Elderflower fritters

Elderflower Fritters

excerpt from 5/23/21 "Just the Essentials" free newsletter.  Subscribe with your email address on our website - www.essentialherbal.com

When I was a little kid, I lived down the road from 4 girls around my age in one family – the Caterbones.  Their mom was a really good cook.  There was often a spot at the table for me.  Mrs. Caterbone made corn fritters, delectable nuggets of sweet corn held together with light batter, and served with King’s Table Syrup. 

We make fritters with lots of spring flowers, because we can!  Violets, dandelion, rose petals, and now elderflowers become the ingredient of honor.  They make a nice side dish for a holiday meal or brunch.  They’re ready for Memorial Day here.  They are a simple, elegant and memorable treat.

Choose nice full umbels.  I separate them into smaller pieces, according to how they grow.  Often the stems are left on the flowers so that they are easy to maneuver.  Rinse them well and give any critters a moment to escape. Pat dry.
Note:  small amounts of stem, especially cooked are safe to eat.  

Mix up the batter.  I like a thinner batter for elderflowers, to let the flavor through.
1 c flour
1 t baking powder
2 eggs
 ½ c milk
½ c water
1 t vanilla extract (omit for savory fritters)
 ½ t salt  
Mix until smooth and free from lumps.
Heat about 1/4” of oil in a frying pan.
When it’s hot, dip elderflowers in batter and fry until golden brown. 
You will need to flip them, so hopefully you have thin, pliable stems.  Otherwise, snip and flip.
Drain oil on paper towels. Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar.

Yesterday Cindy Jones of Colorado Aromatics suggested adding lilacs to drinking water for flavor.  That put a bee in my bonnet, and I sprinkled some lilacs over the battered umbels on the way to the frying pan.  Very tasty.   It has me thinking about adding all kinds of things to the batter.

I really like the lightest sprinkle of 10X sugar, but some might prefer some nice rose or violet syrup drizzled over the fritters.  It also occurred to me while I was making these today that it might be interesting to add a teaspoon or two to the liquid portion of the recipe – rose, orange blossom, etc.

They really are a delicious treat!
If you have leftover batter, fry some batter-dipped sage leaves.

Wandering to the Workshop

 I don't go down the old path to the workshop much anymore.  Someone moved in on the other side of that field and cut down most of the wooded buffer before realizing it wasn't theirs, so now it feels like I'm walking right to their yard before turning down the hill.  There are a lot of plants that I miss in that buffer, so I wanted to visit what is still there.
Out the front door, the first thing to lay eyes on is this stunning clematis climbing up the butterfly bush.  It was in bud for weeks and the anticipation was hard!

Next was the first red poppy, bright as a cardinal.  It stands proudly besides the purple lupine spires.  Both of these plants have been temperamental for me, so this is super gorgeous.

Along the side of the house on the other side of the front garden is a glorious, fat juniper/cedar.  It gets cedar apple rust when the weather is wet.  We'd had a couple weeks with no rain and no "orange brains" but it rained yesterday, so...

Down to the bottom of the back yard, and the blueberries are weighing down the branches.  They'll need some serious pruning before winter.

It seems early to see the passionflower sprouts coming up at the corner, yet there they are.  Things are never on schedule anymore.  Maybe they never were.

Motherwort is doing great.  It grows all along the fence row, and down closer to the workshop.  Down there, it's just about to bloom. I love her leaves, but haven't printed with them yet.  The tincture gets very dark, so I've been hesitant, but maybe soon.

Poison ivy is also very prolific along the fence row.  The birds garden this area, depositing seeds from the things they eat.  Apparently the local birds LOVE poison ivy berries.  They aren't picky though, so the diversity is great.

Multiflora rose is there, of course.  For the next week or two, if we drive somewhere on the back roads with the windows open, the air will be perfumed with the fragrance of this rose.  Her petals can be gathered to use in the same way other roses would be used.

A bit further and we come upon blackberry blossoms.  We have 3 main wild berries in this part of the country - black raspberry, wineberry, and blackberry.  Mulberry trees are also very common.  All of these berries grow here, along with the occasional precious wild strawberry.

Perhaps 10 or 15 years ago, the birds planted Solomon's seal along the ridge above my sister's house.  Her husband was interested in bamboo at the time, so I (and by "I", I of course mean my nephew) grabbed a few shovels full of the roots to rescue, and they are now vigorously spreading across my front yard.  Today while picking a few rugosa rose petals, I noticed that the original patch is still hanging in there.  This plant is becoming much less common than it once was - but you couldn't tell around here.  It is extremely vigorous. 

