THE KIKAR OR BABUL TREE

THE KIKAR OR BABUL TREE
The Kikar or Babul tree is a member of the acacia family of trees, and the variety here in Pakistan is the Acacia nilotica. It can grow up to 12 metres tall and spreads its branches, so is known as a parasol tree. In English it has several names, none of which I recognize; the Cape Gum, Cassie, Cockspur Thorn and Karoo Thorn among others. Its flowers don’t have nectar, but bees love the pollen from its yellow flowers, which are used as decorations .It has a rough red-brown through to almost black bark, and large fern-like leaves, which are light green. In dry periods it loses its leaves and the seed pods become prominent.

The Kikar or Babul tree is not used as food, although goats love its leaves and can be seen braving its thorns in their attempts to get at the delectable treats. The bark and seeds of the tree contain tannin, and decoctions of these are used to stop diarrhea. The leaves and bark can also staunch bleeding. It is a tree used in medicine, and is supposed to be especially good for male problems, such as premature ejaculation (the seed pods) and spermatorrhea. A decoction of the pods is used to dry up mucus in the bronchial tubes, so it’s good for colds and coughs. The gum from the kikar tree trunk and branches is used as a gargle to relieve sore throats and tonsillitis. It is also supposed to be a good aid to digestion.

The bark and twigs of the Babul tree are used in Pakistan as toothbrushes as it whitens the teeth and strengthens the gums, and teeth. In this respect it is like the Neem tree.

The Hindu god Shiva is sometimes depicted in the form of the lord of the Babul Tree, and it is associated with Krishna too. For Sikhs, this tree is a symbol of the spiritual seeker who has to deal with the barbs and arrows of unbelievers, and worldly people.

No part of this tree is eaten however, like the banyan tree, so no recipe follows. However you can try one of our recipes that stand alone, like Chicken Shahi, or Moussaka.

WHAT ARE JUNIPER BERRIES FOR ? MEDICINE;TISANE;BEEF CASSEROLE RECIPE

JUNIPER BERRIES

Juniper berries can be found throughout the northern hemisphere. They are best known because they are used to flavour gin. However, they have many other uses.

Juniper berries were known to the ancient Egyptians who used them medicinally as did the ancient Greeks. They were prized for their antiseptic qualities and are a diuretic. In northern Europe they were one of the Druid’s sacred plants, and used with thyme in sacred groves to induce visions. Some say that they were the incense used by witches in the Mediterranean region. It was believed that if a juniper shrub was planted by the door of a house, it would discourage thieves. If the berries were strung in a home they would attract love, people thought, and men took them to improve their sexual potency. The essential oil from the juniper berry is said to give protection and purification. Incense from juniper berries is supposed to provide exorcism, protection, healing and bring love.

Pliny, writing in ancient Rome says that as peppercorns were so expensive, dried juniper berries were often a substitute. Archaeologists have found that our European ancestors used juniper berries to flavour their beer.

They are regarded as helping to calm an upset stomach, to cure indigestion and flatulence, and to assist in kidney and bladder diseases because of their diuretic properties. If sheep eat them, dropsy is cured and prevented, apparently. In the Renaissance they were used to cure snake bites, and to protect against the plague. Their leaves smell rather like pine, so they were often used to clear the air, either by strewing them on floors, or by burning the berries on a fire as the Swiss used to do.

In cookery they are used with game and duck, and go well with garlic, onions, thyme, sage, oregano, bay leaves and allspice. They temper the strong flavour of game, and reduce the fatty effects of pork and duck. They are also good in stuffings

A tisane can be made from them by adding 1 cup of boiling water to 1 tbsp of berries, then allowing it to steep for 20 mins before straining and drinking. This tisane can also be put on wounds to clean them. You can safely drink 2 cups of this tisane a day, but it is quite a powerful diuretic.

Juniper berries, when mixed with chrome and alum will produce a khaki or light-brown dye, depending on the quantities used.

