CUCKOO PINT ( ARUM MACULATUM): TREAT WITH CAUTION

THE CUCKOO PINT, ARUM MACULATUM

The Cuckoo Pint may or may not be native to the British Isles, but it grows wild there and is often seen under hedges. It likes moist ground and shade, and has an attractive flower and berries, which are poisonous. The whole plant should be treated with caution as the sap from the plant causes a burning sensation and this lasts for hours. If you use the root then wash all utensils in boiling water afterwards.

   This plant is the only one of the Arum family to grow wild in Britain, and its leaves are among the first to emerge in spring. They are a glossy shade of green with purple blotches on them and the flower can also look stained with purple. It is said that these flowers grew under the cross of Christ and caught some of his blood. In this way they are the Holy Grail or Chalice of the British hedgerow.

   In the past children used to play a game to see which flower was first, the Lord or the Lady, differentiated by the colour of the stamens. That is how it came to have the name Lords and Ladies.

   Another name for it was Starchwort as its starchy tubers were used in Elizabethan times to starch the elaborate cuffs and ruffs that were so fashionable in the Renaissance. Gerard commented that the hands of the poor laundresses who used this root as starch were chapped and blistered because of it.

    Rural people say that the name is really Cuckoo’s Pintle or Pintel, meaning Cuckoo’s Penis, but there are several other ‘reasons’ given for the name too.  There are several pubs with the name “Cuckoo Pint” and the landlords of each will give different explanations for the name. Young girls used to be told not to touch the cuckoo pint or else they would become pregnant.

   In Germany there is an old superstition that if a young man goes to a dance he should put a little of the plant into his shoe and say the following words “I place you in my shoe; let all young girls be drawn to you”. In this way he could have the dancing partner of his choice, whatever the male competition.

   Dioscorides in the first century AD wrote that the leaves of the cuckoo pint were “excellent” eaten cooked as a vegetable. However the tuber is more frequently eaten as it has a high starch content and is like a potato. Care should be taken gathering the tubers though as the juice will cause a burning sensation and blistering. The tubers can be dried and then heated and ground to a fine powder. This was known as Portland Powder and was used as arrowroot is, but it was supposed to be an excellent treatment for gout.

   This powder was one of the ingredients of Poudre de Cypre (Cyprus Powder) used by fashionable Parisian ladies as a cosmetic, presumably to whiten the skin. The starch has to be washed copiously however to get rid of any toxins which irritate the skin. The tubers have a milky juice in them which needs to be got rid of before use. Drying then heating them gets rid of their acridity.

   After the root has been dried and baked, it can be eaten or the flesh can be pounded in a mortar to a powder and stored for future use in airtight jars in a cool dry place. The powder is a diuretic and stimulant.

   The American variety of this plant is Arum triphyllium or Dragon root also called Jack-in-the–Pulpit, or wild turnip. There are many arums all over the world which have the same toxicity as the Cuckoo pint, so all should be treated with caution.

   Taro, comes from the Calocasia antiquorum variety of Arum which is a close relative of the cuckoo pint. This is the tuber of the plant which is used like a sweet potato, in Hawaii and the Pacific islands. (Another name for it is Arum esculentum.)

   Calocasia macrorhiza, found on the Indian subcontinent is the plant from which gingili oil is obtained, and used in the treatment of intermittent fevers. It is obtained from the root of the plant. Another member of the Arum family is Arum montanum which also grows on the subcontinent, and the root was once used to poison tigers.

   You can use the dried powder of the cuckoo pint tuber to make bread and biscuits, instead of flour, but unless you are really strapped for cash it is inadvisable given the toxicity of the plant.

HOW TO MAKE CHILLI PRAWN KEBABS: EASY AND TASTY RECIPE

CHILLI PRAWN KEBABS

Ingredients

30 king prawns, shelled and cleaned but leave tail

60 gr butter

1 bulb of garlic, peeled and crushed

2 tbsps brown sugar or gur

2 tbsps lemon or lime juice

2 tbsps fresh coriander leaves, pounded

2 tbsps holy basil( tulsi) leaves, pounded

1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

Method

Slit the prawns along the vein, lengthways.

Heat the butter in a frying pan, and add all the ingredients apart from the prawns and stir well to mix.

