CELERIAC - LOOKS HIDEOUS BUT TASTES DIVINE: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF CELERIAC: CELERIAC SIDE DISH RECIPE

CELERIAC, APIUM GRAVEOLANS VAR. RAPACEUM

Celeriac is the unpromising-looking root of celery, which is warty due to the rootlets that stem from it. If you get over its appearance you will find that it combines the flavours of celery and parsley (to which it is also related). It is a member of the Apiaceae or Umbelliferae family which makes it a relative of anise, caraway, fennel, dill, carrots and parsnips. It is known by several names such as root celery, knob celery, and turnip-rooted celery, as it does bear some resemblance to a giant turnip, although it is certainly not as attractive.

  It shares the same history as celery but was cultivated for it s root in Italy in the 17^th century. It soon spread to the rest of Europe, and became famous in France in the classic dish, celerie remoulade. To make this cold salad, peel the celeriac, grate it and marinade it in lemon juice to get rid of its ‘raw’ taste. Then dress it with a mustard mayonnaise.

  You can boil it, mash it, bake or roast it and deep fry it - anything you can do with a potato you can do with this unprepossessing vegetable. It’s very good mashed with potatoes and garlic. You can make a creamy vegetable soup with it for winter or use it in salads such as the one above in summer. The recipe given below is a delicious accompaniment to meat and goes well with broccoli.

  Celeriac has been used for its medicinal properties, as it helps with periods, and promoted milk flow in breast-feeding mothers, as well as being a diuretic and good for breaking down and flushing out kidney stones. It has also been used to strengthen the nervous system, as a stimulant and tonic.

  It is fairly low in calories, but contains sodium, so you don’t need to put much salt with it when you cook it. You can bake it whole and then peel it for ease after cooking and to have a low calorie snack. The leaves can be used to flavour soups and stews and they can be eaten raw, but it is better to blanch them at least as they have a strong taste.

Celeriac strips

   When raw the root contains a fair amount of vitamin C and it is potassium and phosphorous rich and also contains many of the B-complex vitamins although not thiamin (B1). It also has the minerals selenium, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, manganese and magnesium in it. Potassium is good for many reasons especially as it lowers blood pressure and the risk of strokes according to Harvard University Health Professional Study which also found that drinking coffee has benefits. Combined with magnesium, potassium helps men with erectile dysfunctions as it promotes the blood flow and dilates the arteries.

  If you want to grow this in your garden it goes well with French beans (green beans), leeks, tomatoes and the brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts etc.). This root vegetable only arrived in the US in the 19^th century and it is only now that people are realizing its benefits that it is becoming more popular.

CELERIAC SIDE DISH

Ingredients

3 large celeriac, peeled and cut into thin strips

water and lemon juice combined in a bowl

juice of ½ lemon

olive oil

½  cup of any one or two of the following herbs:-

tarragon, parsley, chives, mint, lemon balm, basil

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Parmesan cheese freshly grated to serve

Method

As you peel and cut the celeriac into strips, put them in the bowl of lemon water.

Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and add the celeriac and the juice of ½ lemon. Bring back to the boil and then reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes until the celeriac is tender, but not mushy.

Remove from the heat and drain and then return the celeriac to the pan along with the olive oil and herbs of your choice and salt if necessary and freshly ground black pepper.

Heat through and serve.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

  

MAST TREE - NOT THE ASHOKA TREE: INFORMATION AND USES OF MAST TREE

THE MAST TREE, POLYALTHIA LONGIFOLIA

The Mast trees Polyalthia longifolia and the variant pendula are native to the Indian subcontinent, and are easy to spot because of their elegant erect appearance. They have long, lance-like glossy pale to dark green leaves, depending on their maturity, and look as though they could walk. They are usually planted as screens and it is a wonderful sight to see them in a line. They can give shade, so are welcome in hot climates. They are members of the Anonaceae family of plants which means that they are related to the custard apple (shareefa) Anona recticula or squamosa and to the American pawpaw, or prairie banana Asimina triloba. The mast tree is also known as the False Ashoka as people frequently mistake this tree for the Ashoka tree, which is not related. The trees in this family typically contain acetogenins which may have anti-cancer and anti-HIV activities.

  In the days of sailing ships the wood from these Mast trees were used for masts, as they are flexible with straight trunks. These days however the pale yellow wood is mainly used to make decorative items such as ornamental boxes. The trees have special religious significance for Hindus and are often planted close to temples. Their branches, leaves and pale green flowers are used in religious ceremonies as decorations.

