WHAT IS CHUKANDAR? BEETROOT: MEDICINAL BENEFITS OF BEETROOT, USES AND HISTORY: HOW TO MAKE BEETROOT SOUP( BORSCHT)

BEETROOT, CHUKANDAR, BETA VULGARIS

Beetroot can be red, white, and orange or have red and white concentric circles, but here is information on the red, most common variety. All parts of the beetroot can be eaten and the green tops and stems make a delicious simple salad or side dish. It is a relative of the better known swede and turnip.

   All beetroots come from a single ancestor which is thought to be the sea beet or Beta maritima which grew and still grows along the coasts from Britain to India. It is believed to have originated in the Middle East and Southern Europe.

   Perhaps the first people to cultivate beetroot were the ancient Babylonians who were cultivating it at least 4,000 years ago. However then it was a long thin root rather like the carrot and was perhaps only used for medicine. The tops were eaten though, and are a tasty vegetable dish. The ancient Greeks used the beetroot in medicine and it was worth its weight in silver to them we are told. Apparently the priestesses of Apollo served it to him on a silver platter at his temple at Delphi.

   The Roman gourmand, Apicius used beetroot in broths and in salads with a dressing of mustard oil and vinegar, and this is a tasty way of serving either the tops or the root. Other Roman recipes include cooking the tops with honey and wine.

   The beetroot was used to cure anaemia, and modern medicine would support this use as the beetroot is rich in iron. They also used it for constipation, a rejuvenator, for wounds, skin problems and fevers. The use of it as a rejuvenator has been vindicated by modern research as the nitrates in beetroot enable the body to lower its intake of oxygen, which helps to reduce fatigue and so increases stamina.

  If you don’t like the texture of beetroot, then you can drink beetroot juice, as it is claimed that 1 glass a day improves energy levels, promotes hair growth and healthy skin (so once again the ancient Greeks got it right). The only problem you may have is that you get Beeturia which is having your urine turn pink due to the acidity levels in the stomach. However this is not really a problem although it may come as a bit of a surprise. The juice is also an appetite suppressor so it is helpful if you are trying to lose weight.

   Be careful when you peel beetroot as most of the nutrients are found just under the skin, so peel it thinly. You should drink the juice at room temperature for best results and benefits. It has 50% less calories than fruit juices, so is good as part of a calorie controlled diet. Beetroot juice improves the quality of the blood, and cleans the stomach and intestines, as well as improving the absorption of calcium as it contains silica. You can juice beetroots, carrots and celery and mix them for a really healthy drink.

  Modern research has shown that beetroots can help prevent cancer, lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels and help prevent heart disease, so it is one of the Superfoods along with garlic (eat half a raw clove a day to prevent cancer); pomegranates (reduce harmful cholesterol) and apples which are useful to prevent osteoarthritis. However if you have kidney stones you shouldn’t eat beetroots as they contain high levels of oxalate.

  Beetroot tops are rich in Vitamins A and C and iron and calcium, while the beetroot has folic acid, fibre, manganese and potassium. Both parts contain phosphorous, manganese, iron and B-complex vitamins. The beetroot also contains Betacyanin which gives it its rich, ruby red colour and has potent antioxidant properties. Betaine which is also present in beetroot promotes healthy liver functioning which also helps in weight loss. They also contain bioflavonoids which have potent antioxidant properties.

 Culpepper recommended red beetroot “to help yellow jaundice,” “to stay the bloody flux” and wrote that the juice “…put into the nostrils, purgeth the head, helpeth the noise in the ears and toothache.” Modern medical research would not of course support such uses and they should not be attempted.

  The round beetroots were developed in the 16^th century and these helped the beetroot as we know it gain in popularity. In the 18^th century beetroot became popular in Central and Eastern Europe as a vegetable and the soup recipe given below is a traditional Russian one for beetroot. The Victorian used beetroot in desserts for the sweetness and colour, as well as adding them to salads to brighten them up. Somewhere along the line manufacturers began making pickled beetroot which can taste quite disgusting. If you’ve tried this and didn’t like it, be assured that freshly cooked beetroot tastes nothing like the manufactured pickle.

   You can now buy baby beets too for salads, but this recipe calls for large Beta vulgaris. You could also try panzaria salata a Greek recipe for the tops including the stems, which are boiled until tender but not mushy, left to cool and then dressed with olive oil and lemon juice or white wine vinegar and salt and pepper. You can also make a winter salad with freshly cooked beetroots grated, along with grated carrot and white cabbage, chopped walnuts dressed in olive oil and lemon juice and garnished with parsley. (This is also a recipe I have had in Greece.) Generally beetroots go well with carrots and celery in juice and salads, so experiment with them.

  

BORSCHT (BEETROOT SOUP)

Ingredients

400 gr beef, cubed, plus a beef bone

4 fresh beetroot, cooked and cut into thin 2 inch long strips

4 small potatoes, peeled and cut into strips

1 medium-sized carrot, roughly chopped

1 onion roughly chopped

2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped

8 sprigs fresh dill

3 tbsps olive oil

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

parsley to garnish

1 tbsp white (wine) vinegar

2 tbsps butter/ margarine

2 tbsps soured cream

  

Method

Put the beef, bone and onion and dill into a large pan with 3 litres of cold water. Bring to the boil then simmer on a low heat for 1½ hours.

Half an hour after the beef has been cooking, melt a tbsp butter and half the olive oil in a pan and add the beetroot, tomatoes and vinegar. Simmer over a low heat for an hour adding some of the beef stock if it gets dry.

Remove any scum from the top of the beef stock every so often.