Add the prawns one by one and cook them for 5 minutes each.

Put the prawns on a tooth pick so that you skewer them twice so that they almost form a circle.

Serve as an appetizer or with other nibbles with drinks.

These can be made beforehand and kept until the fridge until they are needed and grill before serving. They are tastier if you do this.

These have Taste and are a Treat.

WATERCRESS ( NASTURTIUM OFFICINALE): MEDICINAL BENEFITS AND USES OF WATERCRESS: WATERCRESS SALAD RECIPE

WATERCRESS, NASTURTIUM OFFICINALE

Watercress is related to the flowers that grow in many British gardens, nasturtiums. Nasturtium comes from the Latin, nasus meaning nose and torquere, to torment. The nasturtium family of cresses (which includes the flower and the herb called Garden cress) has a pungent aroma, which explains their name. Watercress grows wild in Britain by clear flowing streams, and I used to gather it on the mountain, when I was a child. I have always loved both the smell and the taste of this herb. Now of course it is cultivated and can easily be bought from supermarket shelves, but you can also grow your own by putting some leaves with stems in a bottle of water and changing it once a day. When it has grown roots it can be transplanted into pots of sandy soil and watered frequently.

   Watercress is native to Europe and Russia, but now grows on most continents. The Greeks and Romans believed that it cleared the mind so that decisions could be made more easily. They used it as a salve for wounds. If you rub a paste of the leaves onto a wound it will stop any infection as the leaves have antiviral and anti-bacterial properties.

   It is good eaten raw in salads and is useful for diabetics as it helps get rid of excess sugar in the blood. It is a diuretic and so good for obesity as it helps the body rid itself of excess water. It cannot help remove stones from the internal organs but it a good preventative. Watercress aids the liver, helping it to stay healthy.

   Watercress belongs to the Brassica family of vegetables along with broccoli and brussel sprouts and shares many of the same properties. It tastes a little like rocket but is less spicy, although they can be substituted for each other.

    A tisane can be made from 5 gr. of watercress to 1 cup of boiling water, steeped for 10 minutes and then strained. This is good as a diuretic and if you have a bronchial cough or cold. You can also steep 25 gr of watercress in a glass of cold water overnight and strain it in the morning and take a tablespoon 4 times a day. Pep it up with the addition of cayenne pepper or black pepper.

    If you crush the leaves to get the juice from them you can apply this to your face to remove any skin blemishes, but to get rid of pimples you should take the tisane internally.

    Watercress can help with respiratory illnesses as it is an expectorant, antibronchitic, antiviral, antipyretic and a general tonic. It contains 13 amino acids, the B-complex vitamins, vitamins A, C, and the following minerals: - calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium, sodium, iodine and zinc. This means that it contains a lot of antioxidants, so helps with blood flow, etc. It also contains beta-carotene, fibre, and essential oil, glutotropeolin, and glycosides. It has been used in the past to treat TB and Culpeper suggested the bruised leaves could be used to remove skin blemishes.

   An old superstition says that if you wrap watercress in red flannel and wear it when you have to go on water you will be protected from drowning.

WATERCRESS SALAD

Ingredients

1 bunch of watercress, shredded

½ head of lettuce, shredded

4-6 spring onions, roughly chopped

½ cucumber sliced

4 tomatoes, sliced

1 tbsp capers

12 black olives

olive oil and wine vinegar for the dressing

½ tsp dried oregano

Method

Combine all the ingredients except for the oil and vinegar.

Mix 2 parts oil and 1 part vinegar and add a little oregano. Shake well to combine, then toss the salad in this dressing.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

HOW TO MAKE SPICY FRIED PRAWNS: EASY AND TASTY RECIPE

SPICY FRIED PRAWNS

Ingredients

2 cups prawns, shelled and cleaned

3 tbsp plain flour

3 tbsps cornflour

1 tsp chilli powder

½ tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp salt

1 egg white

oil for frying

Method

Mix together the flour, cornflour and spice powders add a little water and stir to a paste.

Put the prawns in this mixture, making sure they are completely coated in it and leave to stand for ½ hour.

Whisk the egg white until it is stiff and forms peaks.

Heat the oil in a pan and dip each prawn in the egg white and add to the pan.

Fry the prawns for about 5 minutes.