Shepherds Purse is also one of the weeds (herbs) around here.  Let's face it... I live in a field with a house plopped in the middle :-) 

 Finally hoofing it back up the hill to beat the mailman with the item I'd gone down to pick up, I took the other path home and stopped to check on the yarrow and spearmint that are tucked in behind the biggest bayberry.  

All in all, there is a lot to see out there.  The whole time, birds are chirping and singing, as if it's all some Disney movie.  Of course if it WAS a Disney movie, mice and birds would be down there making and wrapping soap instead of us doing that after lunch.  

I hope you get to spend some time looking at what grows around you.

 

Our Handmade Cards

 For a few years, we've been working with fabrics and various mordants, plants, and techniques to get leaf prints on scarves (and maybe some other things coming up...).  Those can be found HERE.

In the last month or so, we started working with paper. 

 

After the prints are made, we drag out the paints and pencils to embellish the prints, trying to walk a fine line to avoid gilding the lily!  

There are a couple that we can't bring ourselves to give up, and will probably frame, but there are a couple hundred that still need work. 

 About 60 are listed on the website HERE. 

Usually our posts are teaching posts with recipes and instructions, but every now and then we just want to let you know about something we have to offer.  Right now, buy 5 of them and the 6th is FREE!  

As a side note, my house may never be "tidy" again.

Hiking Take-Alongs

 3rd excerpt from the 4/21/21 Just the Essentials.  Almost time to start a new one!

Hiking Take-Alongs
A lot of us have been staying off the trails for a while. I've spoken to several health care providers over the last few months, and they tell me that they are seeing tons of muscle/joint injuries from our collective lack of motion and weight gain. Now that we're feeling more confident about getting out there, please keep in mind that it's a good idea to start slowly and you'll quickly work up to what used to be normal.
In case you've forgotten what you used to throw in the backpack, here are some suggestions:

~Sweatshirt
Depending on the elevation and time of year, the temperature can fluctuate greatly in 15 minutes. Be aware of predictions and dress appropriately and in layers.  Our kids are more like siblings than cousins, and they have found a particular shirt that has a particular fabric and texture that it is comfortable over a wide range of temps.  It isn't available online, and it's about as easy to find as a unicorn, but the shirt also has a large front pouch/pocket.  Very handy for hiking.

Here they are wearing said shirts while giving me the universal signal for, "Isn't it almost time for you to go home?  Stop taking pics, or I swear you'll wear this coffee!"

~Field Guide (or phone app)
I have strong reservations about phone apps. It's important to learn the most useful food and medicinal plants around you. At exactly the moment when we'll most need to be able to find them, most likely power will be out. Depending on anything that requires electricity during a crisis is short-sighted. If you like to use a plant ID phone app, please then go on to learn the plant by sight and memory.  We've generally used the Peterson Guides, but there are many others available.  Some free phone apps:  PlantNet, iNaturalist, or PlantSnap.

~Walking Sticks
While visiting my daughter in CO the autumn before the pandemic, I noticed people using walking sticks out on the trails. They look "adventurous" and "seasoned" instead of old and wobbly (my usual look). My sister and I have some trouble out here walking in the fields because they are uneven and although the land is flat-ish, the sticks are helpful here. On hills, they are even better. The ones I got are easily adjusted for height and have 3 other "feet" for snow, paved surfaces, etc.

I Googled "walking sticks" and found these at Dick's. They were about $25 and may be a great Mother's Day gift idea.

 
~Water and high energy snacks
Always have hydration available. We need hydration and calories in order to finish that walk that may have gotten a little longer than we expected, and both food and water enable us to think straight as well as keep walking.

Always with a water bottle.  Sunglasses are a good call, too.

~Bug spray!
Doing research for naming and labeling is one of the yuckiest parts of what we do. Oddly, it is illegal to use the word "repellent" for this type of product, unless it has been through very specific lab testing that nobody smaller than Dow Chemicals can afford. That's a slight exaggeration, but not by much. 

Available HERE

Anyhow, that's why we didn't name or label "Git Spritz" using that terminology. People who use Git Spritz will tell you it works. One of our customers wrote while on the trail halfway across the country, asking for a quick shipment! We love it for everything from skeeters and ticks, and even added a specific essential oil to discourage those gnats that like to help garden in the evenings, and seek to get a little drink your eyes, nose, or mouth! The Git Stick is a solid lotion bar making it great to put around the ankles, behind the neck, where it stays and protects longer. There are a lot of good bug sprays out there. This is ours. (Individual items of kit are available separately)

~Trash Bag
Challenge yourself to leave the trail better than you found it.  Leave nothing behind.  Take only photos. 