  The Mast tree is evergreen, with the new leaves being a coppery brown, although they soon turn glossy pale green which darken as they mature. The pale star-shaped green flowers grow on the small branches in clusters but are difficult to spot as they blend in with the leaves so well. They blossom in spring and are followed by small fruit which contain a single seed. Five fruit can come from one flower, and these are much loved by bats that flock to the trees in the evening when they have fruit. The trees can grow up to 12 metres tall and are easy to see on the landscape. The name polyalthia comes from the Greek meaning ‘many cures’ while longifolia means long leaved, and pendulous, hanging.

 In Ayurvedic medicine the bark is used to bring down the temperatureof the body during fevers. It is also used for skin diseases, inflammation, diabetes and to lower high blood pressure. In traditional medicine the seeds are also used to lower the temperature in fevers Ithas been the subject of quite a few research studies and has been shown to have antimicrobial and antifungal properties. It is though that it is the alkaloids found in the stem bark that are responsible for these properties. In 2009 a patent was taken out on an extract of the leaves for anti-inflammatory diseases (rheumatism etc) and its action against cancerous tumours. Just recently, on July 12^th 2011 it was reported that “new antioxidants” had been found in the Polyalthia longifolia var. pendula. Once again it would seem that ancient remedies for diseases often have a sound basis in medical science.

FIELD SOUTHERNWOOD - USED BY THE PHYSICIANS OF MYDDFAI TO CURE INSANITY

FIELD SOUTHERNWOOD, ARTEMISIA CAMPESTRIS

Field Southernwood, unlike southernwood, is a native of the British Isles, although it is not as prolific as it was in Culpeper’s day in the 17^th century, as he reports that it grew everywhere. It grows all over the temperate regions of the Northern hemisphere and can grow to around 30 inches high.

   It is another member of the Artemis genus which includes tarragon, (A dracunculus), mugwort (A. vulgaris), wormwood (A. absinthum) and sweet wormwood (A. annua). It has very similar properties to southernwood but they are not as potent. However if it is easier to come by and you’d like to discover what a tisane of it tastes like, follow the recipe given for southernwood).

  Culpeper believed that it was a good diuretic and advocated a conserve being made from the fresh tops, beaten with twice their weight of sugar and given in cases of hysteria and as a diuretic. He describes the taste as being “…pleasant, warm, aromatic” so unlike its close relative wormwood.

  It was used in poultices for rheumatic joints, eczema, bruises and sores. The tisane or infusion can be applied on the skin for eczema too. An infusion of the roots was used especially for children as a hair tonic and to treat any scalp problems, although these did not include head lice. The roots were also made into an infusion and given as a laxative and diuretic. However if you need a laxative, then senna would be more easily available, I imagine (Jamalgota is far too potent in the normal way of these things.)

  The pulverized roots were often used as perfume in the Middle Ages, to keep away unpleasant odours and diseases.

  The Welsh Physicians of Myddfai used it for palsy and insanity, although these uses seem to be very diverse.

  This is their remedy to cure palsy, although it did have to be taken specifically on Christmas Day.

  “Take the field southernwood, pound it in a mortar, and strain the juice to about a small cupful, and give it the patient to drink, on the dawn of God's day of Christmas.”

This is there remedy for insanity; clearly these are for reference only.

“When a man becomes insane, take daisy, field southernwood and sage, digesting it in wine, and let the patient drink it for fifteen days.”

  In other ways, Field southernwood is little different in properties and uses to the Southern European southernwood.

RED CABBAGE - QUEEN OF CABBAGES: HISTORY, USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF RED CABBAGE: WINTER SALAD RECIPE

RED CABBAGE, BRASSICA OLERACEAE var. CAPITATA F. RUBRA

The red cabbage is a headed one and has health benefits which the green cabbages don’t have, so it is well worth adding this cabbage to your diet.

  The wild cabbage was probably taken to Europe by the Celts who had settled in Britain by the 4^th century BC, although they were in Asia Minor (modern Turkey) by 600 BC. Their name for cabbage was bresic, clearly this word in Latin became Brassica, so it is highly likely that the Celts introduced the cabbage into Europe and not the Romans. It would seem that the wild cabbage grew in Asia, but was cultivated in the Mediterranean area by the Romans and ancient Greeks, although this was the loose-leaved cabbage. The hard-headed cabbages were late to appear on the scene, as they were not known until 1536 when the English made clear distinctions between loose-leaved and hard-headed ones using two words for cabbage, “cabaches” and “caboche.” The green Savoy cabbage, named after the province in Italy where they grew, was being cultivated in England in the 1500s.