15 minutes before the broth will have cooked, melt the rest of the butter and olive oil in a pan and lightly fry the carrots and garlic.

When the broth has cooked, remove any fat from the top and add the cabbage, carrots and garlic. Stir well and cook for 15 mins over a low heat.

Add the cooked beetroot mixture, stir well and cook for a further 5 mins.

Season well and add to bowls with parsley and a tbsp of soured cream for garnish.

Serve with crusty fresh bread.

N.B. You can sour cream by adding a few drops of lemon juice to single cream.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

WOOD SORREL: MEDICINAL BENEFITS AND USES OF WOOD SORREL: SUMMER WOOD SORREL SOUP RECIPE

WOOD SORREL, OXALIS ACETOSELLA

Wood sorrel goes by many names in Britain, including Cuckoo’s Meat, Surelle, Fairy Bells and Wood Sour. In France it’s known as Pain de Coucou or cuckoo’s bread. It could possibly the Irish shamrock too, although several plants are also likely contenders such as the white clover (Trefolium repens), and other plants which have three leaflets in one leaf. My grandfather always told me that wood sorrel was shamrock, and I have no reason to doubt him as he proved to be right about other plants. The confusion lies in the story that the patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick demonstrated the nature of the Holy Trinity by using the leaf of the shamrock. As all other contenders are of the clover Trefolium species, it would seem to be that the peasants and Saint Patrick would have said so.

    The wood sorrel is a member of the Oxalis family of plants and so different to the clover. It is an appealing little plant because like Tickle Me (choi moi) and the violet, it has shy qualities. Perhaps for that reason it is said to be a favourite of fairies and other wood sprites. It likes shady places and grows well in woodland along with bluebells, wood anemones and others. Also it is sensitive to touch, but not quite as much as Tickle Me. It also closes its leaves and flowers, and they droop in the dark, and during storms.

   It is a cleistogamic plant, which means that it is self-pollinating and the flowers don’t need to open for it to pollinate. (A very shy plant indeed!) It is also small and only grows to a height of about 3 inches.

   Neither the flowers nor the leaves have a smell although the leaves taste pleasantly acidic. They and the flowers can be added to salads, although you shouldn’t add too many leaves as they contain oxalic acid, so people suffering from gout should avoid this plant. Despite its name it isn’t related to Common sorrel which is a member of the Rumex family of plants. Its name comes from the Greek, oxys meaning sour or acid and acetosella means vinegar salts. If you use it in a salad there is no need to add vinegar to a dressing, just use oil.

   The association with the cuckoo has been explained in the following way by one of the old herbalists: -

   “The Apothecaries and herbalist call it Alleluya and Paniscuculi (Latin for cuckoo bread) or Cuckowes meate, because either the Cuckoo feedeth thereon, or by reason when it springeth forth and flowereth the Cuckoo singeth most, at which time Alleluya was wont to be sung in Churches.”

   As it flowers between Easter and Whitsun this seems a likely explanation for both names.

  The leaves have been used in folk medicine in many countries either fresh or dried, and given as a diuretic, antiscorbutic (because of the vitamin C content as well as some B-complex vitamins) and a refrigerant as it helps reduce fevers and is good to quench thirst (chew on the leaves and find out).It was used in cooking before the introduction into Britain of French sorrel. The leaves also contain a high amount of the mineral, calcium. To make a decoction from the leaves for any of the above complaints, just gather the fresh leaves and boil them in water for 5 mins then strain and drink half a cupful. To make Conserva Ligulae, pound fresh leaves with three times their weight of sugar and the grated zest of an orange; this can be used as the base for a refreshing drink in summer or to cool the body if you have fever.

   The decoction is also good for stomach problems and catarrh, as well as a diuretic and inflammation of the urinary tract (e.g. cystitis). Wood sorrel is considered to be better than the true sorrels and others of the Rumex family (such as dock) as a blood purifier, but there is little medical evidence to support this claim. In fact little research seems to have been done on Oxalis acetosella.

  The juice from the leaves when boiled will turn red but when this clears you will be left with a fine clear syrup which is as effectual as the decoction or infusion for treating wounds and staunching the flow of blood from them. The red juice can be used as mouthwash or a gargle and is a good remedy for mouth ulcers. If you soak a cloth in the juice, it can be applied to swellings and bruises to reduce the inflammation.

   Seeds from the wood sorrel have been found in glacial beds near Edinburgh (Scotland) and in Neolithic sites there and in Essex (England). The plant grows in the Arctic, Europe, North Africa and North and West Asia to the Himalayas as well as in parts of North America. Other sorrels also grow in these regions and the commonest in North America is yellow. However as you can see from the pictures here, the Wood sorrel flower, Oxalis acetosella is white with faint purple veins.

SUMMER WOOD SORREL SOUP

Ingredients

1 cup wood sorrel leaves

1 onion or 4 spring onions finely chopped

3 or 4 tomatoes peeled and roughly chopped

2 pints water

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 small pot of cream

wood sorrel flowers to garnish

Method

Lightly fry the onions.

Put all the ingredients into a pan and boil for 10 mins.

Remove the pan from the heat and allow the soup to cool and then put it in the fridge to chill.

When you are ready to serve the soup add a swirl of cream to each bowl and garnish with the edible white flowers.

Serve chilled with fresh bread,

This has Taste and is a Treat.