Happy Earth Day!

Herbalist's Spring Shopping List

Excerpt from our 4/12/21 "Just the Essentials" Newsletter.  It gets so busy in the spring that if we aren't prepared we can miss things. People are sharing ideas on social media and you will see me running outside with a jar, grabbing buds or twigs to try something new at least once a week. The thrill is never ending!  Be prepared.

Spring Shopping List

Spring is popping out all over the place here. There are a few things you'll want to have on hand for herb-crafting so that you don't miss the herbs when they are at their peaks.

1. Alcohol for tinctures. I usually get 151 proof, because it's a high enough proof for everything, and can be watered down if necessary. 

2. Good Vinegar... You'll want real apple cider vinegar and some good white wine vinegar. The clear vinegar is great for chive, redbud, and nasturtium infusions - so begin with. The apple cider vinegar is great as fruits start ripening and will work well for shrubs and similar hot weather drinks.

3. Honey and/or Maple Syrup will be great for elixirs, and the honey for herbal honey.  Don't forget that sometimes (hard candy, some syrups) you'll need regular, refined sugar.

4. Olive oil, or whatever oil you'd like to use for external (medicinal) and internal (generally food) uses.

5. Bottles and jars to get these concoctions started.
This is a very general list. 

Eventually you'll want things like salts, clays, powdered milk, fancy bottles, droppers, and more.

 

 

Since the newsletter went out, I remembered that I always run out of distilled water.  I also use a lot of broth for green soups - so its a good thing to stock up on. Everyone has their own thing that they run out of.  Egg cartons are in high demand right now too!
Here's a start.  HAVE FUN!

 

May/June 2021 Essential Herbal Issue - What's In It?

We just sent another issue out to subscribers.  There's lots of great stuff in it and we'll share the table of contents below.  If you're a subscriber, check your email!  If not, it's sure easy enough to subscribe!
We've got lots of other great herbal stuff to window shop, too :-)  HAPPY SPRING

Cover, Carolina Gonzalez
   Gorgeous burst of color and joy is just what we all need right now.

Field Notes, Tina Sams
    We're feeling all kinds of hope and recovery and can't wait to see some herbie faces!

Brunch Celebration, Alicia Allen
     Delicious options for celebrating life's happinesses.

Put the Lime in the Coconut, Marci Tsohonis
     Canna Coconut Gummies - You've got questions, Marci's been doing the hands on research.

Catnip - Not Just for Cats! Kristine Brown, RH (AHG)
     Such a valuable weed, too often overlooked.  Now you'll know.

Eggstravagance, Rebekah Bailey
     Baskets, boxes, and bags of eggs at the Bailey place!

Book Excerpt - The Story of the Gluten Free Kid, Jenel Schaffer
     A mother shares her experiences of getting the family off gluten via stories and fun recipes.

Garden Design (part 2), Kathy Musser
     Lots of options and elements for the variety of colors, heights, and textures of plants in the garden.

How to Substitute Fresh Herbs for Dried Herbs, Jessicka Nebesni
     Use the guideline in an included herb blend recipe!

The Green Man, Jackie Johnson ND
     A poem for the season

Peppercorns, Jackie Johnson ND
     On most kitchen and dining room tables, but what do we know about it?

Vinegar Drinks Class Notes, Maryanne Schwartz and Tina Sams
     We gave this class and the notes make a quick and easy guide.

Wedding Herbs, Marcy Lautanen-Raleigh
     Flowers and herbs can add much to a wedding, and their meanings enrich sentiment.

Book Excerpt - Ashkenazi Herbalism, Deatra Cohen and Adam Seigel
     Rediscovering the herbal past of a culture is a long, winding path.

Get the magazine!
Subscribe today

Book Review - Ashkenazi Herbalism

Review from Maryanne Schwartz:

When Tina mentioned we were going to do an excerpt from a new book on Ashkenazi Herbalism, I jumped at the chance to read and review the book. 

 

My results from 23 & Me were pretty disappointing (total French & German) except for one little .01% of Ashkenazi Jewish DNA. I’d heard the term and was somewhat familiar before because there are certain diseases that seemed to be connected with that heritage. Tay-Sachs disease is the one I remember.

