and digestive promoting qualities.

Wild Bergamot Plant Identification page from the book Foraging & Feasting

Day Lily Harvest

#DayLily's beautiful blossoms can be eaten now! Raw or lightly cooked, they offer a mild flavor with a mucilaginous effect. I love to tear the flower into smaller pieces and add it to salad or to garnish w/ it. The the long flowers buds and wilted flowers can also be eaten lightly cooked. Originally from Asia, and now widely spread throughout the landscape, this perennial's Latin name is Hemerocallis fulva of the Xanthorrhoeaceae family. BTW, occasionally may cause vomitting or diarrhea if eaten in large quantities by sensitive individuals.

The Day Lily Plant Identification Page from the book Foraging & Feasting

Red Clover

#RED CLOVER (Trifolium pratense) graces the landscape — time to gather the blossoms for food and medicine = medicinal food. Break up the flower heads and sprinkle the individual blossoms into salads, onto cakes, and as a garnish to beautify any dish. Dry the blossoms for a health-promoting tea; often used for supporting skin and lung health. Flavor is mild with a sweet pea-like taste.

Violet

Looking forward to righteous #violet (Viola sororia) arriving back in the landscape. Eat the mild leaves & flowers raw; super high in #vitaminC — flower surprisingly more than leaf. Decorate dishes, even cakes with the blossoms. Toss leaves into soup at the end of the cooking process, blend into pesto with more pungent greens or in Wild Green Goddess Dressing. Violet's soothing, cooling qualities help with inflammation in the gut and respiratory systems, as well as topically on the skin. Some say that these wild, free, and abundant violets are #antineoplastic, read anticancer!!!