 

  

DAFFODILS- HOW TO USE DAFFODILS FLOWERS AND BULB FOR HEALTH BENEFITS

DAFFODILS, NARCISSUS PSEUDO-NARCISSUS

The daffodil is native to the British Isles and Europe where it grows wild. It is also known affectionately as the Daffy-down-dilly, daffodilly, which are said to be corruptions of “Asphodel” as the daffodil is thought to be similar in appearance to the asphodel of the ancient Greeks which was planted on or around tombs. That is how it became a portent of death. However, in Wales it is a symbol of the patron saint, David, (Dewi Sant in Welsh) and of rebirth and faithfulness as it blooms after even the harshest winters.

 It gets the name Narcissus either from the myth of the youth Narcissus who was so enamoured with his own reflection that he ignored the poor nymph who loved him and died. The narcissus flower grew where he died. The daffodil is not the narcissus which is simply called that by most florists although they belong to the same family and are closely related, and so is the jonquil, Narcissus jonquilla, and Narcissus poeticus is another type of flower in that family. However Pliny says that the narcissus family gets the name from the Greek “narkao” which means to benumb. This is perfectly plausible as the plant is poisonous and contains atropine as does the snowdrop. It also has caused death by paralysis of the central nervous system to animals which have eaten the plant. It has also caused accidental death or poisoning when the bulb has been mistaken for an onion and in these cases it has been noted that the toxin is fast acting and the high temperature it was exposed to during cooking, did not lower the toxicity of the daffodil bulb and only a relatively small quantity of the bulb was eaten.

Welsh daffodil

   The daffodil was a principal ingredient of the ancient ointment called “Narcissum.” Despite its toxic properties it has been used as an emetic to cause vomiting and purge the body. This emetic has been given in the form of powdered flowers or bulb. An infusion used to be made of the root or flowers or sometimes they were included in a syrup for pulmonary catarrh.

  Culpeper says that the roots have hot and dry properties and when boiled produced vomiting. He also states that they “are used with good success at the appearance of approaching agues” especially in fevers contracted in spring when seasons change. He goes on to say “the juice when mingled with honey, frankincense wine and myrrh and dropt in the ears, the roots made hollow and boiled in oil help raw ribed heels.” So if shoes didn’t fit and rubbed your heels daffodil roots were a good remedy. Galen believed that the daffodil plant was useful for wounds as it has astringent properties.

Wild daffodils

   Today daffodils are cultivated on the slopes of the Black Mountains in Powys, in mid Wales as they contain higher amounts of galantamine than daffodils grown further down the mountain.  Galantamine has been found in snowdrops and these were mainly grown in Bulgaria and China for the pharmaceutical industry as this has been found to be effective in warding off symptoms of Alzheimer’s and poliomyelitis (see snowdrops). As galantamine has also been found in daffodils and the Welsh ones seem to have a particularly high yield of this, they are also being cultivated for pharmaceutical use.

  It is perhaps fitting that daffodils are being cultivated in Wales as they are the national flower. There is much debate about how this came to be the national flower of Wales, but this would seem to be a matter of commonsense. St David’s Day is on March 1^st and is celebrated in Wales every year.   Daffodils are usually blooming then and the daffodil’s name in Welsh means Saint Peter’s Leek or Cenhinen Pedr while the leek is the symbol of Wales and this is Cenhinen in Welsh. As they have such a close etymological relationship in Welsh it is hardly surprising that the daffodil, along with the leek became the national symbol. Also few other flowers bloom around March 1^st.  The ancient Celts would have used the daffodil for cures and it seems that they may have employed them in cancer treatments and used them as a sedative. When Christianity was forced upon the inhabitants of Wales they would have kept faith with their traditions, and the daffodil was probably a potent symbol for those early people.

Wild daffodils

   It is said that the only Welsh-born Prime minister of Britain (1916-22), Lloyd George popularized the daffodil as a symbol of Wales as he wore it to all public engagements in his lapel and wore it when Edward Albert was invested as Prince of Wales at Caernafon in North Wales in 1911. Edward was to become King Edward VIII but abdicated to marry Mrs. Wallace Simpson.

   Daffodils contain the bioflavonoid quercetin and others, and there are crystals of the mineral calcium in the plant’s sap. Daffodils, despite their toxicity were used in traditional medicine for many purposes for centuries. The bulbs were pounded and made into a paste to be applied to wounds and were effective due to their astringent properties. The poultices made with these were also place on parts affected by gout, burns, and joint pains to bring relief. The flowers and bulbs were also used for hysteria and even epilepsy and were said to be effective remedies. 

   Daffodils are also called the Lenten Lily (Blodyn mis Mawrth in Welsh) as they bloom early in the year and are usually past their prime by the time Easter comes. The wild daffodils in the Lake District in northern England delighted the Romantic poet, William Wordsworth who wrote the famous “Daffodils” poem after encountering them on one of his walks.

      “I wander’d lonely as a cloud

       O’er vales and hills,

       When all at once I saw a crowd

       A host of golden daffodils.”

Apart from these daffodils that so delighted Wordsworth there are daffodils which grow around the coastal town of Tenby in West Wales, named Narcissus obvallaris, which are orange, and quite rare.

  Wild daffodils are smaller than their cultivated relatives and can have the most amazing fragrance. However they are best left where they grow as they are a protected species.

 

  

HAWTHORN: HEALTH BENEFITS OF HAWTHORN, USES AND HISTORY: HAWTHORN LIQUEUR CHOCOLATE RECIPE

HAWTHORN, CRATAEGUS OXYCANTHA

The hawthorn tree is known by many names including Bread and Cheese (Bara Caws; couse as in mouse, in Welsh) May and Whitethorn. The proper Welsh name for hawthorn is Draenen Wen.  It is called Bread and Cheese because this is what the leaves are supposed to taste like, and I’ve eaten them but didn’t see much resemblance to the flavour of bread or cheese. My grandfather used to feed me the leaves if I was hungry on one of our long country walks.

