|
|
|
|
Dear reader, Hello everyone, I'm writing this on the evening before we go to Level 2 quarantine. This will mean that we can now have gatherings of up to 10 people and as a result I'm going to hold a Know your autumn edible weeds workshop on Sunday 31 May from 10-2pm in my garden. To register go here.
I have really enjoyed the retreat from the world we had during the lockdown weeks. I had time for inner reflection and I got lots of gardening done with the help of a guest from Argentina who is stuck here and is still here helping in the garden. It is such a blessing. I have sold quite a few of my books both printed versions and ebooks during this time. I know there is an urge in many people to feel they have some control over their food source whether they grow it themselves or forage for it. There are so many edible plants that grow right in our gardens or local waste places that can be foraged and turned into meals with substantially more nutrients and life force than bought vegetables. Below I have an image of this life force that we can't normally see but is there.
Cooler weather edible weeds are now flourishing and I'm so thrilled that the chickweed Stellaria media is back in profusion for salads, smoothies, sandwiches and pesto. My wild lettuce Lactuca virosa are young and lush, the winter cress Barbarea verna, hedge mustard Sisymbrium officinale, onion weed Allium triquetrum, mallow Modiola caroliniana, speedwell Veronica persic all have nice young growth. These will be the plants we focus on during the upcoming workshop at the end of May. I'm looking forward to offering live events again. More workshops will be scheduled soon.
Know your Autumn Edible Weeds Sunday 31st May 10-2pm. Go here to register.
I want to thank you all for your support, your interest in these wild plants and the feedback you send me. I hope you enjoy this newsletter I've put together for you. |
I saw this post on Youtube and it depicts our beautiful landscape in Aotearoa (New Zealand) and our connection to it. I think you'll love it. Papatuanuku is breathing |
Many of us have heard of Kirlian photography which shows light emanating from an object discovered by Mr & Mrs Kirlian in 1939. The photo left is of an ivy leaf and I think it is so beautiful! It's showing the energy of the leaf, the captured sunlight and very life force of the leaf.
All of life is imbued with this life force. We know how uplifting and grounding it feels to walk in nature. Many people have had more opportunity to get out into parks and reserves and wild areas during the lockdown time while we're been disrupted from our normal lives. Even getting out in our gardens, if we're lucky enough to have one is invigorating. I love going out each day to see how things are growing and changing. |
When I go out in the morning and see these droplets of dew on the kale microgreens in the greenhouse it is such a delight to see the light reflected in those little water jewels. |
50 Years Off Grid Living in the CA Redwoods
|
This is an stunning documentary of an extremely creative man who improvised everything to live off grid amongst 400 acres of redwoods, 40,000 of whom he propagated and planted with his wife. He has a wealth of wisdom to share as you'll see. It is a magical thing to watch!! I'm in awe totally of what they've done on the land just through observing nature and logic. Watch and be enthralled here. Its about an hour long. |
Wild lettuce green leaf to seedhead
|
Do you see any relationship between this plant on the left and the plant below? The leafy plant is Wild lettuce Lactuca virosa
I eat the leaves like garden lettuce but it is much more bitter and has a distinct smell and lots of white sap in the stem when you break it off. You could try using that sap on warts. Other plant sap you can use on warts are Dandelion Taraxacum officinale and Milk weed Euphorbia peplus.
|
I have huge respect for this plant Lactuca - it is a true wild spirit, coming up where it likes and then making a big statement when it goes to flower and seed, producing thousands of seed to spread on the wind. It is said to have pain reducing qualities but I haven't tried it for that.
The leaves are mineral rich, lots of iron revealed by the reddish stems. The leaves have curved spines on the back vein of the leaves that are deterrents but not that sharp. That's a sure sign the plant is rich in nutrition. Those spines are there for protection otherwise it would be all eaten.
|
Milkweed for warts and pre-cancerous growths
|
Euphorbia peplus is a very prolific 'weed' in my garden and I've had the first request for seed as its not available in Kansas, USA where Marie lives. I wanted to share what Marie says so that you are encouraged to try using this natural remedy for warts and precancerous skin growths. Above you can see young milk weed plants and a stem I broke so that you can see the white milk that oozes out. This is what you use on warts and precancerous growths. (Milkweed looks so similar to chickweed, but you must be very careful to remove each stem of it from the chickweed you've harvested).