BEEF CASSEROLE WITH JUNIPER BERRIES
Ingredients

500 gr beef, cut into cubes

2 large onions, sliced

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

500 gr tomatoes, peeled and chopped

2 bay leaves

1 tsp oregano

1 sprig fresh thyme

1 sprig fresh rosemary

1 tbsp juniper berries, lightly crushed to release flavour

2 glasses red wine

freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste

Method

Heat oil in a pan and seal the meat on all sides. Remove and add onions and garlic. Fry for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Now put all other ingredients in the pan with ½ pint of water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 mins, then remove from the heat.

Put all ingredients in an oven proof dish with a tight fitting lid and put in a low oven. Cook for 2-3 hours, until the meat is very tender.

Serve with baked or mashed potatoes and broccoli or other vegetables of your choice.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

CHICKEN SHAHI RECIPE

Shahi Chicken
Ingredients
1 and a half kilos fresh chicken cut into quarters
2 inch piece of ginger root, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
6 green chillies, very finely chopped
2 tomatoes, peeled and diced
½ handful mint leaves finely chopped
½ handful coriander leaves finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp mustard
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
50 gr grated cheese
2 eggs
2 tbsp cooking oil
salt to taste


Method
Score the chicken. Mix all ingredients, apart from eggs and cheese together and cover the chicken with the mixture, making sure to rub it well into the cuts you have made. Cover this and put in the fridge for 2 hours.
Mix the cheese and eggs together and after 2 hours remove the chicken and sprinkle the egg and cheese mixture over the top. Cover it and put on a very low heat and cook for 1 to 1 and a half hours.
You could cook it in the oven too if you put the chicken on a baking tray and sprinkle the egg and cheese mixture over it, and you could put some slices of tomato on top, then cook in a low oven for 1 to 1 and a half hours.
Serve with salad and your choice of bread.
This has Taste and is a Treat.

CHICKEN with HONEY and LEMON RECIPE

Honey and Lemon Chicken
Ingredients
1 chicken (about1½ kilos) with skin removed
½ cup honey
½ cup fresh lemon juice
½ cup cooking oil
1 inch ginger root, pounded to a paste
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp chilli powder
1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (methi)
1 tsp black pepper
salt to taste

Method
Score the chicken, making fairly deep cuts, although not going down to the bones.
Mix all other ingredients together and cover the chicken with this paste.
Put in the fridge for 2 hours.
Put in the oven at a low temperature and cook for 1½ - 2 hours.
Serve with French fries and salad.
This has Taste and is a Treat.

CHAMOMILE: HOW TO MAKE CHAMOMILE TISANE

CHAMOMILE

Chamomile was revered by the ancient Egyptians because they believed it could cure fevers. They also used the crushed flowers on the skin as cosmetics. It has been used by people in most cultures for its healing properties, notably as an aid to digestion, to relieve stomach cramps, as a mild sedative to cure insomnia and to ward off nightmares. There are many different types of chamomile, including Chamaemelum nobile, the one most commonly found in English gardens, Scotch Chamomile and German chamomile as well as the Stinking Mayweed or Stinking Chamomile, which Gerard wrote of as having a ‘naughty smell’.

The name chamomile comes from the Greek, kamai (on the ground) and melo (apple). Pliny wrote that it smells like apple blossom, so that may be how it got its name.

 In Mediaeval times chamomile leaves and flowers were strewn on floors in much the same way as juniper leaves and thyme were, to mask odours.

  It has been grown in gardens for centuries, and there is a verse which explains its resilience:-

‘Like a chamomile bed-

The more it is trodden

The more it will spread.’

  Culpeper wrote that it was ‘profitable’ for almost everything, from sprains to fevers, and recommended bathing with a decoction of chamomile in a hot bath.

  Peter Rabbit’s mother (in the Beatrix Potter book) gave Peter chamomile tea for a bad stomach, and it has been effective in helping digestion, and for reducing fevers. It is good for the skin and can help get rid of eczema; it can also be used in an eye bath for conjunctivitis. It is used in many toiletries, and recent research has shown that it does indeed have the properties ascribed to it by the ancient peoples who used it. The dried flowers can also be used as a natural yellow dye.

