TEAZLE - BRUSHES AND COMBS A HISTORY OF USE

TEAZLE OR TEASEL, DIPSACUS SATIVA, FULLONEM AND SYLVESTRIS

Teazle has a long history in Europe, not because of its medicinal properties, but because of its use in the cloth-making industry. It is a relation of the thistles so is allied with the milk-thistle and the globe artichoke. It is a tall plant, growing to about 5 feet and depending on the genus has white, pink or lilac coloured flowers. It has large leaves around the middle and base of the plant, which are capable of holding dew and rain water, which was used to cleanse the face and as eyewash, as the water retained in the leaves was thought to have medicinal properties. The teasel cutters of old would drink this water to stimulate their appetites as well as to quench thirst. Because of its cosmetic use, it was called Venus’ Basin. The botanical name Dipsacus comes from the Greek dipsos meaning to be thirsty.

  It is native to Europe, West Asia and North Africa and there are 15 or so species growing around the world. In Britain there are the three listed in the title of this post. Teazels are naturalized in North America.

  The roots of the plant have been used in decoctions and infusions to get rid of warts, and to stimulate the appetite and as a diuretic. However the first year’s growth of the roots and leaves are preferred.

  Dioscorides, writing in the first century AD recommended that the roots could be made into an ointment for all skin eruptions, including cancerous tumours. It has also been used for jaundice and blockages of the liver.

  Birds feed on the seeds which come from the head of the teasel, and one plant can produce up to 2,000 seeds, so they can really feast on them.

  Teazles can be dried and used in dried flower arrangements, either as they are or painted (you can do this with a glossy nail varnish or with a spray).

  Teazles were employed in the cloth-making industry at least as far back as the Middle Ages, as they are mentioned in John Langland’s “Piers Plowman” of 1377. A rough translation is this: -

  “Cloth that comes from the weaving is in no way good to wear until it is fulled… and with the teazel scratched.”

  It was cultivated in Europe in the Middle Ages for use in this industry and was used by some manufacturers in the twentieth century. It was dried in “helms” (open sheds) in some English counties, which were made with the stalks of teazel.

  Gerard writing in 1597in his “Herball” distinguished between the wild teazel (Dipsacus sylvestris) and Dipsacus sativa, or garden teasel in this way, “the tame teasell is grown in gardens to serve the use of the fuller and clothworkers.” Culpeper, in his usual forthright way calls garden teasel “manured” but he called this Dipsacus fullonum and says that it has “prickly hooks”, whereas the wild form has straight spines.

  Children used to use the teazel heads to comb the hair of their dolls and in earlier times it was used to get knots out of hair and beards, giving rise to other old names, Brushes and Combs and Barber’s Brush.

  If you pick any teazel, be sure to wear gloves, as the thorns can be painful, and the skin can be irritated by the plant. It is included here for interest’s sake only.

QUININE AND GIN AND TONIC TREE: MEDICINAL BENEFITS, USES AND HISTORY OF CINCHONA TREES

CINCHONA TREE OR QUININE TREE GENUS CINCHONA

As the prototype for the drug aspirin is found in the willow bark, so quinine, the antidote for malaria was discovered in the cinchona trees, of which there are around 38 species. The tree is native to the South American continent and was widely used by the Incas for chills and fevers, including malaria. The Spanish conquerors discovered the uses it is said when the Spanish  Governor’s wife, the Countess of Cinchona got a heavy bout of malaria in 1638 and the Incas were prevailed upon to supply their antidote.  The ground bark of the “quinquina” tree to be drunk in water was the first “Indian tonic water”, although this was later credited to British Indian Army officers in India in the 19^th century. They began to take their quinine with their gin and soda water in 1825, at the cocktail hour and because of the tonic quality of the quinine, it was known as ‘gin and tonic’ still favoured by the Brits today. By then trees were cultivated in India.

  The botanical name of the tree became that of the Spanish countess, and Jesuit priests took the remedy to Europe where malaria was common. However, protestant Europe was sceptical of Jesuit offerings and it was not immediately accepted as a cure. This was also because the barks of all types of tree in the genus were not effective enough to bring about complete cures.