   It is called whitethorn because of the whiteness of its bark, and the fruit or haws are called by many interesting names, such as Pixie Pears, Cuckoo’s Beads and Chucky Cheese. The haws look like mini apples and have stones inside them.

   Hawthorn is a member of the rose family along with the Prunus and Pyrus trees, such as plum, aloo Bukhara and peach trees (Prunus), the crab apple and Mountain Ash (Pyrus). Along with the oak and ash, it was one of the three sacred trees of the Celts.

    The Hawthorn tree is native to the British Isles and northern Europe, although others grow in other parts of the world: the Crataegus aronia is native to southern Europe, Israel and West Asia and is prized for its haws, while the C.odoratissima and C azarote are also valued for the fruit they produce. The name Crataegus comes from the Greek, kratos meaning hardness, and oxcus which means sharp and akantha meaning thorns. The German name for it is Hagedorn, which means Hedge Thorn, indicating that it was used to mark boundaries between fields. Haw also means hedge.

  Hawthorns can live for hundreds of years and according to legend the Glastonbury thorn was more than a thousand years old when it was cut down by Cromwell’s men during the Interregnum which followed the Civil War in Britain in the 17^th century. They can grow as tall as 30 feet and John Milton (1608-1674) wrote these lines; “Every shepherd tells his tale under the hawthorn in the dale.” This shows how prolific these trees once were.

   The Glastonbury Thorn was said to have sprung from the staff of Joseph of Arimathea, who, legend has it, brought the blood of Christ in the Holy Grail to Glastonbury. The staff was also said to be made from a hawthorn tree, as was the crown of thorns placed on Jesus’ head before his crucifixion.(Sometimes the hawthorn is referred to as Christ’s Thorn”.) The hawthorn at Glastonbury was said to be the biggest tree in England. A smaller one now grows where the original was thought to have grown.

   The flowers of the hawthorn blossom in May and where I come from in South Wales, there’s an old saying, “Ne’er cast a clout ‘til May is out” which means that you shouldn’t stop wearing your winter clothes until the hawthorn has blossomed. It is called May because it blossoms in that month. The flowers have a smell that is said to be like that of a woman who is sexually aroused, and this gave it the reputation for being an aphrodisiac in Arabic erotic literature. In Britain the flowers are reputed to still bear the stench of the Great Plague of London of the early 17^th century.

In ancient Greece brides wore garlands of May flowers and torches made from hawthorn wood lit the way for the procession to the bridal chamber. In Wales and Ireland wreaths of hawthorn are made and left outside for the fairies or angels to find. The tree was sacred to Hymen, the Greek god of the marriage chamber, and to the goddess Maia (the Roman goddess equivalent was Flora).In ancient Greece and Rome the hawthorn was taken into homes for good luck and protection from evil spirits. In the Christian era it became a symbol of hope.

    However hawthorn also has darker associations. In Teutonic funeral rites, the wood was burned on funeral pyres in the belief that souls would be carried to the afterlife by the smoke that rose from the pyre, and so it took on a grimness which led to superstitions about it. It was believed to be a fairy tree, and the evil fairies that dwelled in it would severely punish anyone who harmed it. Celts believed that on Beltane (May Day) witches metamorphosed into hawthorn trees and the Scots Gaels though that the tree was the gateway to the other world. In Welsh legend, Merlin the magician was eternally trapped in a hawthorn tree by the most powerful of the witches, Nimue.

  Other superstitions are that if an angler has a thorn from the tree in his/her pocket, a good catch is assured. You may still see ribbons on hawthorns, or pieces of cloth, especially on trees that stand at a crossroads. These are for good luck or for wishes to be granted.

  Henry Tudor, who became Henry VII after his defeat of Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, adopted the device of the hawthorn bush as one of his men found Richard’s crown on a hawthorn bush and presented it to the future king. (Henry Tudor was the father of King Henry VIII.)

  In Wales, the hawthorn is once more growing in abundance as the sheep that usually eat hawthorn saplings were culled during the foot and mouth epidemic in 200-2001. Now the trees are flourishing again and it is believed that their origins go back 12000 years or more to the last Ice Age. This is good for the migrant cuckoo population as the hawthorn trees provide caterpillars for them to feast on.

   Hawthorn protects against evil and a sprig in a barn will help cows provide and increased milk yield, according to superstition. In mediaeval times and after, cattle were given garlands of the leaves to wear to protect them from the malice of fairy folk.

  The physicians of Myddfai used hawthorn as a remedy for jaundice, “take the leaves which grow on the branches of the hawthorn and the mistletoe, boiling them in wine or good old ale, till reduced to the half, then take off the fire and strain. Drink this three times a day.”

   Traditionally the hawthorn has been used as a diuretic, a heart tonic and for its astringent qualities, which are notably in the berries and the flowers. A decoction of either has been used for sore throats and as a diuretic as well as to disperse gravel and kidney stones. A liqueur can be made from the berries by steeping them in brandy for a month. You can then strain the liquid and use the mushy berries to make chocolate liqueurs. In older times the leaves were used to adulterate tea when it was an expensive commodity in Britain.

   The wood from the tree (if anyone dares cut it) makes good fire wood and the charcoal from it can be heated to such a high temperature that it is said that pig iron can be smelted with it. The wood has also been used to carve trinkets and decorative items.

