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Wild Medicine Article

Suite 101 Article #4!!!
5 Wild Medicines in Your Back Yard!
Check it out and tell me what you think. I'm very interested in what people think of eating what they formerly thought were weeds and how they use them.

I was thinking this could be cool not only for you, my readers, but for your kids or the kids near you since they seem to have a habit of picking these plants anyways either to give mommy flowers or feed wild salads to their babydolls. Maybe when they bring you a handful of dandelions you can tell them that they are not only pretty but are really good for you too!

Anyways, enjoy the article and the other 3 articles before it. I hope to have new ones up soon, including an indepth article on Ayurveda Dieting for Weightloss and something about raspberry leaf tea since I've been drinking it a lot lately.

Love and light,
Happy Chick

Monthly Herbal: Dandelion Fritters

Rosalee de la Foret also wrote a recipe for Dandelion Fritters in her Wild Foods Cookbook but I wanted to make it seperate from the other posted recipes because I have a video to share with it of the Herb Mentor group making the fritters.

Recipe
1/3 c. flour
1/3 c. milk
1 tsp baking soda
1/3 c. cornmeal
1 egg
dash of sea salt

Sweet additions
1 Tbsp honey (or to taste)
cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cadamom to taste
(I would also like to add anise, pumpkin spice, and all spice to this)

Savory additions
thyme, rosemary, oregano, or other savory herbs to taste

Mix dry ingredients together then add egg and mix well.
Add sweet or savory ingredients.
Dip flower blossoms into mix then fry in hot oil until golden brown.

As you will see, the video doesn't exactly follow this recipe, however, I'm told cooking is an art and done best with improve (so says my fiance).

Monthly Herbal: Dandelion Wine

Rosalee de la Foret of Herb Mentor did a video lesson on how to make Dandelion wine which includes how to harvest.
I've never had dandelion wine myself but know a few people that have and they say it's very sweet and yummy.
She uses dried apricots but I'm wondering what those of you who have made this or tried it have used, since I don't like apricots all that much...or raisins for that matter...

Monthly Herbal: Dandelion Recipes

Below are recipes from Wild Foods Cookbook by Rosalee de la Foret available for free through Learning Herbs.

Dandelion Pesto
2-4 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 c. cold pressed olive oil
2-3 c. freshly picked young dandelion leaves
1/4 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese
Dash of sea salt
Squirt of lemon juice (optional)
1/4 c. ground nuts (walnuts or pinenuts)

Place oil, garlic, and salt in the blender along with half of the dandelion leaves.
Blend well
Add other half of the leaves
when finished blending, should be of good consistency and still a little runny.
Pour into bowl and add cheese, ground nuts, and lemon juice.
Try as a dip, on bread, pasta or salmon, or with scrambled eggs or tofu.

Dandelion Greens
1 onion, diced
pinch of sea salt
2 Tbsp olive oil or butter
2 cloves of garlic
Bunch of dandelion greens
Squirt of lemon juice

Saute oinion in salt and oilive oil or butter until carmalized.
Add garlic and saute a minute more.
Add dandelions and saute until wilted.
Add squirt of lemon juice.
Use as base for quiche, tacos, or simply roll up in a large kale, chard, or lettuce leaf.

Pickled Dandelion Flower Bulbs
Harvest buds when they are still tightly closed
1/2 c. Onions, diced
3 Tbsp fresh minced ginger
4-5 garlic cloves
1 c. Dandelion flower buds
Apple cider vinegar
Tamari sauce

Rinse flower buds well and place in a pint jar with onions, garlic, and ginger.
Fill halfway with apple cider vinegar
Fill the other half with Tamari.
Cover with lid and let sit for 3 weeks in fridge
Enjoy with salads, snacks, or on tuna fish sammies.

Dandelion Coffee
Collect dandelion roots after going to seed or before flowering.
Wash well, then cut into small pieces.
Dry them well and store for later roasting or
roast them in a cast iron skillet until the turn brown and release a pleasant odor.
Once roasted, place a couple of tablespoons roasted root in 8 oz. water and boil for 7 minutes.
Add cream and sweetenver, and enjoy.

Monthly Herbal: Dandelion

You all didn't make things easy on me. 3 votes for Dandelion and 3 for Tea Tree, 1 for both Rose and Chamomile.
So, I had to make an execuive decision and sided with my Fiance who voted for Dandelion, with Tea Tree being August's Herb of the Month, as a sort of consolation prize for those of you who voted for Tea Tree.
That being said, here's a little information about the Herb of the Month, July 2010.

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
A.k.a Cankerwort, White Endive or Wild Endive.
The scientific name comes from the Greek Taraxos "disorder" and Akos "remedy."
The term Dandelion comes from the French, dente de lion or "tooth of the lion" in reference to the plant's leaves.

Safety Info:
Do not use internally if suffering froma blocked bile duct or blocked intestine.
May irritate the GI tract
Avoid if suffering from low blood pressure or excessive urination as the plant is a diuretic.

Associations
Planet: Jupiter
Astrology: Sagittarius

Medicinal Uses:
Dandelion is a highly nutritious herb with vitamins A, B1, B2, B5, B6, B12, C, E, D, P as well as biotin, inosito, iron, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnessium, and zinc!
Has diuretic properties as mentioned.
Roots can clear skin disruptions (best results after long term use).
Dandelion oil is used to relieve aches and pains including that of arthritis.
The Sap is used topically to remove warts and moles (best results after long term use)
Dandelion is also known to cleanse the liver

More:
Brought from Europe, Dandelion came to the Americas to provide food for bees.
Every part of Dandelion is Edible excepting the stem, however, every part can be used for food or medicine.