  The trees can grow up to 100 feet, and are evergreen, with red, pink or white flowers which are covered with silky hairs. They are now cultivated in South America and India and the Indonesian island of Java. They are members of the Rubiaceae family of plants which means that they are related to coffee and the Kadamb tree.

  The trees were successfully cultivated in India and by 1867 they were doing well. It was from India that trees were sent to Java and now Indonesia produces most of the world’s quinine supplies.

  The bark is called Peruvian bark by some and has a long history of use in Europe as it was officially mentioned in the London Pharmacopoeia of 1677. Today the bark is used as a tonic, an antiseptic and in sun lotions. Quinine can now be produced chemically which is good news for the Cinchona which is now harvested in a sustainable way, with the bark from the tree and root branches taken from trees that are between 6-8 years old. By the end of the 19^th century the bark from the tree was so much in demand in the West that the trees were severely depleted almost to the point of extinction in South America. This is also happening to the Himalayan yew and many other plant species. Unfortunately we do not seem to learn from our mistakes.

  There are other uses for the bark of this tree, one being to help stop irregular heartbeats (arrhythmia) and to prevent the legs cramping at night. It has antifungal and antibacterial properties, and can boost the appetite and help the digestive system function normally. It has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for stomach cramps and dysentery among other ailments. In Venezuela it was used in traditional medicine as an anti-cancer agent. It is also used as insecticide and to repel insects.

  The native people of South America use the trees for many things including oral problems and an infusion of the bark is a good gargle for sore throats.

  Luckily this species of tree has been saved from extinction, mainly because it was cultivated in places other than its natural habitat and so the depleted stocks in its original habitat were left in peace to replenish themselves.

 

 

HOW TO MAKE PIZZA WITHOUT AN OVEN: TASTY EASY RECIPE

TASTY HOMEMADE PIZZAS AND CALZONE

If you don’t have an oven for any reason- your old one is broken, the oven door doesn’t shut properly, or you are on a camping trip, then you can still make a delicious pizza. The ones you make yourself are usually more to your taste than the ones you can get delivered, as only you know what your individual taste is.

  Try this recipe for a pizza without an oven and see what you think. You can make your own topping or filling for calzone and experiment with different cheeses. With this recipe we have used processed mini-cheeses and other processed cheese, but clearly a good piece of Cheddar would be ideal. However you can use whatever cheese comes to hand.

Ingredients

Dough

250 gr plain (fine) flour

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp yeast

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 cup hot water

Filling

150 gr cheese

1 onion cut into thin rings

1 tomato cut into slices, seeds removed

1 green pepper cut into rings

6 black olives stones removed and sliced

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

½ tsp salt

½ tsp dried oregano

1 tbsp olive oil

1 egg, beaten

Method

Put the yeast and sugar in a cup and pour the hot water over them. Leave this for 10 minutes.

Mix the salt with the flour and sprinkle drops of the oil in the mixture. Rub the flour through your palms so that the oil is well mixed in.

Add the water with the yeast and salt in it and knead the mixture into dough. Add more water if necessary.

Cover the dough with a cloth and leave to rise for at least 2 hours.

Divide the dough into 4 equal parts.

In a frying pan put half tbsp oil and swirl around the pan so that it is evenly coated. Take ¾ of the dough and spread it evenly in the base of the frying pan.

Put the pan over a low heat for 5 minutes so that the bottom of the dough is cooked. Remove from the heat.

Now turn the dough over and put ½ the cheese on the dough which has been cooked. Add the rest of the topping (but not the egg) and decorate it as you wish.

Roll out or flatten the remaining ¼ of the dough so that it will fit over the base of the pizza. Join the two pieces of dough with the beaten egg and leave for a few minutes so that it is joined well.

Brush the rest of the oil over the top of the dough lid.

Now put the pan back over a low heat and cook for 30 minutes, turning the pizza every five minutes so that both sides are cooked equally.

