Hans Christian Andersen gives us this story of “The Little Elder Mother”. Elderberry is not the herb most closely associated with remembrance, but I like this tale of our Noble Interest as a kindly Bringer of warmth, Teller of tales, and Healer of discomforts, all achieved with a cup of tea. I find the theme of the eternal cycle of life… Continue Reading…
In his book, Trees, A Woodland Notebook, the Right Hon. Sir Herbert Maxwell points out that many places in Great Britain are named after the elder. This suggests that elder was both common and noticed.Elder has always been considered to be female and, like many other female spirits and deities, has been believed to have two sides to her personality. In… Continue Reading…
Elderberry has been well-known and highly respected throughout much of recorded history. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, called it his “medicine chest”. Galen agreed with him.
Elderberry has long been as comfortable in the kitchen as it is in the stillroom. It is versatile enough that there is a recipe for every palate.From Apicius; [135] ELDERBERRY CUSTARD OR PIE PATINA DE SAMBUCO [1]A DISH OF ELDERBERRIES, EITHER HOT OR COLD, IS MADE IN THIS MANNER [2] TAKEELDERBERRIES [3] WASH THEM; COOK IN WATER, SKIM AND STRAIN. PREPARE… Continue Reading…
A deciduous shrub native to both Europe and North America with an enthusiastic growing habit and a rangy appearance, elderberry has graced our gardens and tables since ancient days. Most varieties are hardy to Zone 4, with a few being hardy to Zone 3. Cornell University offers this excellent information on the growing requirements of elderberries..
I spent summers on my Grandfather’s farm. Little Pipe Creek flowed through the middle of it and when I was ten, the banks of the creek were covered in elderberry bushes. The good lady he had purchased the farm from came back every year to gather the fruits when they were ripe and always brought back a few jars of jelly… Continue Reading…
The tale most associated with the stinging nettle plant is the Brothers Grimm’s fairy tale The Six Swans. It’s a well-known tale of magic and love that has inspired countless re-tellings. I particularly enjoyed Juliet Marillier’s adaptation “Daughter of the Forest”. Add to your library
Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve wanted to make myself a garment of plant fiber that I grew, processed, spun, and wove myself. Comes from reading fairy-tales from a young age, I guess. Which is why it’s always been nettles that I wanted to make it of. A robe of nettles would give me an unbroken connection to my… Continue Reading…
The stinging nettle has walked through history hand in hand with the human race. Traces of this herb have been found in the earliest of human habitation sites. It has been recognized as a potent medicine for much of that time. From the Leechbook of Bald, written in the ninth century, we find this recipe: A wound salve ; take heads… Continue Reading…
Nettles have been in the cook’s pot far longer than the cook has been in the kitchen. This recipe is one of the earliest recipes humankind was using. From about 6,000BC. Gather your greens. Wash them carefully. Ingredients: 1 handful of sorrel 1 handful of watercress 1 handful of dandelion leaves 2 handfuls of young nettle leaves chives to taste 1… Continue Reading…
Stinging nettle is a hardy perennial native to Europe, Asia, northern Africa and western North America.It spreads by both seed and rhizomes, which means it’s fairly invasive given the opportunity. It prefers moist rich soil in partial shade, but if there’s enough moisture, it will grow in full sun as well. Larger animals tend to avoid it due to its painful… Continue Reading…
This herb is one I’m very familiar with.I’ve used it in a personal tea blend since I was a teenager.I’m just crazy enough that I actually went and did an afternoon’s work putting in a garden for someone else in exchange for a start of it for my garden.It’s a favorite in both the kitchen and the cosmetic cabinet.It is a… Continue Reading…
The obvious choice for this week’s tale is Rapunzel.I will point out that there is controversy here, though. If you do a search for “fairy tale” and “radish” you will get a bajillion sites about Rapunzel. The common wisdom is that Rapunzel’s mother craved radishes. Add to your library
You can find the radish in a lot more places than just the salad bowl.Pliny tells us that there was at least one offering of a golden radish to the god, Apollo. Every year in Oaxaca, Mexico, they celebrate The Night of the Radish – an entire festival centered on the carving of large radishes.
Historically, the radish was almost as important in the leech’s repertoire as it was in the kitchen. According to Dioscorides, it is useful as a laxative, a diuretic and an emetic.There is some discussion as to whether the ancient Egyptians employed it. Some say that they paid their workers a wage of radishes, garlic and onions, deliberately supplying the workers building… Continue Reading…