  If you steep 10 parts of chamomile flowers with 5 of crushed poppy heads in a muslin bag, in boiling water for 20 mins, then apply the bag to the affected area, it will help reduce swelling. As an antiseptic, chamomile tisane is said to be 120 times stronger than sea water, which contains iodine

  In the garden it is useful too. If you have a sickly-looking plant, and you plant chamomile beside it, 9 times out of 10 the plant will recover. Chamomile is known as “the plants physician”.

  It is sacred to Druids, for its healing qualities, and is believed to bring luck, purification, love, rest, justice and fortune.

Below is a recipe which can be used externally and drunk as a tisane.

CHAMOMILE TISANE

Ingredients

30 gr chamomile flowers

1 pint water

Method

In a covered pan, boil water and flowers for 10 mins. Leave to steep for 20 minutes without removing the lid. Strain and take a small cup at a time.

  This can be used on sunburn other minor burns, rashes and eczema too, just smooth onto the affected area with cotton wool.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

BOHAR or BANYAN TREE, MEDICINE and HISTORY

THE BOHAR OR BANYAN TREE

The Bohar tree is native to India and Pakistan, although it now grows throughout tropical Asia. It is the Ficus benghalensis, a member of the fig family of trees. It is sacred to both Buddhists and Hindus. Krishna is said to have achieved enlightenment under one, and Shiva, in his role of Universal teacher, Dakshinamurti, sat under a bohar tree to enlighten the sages who had come to hear his teachings. It is India’s national symbol, symbolizing India’s unity through diversity (as the tree has several trunks and many aerial roots).

The Banyan tree is also a symbol of spiritual knowledge. In the Pralaya it is written that only Krishna survived the great Cosmic Flood, and he is depicted sucking his toe, while floating over the flood waters on a banyan leaf in many Indian Tajore paintings. In Hindu mythology it is known as the ‘wish fulfilling tree’. Its ever expanding branches represent eternal life

It got its English name from the word, banian, for Hindu merchants or traders, as English people on the subcontinent noted that traders would sit under a shady banyan tree to do business, or to relax in its shade. Indeed, whole villages could stay under one tree that was reputedly so big that 20,000 people could be accommodated under its branches. It reportedly had a perimeter of 600 metres. The aerial roots grow into accessory trunks, and help support the massive trees.
The tree is epithetic, so when birds drop the seeds from the fruits of the banyan or bohar on the branches of other trees, they germinate and grow roots which, when they become thicker and stronger, eventually strangle the host tree.

Its leaves are large and leathery, smooth on the upper side of the leaf, but with hairy undersides, and these are used as fodder, as well as being boiled and used as poultices, applied to abscesses and cracked soles on the feet. The milky sap which oozes from the stems, twigs and branches when it is cut is used to relieve inflamed areas of skin, sores and ulcers. It is also used to get rid of bruises and to treat rheumatism and lumbago.

 The bark has astringent properties and is used to help in cases of diabetes, and to treat dysentery. Western medical researchers have been slow to research the possibilities of the banyan tree, but studies underway suggest that it may indeed be helpful in the treatment of diabetes. In Ayurvedic medicine its bark and seeds are used in infusions as these are believed to have cooling properties and these are used as a tonic and to cool the body.The ripe fruits are not generally eaten by people unless there is a time of famine, but they are enjoyed by monkeys and birds. People use its twigs for toothbrushes.

  The banyan tree is useful in many ways. It is home to the lac insects, parasites that live on the tree, as they do on the tamarind tree. From the resinous secretions of these creatures we get shellac which is used in French polish, and to make lac dye which is good for dying wool and silk. Shellac is also used in cosmetics and hair lacquer.