   Dioscorides in the 1^st century AD believed that hawthorn was good for heart disease, and this has proved to be the case. Today the leaves and flowers are used medicinally and the University of Maryland has said that there is “good evidence that hawthorn can treat mild – moderate heart failure.” There are flavonoids in the leaves and flowers and fewer in the berries. These help to control blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Hawthorn can help with restlessness and insomnia and increases oxygen utilization by the heart. It is also rich in vitamin C and has strong antioxidant properties. Like grapes, hawthorn contains oligomeric procyandins which have potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

   A decoction of the berries has been used as a remedy for diarrhoea and dysentery due to their astringent qualities, and the berries, flowers and leaves are good for the digestive system and promote appetite. Tisanes and decoctions made from them have been used to alleviate stress and anxiety as they have a relaxing effect on the nervous system. Traditionally these tisanes and decoctions have been used to help with menopausal symptoms such as night sweats and as a vaginal douche for infections such as candida (thrush).The infusion of the flowers is particularly good for increasing the flow of blood to the heart, and when mixed with yarrow, can help relieve stress and hypertension.  Juice from the berries can be expressed and used as a digestive aid, a cardiac tonic and to stop diarrhoea. The decoction is made with 30 gr berries boiled in ½ litre of water for 15 mins, then allowed to steep for 10-15 mins. Drink a cupful 2 or 3 times a day. For a tisane wash the berries or flowers and leaves thoroughly and the pour a cupful of boiling water over them and allow them to steep for 15 mins before straining and drinking.

CHOCOLATE LIQUEUR FROM HAWTHORN BERRIES

Ingredients

1 bottle brandy

1 kilo hawthorn berries, washed and cleaned

3 large bars of chocolate

Method

Steep the berries in the brandy for a month, turning the bottle upside down once a day for two weeks. Leave in a cool dark place for the whole month.

Strain the berries and reserve.

In a heavy pan, melt the chocolate, then remove from the heat and stir the mushy berries into it so that they are well mixed.

With a metal spoon, scoop out the mixture and place on a greased baking tray. When you have finished, refrigerate so that the chocolate sets again. They are soon ready to eat.You also have hawthorn brandy, which is delicious too.

These have Taste and are a Treat.

 

WHAT IS CHOI MOI PLANT? TICKLE ME PLANT: MEDICINAL USES AND BENEFITS OF TICKLE ME PLANT: CHILD'S PET PLANT

TICKLE ME PLANT, CHOI MOI, MIMOSA PUDICA

The Tickle Me plant is called Choi Moi (pronounced chouyi mouyi) in Urdu and grows wild in Pakistan. Children love to find it and touch its leaves which immediately curl up tight. For this reason it is also called the sensitive plant, the humble plant, Touch Me Not, and probably a lot of other names all relating to its shrinking qualities; even the Latin name pudica means shy.

   There is of course a scientific explanation for this shrinking phenomenon, and this is that the stem has some areas in it which release chemicals which force water out of the cells causing them to collapse when the leaves are touched. The plant has a nyctinastic movement which means that the leaves close at night or in response to darkness, and open when exposed to light. However it captivates young children and is grown in the house in Pakistan to entertain them.

   Mimosa pudica is a pan-tropical weed and an invasive species in some parts of the United States, but before you uproot it, if it’s invading your garden, you may want to consider its health benefits. On the other hand if you grow crops that need to be hand-picked it can be a nuisance and is a problem to growers of tomatoes, sugar cane, papaya and coffee for example. However even for those farmers it has some benefits as the root nodules are nitrogen fixers so help the soil regain its balance.

 This plant has been used in traditional medicine on the Indian subcontinent for centuries, and the roots have been used for their wound healing properties, as a febrifuge (to relieve fevers), as a diuretic and for their antispasmodic and astringent properties. A decoction of the leaves or an infusion has been used to treat asthma as they have expectorant qualities. As a poultice they are used to relieve glandular swellings, and the bruised leaves are good to put on bruises. They are also used to relieve anxiety and hypertension and are a muscle relaxant according to traditional healers or hakims. In some parts of India the plant is used as a contraceptive for women, and for uterine problems. In China the plant is used to treat depression and anxiety. Although the leaves and roots are primarily used in traditional medicine the flowers and fruit (seeds) are also used.

   Surprisingly there have been many medical studies of this plant and it has been shown to be effective in treating women with uterine bleeding or menorrhagia with an extract of the root powder being used. The root extract has also been found to heal wounds and to help treat gastric ulcers, and t help in spinal cord dysfunctions. It has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, so is useful in treating rheumatoid inflammation. It has also shown to have antifertility properties in mice, although humans have not been tested. Mimosa pudica has also been shown to have antibacterial effects on bacteria such as E.coli, and there are studies underway to test its efficacy as an anti-cancer treatment for ovarian cancer and the new alkaloid discovered in it, mimosine, is being tested for its potential for yielding new chemotherapeutic compounds. Other studies include investigating its nerve regeneration potential and as an anti-diabetic, and anti-depressant.

   The seeds have apparently also been used as a coffee substitute, and in Ayurvedic medicine the plant is used to treat impotence and general debility. It is also used in the treatment of diarrhoea and dysentery, skin problems and bronchial complaints.

    If it grows in your garden, don’t be too hasty about getting rid of it.

  

COMMON OR ENGLISH IVY: MEDICINAL BENEFITS OF HEDERA HELIX, USES AND HISTORY: IVY LEAF TISANE

COMMON OR ENGLISH IVY, HEDERA HELIX

There are several types of ivy, one being ground ivy which, as its name suggests, grows on the ground, providing ground cover. However this English Ivy or Common ivy grows up walls and trees, only flowering (in late October until December and then producing berries in the following spring) when it is firmly established and has support, for example when it has reached the top of a wall and can bush out. It is an evergreen and for the Druids was a sacred plant, the female counterpart of the masculine holly. The Druids used it to bring dreams which foretold the future. Together with mistletoe and holly it is traditionally used to decorate houses at Christmas time. This is a pagan tradition which stood the test of time even though the Church banned such decorations. This ancient verse illustrates the pagan roots of the ivy:-

     On Christmass Ivy

    At Christmass men do ivy always get                                    

    And in each corner of the house it set;

    But why do they then use that Bacchus-weed?