Serve immediately with salad.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

FISH CURRY WITH SPRING ONIONS RECIPE

FISH CURRY WITH SPRING ONIONS

Ingredients

1 kg white fish cut into 3 inch pieces

½ kilo spring onions, chopped

1½ tsps fenugreek seeds (methi)

1½ tbsps chilli powder

1½ tbsps ground cumin seeds

1½ tbsps ground coriander seeds

salt to taste

1 tbsp pounded garlic paste

1 tbsp pounded ginger root (paste)

1 cup natural yoghurt

1 cup oil

8 green chillies, finely chopped

1½ inch piece of ginger root, chopped

fresh coriander leaves for garnish (optional)

Method

Heat the oil in a pan with the fenugreek seeds and fry until they become red. Add the spring onions and fry until they become light brown.

Add the garlic and ginger pastes, chillies and all the spices. Cook for 5 mins.

Then add the yoghurt to the spice mixture and stir well. Cook over a low heat for 10 minutes.

Add the fish to the mixture and make sure the heat is low.

Cover the pan so that the fish is cooked by the steam. Don’t remove the lid, but shake the pan to mix everything when you think you need to, (every 3 to 4 mins should be enough).

Cook for 15 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat take out the fish and pour the sauce over it. Garnish with the ginger and fresh coriander if you wish.

Serve with boiled rice or breads of your choice.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

WHAT IS PLANTAIN? ISPHAGULA OR ISPHAGOL: HISTORY OF PLANTAIN USES AND BENEFITS: PLANTAIN TISANE FOR COLDS AND FLU

PLANTAIN, PLANTAGO MAJOR: ISPHAGULA, PLANTAGO OVATA

The common plantain of the British Isles and Europe is Plantago Major, while the plantain in the Indian subcontinent is Plantago ovata or isphagula. The Asian one is used as a bulk laxative in the West under the trade name Fybogel and is very useful for Irritable Bowel Syndrome sufferers. In Pakistan it is sold as Ispaghol, made from the husks of the seeds of Plantago ovata or Indian desert wheat.

  In Britain plantain has been used for centuries as a medicinal herb, and grows there as a weed. In Anglo-Saxon it was called Weybroed and was one of the nine sacred herbs. It has been used as a panacea, and this is reflected in the Scots Gaelic word for the herb, ‘Slan-lus’, the healing plant. The Anglo-Saxons used it as an antidote for “flying venom” along with hammerwort, chamomile and the roots of water dock. Later it was used as an ointment for burns, in a compound of celandine flowers (shiny yellow ones that look a little like buttercups) elderflower buds and houseleeks. Its expressed juice was mixed with comfrey, and sugar to stop the spitting of blood, although there is no medical evidence as yet to support this use.

Plantago ovata

   It contains acubin which is a powerful anti-toxin, so the use of it to cure snake bites and those of other venomous creatures has a basis in medicine. In US folklore, it was said to have cured a dog after it was bitten by a rattlesnake, and Erasmus, writing in the Colloquia during the early Renaissance tells of a toad that on being bitten by a poisonous spider, immediately ate a plantain leaf and showed no sign afterward of having been bitten. Pliny said that if “it is put in a pot where many pieces of flesh are boiling, it will meld them together.” He also said that it would cure a rabid dog, however. It has been used in the past to treat a plethora of illnesses, including insect bites (rub the leaves on them) nettle rash, all skin inflammations, malignant ulcers, fevers, to heal minor wounds, burns, scalds, and to stop haemorrhages both internally and externally among other things.

Decoctions of plantain have been made with a variety of flowers, docks and comfrey, and some of these were used for kidney problems. The expressed juice was used for piles. Plantain juice mixed with lemon juice was thought to be an excellent diuretic, and powdered dry leaves were used to rid the body of intestinal worms. To stop diarrhoea and dysentery the whole plant except the roots is used; you need an ounce of the plant, chopped, and a pint of boiling water. Pour the water over the plantain and leave it to steep for 20 minutes, then strain and drink half a cup 3 times a day.

   The powdered plantain seeds were used to stop vomiting, lethargy and liver disorders, and in Salmon’s Herbal of 1710 it says “The liniment mixed with juice and oil of roses eases headaches caused by heat and is good for lunatics.” He also says that when mixed with houseleeks and lemon juice essence of plantain was used in cosmetics.