 Fibres from the bark and roots are woven into rope, and the aerial roots make good tent poles as they are strong and flexible-they are stronger than the tree trunk wood. A modern craft involves making greetings cards with the leaves from the banyan incorporated into the designs. The milky sap from the tree is good for polishing metal ware, and the wood is suitable for making paper pulp.

Ghosts and demons are said to live in the banyan tree so people don’t sleep under it at night. However married women go to the tree to ask for a long life for their husbands. Young people are encouraged to plant banyan trees and to put a silver coin under the roots. They should also plant them near a Bo tree or pipal tree (Ficus religiosa) which is believed to be the banyan tree’s female counterpart. When the banyan tree is planted in this way the young person should be lucky in life.

There are no recipes for this tree as people don’t eat its fruit. Sorry! However you could go to one of our stand alone recipes, a chicken one, or a salad or moussaka and pastitsio. They all have Taste and are Treats.

ARROWROOT: RECIPE ARROWROOT PUDDING and FRUIT

ARROWROOT
Arrowroot’s Latin name is Maranta arundinacea as it was named after a 16th century medical practitioner, Bartommeo Maranta. There are different species of arrowroot, or Maranta, and Maranta malaccensis from Borneo has poison in its root, used to put on arrows. But the arrowroot we buy packaged from a chemist or drugstore is not harmful, in fact the Indians who know this plant in the rainforests of South America and in the West Indies, use it to draw out the poison from arrow wounds and snake and spider bites.

It originated in the West Indies, and the name arrowroot comes from the name given the plant by the Arawak Indians, aru root. As mentioned above, it also grows in the rainforests of South America.
It was introduced into Britain around 1732, and has been used ever since to calm stomach upsets and it is given to people who are recovering from illnesses. Apparently it is also good for infants who are in the process of being weaned, as it is farinaceous, and bland.
The powder, when put on feet, helps reduce excess moisture and so can help to prevent fungal ailments such as athlete’s foot. However it has no fungicidal properties, it only soaks up sweat.

The powder comes from the roots of the plant and is starch based, and easily digested. It is used as a thickener for puddings and sauces. You mix a tablespoon of powder to a pint of water, but first mix arrowroot powder with a little water or milk and then boil a pint of milk or water, and pour the boiling liquid over the arrowroot, slowly, stirring carefully to avoid lumps. You drink this mixture after vomiting or a bad bout of diarrhea to replace some of the nutrients the body has lost.


ARROWROOT PUDDING and FRUIT
Ingredients
2 tbsps arrowroot powder
1 litre milk
1 tbsp sugar
50 gr butter
¼ tsp nutmeg
500gr fruit of your choice

Method
Mix the arrowroot with a little of the milk so that it makes a smooth paste.
Boil the rest of the milk with the sugar and add it to the paste slowly, stirring carefully all the while.
Add butter and stir in well.
Pour the mixture into an oven proof dish that has been well greased, and sprinkle the grated nutmeg over the top.
Cook in a medium oven for an hour to an hour and a half.
Serve hot or cold.
Chop up the fruit and marinade in cointreau or grande marnier for an hour or so, then serve with the pudding.
This has Taste and is a Treat.

PAPAYA or PAPITA with PAPAYA AND COTTAGE CHEESE RECIPE

PAPAYA or PAWPAW

The papaya or pawpaw (papita in Urdu), is native to South America. It is thought that it has been cultivated from a wild variety that was virtually inedible and bitter, so we have this tasty, juicy, exotic fruit thanks to the painstaking efforts of South American Indians. The papaya was first documented by the Spanish chronicler Oviedo in 1526, when it was discovered along the Caribbean coastline of Panama and Colombia.

It can be grown from seeds and the tree grown from a seed will be fruit bearing 18 months after planting. The seeds are edible, and have a peppery taste, and can be used as a pepper substitute. They can be used in salads. For centuries, South Americans have used the juice of the papaya to tenderize meat. In Asia the leaves are steamed and eaten as a green vegetable, and the green fruit is used in Thai salads. Teas made from the leaves are said to be effective against malaria.