    Because they mean, then, Bacchus-like to feed.”

This refers to the fact that Bacchus, or Dionysus, his Greek counterpart, was depicted wearing wreaths of ivy leaves on his head. The Bacchanalian rites were orgies and feasts, and the Christmas meal is probably a throwback to these times. People gorge themselves on as much rich food as they can in Britain at Christmas time, so the orgies tend not to take place anymore. Its associations with Bacchus are strong, as it grows plentifully at the reputed home of Bacchus, Nyssa. The ivy leaves also formed a poet laureate’s crown. Ivy leaves when bruised and gently boiled in wine were thought to remove the effects of a hangover by the ancient Greeks. They would also tie a vine of ivy leaves around their foreheads to prevent intoxication from drinking wine.

   Ancient Greek priests would present a newly married couple with an ivy wreath as a symbol of fidelity and steadfastness and the binding together of the couple. There is an old Celtic poem which begins “The sweet harp of Wales” which also speaks of its binding qualities.

     “And golden mistletoe I’ll bring thee,

       With ivy-bands to bind it there…”

   In Britain an ivy bush was a symbol for a tavern, and many pubs still bear the ancient name of “The Ivy Bush”, hence the saying, “Good wine needs no bush”. In other words good wine needs no advertising.

   With other evergreen plants, ivy has had its place at funerals, and it has not always been recommended as a medicine; Dioscorides writing in the first century AD believed that it caused sterility. Culpepper tells us “It is an enemy to the nerves and sinews taken inwardly, but most excellent taken outwardly.” It is a member of the ginseng family, and has been used in traditional medicine both in Europe and Asia since ancient times. The twigs of the ivy, boiled in butter were a remedy for sunburn. It has also been used to treat arthritis, burns, cancer, coughs, as an expectorant and decongestant of the lungs, for gallbladder problems, gout, inflammation, lice and other parasites, scabies, skin problems disorders of the spleen, nerve damage (neuropathy), jaundice, rheumatic diseases, duodenal ulcers and whooping cough.

   The Physicians of Myddfai (from the 8^th century AD to the early 19^th century) recommended a mixture of the “inner bark of the ivy and the leaves of the honeysuckle, bruising them well together in a mortar, expressing them through a clean linen cloth into both nostrils, the patient lying on his back” for relief from toothache.

    If you want to make a tisane from the leaves they need to be dried first and you should only use 0.3 grams in a cup of boiling water. Ivy is poisonous if taken in large doses, and should not be used for children or pregnant or lactating women.

 The leaves contain chromium, manganese and zinc and modern medical research has shown that they may help reduce blood glucose levels for treatment in cases of diabetes. Studies have also shown that an extract from the leaves can help children with asthma and adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases. Animal studies have shown that the leaf extract may have anti-cancer and antioxidant properties. The German Commission E has approved the leaf extract for use in the treatment of coughs and chronic inflammatory bronchial conditions as an expectorant, and it is often used in cough medicines. The leaf contains saponins and the alkaloid emetine which induces vomiting and increases mucus in the lungs, but as the ivy leaf only contains small amounts of this, it may explain why it has been traditionally used as an expectorant. The saponins appear to be responsible for preventing spasms in the bronchial area.  It has been found that ivy leaf extract is effective in increasing oxygen in the lungs and the recommended dose of the extract for children with asthma is 25 drops per day and 50 for adults with bronchitis as it is an effective anti-inflammatory in bronchial conditions. A wash made from the leaf has been used to treat yeast infections such as candida, and a cream for external use is made from ivy leaves, horsetail and Lady’s Mantle to reduce, but not eliminate stretch marks.

   Ivy is native to Europe, and North and Central Asia, but it grows in many countries, although not the Hedera helix variety. Ground ivy never flowers, so only the Common ivy has berries for the birds to feast on. Its flowers do not have any fragrance, but they do have nectar for bees, although there aren’t many around when it actually blooms. If you were born between September 30^th and October 27^th, according to the old Celtic calendar you were born under the ivy’s influence as this was the month of “Gort” or ivy.

  

 

WHAT IS DATURA? THORNAPPLE: A POISONOUS NARCOTIC PLANT

DATURA STRAMONIUM, THORNAPPLE

There are many Datura species, and some which were formerly classed as Datura have been separately categorized into the genus Brugmansia. One of these is the Trumpet Flower tree, which I first saw growing wild in southern Turkey, near Antalya. They are truly magnificent flowers although at the time I was told that they were highly poisonous; all the Datura and Brugmansia species are.

   The thornapple grows in Britain but has not really become naturalized there. However the herbalist Gerard, writing in the late 16^th century had this to say about it,

  “the juice of thornapple, boiled with hogs grease, cureth all inflammations whatsoever, all manner of burnings and scaldings, as well of fire, water, boiling lead, gunpowder, as that which comes by lightning and that in very short time, as I myself have found in daily practice, to my great credit and profit.”