  Red cabbage is a variant of the head cabbage which is white, and these two combined make a very healthy winter salad as given below. You can find pickled red cabbage in jars on supermarket shelves, but the taste is nothing like the one you get from a fresh cabbage that you have grated, or cooked yourself. Red cabbage tends to turn bluish when boiled, so if you want to keep the colour, add lemon juice to the water. Boiling red cabbage gets rid of some of its health-giving nutrients, so it is best steamed or eaten raw.

  Red cabbage is related to brussel sprouts, kale, broccoli and collard greens, and is packed with nutrients. It is probably the best of the cabbage family in terms of its protective benefits. All cabbages glucosinolates, but they contain different patterns of these, scientists have discovered, which means that we should include all types of cabbage in our diets to get the maximum health benefits from them. Sinigrin is one of these, and this has shown unique protective qualities against colon, bladder and prostate cancers.

  Red cabbage gets its colour from anthocyanin pigments which have potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and is probably the best cabbage for its preventative, and curative properties.

  It contains vitamins A, C, E, K and many of the B-complex vitamins, choline and betaine, Omega-3 and -6 fatty acids, and the minerals calcium, iron, phosphorous, potassium, sodium, selenium, magnesium, manganese and zinc. It is rich in potassium and this combined with magnesium can lower blood pressure and ensure a smooth blood flow, and dilates the veins so that it can help men with erectile dysfunctions. Who would have thought that the cabbage may be a true aphrodisiac for the male of our species?

  With that thought, perhaps you’d like to try this winter cabbage which is everywhere in Greece during the harsh winter months. They flavour it with oregano but caraway is good too and celery seeds, or dry-fried fennel seeds, the choice is yours.

                                                                                                          

                                                                                                                        

                                                                                                              

                                                                                                                

WINTER SALAD

Ingredients

½ head of red cabbage, thinly sliced

½ head of white cabbage, thinly sliced

4 large carrots, scraped and grated

30 gr sultanas

2 tsps dry fried cumin seeds

1 green apple, chopped

lemon juice

olive oil

freshly ground black pepper

Method

Soak the sultanas in lemon juice for 30 minutes so that they plump up.

Put all the ingredients in a bowl, pour over the lemon juice and olive oil, add the freshly ground black pepper and serve with meat or fish.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

SOUTHERNWOOD - NOT JUST A PRETTY ORNAMENTAL; HISTORY,USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS

SOUTHERNWOOD, ARTEMISIA ABROTANUM

Southernwood is native to Spain and Italy and was much used as a medicinal herb in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. It is scarcely used these days however as modern medical research has not yet been carried out to support or disprove the uses to which southernwood has been put.

  It is related to others in the Artemisia genus of plants, which include wormwood (A. absinthum), sweet wormwood (A. annua), mugwort (A. vulgaris), tarragon (A. dracunculus) and a whole host of others supposedly given by Artemis to Chiron the Centaur (after whom centaury was named, for the benefit of the human race) as he was in mythology at least, the first physician.

  In French it is called garderobe meaning clothes protector as it is a moth repellent. It is said that women used to take bunches of the herb to church with them along with balm, to prevent them dozing during long-winded sermons. It was also reputed to ward off contagious diseases, and was apparently put beside prisoners in the dock in bunches along with rue so that the good people at the trial would not catch jail fever. This practice continued up until the 19^th century.

  Southernwood, like sweet wormwood grows quite tall, and although it was introduced into the UK in 1548, it rarely flowers in the climate. In Italy it was once used as a herb in cooking, although it was more often used in the perfume industry. It is good to dry the leaves and crush them and add them to muslin sachets with dried lavender flowers and rose petals. To keep moths at bay, crush the dried leaves and put hem in muslin sachets with crushed cinnamon bark after first putting a few drops of patchouli oil on the muslin.

  Young country boys in Britain would burn the leaves and stems and use the ash in a homemade ointment made primarily with lard, and rub it into their faces in the hope of growing a beard. Perhaps that it was why it was known by a country name of Lad’s Love. It symbolized fidelity if it were presented to a loved one in a bouquet.