However if pregnant, don’t eat green papaya. In parts of Asia they are used to bring on abortions, and as a contraceptive (the seeds are spermicidal).They are thought to be effective in preventing heart disease and colon cancer, and their anti-inflammatory properties mean that they are good for asthma sufferers as well as those suffering from rheumatoid and osteoarthritis. They have nutrients which boost the immune system and can help when you suffer from recurrent earache, colds or flu. No wonder they were revered by the ancient South American Indians.

Fresh papaya can be used in fruit salads, with muesli, yoghurt or in green salads. You can slice one in half, remove the seeds and fill with crab, shrimp, or tuna or even chicken salad. Place a slice on top of a grilled fish to garnish it, and eat as an unusual accompaniment to it.

PAPAYA WITH COTTAGE CHEESE
Ingredients
1 papaya sliced in half and seeds removed

250 gr cottage cheese

1 lime
30 gr toasted almonds
freshly ground black pepper and salt if you wish
2 mint leaves to garnish


Method
Sprinkle the papaya halves with lime juice, then pile in the cottage cheese. Top with pepper, almonds and garnish with mint leaves.
Serves 2.
This has Taste and is a Treat.

WHAT IS MASTICA? RECIPE LEVANTINE CHICKEN BIRYANI WITH MASTICA

MASTICA

Mastica comes from a tree which is a member of the pistachio nut bearing tree family. The mastica tree’s Latin name is Pistachia lentiscus and it is native to the Mediterranean region, Morocco, Iraq, Iran, the Iberian Peninsula, southern France and Turkey, as well as the Canary Islands. However the trees grown on the Greek island of Chios are the only ones that ‘weep’ Mastica ‘tears’ when the bark of the trunk is scored. The cooperative that produces mastica on the island has been granted protection designation of origin rights, as well as protected geographical indication, because of the unique nature of the trees, and the fact that the island has been producing world-famous mastica for centuries. The villages which produce mastica were fortified in Mediaeval times to protect them from pirates and others who would try to take them over, as the trade in mastica was so profitable. Indeed, the islanders were given special privileges because of the trees’ harvest by their conquerors, the Genovese and Ottoman Turks.

Mastica is tree resin, and has been used in medicine for centuries. The ancient Greeks used it to counteract inflammation, coughs and bladder infections, and the Egyptians put it into their drinking water, to make it taste better. It is said to lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure, help in cases of diabetes, and boost the immune system. It has anti-bacterial effects and was used as a remedy for cholera. Research conducted by the University of Thessaloniki has shown that chewing mastica can reduce plaque, and a separate study by researchers from the University of Nottingham has shown that 1 gram of mastica a day can cure peptic ulcers if this is done over period of two weeks.

The trees on Chios are said to weep because Saint Isidorus, in 253 AD was tortured under a mastica tree. The trees weep for his suffering.

In the villages which produce mastica on Chios, the Mastichochoria, the resin is harvested between June and September. After the ‘tears’ have been collected, the villagers wash each one separately and make this a social occasion. One tree will produce 200 to 300 grams of mastica each year.

Mastica is used in paints, varnishes, toothpaste, toiletries and drinks. It is used to make desserts and is one of the ingredients of loukoumia, or lokhma (Turkish Delight). You can buy it in crystal form or in a gooey liquid which you can eat like yoghurt if you have a sweet tooth. You can also get mastic gum to chew in Greece. The English word to masticate, meaning to chew, comes from the Greek mastica.