Brugmansia

  At the time it grew wild and in gardens for ornamental and medicinal purposes. However it is also called stinkweed as the leaves emit a foetid stench when bruised (hence the common appellation for this plant; Stinkweed), although the flowers are quite fragrant. The leaves were once listed in all Pharmacopoeias but in the early 20^th century they were reviewed annually in some countries. They were used for respiratory purposes as they have antispasmodic effects as well as being anodyne. The leaves and seeds especially are narcotic and have been used by bandits such as the assassins in India to drug victims and cause a deep sleep as they have narcotic and sedative effects. In Turkey it is believed that they were smoked by the poor who could not afford opium. The plant used for such purposes in India was and is Datura metel (an indigenous species) which if ingested can cause acute confusion in less than one hour. In India it is used in rituals and ceremonies for the god Shiva, and the flowers are strewn in his temples. It was believed that the plant first grew from Shiva’s chest. Datura fastiosa also grows in India, where it is an indigenous species and both also grow in Pakistan.

Datura metel

  In Peru the indigenous people brewed an intoxicating drink from the seeds which could apparently cause delirium and stupefaction if taken in large doses. The Chinese use the flowers of fastiosa in herbal preparations. Arabs in Africa used to smoke the dried leaves, flowers and seeds in hookahs as a remedy for asthma and flu. Today people smoke the dried leaves and seeds for their narcotic effects as well as to relieve asthma. It is said that the inhalation of the smoke from such a mixture relaxes the muscles and kills pain as well as relieving inflammation caused by rheumatism and other ailments.

  It has been used by shamans in different cultures for predicting the future, as a way of opening the doors to communication with spirits and was thought to have been utilized in this way by the priests and priestess of Apollo at Delphi before they read the oracle.

   It has been linked to the Salem witch trials and as it causes hallucinations, it may have been integral in these. Don’t touch this plant and then rub your eyes as it can cause loss of vision. It’s one of the few wild plants that animals won’t eat, and there have been many accidental deaths because of this plant’s poisonous properties.

  The thornapple variety of Datura is thought by some to have originated in Russia, around the Black Sea, as it grows wild as far as Siberia from that region. The Indian varieties are thought to have been spread to Europe by gypsies. Some species are native to the South American continent and were found by the early Jamestown colonists who recorded its effects. It is from this that it gets the names Jamestown-weed and Jimson-weed, the latter being a corruption of the former name. However it also goes by some other more colourful names such as Devil’s apple, Devil’s Trumpet, and Apple of Peru.

     It gets the name Thornapple from the seed pod which has spines on its outer casing. The seeds have the ability to remain dormant for long periods and can then germinate when conditions are right.

 Both the Nazis and the Americans investigated the plant for its truth telling potential but it would seem that the results of their experiments were inconclusive.

  The plant looks pretty, smells awful and is extremely dangerous and can kill,like aak, so the best advice is to steer clear of it and only use it when prescribed by a physician who knows what he/she is doing. It is psychotropic and can cause hallucinations which may not always be as happy as some would have you believe. It isn’t an upper by any stretch of the imagination.

ROWAN OR MOUNTAIN ASH TREE: HEALTH BENEFITS, USES AND MYTHS OF MOUNTAIN ASH: ROWAN BERRY JELLY RECIPE

THE ROWAN TREE OR MOUNTAIN ASH, SORBUS AUCUPARIA

The Rowan tree is also called the Mountain Ash because it grows at high altitudes and varieties of it can be found in the mountains of western China and the Himalayas. It isn’t an ash tree but is so called because the shape of its leaves is similar to those of the ash. The Sorbus americana has much the same properties as the European Sorbus aucuparia, or Pyrus aucuparia as it is also called. It is a member of the rose family of plants and is closely related to the crab apple and pear trees. The berries are called pomes as the seeds are surrounded by an endocarp around which is the fleshy fruit; in this way the berries are similar to loquats and quinces.

  Mountain Ash (Aberpennar) is also a town in South Wales in Rhondda Cynon, which is mountainous, and the Mountain Ash grows wild in the Welsh mountains. In earlier times the Welsh brewed beer with rowan berries and John Evelyn wrote that it was an “incomparable drink”.Unfortunately the recipe is said to be lost. The Irish flavoured their mead with the berries while the Scots made them into a spirit. It is also cultivated as an ornamental tree. Rowan berries are not poisonous and can be made into jams and a tart jelly (see recipe below) which goes well with game and wild fowl.

   The tree can grow to a height of 30 metres and can be 20 metres in diameter. The fresh and dried berries are used in medicine as is the bark. In times of scarcity, the berries have been dried and ground into flour. The bark and berries can be made into a black dye, and this was used by the Druids to colour the garments they wore in their lunar ceremonies. They also had staffs of rowan wood, and the tree is the symbol of the second month of the old Celtic tree calendar (January 21^st – February 17^th). It was the wood from this tree which was used for runes, and in Norse mythology we are told that the first woman was made from the Rowan tree, while the first man was made from the Alder.

   Greek mythology tells a different tale however; Hebe the daughter of Zeus and Hera was the cup-bearer of the gods and one day the cup of her father Zeus, fell into the hands of a demon. Zeus was wrathful and sent an eagle to retrieve his cup from the demon. In the battle that followed, wherever the eagle’s feathers landed on earth, a Rowan tree grew, and the blood-red berries are from the eagle’s blood. This myth also explains its feather-like leaves.

   It was believed that the tree offered great protection against witchcraft and people would wear twigs or rowan tied with a red thread, to protect themselves from enchantment. There is an ancient proverb: - “Rowan tree and red thread, put the witches’ tine to speed.” (Witches would hasten away from the tree.) It could be that the five pointed star shape under each berry was believed to protect from evil, as this pentagram sign is believed to be magical.

   In Wales there is an old superstition that if you cut down a rowan tree, then the faeries that were imprisoned in it would wreak their vengeance not only on the person who felled it but also on the whole community. The tree is not to be cut with a knife, but the twigs can be used to divine where metal lies in the earth.