    There are references to plantain in literature from Chaucer onwards, and it is mentioned in several of Shakespeare’s plays including Romeo and Juliet “plain plantain” In Act I scene 2, and “Plantain leaf” was recommended for mending a broken shin.

    The young leaves can be used in salads and it can also be used as a herb in soups and stews. The leaves and seeds have antibacterial, astringent, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, anti-tussive, diuretic, expectorant laxative, ophthalmic, demulcent, and cardiac properties, and medical research has shown that it can be used effectively in the treatment of asthma, emphysema, bladder disorders, bronchitis, fever, hypertension, rheumatism and blood sugar control.

   For colds and flu it is good to drink a tisane; 1 tbsp of fresh or dried whole plantain herb (seeds, roots and leaves) to 1 pint of boiling water. Pour the water over the plantain and leave to steep for 10 minutes. Strain and sweeten with honey to taste and drink throughout the day.

  For insect bites and a night cream to prevent wrinkles, or help the skin knit together you should mix ½ lb ghee or lard with 1 pound of chopped plantain plant. Put in a pot and cover it then cook over a low heat until the mixture is green and mushy. Strain while hot and cool. This is good for burns and skin irritation too.

ispaghol

  If you boil the roots in water this decoction is good for diarrhoea, dysentery, gastritis, peptic ulcers, piles asthma, hay fever etc. Plantain is also used to cause an aversion to tobacco smoking in some anti-smoking aids. The distilled water from the plant is also apparently, good for sore eyes.

  Plantago ovata makes a very good remedy for diarrhoea and dysentery, which I can personally vouch for.

BROOM PLANT: HISTORY, MEDICINAL USES, BENEFITS OF BROOM AND BROOM TISANE RECIPE

BROOM, CYTISUS SCOPARIUS

There are around fifty species of broom that grow in northern and western Asia all over Europe and North Africa. Broom was introduced into North America in the early 1800s as an ornamental plant, but it now grows wild and is classed as an invasive species. Cytisus scoparius is native to Britain and is and has been called by a number of names, including, Scotch Broom, besom, basam, bizzen, browne and Spanish broom is Spartium junceum which is common in Greece and the broom known to Virgil and Pliny and the ancients. Butcher’s broom is a different variety and not discussed here. It is also known by other botanical names such as Sarothamnus scoparius, and Genista scoparius.

  It is called broom because it was used to make brooms or sweeping brushes (hence besom, bizzen etc.) Scoparius in Latin means a broom and Sarothamnus is from the Greek which means to sweep and a shrub. The name Cytisus is supposed to be a derivative from the name of a Greek island, Cythnus where Spanish broom flourished.

   The Anglo-Saxons used broom for medicinal purposes, and it was known to the physicians of Myddfai in the 9^th century, although they favoured Butcher’s broom in their herbal remedies. The Scots used to hang garlands of the flowers around their necks to stem a nosebleed, but it had far more important symbolic value for them and the English and French.

   Geoffrey of Anjou put a sprig of flowering bloom in his helmet when he went into battle so that he could be easily seen by his troops, so that it gave them courage to see their leader in the midst of battle. Fulke of Anjou adopted broom as his symbol and his grandson Henry II of England also adopted it as his emblem. The name Plantagenet (as Henry II and his descendents were called) came from the name for broom Genista, Planta meaning plant, and Genista, specifically the broom. Its first official appearance in British history was on the Great Seal of Richard I; Richard Plantagenet.

   Another tale about its adoption in Brittany, France, is the following one: a prince of Anjou assassinated his brother and took over his kingdom, but was overcome by remorse and went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land to show his repentance. He scourged himself with broom twigs each night to show he had repented of his crime of fratricide and adopted broom as his symbol.

   Again in France, St. Louis, on his marriage, founded an order the Colle de Genet or Collar of the Broom and the broom flower and fleur-de-lys were worn on the coats of 100 nobles who were his bodyguards, along with the motto “Extaltat homilies” – he exalts the humble (or lowly).The order was held in high esteem and being allowed to wear the broom flower was regarded as a high honour. Richard II of England was given the broom to wear and a broom plant with an open pod empty of seeds decorates his tomb at Westminster Abbey in London.