  A tisane of the fresh or dried leaves has been used to start periods which are irregular or absent, and to help with stomach cramps. You have to put ½ oz of fresh chopped leaves in a pot which has a tightly fitting lid and pour a cup of boiling water over it, then leave it to steep for 10 to 15 minutes covered, so that the aromatic steam does not escape and drink a cup three times a day. It doesn’t taste awful, but you may want to put a little honey in it to sweeten it.

  The dried, powdered leaves were given to children in a teaspoon of treacle to get rid of internal worms.

  Dioscorides writing in the first century AD thought that the bruised seeds heated in water and drunk stopped pains in the joints and sciatica, while boiled in wine they were an antidote to poisonous bites. He said that if the herb was burnt, venomous creatures would not go near it.

  Culpeper recommended it for worms, the spleen and said “The leaves are a good ingredient in fomentations for easing pain, dispersing swellings and stopping the process of gangrenes.” He also suggested a “wasted quince” mixed with oil of southernwood was good for inflammation of the eyes.

  Of course this is for information only. If you go anywhere near southernwood, wear gloves, as it can cause dermatitis.

QUINOA - "LOST GOLD" OF THE INCAS: HISTORY, USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF QUINOA: HOW TO MAKE QUINOA SALAD

QUINOA, ARROZ DEL PERU, CHENOPODIUM QUINOA

Quinoa was a staple food of the Incas, but crops were destroyed by the Spanish conquistadores seeking to destroy the culture of the Incas, if not their civilization. They have been eating quinoa for 5, 000 years, and it is mainly cultivated in the Andes in Bolivia, Chile and Peru. It is still a staple of the Quechua and Aymara peoples who live in rural areas at high altitudes. It was known to the Incas as “chisiya mama” the mother grain.

  Quinoa is classed as a pseudo-cereal as it is not a grass but a member of the goosefoot family, so a relative of the stinking goosefoot. (Chen is Greek for goose and podi means foot and this is how it gets its name in Latin - the leaves were thought to resemble a goose’s foot.)The grains are actually seeds which may be white, red or black. It can grow to heights of between 4 and 6 feet.

  It can be used in much the same ways as rice and couscous, (in both sweet and savoury dishes) although as the seed husks contain saponins the grains have to be thoroughly soaked to remove any residue after they have been processed. In South America the saponins are used for detergent to wash clothes.

  The red quinoa seeds are more bitter than the white, and so need extra soaking time. To see if they are ready to cook taste a few seeds and if they are very bitter still, they need a change of water and longer soaking. It’s probably best to soak it overnight and then rinse it a few times. If it has been processed it may be Ok to put it in a sieve and run cold water through it while rubbing the grains together with your fingers.

  To cook quinoa you need 1 part of its seeds to 2 parts water, (the same as rice), bring it to the boil and then turn it down to simmer for 15 minutes. The seeds become translucent and fluffy. They have a nutty flavour which becomes even more pronounced if you dry fry them for 5 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent them burning before boiling them.

  It has been cultivated in Europe but has not really become popular, although that may now change, when its full range of health benefits become known to a wider public. It is chock full of amino acids, especially lysine which is essential for the growth and repair of tissues. The 18 amino acids are particularly well balanced in this seed. It is protein rich and contains the B-complex vitamins along with vitamin E and the minerals calcium, chloride, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium, sodium and zinc. It is particularly rich in potassium and the phenolic compounds in the plant along with the lignans (also found in flax seeds and pumpkin seeds) provide potent antioxidant protection for our cells.

  Quinoa like the real grains, barley, wheat and sorghum, for example, lower the risk of contracting Type 2 Diabetes, and help to protect the heart and our cells from cancer. It is actually a relative of leafy green vegetables such as spinach, cabbage and broccoli and diets which contain whole grains, pulses and leafy greens protect us from cancers and heart disease according to medical research. Its leaves are edible and can be used like spinach or the amaranths (e.g. Elephant’s Head).

  In the 1980s quinoa was rediscovered by two Americans who realized its nutritional value and potential and began cultivating it in Colorado, so it became more widely available in the US.

  Red quinoa has been used in traditional medicine to get rid of intestinal worms and as an emetic (purge). A decoction of the seeds can be applied externally to sores it is said.