Now it is ready to serve. You can remove the lid and serve, or leave it on and eat like calzone.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

GLOBE ARTICHOKE - VEGETABLE QUEEN OF THE MED. HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES: GREEK ARTICHOKE RECIPE

GLOBE ARTICHOKE, CYNARA SCOLYMUS

There is some confusion in the names of the globe artichoke and the Jerusalem artichoke (arabee), the latter being an edible tuber, and the former a member of the thistle family, related to the cardoon and the milk-thistle. The botanical name “skolymus” means thistle in Greek. It has its origins in the Mediterranean region and is used in both Greek and Italian cuisine. It is fiddly to eat and prepare, although worth buying on the stem as this can be used in salads. In most countries, however, the stem is removed before sale. If you do manage to get a whole fresh plant, use the stems but discard the leaves as they are bitter. The leaves on the head of the artichoke are what are referred to on recipes.

  The plant can grow to 5 feet tall, and normally are around 3 feet high. They can be harvested in spring but are not available in winter months if they are grown in gardens.

  The globe artichoke was used in ancient Greece and Rome as food and medicine as it was thought to be liver protective and modern medical studies have borne this out. It arrived in Britain during the 16^th century and was grown in monastery gardens, although the Brits have not really adopted this vegetable in a big way. This may have changed since artichoke hearts can now be bought canned and frozen, making them more accessible.

The globe artichoke comes before the flower which is a huge, glorious thistle flower, so the artichoke we eat is the bud of the plant. If you don’t want to eat the artichoke whole, you can use the hearts as in the recipe below, and take the leaves off the globe, boil them for about 5 minutes and let them cool to use in a salad. Before boiling them, snip off the top of each leaf which might be thorny. You can also add the leaves to soups and stews.

  Stems should be par-boiled or blanched before eating, although they can be eaten raw and are good when drizzled with olive oil.

  The leaf extracts and extracts from the stems contain cynarin, which has been found to help lower blood cholesterol levels and to improve the functioning of the liver and gall bladder. This can help in the early stages of late onset diabetes.

  The globe of the artichoke is high in fibre and contains vitamins C and K, folate and some of the B-complex ones, as well as the minerals copper, magnesium and manganese. It also contains flavonoids and phenolic acids such as luteolin, and inulin which increases the body’s ability to absorb calcium and magnesium, regulates blood glucose levels and reduces cholesterol.

  Traditionally artichokes have been used to treat many ailments and have been shown to be effective against rheumatism. Dioscorides, in the first century AD recommended the mashed roots as a deodorant.

  Other uses have been for jaundice, loss of appetite, indigestion, flatulence, stomach pains, nervous complaints, oedema (they have diuretic properties), nausea, constipation, gallstones and liver problems.

  I love them in lemon sauce as prepared in Greece, and below is an adaptation of a Greek recipe which just needs the hearts, so canned or frozen hearts can be used. In Italy globe artichokes may be served alone with a sauce, or the hearts can be found in risottos or on pizzas, but they are especially good grilled with a selection of other fresh seasonal vegetables.

ARTICHOKE HEARTS AND VEGETABLES IN LEMON SAUCE

Ingredients

10 artichoke hearts

10 small shallots

1 lb small new potatoes, scrubbed

4-6 medium carrots, scrapped and sliced

250 gr fresh peas in pod, shelled

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 large onions, peeled and sliced

1 handful fresh dill, snipped

½ pint chicken stock (recipe)

¼ pint white wine

¼ pint fresh lemon juice

2 tbsps flour

olive oil

Method

Heat oil in a pan and fry the whole shallots, onions and garlic for 5 minutes, then add the sliced carrots, and potatoes, and fry for a further 5 minutes.

Add the flour and stir well, then slowly while still stirring, add the chicken stock and white wine.

Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for half an hour.

Now add the artichoke hearts, peas, dill, lemon juice and seasoning.

Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Serve hot or cold.

You can add more olive oil to this dish when you add the stock, if you want to.

Serve with fresh crusty bread or garlic bread.

This has Taste and is a Treat.