Catching up herbally

[bunnyjadwiga]

Well, yesterday I picked some wood sorrel (http://www.nativetech.org/plantgath/sorrel.htm ) out of the edge of one of the beds along the parking lot, and walked back to work chewing it, muttering "oxalic acid". Yes, there are 2 reasons why this was foolish: one is that wood sorrel is high in oxalic acid, which is bad for humans in large amounts, and the other was it was in a parking lot, and therefore right next to car exhaust. I do need to remember that i'm still breastfeeding and take fewer chances. On the other hand, the tangy taste of woodsorrel is delicious.

Tonight I hope to pick some fat hen/pigweed/lamb's quarters (chenopodium species: http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/weeds/plants/lamb_quarters.htm) that is growing as a weed in the side yard and cook it. I think steamed.

We also have huge amounts of spearmint/garden mint growing in the side yard, one of the things that convinced me this rental was the right place for us; we make an excellent salad by mixing mesclun/spring greens with baby spinach and adding mint leaves, though a small handful of mint leaves can pep up even a basic romaine salad.

Comments

[auntiero.livejournal.com]

Note to self: get a potted mint plant for the garden.

Hey... any recommendations on what to do with lemon balm? Like mint, it's amazingly invasive and has pretty much taken over my front garden. There are mounds of the stuff and I can't figure out what to do with it other than make a natural insect repelling necklace out of it.

[madrun.livejournal.com]

Make tea with it! Lemon balm makes a great addition to iced tea, or makes a great hot tea by itself.

[auntiero.livejournal.com]

I should have thought of that, thanks! It smells so strongly like citronella that I never think of it as edible. :D

Potted mint

[bunnyjadwiga.livejournal.com]

Be aware that potted mint seems to use up the soil very quickly; mine has always died out from the center after 1-2 years. I think changing the entire subsoil would probably prevent that.

I use lemon balm in my sekanjabin, and also as strewing herb (it's supposed to make the heart glad). Apparently at one time, lemon balm was rubbed into furniture to polish it.

Maybe I will try to make some lemon balm syrup and see how that comes out.

Re: Potted mint

[auntiero.livejournal.com]

I can understand the bit about it making the heart glad. It's a cheery scent.

Hmmm... furniture polish... I'll have to try it, see how it works.

[madrun.livejournal.com]

I just cooked lambs-quarters last night for dinner! It's also called quelites.

1/2 lb wild mushrooms, chopped (I used oyster mushrooms from the FM)
1 spoonful garlic paste
a little oil
a little water
a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds
2 spoons-full of hoisin sauce
1 big bunch of lambs-quarters/quelites, chopped

Saute garlic and mushrooms in oil until they start to wilt. Add a little water, throw in lambs-quarters and clap a lid on and turn down the heat to medium-low. Let it steam for a few minutes, just until bright green and wilted. Stir it up, add hoisin sauce, stir again, and immediately dump into a bowl. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve immediately.

This is delicious.

[ghislainedel.livejournal.com]

I love herbs in salad! Unfortunately only the chives survived the winter in my herb planter on the deck.

[bunnykissd.livejournal.com]

We have wood sorrel growing in the yard (not yet but soon) and the kids all love it!