     In 1997 Michael J. Koziel in “Quinoa: a Potential New Oil Crop” pointed to the fact that because it is rich in protein and essential fatty acids (Omega-3 and -6 as well as linoleate and linolenate acids) it could be used as an edible oil. He also said that the oil cake, the residue after the oil has been extracted, “would be an important complementary protein for improving the nutritional quality of both human and animal foodstuffs.”

  The recipe below uses quinoa as you would couscous, and is very nutritious.

QUINOA, FETA AND BLACK OLIVE SALAD

Ingredients

75 gr of quinoa seeds, soaked and cooked as directed above

50 gr black olives

1 large courgette or zucchini, cut into very thin strips

1 small red onion, very finely sliced

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

olive oil

100 gr tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 red chilli, very finely chopped

100 gr Feta, crumbled

small bunch of fresh mint leaves, finely shredded

few leaves of mint for garnish

Method

Drain and rinse the quinoa under cold running water after cooking and leaves to drain again.

Trim the top and bottom of the courgette, and cut into very thin strips.

Put all the ingredients into a bowl and pour the olive oil and balsamic vinegar over them.

Toss so that everything is well mixed, garnish with mint leaves and serve.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

  

CELERY ( APIUM GRAVEOLANS ) - HISTORY: HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF CELERY: HOW TO MAKE CELERY SALAD

CELERY, SELINO, APIUM GRAVEOLANS, AJMOD IN URDU

The crunchy, nutty, celery we eat in salads, with a lovage-like flavour comes from the wild celery which still grows in the Mediterranean and parts of Asia. This is cultivated for its leaves and seeds (see celery seeds) and is not the firm textured stalk that we have in salads or use for dips. Celery was first used for its seeds and was used as medicine. It is called selino in Greek and its leaves were used like laurel leaves to crown athletes in the games that were held on mainland Greece. The plant was held in high esteem because of its medical properties, but was also treated with some suspicion as it was associated with Death and the Underworld, in both ancient Greece and Rome.

   It was first recorded as being used for food in 1623, in France, where the Belgian endive also had its debut much later. However it was used in the Middle Ages as food as people could forage for wild celery. Then it would have been added to stews as it did not become popular as a raw vegetable until the 18^th century in Europe. By which time the Italians had developed the one celery know today, more or less. It was the Italians who first cultivated celery seriously for food in the 17^th century and they produced the kind with solid stems that we eat now; before the stalks were hollow. It was only introduced into the USA in the 19^th century.

  The origins of the word apium are obscure, but graveolans comes from the Latin, gravis meaning heavy (as in pregnant) or serious and olere to smell. It is a member of the Umbellifereae or Apiceae family of plants which includes parsley, carrots, fennel, and dill. The root of a variant of celery, Apium graveolans var. rapaceium is the root vegetable celeriac. The leafy variety that grows in the Mediterranean regions and is used to flavour soups and sauces is Apium graveolans var. secalinum. It also grows in Asia, and in Urdu, celery is ajmod.

  In Britain we have several kinds of celery, an almost white variety which is grown out of direct sunlight, and the greener kind that is known in North America. Celery has had a reputation for being an aphrodisiac, along with numerous other foods such as oysters, tomatoes, walnuts, leeks, and strawberries among others. There is a recipe for men with erectile dysfunctions, which is added here for information only. Take 5 or 6 celery stalks and boil them until they become pulpy, and eat them hot. This is supposed to help for a few hours at least. Cheaper than Viagra I guess. In Kentucky it is believed to be bad luck to eat celery, I’m told. However if you go to New Orleans, you will see celery stalks in the Creole cuisine there.

  There is some medical reason for this, as celery stalks are rich in the mineral potassium and contain phthalides, compounds which help relax muscles around arteries and allow the veins to dilate, so allowing blood to flow through them more easily. They also reduce stress hormones which can cause blood vessels to constrict.

  Celery contains vitamins A and E which together help protect vision, particularly helping to protect night blindness and dimness of vision. It is also a rich source of vitamin K and vitamin C, and has many of the B-complex vitamins too. It also contains 17 amino acids, and the minerals calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, phosphorous, selenium, sodium and zinc. So if you thought a stick of celery was only water, you should revise your opinion. Celery stalks also contain coumarins which help prevent the free radicals from damaging cells and causing cancer. These also enhance the white blood cells which help to defend our immune systems. They also contain acetylenics which have also shown activity which inhibits the growth of cancerous tumour cells. Eating celery can help to lower blood pressure, so helping to lower the risks of heart disease and strokes. The potassium and sodium combined help to regulate the body’s fluid balance, and so act as a diuretic, flushing out unnecessary fluids. Celery oil also has the effect of lowering cholesterol levels.