For me, defining the area called “The Pale” where they lived was interesting in itself, and I thought perhaps that was where the phrase “Beyond the Pale” came from, but in further reading I found that the Pale usually refers to agreed upon boundaries where one is safe, so I think it’s the same idea, just that this area was in Russia/Poland/Germany.  I think we more commonly think of it as a ghetto, although ghettos were more like smaller settlements in specific parts of cities. My conclusion in respect to the phrase though, seems to refer to the idea of certain agreed upon limits in general, so if we are beyond the pale, we have passed normal boundaries in speech or action.

It took a lot of sleuthing and research to find the herbal history of the Ashkenazi people, but the author(s) discovered a history and hierarchy that sounded very familiar to the way healers and herbalists and midwives and physicians have developed in our own history:

The old ways remain, but they are pushed aside for the newer ways which are then pushed aside for even newer, and more powerful healers.  The earlier ways are still found to have value by many, even as they are cast aside by the newer, more scientific establishment. We are seeing a bit of this now with the return of respect toward midwives and the widespread acceptance of various supplements by many main-stream medicinal authorities.

Reading through the Materia Medica, the same thing is found to be true with the herbs themselves.  One herb may have been used for something in the past until it is found to possibly be doing more harm than good for that purpose, but that same herb may still contain value for some other afflictions. 

It is interesting to see how the herbs were used - and how their uses may have changed or how they may still be used in the current day. Even though this was across the ocean and many miles, many of the same herbs that we use today are discussed.

Although we are fortunate to be able to have access to the most up to date medicine of the day now, herbs are still so useful for many of the same first aid type occurrences as they were way back when..

Please Note:  The publisher (North Atlantic Books) has provided Essential Herbal readers with a very nice excerpt and a substantial discount code, which will be published in the May/June issue which comes out on April 20.  It is time sensitive, so if you want this book at a GREAT price, heads up!

Bring Back May Day Baskets!

 (From the 4/12/21 Just the Essentials Newsletter)

We have a friend who was telling us about how she makes a couple dozen really nice May Day baskets and spends May 1 making people feel special. Actually, she was saying how much fun SHE has doing it more than about how it made other people feel. It has me thinking about who I want to surprise in a couple of weeks with a little basket of goodies!

When I was in elementary school, we always made the baskets every year. Our grandmother was an elementary teacher, and Maryanne remembers dancing around the May Pole at Mimi's school, but I missed that. Bringing those baskets home to give away was so exciting! We only made one at school, so more were made at home. Mrs. Bortzfield and Mrs. Brubaker were older ladies who lived alone, and they were my targets. Mrs. Bortzfield always had candy any time she saw me, and Mrs. Brubaker had a huge zinnia patch outside her kitchen door and always let me take as many as I wanted.

May 1 doesn't always have a lot of flowers around here. Nowadays, there are a lot more bulb flowers like daffs, tulips, and hyacinths, but other than the tiny pansy plants we got at Sunday School for Easter, there weren't many flowers. We were forbidden from touching the dogwoods. 

This led me to searching the woods behind the house. The trees were a mixture of evergreens and hardwood, and that was where I found Dutchmen's Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria). They dropped me to my knees. I've written about that moment before; it started my fixation with plants. This tiny, perfect string of pants hanging on the line immediately stole my imagination and at 6 or 7 I was certain there were fairies hiding nearby giggling at my amazement. There are a lot of small things that can go in a May Day basket other than flowers. A few pieces of candy, a bar of floral scented soap, a small candle, some incense, some tea... you get the idea! There are a ton of spring crafts for kids (or adults) out there, and this is one that caught my eye:  

                  https://www.easypeasyandfun.com/printable-bug-paper-rings/ So cute! 

 Some inspiration:

Hand made Baskets

We have a few metal baskets HERE

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Nettle Corn Chowder

 Yesterday I made the best Nettle soup ever! 

The recipe for my usual green soups depends on what is on hand, so it's unusual for me to write down the recipe - but it was that good.

 

Cutting without stinging - stick the colander under the leaves you intend to cut.

All the stinging hairs/needles are on the backs of leaves, and the stems.

Some of the ingredients are pre-packaged.  I use potato flakes and broth because there are almost never real potatoes in the house, and there is never enough broth for the amount of soup we eat in the spring.  You can make them from scratch, though. 

The dairy can be subbed too. 

Here we go...