    The Scots Forbes clan wore bloom flowers in their bonnets when they needed to stimulate courage in their chieftains. During the civil wars of the 14^th century, bloom was as much in use as an emblem as the roses of the Houses of York and Lancaster.

   Broom was traditionally a symbol of plenty in Britain, and was respected by nobles and peasants alike. The peasants, who made brooms from the twigs of the plant, didn’t do this when the flowers were blooming as there was a superstition that is shown in this rhyme from Suffolk in eastern England,

     “If you sweep the house with blossomed broom in May,

      You are sure to sweep the head of the house away.”

This might mean that the man of the house would die, or that he would be called upon to go on one of the Crusades to the Holy Land, and perhaps never return.

   Another old tale is that the Virgin Mary cursed the broom plant while she and Joseph were fleeing with the baby, Jesus, from Bethlehem to Egypt. The seed pods make a loud cracking noise when the seeds burst out and they did so as the trio past thus alerting Herod’s soldiers.

  Broom has been employed for uses other than making brooms, and one of its more valuable attributes is that it has a strong root system which can help prevent soil erosion. It was planted on steep banks to prevent landslides. The twigs and branches were used to weave baskets and it is planted as shelter for game birds, and to protect young, more important species of plant from the ravages of the wind until they become firmly established. When the plants are older their stems are valued by cabinet-makers for use as veneer. In Britain these stems have been used for thatch and as a substitute for reeds to make fences and screens. The bark can be made into fibre, but it is not as good for this use as is Spanish Broom. The fibre is extracted by soaking the bark in water to separate the fibre, as is done with flax. The shoots have been used to make paper and cloth and a green dye can be made from the leaves and young tops of the plant. In past times the tannins extracted from broom were used for tanning in the leather industry. The tops were used in Britain to brew beer before the introduction of hops, and it should be noted that the seeds have narcotic properties, as can be seen from the effects the plant has on sheep and goats after they have eaten them. They are stimulated at first and then sleep, although the effects are short-lived.

   Gerard mentions that the flowers were pickled or preserved in salt and then used in salads instead of capers, having been washed thoroughly of the pickling mixture or salt before being boiled and used. Guests at rustic weddings used to carry sprays of broom tied with coloured ribbons if rosemary were not available. The seeds have been used as a coffee substitute too, like dandelion roots.

    Henry VIII drank water from the broom flowers as a cure for gout and it was highly recommended in the Renaissance for “stoppages of the liver”. Gerard mentions that the “decoction of the twigs and tops of Broom doth cleanse and open the liver, milt and kidnies.” Culpeper believed that a decoction of the plant was good for dropsy, black jaundice, fevers, gout, sciatica, and various pains of the hips and joints. Some old physicians used to burn the tops and put the ash in wine; this was known as Sal Genista or Salts of Broom.

  The seeds have been used to treat liver complaints and fevers and broom juice can be obtained from the fresh bruised tops. Traditionally this is mixed with a thirds or the volume of alcohol and left to steep for 7 days. It has to be strained before using and the tops should be ideally gathered in June for this purpose. Broom juice should not be consumed in large quantities.

 A tisane can be made with 1 oz of dried tops to 1 pint of boiling water. Pour the water onto the dried tops and leave to steep for 15 minutes then strain and drink a small glass 3 times a day for liver complaints, or use once in a while as a tisane. It is a diuretic.

   For bladder and kidney problems try this mixture: 1 oz broom tops, ½ oz of dandelion roots and boil these in 1 pint of water until the water is reduced by half. About 5 minutes before this is done, add half an oz bruised juniper berries. Cool the liquid and strain it then add ¼ tsp cayenne pepper. Take a small glass 3 or 4 times a day.

   The isoflavines in broom are oestrogenic but the problem with broom is that it contains toxic alkaloids one of which is sparteine which may be dangerous to some people with heart problems as it is cardio-active. Broom has been used orally for a variety of complaints mainly to do with the heart and blood circulation. It has also been used to stimulate uterine contractions for women in labour and given after a birth to reduce blood flow. Broom also contains tyramine which can heighten or lower blood pressure. It can be dangerous and should only be taken under medical supervision. Pregnant and lactating women should not use it.