ROSE BAY WILLOW HERB - PROLIFIC HERB WITH MEDICINAL BENEFITS; HISTORY AND USES OF FIREWEED

ROSE BAY WILLOW HERB, EPILOBIUM ANGUSTIFOLIUM

Rose Bay willow herb is also called Fireweed, as it is a pioneer species, which is one of the first to sprout after a fire. It was a common sight on London bombsites during the Second World War. In the 16^th century John Gerard writes that it was a rarity in Britain, although he got some for his garden from a friend in Yorkshire.

  Seemingly the plant has now grown much more common all over the UK and Ireland where it is called Lus na tine or in English Blooming Sally, perhaps because it has leaves like the willow tree, of the genus Salix. It has often been remarked that the leaves actually look a little like those of the bay tree too. Some have referred to it as a “bothersome weed” as it spreads easily.

  It spreads by seeds which are attached to white hairs which have been used for stuffing, like kapok. These appear in autumn when the seed pod splits into four and ejects the hairs and seeds which are carried on the wind to new blooming places.

  Despite its apparent rarity, Culpeper used it in the 17^th century for its antispasmodic properties for asthma and whooping-cough. An infusion of the leaves is used for these purposes. The plant is native to parts of Europe and southern Asia and also grows in North America, although whether it has been introduced or is a native species is open to debate.

  In Britain it was cultivated in Victorian gardens because of its spikes of pink-mauve flowers and perhaps it escaped from these gardens to become the prolific plant we have now. It can be seen along railway tracks with buddleias and in waste ground almost everywhere. The flowers, which are in bloom for about a month, are a haven for bees which collect the nectar and mice nest in thick patches of this plant so it is good for wild life in Britain.

  The leaves can be made into a tisane but have been used as an adulterant in some tea. The root can, like chicory roots, be made into a coffee substitute. It is a member of the Onagrariaceae family of plants, and is also known by the Latin name Chamaenerion angustifolium, although this is sometimes misspelled as Chamerion. The stems look red, and this has given rise to another name for this plant, Blood Vine, although it is an erect plant and certainly not a vine. It can grow to heights of between four and eight feet.

  The French Canadians of the Gaspe Peninsula call the plant ‘wild asparagus’ and eat the young shoots in the same way that you would asparagus. The roots are edible and can be boiled and eaten as you would a Jerusalem artichoke, or added to soups and stews. The leaves can be made into a tisane and these contain vitamins A and C as well as at least one of the B-complex vitamins, riboflavin. They also contain the mineral phosphorous.

  The powdered root has been used to stop internal bleeding, but the plant is mainly used now in tisanes- leaves and roots for diarrhoea, dysentery and stomach cramps, while an extract of the leaves may have anti-inflammatory properties scientists believe. A poultice of the leaves has been used in folk medicine for mouth ulcers and in Germany and Austria the Rose Bay willow herb has been traditionally used for prostate gland problems. The stems are edible and have laxative properties, apparently! A poultice of the peeled roots has been used to heal burns and other skin problems.

  It’s a very attractive plant and it seems to have health benefits too, as well as most of it being edible.

YELLOW BEDSTRAW:- USED IN CHEESE-MAKING ORIGINALLY: HISTORY, USES AND HEALTH BENEFTS OF YELLOW BEDSTRAW: TISANE RECIPE

LADIES BEDSTRAW, YELLOW BEDSTRAW, GALIUM VERUM 

Ladies Bedstraw is also called Our Ladies Bedstraw, as it was once believed that it was one of the dried kinds of plants that were laid in the manger by Jesus’ mother Mary to make it comfortable for him. It is also known as Curdwort and Cheese Rennet as in the past it was used to curdle milk and process cheese. The yellow colour that Cheshire cheese was famous for was produced by this plant. John Gerard writing in the 16^th century explains this, saying that the best Cheshire cheeses were made in Nantwich. Today the yellow food colouring is from annatto. The whole chopped plant is used for rennet.

  This plant was used in Nativity scenes in churches, dried, as we can see from this extract from the Red Book of Hengist and the works of the Physicians of Myddfai,

“The bite of the spider, will not be found venomous, save from the feast of the nativity of the Virgin Mary, to that of her purification, and then by applying the yellow bed straw thereto bruised, the venom will be extracted therefrom.”

The Physicians of Myddfai also used yellow bedstraw for swellings :-

“For a swelling, the result of an injury. Take the juice of the yellow bed straw, the juice of the plantain, rye meal, honey and the white of eggs. Make into a plaster, and apply thereto.”

  More traditionally however, the plant has been used as a diuretic in the treatment of gout and other diseases whose symptoms include excess fluids in the body.

  Given that it has the name Bedstraw, you might guess correctly that it was used in the past to stuff mattresses with, as it is sweet-smelling, like freshly cut hay and is reputed to have insect-repellant properties. It is also said that if you put a sprig of this in your shoes if you are walking a long way, you will not get a blister. It is closely related to Sweet Woodruff, Galium odorata.