1 T butter
2 T minced onion
1 stalk celery chopped
1 quart fresh nettle leaves
1 small potato, chopped (had here because Easter :-) )
1 hard boiled egg, chopped
1/4 C 1/2 and 1/2
1/2 C corn
2 slices bacon, cooked til crisp
1 quart chicken (or veg) broth
1/2 C instant mashed potatoes

Instructions:
Process the rinsed nettles with about 2 cups of the broth until you get a green slush.
Melt butter in pan.
Sweat onion and celery in the butter.
Add the processed nettle to the pan.
Add chopped egg and potato, and the rest of the broth.
Add corn and whisk in instant potatoes
Add 1/2 and 1/2 and bacon (bits)

Heat thoroughly.  Serve with crackers.  There won't be any left, but just in case, it can be refrigerated.

AND
Just in case you have lots of nettles available, you may want to try this...

https://theessentialherbal.blogspot.com/2020/04/handmade-stinging-nettle-pasta.html

As I recall, I did find the nettle TOO strong, so you may want to cut it a little.

Spring Magic in The Kitchen and Beyond

 (also from the 3/27 Just the Essentials)

Below you'll find links to our posts for making violet syrup and scrub, as well as dandelion shortbread cookies.  

 

https://theessentialherbal.blogspot.com/2009/05/violet-syrup-et-cetera.html

https://theessentialherbal.blogspot.com/2016/04/violet-sugar-scrub.html

https://theessentialherbal.blogspot.com/2020/04/dandelion-and-lemon-shortbread-cookies.html

Stay tuned for more spring recipes and crafts!

Herb Plant Shopping!

Herb Plant Shopping!

Part 2 of our 3/27 newsletter (and an interview below)
SUBSCRIBE to our magazine and our free newsletter on our website.

Although most of the spring herb festivals are still not happening this year, it looks like the greenhouses and stores will be open.  Last year we were able to order plants and pick them up without looking at the other plants, smelling the varieties, or getting carried away.  I will be making up for that this year. 

For those looking to start out with a little control (hahahaha, whatever), I thought it might be helpful to share what plants have been or become the most important over the years.  Yours may vary, but this is a bare bones list.  Add as you like!  They are always in my gardens.  In many cases, even if something is supposed to be perennial or expected to reseed, I purchase extras if last year’s look puny, because having too much is not a problem.  

 
Culinary List:
Parsley – biennial, so plant some every year so there is always some to use.
Thyme – should be perennial, but often requires replacement.
Basil – I like to get Genovese, Lettuce Leaf, and Purple Ruffles for different dishes.  Never too much!
Sage – So delicious with fall dishes and once it’s in the garden, it can find its way into lots of meals.
Rosemary – adds so much to chicken and beef roasts and stews.  Very tender perennial here.

Cilantro – although not for everyone, the coriander is also good.  I LOVE it.  So fresh!
Chives – provides a relatively mild onion-y flavor in dips, salads, side dishes, and potatoes.
Oregano – be careful where you plant this aggressive, delicious pizza herb.
Dill – I didn’t know how much I loved this flavor until there was plenty of it to play with in the kitchen.
Fennel – we love it sliced into salads.  Delicious with orange segments, oil, and a touch of balsamic.
                            Options – marjoram, tarragon, horseradish, garlic
                   Wild seasonings – sassafras, sumac, mints, onions and garlic

Medicinal List:
Calendula – no matter how much we plant, it’s never enough.
Chamomile – considered perennial or reliable reseeders, they often wander off.  Great tea herb!
Rose – we’ve never had enough of this, either. There are so many reasons to grow roses.
Holy Basil – easy to grow and it might be our #1 herb right now.  Emotional equalizer.
Valerian – The roots are usually sought, but we use the blossoms.  They are perennial, but rodents do
          love the roots.

Peppermint – excellent cup of flavor and cheer.  Choose Spearmint for stomach issues.
Lavender – gentle, relaxing, and offers so much to us from fragrance to sleep.  I’ve learned that they                         aren’t as perennial as we’d hope.  I try to plant one or two every year, just in case.
Lemon Balm – delicious, so fragrant, relaxing, and easy to grow.
Echinacea – reliable perennial that reseeds.  We use the whole plant, only pulling up the roots on the                    plants that stray out of the garden.
California poppy – this has just joined the garden in the last decade, since sleep isn’t as easy as it once                      was.  Reseeds easily, but occasionally needs to be replaced.  

       Other options:  Elder, Saint John’s wort, Catnip, Feverfew, Horehound… don’t get me started. 

AND...
Jenel Schaffer from Sheep Hill Herbs interviewed me on several things - including favorite herbs.