LEVANTINE CHICKEN BIRYANI

Ingredients

1 chicken jointed, or cut into smaller pieces

3 bay leaves

1 sprig thyme

1 handful of fresh mint leaves

salt and pepper

For biryani
2 glasses rice, cleaned
4 glasses water or chicken stock

2 cups yoghurt

1 egg,beaten

1 tsp cornflour or arrowroot

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp cumin seeds, dry fried and crushed

1 tsp cardamom seeds, crushed (remove seeds from husks of green cardamoms )

1 or 2 saffron threads, crumbled

2 inch stick of cinnamon

1 large onion, sliced

6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 mastica crystals

oil

Garnish

50 gr toasted or dry fried almonds, chopped

30 gr pistachio nuts, crushed

1 handful fresh coriander leaves, torn finely

Method

Put mastica, chicken pieces, bay leaves, thyme, mint and seasonings into a pan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Remove scum and simmer for 40 mins, or until chicken is cooked through. Check and remove any other scum that rises to the surface during cooking.

Mix egg with the arrowroot or cornflour and beat in the yoghurt. Add spices and salt to taste.

Fry onions and garlic for a few minutes until the onions start to brown.

Put cooked chicken pieces in a large pan and pour the yoghurt mixture over them.

In another pan, put the rice and pour 4 glasses of the chicken stock over it. Allow it to absorb the stock.

Mix the onions and garlic with the rice and place over the yoghurt.

Now add water to quarter fill the pan and cook for 30 mins over a medium heat or until the rice is cooked.

Remove the pan from the heat and leave to stand, covered for 5 mins.

Turn out onto a large serving plate and garnish with the nuts and fresh coriander leaves.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

ALLSPICE; RECIPE TRADITIONAL GREEK RABBIT STIFADO

ALLSPICE (Pimenta dioca, formerly officinalis)
Allspice is another, like Lemon Verbena which has undergone a Latin name changes. It was discovered by Christopher Columbus in (about) 1494 when he was in the West Indies, searching for pepper. He believed that the berries he found in Jamaica were in fact pepper, hence the name in Latin, pimenta. In some languages, such as Hungarian and Czech, allspice is known as a ‘pepper’ in the cases mentioned, its name translates as ‘clove pepper’. It gets its English name, allspice, from the fact that it is aromatic and tastes like a combination of cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Food manufacturers use it to flavour ketchups, pickles, and sausages. It is also used in the manufacture of terrines, pates and smoked meats. Some say that it can be used as a substitute for cinnamon, but as cinnamon is readily available, I think you should use the real thing, especially in recipes which call for both cinnamon and allspice.
Russian soldiers put it in their boots to keep their feet warm in the Napoleonic War of 1812, and whether or not it helped warm their feet, their smell must have improved. In traditional medicine it is used to aid digestion and stop stomach cramps. If you put one or two drops of oil of allspice on a teaspoon of sugar, it will help with flatulence, and bouts of hysteria according to a Victorian source.
It is good in hot baths to relieve aching muscles, and help arthritis sufferers. You can also make a poultice with it to put on aching muscles: take powdered allspice and mix to a paste with water, spread this paste on a cloth and put on the affected area. It’s good for toothache too. And you can put one or two drops of essential oil on the painful tooth and gum to relieve the pain, (in much the same way as cloves do). In Jamaica they make allspice tea to cure colds, stomach cramps and other stomach disorders. To make this tisane, you need one or two teaspoons of powdered allspice per cup of boiling water. Steep the powder in the water for 15 minutes, and then strain through a coffee filter, or the paper filter.
Allspice is an ingredient used in men’s toiletries, and has also been used as a good luck charm to attract a fortune from business dealings or gambling.
The recipe below is a traditional Greek one which can be used with beef or rabbit.


RABBIT STIFADO
Ingredients
1 rabbit, jointed
500 gr small onions, peeled (either shallots or pickling onions) but left whole
1 large onion chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 large tomato, peeled and chopped
2 tbsps tomato puree (concentrate)
½ tsp grated nutmeg
2 sticks cinnamon
6 cloves
6 allspice berries
12 black peppercorns
1 or 2 sprigs of rosemary
1 tsp dried thyme
3 bay leaves
1 cup red wine
¼ cup red wine vinegar
salt to taste

Method
In a frying pan, heat oil and seal rabbit pieces in it. When sealed all over, transfer to an oven proof dish with a tight-fitting lid.
Now fry the chopped onion, garlic for about 5 mins until the onion becomes translucent. Now add the chopped tomato and tomato concentrate (puree) and stir. Add wine and wine vinegar and all herbs and spices. Stir well and add salt and the whole small onions.
Pour this mixture over the rabbit and add water to cover the meat and cover with the lid. Cook in a low oven for 3-4 hours.
Serve with mashed potatoes, and green vegetables (broccoli is good).
This has Taste and is a Treat.