  This plant is native to Europe and western Asia, and is a common sight in waste land, and in fields. The leaves can be eaten raw or cooked, like spinach, and the seeds when roasted are said to make a good coffee substitute, like chicory or dandelion roots. (Coffee, of course is also in the Rubiaceae family of plants.)  In Britain the plant is in flower in July and August and can be collected then and dried for later use. The root leaves and stems produce a yellow dye which women used to dye their hair blonde in Britain in the Renaissance. It may be that in France men also made use of this dye as there it was called “Petit muguet” or “little dandy” and this was adulterated into another English name for this plant, Petty Mugget. The roots alone produce a red dye like that of Madder (Rubia tinctorum) to which yellow bedstraw is related as it is in the same Rubiaceae family of plants.

  The flowering tops have been used as a folk remedy for epilepsy and are thought to have antispasmodic properties. Culpeper writing his Complete Herbal in the 17^th century believed that yellow bedstraw was good for all kinds of internal bleeding and for nosebleeds.

   An infusion or decoction of the plant has been used in the past to remove stones and gravel from the internal organs, although I don’t think it is used for these ailments today.

  The flowering plant used to be made into an ointment for skin problems and a powder from the plant can be applied directly onto the skin to stop itching and inflammation. A poultice of the chopped plant, heated can be applied to heal wounds and clean them too.

  The plant contains asperuloside which produces coumarin and it is this which is responsible for the smell of new mown hay which the plant emits. This can be further converted to produce prostaglandins which are hormone- like compounds that stimulate the uterus and affect blood vessels, so the pharmaceutical industry is currently very interested in this plant, although little research has yet been published on it.

  You can make a foot bath to relieve swollen or aching feet by boiling the stems and flowers in water. If you take a cupful of the herb and boil it in a couple of pints of water for half an hour, reducing it to a simmer after boiling point has been reached, then pour it into a bowl and add more hot water to cover your feet, you should feel a little better after a period of soaking your feet.

YELLOW BEDSTRAW TISANE

Ingredients

2 tbsps fresh flowers of Yellow Bedstraw

1 cup boiling water

honey to taste

Method 

Put the flowers in a large mug and pour the boiling water over them.

Leave to steep for 15-20 mins.

Strain and flavour with a little honey.

This is a useful diuretic.

This has Taste and is a Treatment).

LENTILS ( DAAL) - USEFUL MEAT SUBSTITUTE: HISTORY, USES AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF LENTILS: TARKAY WALI DAAL RECIPE

LENTILS, DAAL IN URDU, LENS ESCULENTA or LENS CULINARIS

Lentils were gathered by our prehistoric ancestors, and were one of the first cultivated crops along with wheat and barley. Their origins are a little obscure and there seems to be some debated as to whether they originated in the Mediterranean region or the Near East, in Syria, northern Iraq, western Iran, southern Turkey and northern Israel, as the Lens orientalis still grow wild in these regions. Some researchers such as Daniel Zohary believe that the Lens orientalis is the predecessor of the cultivated lentil (Lens esculenta or Lens culinaris).

  Lentils are members of the Fabaceae or Leguminosea family of plants so are related to the chickpea, pea, green bean, borlotti bean, and others. Lentils come in a variety of colours, red, brown, green, black, white, yellow and orange, but all contain large amounts of protein and make useful meat substitutes. They also contain vitamins A, C, E, and K, lots of molybdenum, amino acids including choline, B-complex vitamins, B1 (thiamin) B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), pantothenic acid and B6 (pyridoxine). They are rich in minerals, containing magnesium, manganese, copper, zinc, iron and calcium. They also contain Omega-3 and -6 fatty acids.

  The ancient Greeks were cultivating them in 6000 BC although they were deemed the food of the poor, as they were by the Romans, who made soups with them. Hippocrates (circa 460 – 377BC) prescribed lentils for liver problems and to keep old men virile (who would have thought that lentils would have been aphrodisiacs?). Interestingly modern research has shown that choline helps to rid the liver of fats, so helping it function more efficiently to get rid of toxins in the bloodstream.

  Aristotle (c.384-328 BC) ate lentil soup flavoured with saffron, which seems a bit wasteful, but saffron was thought to be a substance that promoted happiness, and with lentils thought of as aphrodisiacs, perhaps Aristotle had other things on his mind.

  Modern Greeks still eat brown lentil soup (φακες) especially during Lent, although it has never been a favourite of mine even when it is drenched in olive oil. They make a good fava though, but this is made with yellow split peas not lentils.

  In the Indian subcontinent lentils are common and eaten with rice or as in spicy soups. They are sometimes also incorporated into kebabs to eke out the meat. I love red lentils, soups, daals, lentil loaf, whatever; they have a nutty taste and go well with mushrooms.