   It is thought that celery oil has anti-inflammatory properties, but more research is needed on humans before this can be proven.

  Celery makes a good healthy juice, especially when combined with parsley, which helps to prevent thrush or candida if you are susceptible to that infection, and it is tasty when combined with carrot juice. This can help calm frazzled nerves and can help the nervous system. If you drink half a pint of the carrot and celery juice daily it will help the nervous system.

    The seeds are mainly used for medical reasons, but it is clear that adding celery to your diet can be beneficial to your health. It is best used raw to get its full benefits.

CELERY SALAD

Ingredients

1 head of celery, sliced

1 bunch spring onions, chopped

30 gr walnuts, crushed

2 apples, cored and chopped

1 mango, peeled and roughly chopped

1 Kos lettuce, leaves left whole

white wine vinegar,

olive oil

parsley leaves, shredded

juice of 1 lemon

Method

Have a bowl of water near you into which you have squeezed the lemon juice. When you core and chop the apples, leave the chopped pieces in the water so that they don’t discolour for about 15 minutes, while you prepare the other ingredients.

Layer a salad bowl with the lettuce leaves, and put all the other ingredients into the bed of lettuce.

Make the vinaigrette with 2 parts olive oil to 1 part white wine vinegar.

Pour this onto the salad and serve, or serve separately.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

  

SAW PALMETTO - REMEDY FOR BPH - DOES IT WORK?

SAW PALMETTO, SERENOA REPENS or SERENOA SERRULATA

Saw palmetto is a shrubby type of small palm which grows in clumps, often under the canopy of other trees. It is indigenous to the south-eastern states of the USA and to some of the West Indian islands. These palms grow in colonies of perhaps a hundred or more, and have between 3 to 7 fan-shaped leaves which are about 2 feet wide. They are called the little saw palm (that’s what saw palmetto means) because the leaf stems have spines which are very sharp and which run along the stem like the teeth of a saw. The clumps of fronds grow to around 10 feet and make good shelter for wildlife.

  The Seminole Indians used the fruit of this tree both for food and medicine. The flowers which bloom from April to the end of July attract bees and the honey made from them is delicious. The fruits ripen between September and the end of October, staring green and ripening to black. They are harvested, dried and ground to a powder. A lipophilic extract is removed from the fruit as this is what is believed to provide the fruit’s medicinal properties.

  There are over 50 reported traditional medicinal uses for the fruit and these range from cures for whooping cough to alcoholism. The Native Americans used to use the fruit in combination with nettle roots and pumpkin seeds, for male impotence, infertility, inflammation and as an expectorant. In the late 19^th century the fruits were used medicinally as they were thought to have a positive effect on genitourinary tract problems such as cystitis, and were used to reduce enlarged prostate glands, cure gonorrhea and irritation of the mucous membranes. In the early 20^th century men began to use them to increase their sperm count and to improve their libido. However, after 1945 herbal preparations were cast aside in the US and pharmaceuticals were used instead of the time honoured cures. In Europe however herbal preparations continued to be used, especially in Germany, where the Commission E regulates herbal products. It is in Europe that much of the research on saw palmetto has been carried out.

  The fruits of the plant contain flavonoids, plant sterols, and fatty acids, while it is thought that the polysaccharides (sugars) in the fruit are responsible for the possible medicinal benefits that may be gained form saw palmetto. As they may have similar effects to hormones they should not be used by pregnant or breast feeding women or anyone who has had a hormone-related cancer.

  Saw palmetto may be of benefit to men with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), which is non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland, although research has not been conclusive by any means. Researchers don’t yet know how the plant-based chemicals work but they think that perhaps they affect testosterone levels in the body and may reduce the amount of an enzyme in the body which promotes the growth of the prostate gland.

  Some studies show that saw palmetto is effective in reducing the size of the prostate gland, while others, (one notable one was published on 9^th February 2006 in the “New England Journal of Medicine”) have found that there was no difference in the size of the prostate whether patients were treated with Saw palmetto or a placebo. The problem with the research so far, apart from the study of 2006, is that the research has only been for 3 month periods, so it is difficult to know if any reduction in the size of the prostate is sustained.

