This has been one rainy spring and without time to run out to the garden between rainfalls, dandelion has had plenty of time to make her presence known! You see this lovely bit of sunshine popping her head up pretty much anywhere she wants to ;) Dandelion is so sassy and brazen, she really does put herself way out there and for that I think of her as a great symbol of springtime.
Dandelion also helps me remember the importance of community and the lovely give and take that community can provide. If you have ever communed with dandelion then you know what a community minded spirit she has. Clumps of flowers growing together, sharing space and soil give me the feeling that these are plants that like being together. Even their roots intertwine in the most lovely way. Being present and available for community is such a healthy and happy way to live, thank you dandelion for reminding me!
There is no stopping this plant once she gets going. Try popping the flower heads off and the mutation process begins, more flowers and seed heads than before if you can believe it! Pulling the plant up from the leaves will really do nothing either as the root can propagate itself and grow more plants from the same plant. Digging her up with root intact is the way to do it if you are trying to establish some boundaries with this plant.
This is how to harvest dandelion for food as well. Make sure when urban harvesting to only harvest from spaces that you know are not chemical laden, which can either be really easy or really difficult. Yards of people that do not spray their lawns are usually a good place to start. I steer clear of medians, sidewalks, and city parks.
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is great medicine. One of the best spring tonics, dandelion will help you cleanse that winter comfort food quick enough. Dandelion leaves are diuretic and have an affinity for the kidneys ("piss a bed") and stomach. They are also high in calcium, potassium, and B Vitamins (Gladstar, 2001). The root is great for cooling and cleansing the liver and the blossoms are good heart medicine. Make a dandelion blossom wine and your heart will be glad you did!
Dandelion is an alkaline food so it helps balance out all the acidic food that is common in the "American diet". We have been adding the leaves to salads. They are wonderful at this time of year and it is later in the year that they become more bitter. The same goes for the root. Think of it as similar to burdock root, sauteed in stir fries or added to soups. Put fresh dandelion sap on scars and they will heal and disappear over time. Fresh spring greens are a great way to protect your thyroid from doses of radiation that is becoming ever more present in our environments. This whole plant is full of so much medicine!
Susun Weed's book "Healing Wise" was one of my first herb books I ever bought and I still refer back to it for food and medicine recipes. The dandelion chapter is especially helpful and clever. Rosemary Gladstar has an excellent way of helping people understand the versatility of herbs as food and medicine. I recommend her book "The Family Herbal" for everyone.
Here are some other things to try with dandelion:
-dandelion aperitif
-dandelion blossom facial toner
-dandelion blossom syrup (yum!)
-dandelion wine
-add an arm-full of dandelion blossoms to a bath for a golden dose of summery sunshine!
-add molasses to a decoction of dandelion root and that is a mineral rich (especially iron) way to start the day and your liver will be very happy!
-leaves can be made into a delicious pesto (add other greens like nettle and basil to cut the bitterness)
-steam the leaves and add some Tamari or Braggs
-ease indigestion with the root of dandelion
-use dandelion leaves for urinary tract health (UTIs and overall health) for men and women
-for women: herbs that are good for the liver are often good hormonal balancers as well, think of dandelion root when your moon brings painful cramping, bloating, and mood swings along with it.
-for men: dandelion can help with impotence when there is a loss in vitality
Dandelion holds a great message to humans and that is when something can be found in such great abundance it is really up to us to learn more about it instead of try to eradicate it. The reality is that resources are going to become more scarce in the years to come and it is going to become more difficult to obtain simple foods that we have become accustomed to buying in the grocery store.
If you have not already started thinking in terms of sustainability, dandelion is a great place to start. A safe, easy to locate and identify herb with lots of uses! Go eat some weeds, would ya!?
May 6, 2011
February 21, 2011
It's Nettle Time!
It's true, folks. This could be my favorite time of year. All those sweet little juicy nettle tops are making their way through the dirt to begin the next cycle of the growing season. I feel so lucky to be a part of it all.
Nettle (Urtica dioca) is super mineral rich and good for the kidneys and delicious. These greens are so rich in vitality, they need a lot of ummmph to make it through the surface of the soil. They are the pioneers of springtime, they let us know that warm soil is just around the corner, and the time to plant is nearly upon us. It is also a good time to cleanse our bodies, get rid of that winter funk and the heaviness of winter that we may have accumulated from too much heavy food over these long months. This is the plant world's way of making us stronger for the planting season, they need us to go out there and get those gardens ready...Makes me wonder who is really in control here...