  Lentils help to lower cholesterol levels and are a heart-healthy food. They can help to stabilize blood sugar levels and normalize blood pressure. Because they are low in calories and high in dietary fibre and folate, they are wonderful for people on a weight-loss diet as they prevent constipation and have anti-inflammatory actions so are good for irritable bowel syndrome sufferers and for people with colon problems. The vitamins and minerals they contain have powerful antioxidant properties so they can combat the scavenging free radicals which can cause damage to healthy cells and cause cancer.

  If you allow them to sprout, they make very nutritious bean sprouts for salads and stir-fries and you can do this by soaking them in warm water for about 12 hours, then leaving them to sprout for 5 days.

  If you grind dried lentils the flour can be added to cereal flour to make a protein-enhanced bread, and if you make a paste of lentils and apply this to old ulcerous wounds, it will cleanse them and promote new skin growth.

TARKAY WALI DAAL

Ingredients

250 gr yellow lentils, soaked in water overnight

2 onions, sliced thinly

2 tomatoes, peeled and roughly chopped

4 green chillies, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 inch ginger root, finely chopped

handful fresh coriander leaves

1 tbsp garam masala (See recipe)

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp chilli powder

salt to taste

4 tbsps oil

Method

Put the lentils in a pan with 4 glasses of water, salt, chilli powder, turmeric, coriander seeds, onions and tomatoes along with half of the chopped chillies. Cook on a low heat for about ½ hour or 45 mins until the lentils are soft.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the rest of the green chillies, garlic and ginger. Fry these until they change colour, then put them in the daal and stir well to mix.

Sprinkle with coriander leaves and serve with chapattis, naan or other breads.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

KOHLRABI - UNPREPOSSESSING VEGETABLE WITH LOTS OF HEALTH BENEFITS: HOW TO COOK KOHLRABI

KOHLRABI, CAVOLI RAPA, BRASSICA OLEAROSA var CAULO-RAPA

Kohlrabi, like celeriac, isn’t exactly the most attractive vegetable but it deserves to be more popular than it is in the USA and Britain. Its origins are a little obscure, and some say that the first documented description of this vegetable was written by a European botanist in 1554. This may be so, but Pliny wrote about a vegetable that he called “rapa” in the 1^st century AD. He also wrote about the turnip, which he called “napa.” During the year I spent in Italy I recall my boss being ecstatic when she could have kohlrabi on her pizza, she told me that this was grown in southern Italy, and was a delicacy in the region I was living in. This was cavoli rapa.

  What is undeniable is that kohlrabi was developed from the wild cabbage as was broccoli, brussel sprouts, turnips, red cabbage, kale, head cabbages and other Brassica family members. It was selected from cabbages that had good stems, and it is peculiar as it grows above ground, with its roots under the soil. Its name comes from the German Kohl for cabbage and rabi or rape for turnip, so it means cabbage turnip.

  Kohlrabi could have been spread throughout Europe by the Romans, but it might have been one of those crops that they kept to themselves. Whatever the case, it seems that this was developed in Germany and northern Europe and gained popularity in the 16^th century. It is said that it tastes better after a frost, when it has been bletted, like sloes, for example. It has a taste which is sweeter than most turnips, and is reminiscent of a broccoli stem or perhaps white cabbage.

  You can eat this raw in salads, if it is sliced thinly or cooked (thinly sliced on pizzas as my Italian boss liked it), as a vegetable steamed, boiled and mashed or stir fried, in sesame oil. You can also eat the green leaves which are rich in vitamin A and carotenes, and these young tops can be cooked like spinach or used to make saag. They can be substituted for kale or collard greens too.

  Kohlrabi contains hardly any fat, is low in calories and has no cholesterol, making it ideal for people on a weight-loss diet. It contains more than the daily recommended dose of vitamin C per serving and also is rich in potassium. It also contains Omega-3 and-6 fatty acids, the minerals selenium, sodium (not much), manganese, copper, magnesium, iron, calcium, phosphorous and 11 amino acids. Vitamin A is also present in both the leaves and the vegetable.

  Kohlrabi contains isothiocyanate which is believed to help convert oestrogen in the body, and which seems to create a barrier against hormones associated with prostate and breast cancers.

  It is one of those unprepossessing vegetables that you can easily pass by in the supermarket, but it is very easy to prepare, and often, if it is young and fresh, doesn’t need peeling. Only peel the woody ones, and add them to soups and stews. Below is a simple Italian recipe to start you off on your acquaintance with this underused veggie.

SIMPLE KOHLRABI

Ingredients

Kohlrabi, cubed

olive oil

fresh lemon juice

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Boil or steam cubed kohlrabi until tender – try it after 10 mins.

Drain and dry on absorbent paper, then dress with olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper.

This has Taste and is a Treat.