   Because of its white flowers, like the elder tree and the hawthorn, it is believed to be a goddess tree and in Iceland it is thought that the bare tree when covered in frost in winter it looks as though it is covered in stars, so is a moon-tree. Moon trees were decorated with lights and fruit in mid-winter to remind people that even in those dark days there was hope of a brighter spring. Some people think that these moon trees were the forerunners of the Christmas tree tradition.

  In Northern Europe the ‘flying rowan trees’, those rooted in rocky clefts but not appearing to be rooted in the earth, gave a special protection against witchcraft. There is also a myth that the Rowan was the first tree and that all other trees are descended from it.

   In traditional medicine, the ripe berries are made into a decoction (boiled in water and allowed to cool) and used as a gargle for sore throats. This is also supposed to be good for piles as it has astringent properties. At one time the berries were used as a treatment for scurvy because of their high vitamin C content.  A decoction of the bark is said to be good for diarrhoea. The bark has astringent qualities as do all parts of the tree, and has been used in the tanning industry.

   Before they ripen the berries contain tartaric acid, and on ripening, citric and malic acid, they also contain carotene and also xylitol which is a sugar substitute used in diabetic diets, which is found in plums, raspberries and strawberries. It has been found to inhibit the growth of pneumococci and so is effective against some respiratory ailments.

    Little research has actually been carried out on the properties of rowan berries, but they are said to be good for sinusitis.

   Wood from the Rowan tree is used to make poles, hoops and barrels, and the trees are useful to protect young oak saplings in plantations as they grow quickly to 10 feet and do not give too much shade, so they protect the saplings until they are strong enough to brave the elements.

ROWAN BERRY JELLY

Ingredients

1 kg rowan berries, cleaned and washed

400 ml water

pectin

Method

Put the berries and water in a pan and cook on a low heat until they start to simmer.

Remove from the heat and allow to steep overnight.

Strain the liquid through a piece of muslin or cheesecloth. There should be about a litre of juice.

Add the pectin and follow the instructions on the packet.

This can be stored in jars in a cool dark place and used to serve with game or wild fowl.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

WHAT IS BAJRA? MILLET: MEDICINAL BENEFITS AND USES OF MILLET: HOW TO MAKE MILLET SALAD

MILLET OR BAJRA IN URDU, PENNISETUM GLAUCUM

Bajra is pearl millet, one of 6000 varieties of millet world wide. The grains range in colour from pale yellow through to grey, white and even red. Pearl millet is the most widely cultivated in Asia and Africa, with Foxtail or Italian millet (Setaria italica) coming a close second. Millet ranks as the sixth most important grain in the world.

 In the West we tend to think of it as the main component of bird seed and if you have ever kept a budgerigar or other bird, then you will know the long grins that you hung in the cage were millet. It might surprise you to know that millet was a staple grain in Europe until the introduction of corn and rice. It was also one of the first grains to be cultivated and is thought to have originated in Ethiopia, where today it is still used to make the flat bread called injera. It is also used in parts of India to make chapattis or roti.

  In Pakistan pearl millet is grown as a main ingredient for poultry feed, and not generally ground into flour. However, millet is becoming popular in the West once again as it is gluten free. In Eastern Europe it is made into kashka a type of porridge for breakfast and it can be very tasty, especially if you take the time to dry fry it for a few minutes before cooking it as in the recipe below.

   Millet is extremely nutritious, containing as it does high amounts of the minerals manganese, magnesium, phosphorous and smaller amounts of copper, iron, zinc, calcium and selenium. Millet also has the B-complex vitamins, niacin and riboflavin, and many amino acids such as tryptophan, and vitamins E and K plus the Omega-3 and -6 fatty acids. This means that it isn’t just bird food, as our prehistoric ancestors realized judging by the finds archaeologists made in Switzerland in the Stone Age settlements of the lake Dwellers. Surprisingly perhaps it was also once the staple grain used in China before rice took over that position. (It has been cultivated in China since 2700 BC.)

   The phytonutrients in millet and the lignans (such as are found in flax seeds) have potent antioxidant properties and help protect against heart disease. Magnesium can help reduce the severity of asthma and also reduce the incidence of migraines.

   The ancients used millet in breads and other foods, and Herodotus who was not usually known for his reticence in telling tall tales, when he described millet would not say how tall the millet grown in Assyria could become, in case his readers did not believe him. One wonders if they believed his tales of how the phoenix protected some of the spices and incense products of the ancient world.

    To cook millet, you have to wash it thoroughly under cold running water and then pick it over to remove any small stones or other debris which might have found their way into the grains. Dry it and then dry fry it for an added nutty flavour.

 

MILLET SALAD

Ingredients

1 cup millet, dry fried

2 cups water or chicken stock

1 sprig rosemary

1 tsp thyme or ajwain

2 tsps olive oil

1 cucumber, peeled and sliced

3 carrots, grated

1 red pepper, chopped

1 yellow pepper chopped

4 tomatoes, peeled and sliced

vinaigrette for tossing the salad

salt and pepper to taste

Method

Boil two cups of water and add the millet and bring back to the boil. Cover and simmer for 25 mins. Stir occasionally and add 2 tsps olive oil to prevent it sticking.

Put the salad ingredients into a bowl and make the vinaigrette with 2 part olive oil to 1 part vinegar adding herbs of your choice, or spices.

When the millet is cooked, fluff up with a fork and if you are not using immediately, rinse under cold running water so that the grains remain separate and fluffy.

Add this to the salad and toss with the vinaigrette.

This has Taste and is a Treat.