Grandmother Nettle also demands respect, if you have ever mistakenly reached down to touch one of her stalks then you know what Im talking about...Ouch! Yes she has a way of letting you know that she is the one that makes the rules. Wearing gloves while harvesting is a must.
I harvested some nettle yesterday with my herb class in an old growth forest near the Gorge. It was a magical and soul enriching day for many reasons, but the feeling I got when I kneeled down on the ground to meet her was the most incredible feeling. I was praying down to Grandmother Nettle, this was her church and I was the conduit for the plant world. So I sang her a song and told her how beautiful I think she is, grandmothers do like that kind of stuff.
Thank you Nettle.
Here are some of her uses, although she has so many I couldnt possibly list them all.
Nettles - cook it like spinach and it is a delicious green to include in recipes.
-Nettle soup
-Nettle quiche
-Nettle pesto
-Nettle greens stir fried with kale, tamari, and sesame seeds
Nettle Vinegar- with all those minerals still intact. I like to use apple cider vinegar.
Nettle hair wash- make a tea and add some vinegar to preserve. Use to strengthen hair.
Nettle- dried for tea...to drink all winter long when you are dreaming of spring!
The plant itself is excellent to add to the compost, brings nutrients to the soil, and the dried stalks can be used to make cordage. Like I said, so many uses.
Nettle tea can be enjoyed by children, the elderly, and regular old adults. It is strengthening to the kidneys and is an overall health tonic, mineral and nutrient rich. It also is an alterative, helping our bodies function more effectively over a long period of time.
Paul Bergner says it is the quintessential Pacific Northwestern herb, it is drying to the constitution and perfect for taking on the cold, wet, rainy winters we get here. This is especially true when there is mucous in the respiratory tract or just that overall cold, sluggish, bogged down feeling we get from living with too much rain and not enough sun!
Enjoy the nettles!!
Nettle (Urtica dioca) is super mineral rich and good for the kidneys and delicious. These greens are so rich in vitality, they need a lot of ummmph to make it through the surface of the soil. They are the pioneers of springtime, they let us know that warm soil is just around the corner, and the time to plant is nearly upon us. It is also a good time to cleanse our bodies, get rid of that winter funk and the heaviness of winter that we may have accumulated from too much heavy food over these long months. This is the plant world's way of making us stronger for the planting season, they need us to go out there and get those gardens ready...Makes me wonder who is really in control here...
Grandmother Nettle also demands respect, if you have ever mistakenly reached down to touch one of her stalks then you know what Im talking about...Ouch! Yes she has a way of letting you know that she is the one that makes the rules. Wearing gloves while harvesting is a must.
I harvested some nettle yesterday with my herb class in an old growth forest near the Gorge. It was a magical and soul enriching day for many reasons, but the feeling I got when I kneeled down on the ground to meet her was the most incredible feeling. I was praying down to Grandmother Nettle, this was her church and I was the conduit for the plant world. So I sang her a song and told her how beautiful I think she is, grandmothers do like that kind of stuff.
Thank you Nettle.
Here are some of her uses, although she has so many I couldnt possibly list them all.
Nettles - cook it like spinach and it is a delicious green to include in recipes.
-Nettle soup
-Nettle quiche
-Nettle pesto
-Nettle greens stir fried with kale, tamari, and sesame seeds
Nettle Vinegar- with all those minerals still intact. I like to use apple cider vinegar.
Nettle hair wash- make a tea and add some vinegar to preserve. Use to strengthen hair.
Nettle- dried for tea...to drink all winter long when you are dreaming of spring!
The plant itself is excellent to add to the compost, brings nutrients to the soil, and the dried stalks can be used to make cordage. Like I said, so many uses.
Nettle tea can be enjoyed by children, the elderly, and regular old adults. It is strengthening to the kidneys and is an overall health tonic, mineral and nutrient rich. It also is an alterative, helping our bodies function more effectively over a long period of time.
Paul Bergner says it is the quintessential Pacific Northwestern herb, it is drying to the constitution and perfect for taking on the cold, wet, rainy winters we get here. This is especially true when there is mucous in the respiratory tract or just that overall cold, sluggish, bogged down feeling we get from living with too much rain and not enough sun!
Enjoy the nettles!!
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