Marie says "Thanks so much for responding! I have used the plant for years for precancerous and cancerous skin spots. My mom had a spot removed by the doctor twice, but it kept coming back. I had her use the plant sap for a few days and the spot never came back.
I had a sunspot on my temple near my eye that started to thicken and turned pink. I used the plant on it and the spot festered and the plant even worked under the skin....my cheek below my eye and my eyelid swelled. It was amazing to see the effect and it healed with absolutely perfect skin and no scar!" Marie added that she applied it 3 or 4 times per day for several days until the plant did its thing. |
Euphorbia peplus mature plant to the left. |
Weeds and greens harvested for the smoothie bowl below. There is from top left: Narrow leaf plantain, comfrey, fennel, magenta spreen, nettle, parsley, cavelo nero. Front from left: Kale microgreens, chickweed, creeping mallow, herb robert and nasturtium. |
I used the above plants to make a smoothie with a banana, feijoa, apple, avocado and some honey. I put a tablespoon approximately of linseed and chia seed in a bowl added the smoothie and waited until it thickened. I decorated the bowl with chopped macademia nuts and wild alpine strawberries. I was very pleased with the result! |
Since we've had rain the woodear or jelly ear fungus Auricularia auricula-judae have expanded and are easier to see on dead, rotten NZ native trees especially mahoe, pukatea, and tawa. I also think it grows on dead lemon wood. On the left you can see how they look dried up and then swollen with water inside the bowl.
Wood Ear Mushrooms are rich in B complex vitamins and many other bio-active compounds such as polysaccharides that improve heart function.
It is also rich in antioxidants, helps boost the immune system and Wood Ear Mushrooms are rich in pre-biotic fibres in the form of beta glucans. These are indigestible fibres that promote the growth of good bacteria (probiotics), in the microbiome.
During lockdown I've had a lovely Chinese guest here called Mingxia. When I came home with the woodear she got all excited because they are well known in China. She calls it Mu-er and the Chinese consider this mushroom to be both edible and medicinal as it has been used since the Tang dynasty from 618 - 907 BCE. In China, Wood Ear mushrooms are added to dishes to help improve breathing, sore throats, to reduce colds and fevers, to enhance well-being and to boost circulation.
We've added them to broth and stir fry dishes. I love that I can forage for these and include them in my diet. I never take all - just a few so that they will drop spores and increase.
|
I now call these fungi by their Chinese name Mu-er. I took the photo to the left in a local reserve where they were growing on a fallen rotting tree trunk. I get so excited when I see them. |
Litchi tomato or Thorny tomato
|
I was given this plant by Louise from Central Hawkes Bay where I ran a workshop last November. She sent me home with several treasures one of which was this new to me Litchi tomato or Morelle de Balbis shrub Solanum sisymbriifolium. This plant is in the Solanum family along with regular tomatoes, capsicum, black nightshade etc. It certainly is thorny but makes up for that with its pretty pale mauve flowers and little red tomatoes that are quite tasty to eat. It was a novel plant to grow but I don't think I'll grow it again. |
A tribute to me from Sharon
|
My friend and webmaster Sharon wrote this beautiful poem and created this amazing surrounding herself. The words really capture the essence of my connection to the wild plants and how I love to share this world with others. Thank you again so much Sharon!!! |
We gathered these chestnuts then I processed them to make flour. First I boiled them for 30 minutes. I took them off the heat but left them in the water and only took a few out at a time. I cut them in half and scooped out the flesh. |
Once I'd done all the chestnuts which took some time I put the flesh in the food processor and whizzed it until it was all broken down into a fine flour. I then bagged up the flour into 2 cup portions and froze it. |
I found a chestnut flour bread recipe online which was very tasty and delicious. It took 6 eggs to give it the aeration. |
This is seed porridge with chestnut flour. I soaked some linseed and sesame seeds added a couple tablespoons of chestnut flour, some cut up apple, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger and cooked it. The garnish is green smoothie, persimmon and coconut yoghurt. It's delicious on these colder mornings! On this note I'll sign off for this time, wishing you an easy transition out of our cosy lockdown bubbles.
Love and blessings,
Julia |
|
|
|
|
|
|