  In animal studies Saw palmetto has been seen to inhibit the growth of cancerous tumour cells, so ultimately it may be helpful in combating prostate cancer. It seems to improve the urinary tract problems associated with an enlarged prostate and seems to stop the excessive flow of urine, so it is beneficial to some BPH sufferers.

  More research is needed to determine how far Saw palmetto can help men with BPH and prostate cancer.

  

CARDOON ( CYNARA CARDUNCULUS ): HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF CARDOON: HOW TO MAKE CARDOON SALAD

CARDOON, CYNARA CARDUNCULUS

The cardoon is native to the Mediterranean area and is a wild variety of the Globe artichoke, although it is now cultivated as it was in Dioscorides’ time (1^st century AD), for its stalks rather than the tops. These look like large, rough celery stalks. It is popular in Italy, Spain and Portugal but fell into disfavour in Britain in the twentieth century. The Victorians loved it though and there are many recipes given for cooking its stalks. You can eat the tops as long as you harvest them just before the petals bloom and eat the base and the flower head. It is a very striking plant with silver-grey green leaves that are very spiky, so you have to take care if you are close to one. They are classed as an invasive species in California, Argentina and Australia, where they were introduced.

  Pliny says that they were cultivated for their medicinal value, and the leaves in particular have been used in traditional medicine for chronic liver and gall bladder diseases, jaundice, hepatitis, arteriosclerosis, late-onset diabetes in its early stages and as a diuretic as well as a digestive aid. They can help disperse stones in the internal organs and are believed to be good for rheumatism. The Romans used to eat the stalks in salads, and even today the Italians sometimes eat them after boiling by just dipping them in olive oil.

   Modern research has shown that the cynarin which is the bitter compound in the plant, can improve liver and gall bladder functions, and stimulates the secretion of digestive juices, as well as helping to lower the levels of blood cholesterol.

   Cardoons contain the B-complex vitamins, B1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 9 along with vitamin C, dietary fibre and are rich in potassium (so good for the muscles and nerves and their functioning, as well as for erectile dysfunctions), copper and manganese as well as other minerals which include calcium, iron, magnesium, selenium and zinc. They also contain the phytonutrient, luteolin, silymarin, caffeic acid, among others which have antioxidant properties and serve to protect DNA from damage by scavenging free-radicals which can cause cancer.

  If you use these stalks it is best to remove their tough outer ribs and cut the inner ones into 3 inch (8cms) pieces then soak them in water in which you have mixed the juice of a lemon. This will prevent them turning brown as they do like avocados when exposed to the air. Pre-cook them in boiling water for about 30 minutes and serve them as you would any other boiled vegetable, or make a cheese sauce and bake them in it for 20 minutes until the cheese on top is bubbling and brown. When you cook them you won’t need to add salt as they contain sodium naturally. The roots and can be cooked like parsnips.

  In Portugal they use the flower heads (dried) as rennet in cheese-making, and they figure in the traditional Christmas meal too. The plant yields a yellow dye, and has possibilities for the biodiesel industry, especially in countries where it is invasive.

  You can find these stalks in markets in mid-winter through to early spring, so in previous times they were a vital source of vitamin C to prevent scurvy in the winter months. You can grow them too and some people just grow them because they are an attractive plant which can be used as compost when it dies back. If you grow it though, eat it as it is a shame to allow all those nutrients to go to waste. It has a pleasant nutty flavour, a bit like a Jerusalem artichoke and is more delicate than the globe artichoke, so you may like the cardoon even if you don’t like globe artichokes.

CARDOON SALAD

Ingredients

5-6 cardoon stalks, trimmed and cut as described above

1 pint chicken stock

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 medium onion, finely sliced

4 ozs fresh mushrooms, sliced

handful coriander or parsley leaves, shredded

30 gr pine nuts

1 glass white wine

olive oil

freshly ground black pepper

freshly grated Parmesan cheese to serve

Method

Boil the cardoons 20 minutes in the homemade chicken stock. Drain and reserve the liquid

Heat the olive oil in a pan and fry the onions and garlic until the onion is tender.

Add the mushrooms and pine nuts, stirring to make sure they are coated with the oil.

Add the white wine and bring to the boil. Add the black pepper and allow the mixture to simmer for 15 minutes, then add the strained cardoons, stir well and add the reserved liquid.

Now add the coriander or parsley leaves, and simmer uncovered for a further 10-15 minutes.

Remove from the heat and allow to stand for about 30 minutes before serving.

Serve with Parmesan cheese.

This has Taste and is a Treat.