GRAPES - HISTORY WITH RECIPE STUFFED VINE LEAVES

GRAPES
Grape vines have been around for at least 60 million years, according to fossilized evidence. Wine hasn’t been around for that long, obviously, but we have clearly been enjoying it for some time. Grapes were first cultivated around the Black Sea, in Georgia, as ceramic jars dating from 6,000BC which had contained wine, were found at the site of a Neolithic village. There is evidence that they were cultivated in Asia in 5,000BC. Vineyards were mentioned in “The Epic of Gilgamesh” which was written sometime between 2,750 and 2,500 BC, although it was a written record of a much older tale.
There are many health benefits gained from eating grapes and drinking grape juice, but if you consider the longevity of people in some parts of Italy and France where the grape is grown and wine is consumed, there must be some benefits to the drink.
Grapes contain minerals, potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorous, magnesium and selenium as well as being rich in vitamins A, C and B6.They contain flavonoids and so are powerful antioxidants. It has been claimed that they can help asthma sufferers, they lower cholesterol levels, so help prevent heart disease, are useful as a laxative, cure indigestion, reduce uric acid and so help the kidneys function better, and if you drink fresh grape juice every morning, this is supposed to stop migraine.
Of course the Greeks had a god of wine and orgies, Dionysus, also associated with fertility, and the phallic fennel stalk was his thyrsus or wand, with a pine cone on top. His Roman equivalent was Bacchus. Both Romans and Greeks drank diluted wine, and only the lower classes drank it without water. Pliny, writing in 154 BC says that wine production in Italy was unsurpassed, and of course, it is still very good. Varro wrote about viticulture in 37 BC in his “Res Rusticae” (Of Country Matters), and we know that some Roman wine had to be drunk within a year of its production, while wines such as Falernian would mature. Romans favoured a concoction of wine mixed with honey just before drinking called Mulsum
  In English we have the expression to “have sour grapes”, which comes from the Aesop Tale of the Fox and the Grapes. A fox couldn’t reach a juicy looking bunch of grapes, so told himself they were sour. Now the phrase means to behave meanly after being disappointed in some way. Grapes also feature in John Steinbeck’s novel, “The Grapes of Wrath” published in 1939 and made into a film the following year.
Apart from wine, we also get oil from the grape seeds, and the leaves are edible too (see our dolmades recipe). However the best product from grapes, arguably, is wine. Below is another dolmades recipe which is a fusion of Greek and Asian cuisines.



STUFFED VINE LEAVES
Ingredients
12 vine leaves
200 gr cooked rice
30 gr pine nuts
30 gr raisins
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 tbsps shredded coriander leaves (fresh)
½ tsp paprika (sweet)
1 tsp cumin seeds
oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste


Method
If you are using fresh vine leaves, then blanch them for 3-5 mins before using. If you’re using prepackaged ones, wash them to remove the preservatives.
Fry the onions and garlic until the onions are translucent. Remove from the heat and put in a bowl.
Lightly fry the pine nuts and raisins, and cumin seeds, just to coat them in the oil. Remove and add to the bowl. Put the cooked rice in the bowl. Add the paprika, salt, pepper and coriander leaves and mix well.
Place some of the mixture on each vine leaf and then roll them into a sausage shape, folding the ends inwards. Put them in a single layer in a frying pan with ½ inch water. Alternatively use our chicken stock if you are not vegetarian. Cover and simmer for about 20 mins.
Serve hot, or cold as appetizers with Tzatziki and/or feta cheese.
These have Taste and are a Treat.