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Greetings everyone! It is winter in NZ. Where I live in the Bay of Plenty it has been very, very wet, filling the underground water table that became very low over the past seasons. It is not cold, just damp. Yet the plants are thriving and enjoying the moisture. I have lush chickweed, winter cress, creeping mallow, dwarf mallow, corn salad or lambs lettuce, chicory, dandelions, plantain - lots of lovely greens.
I am taking a pause over winter to rest and do less mainly because I'm restricted in movement with arthritic hips. I have resisted going the medical model way of hip replacement and this was, I now see motivated by fear, but also by my strong belief in natural healing. However, I have shifted from fighting and resisting, to opening to possibility, to going with the flow and using everything available to provide what I need for being able to do what I'm here to do. I also realise I am not the labels of a health condition, I am way bigger. I am experiencing it but I am not just that. It is not just about healing the physical either but the emotional, mental and spiritual aspects as well. It is a journey of surrendering and in trusting that this is all happening for me and my growth. The plants support me by their presence and their complete trust in life, and in how they are always changing in cycles and in a flow.
As I haven't had a lot of energy I haven't created many newsletters, nor had a social media presence, but my website has tons of resources, articles and newsletters rich with material.
There is one workshop in spring available so far.
Saturday 27th August 10-2pm. Go here for more info.
I have lots of copies of my book which is a visual guide to identifying the wild edibles, how to use them and their nutritional and medicinal qualities. Find it here.
I hope you enjoy this newsletter! |
A Book review: The New Wild
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My lovely flatmate Linda, who I met on a Wild edible weed workshop about 6 years ago has just read this amazing book and describes her experience of it.
Here’s my review for THE NEW WILD. by Fred Pearce 245 pages Published 2015 by Beacon Press USA “Pragmatic conservation has to begin with undogmatic, realistic ecology, which shows that alien-invasive plants and animals almost always increase biodiversity - and therefore nature’s general health and robustness". Fred Pearce’s ‘new wild’ suggests a matching ‘new conservation’ “. The words of Stewart Brand, author of Whole Earth Discipline. I couldn’t put a precis of this book, better than Mr Brand. But my experience reading this book blew a few fuses. I, like many other PC conservation minded peeps of my generation, donated to Greenpeace and spent weekends on community native planting initiatives. I’ve signed petitions to save various stands of native trees (and will do so again). I’ve trapped and poisoned rats and stoats to save native birdlife. This book is written in investigative journalistic style and a page turner. A huge amount of evidence for the benefits of ‘invasive species’ is backed by 26 pages of footnotes and references. This man has done his research! I was gobsmacked to read how resilient our planet and her flora and fauna are. Contrary to the messages of our ‘fragile ecosystem/s’ perpetrated by well meaning conservationists. Nature includes us, human beings. We are not separate from nature, we are but another interdependent species, though we have been educated to think we are 'more intelligent’ than Nature. That’s a joke! We ARE an expression of nature’s intelligence. I’ve come away from this book, only to promise I will read it again soon. My trust in Life and all expressions of Life, is renewed. Yes, we owe it to ourselves and to Life itself, to live sustainably, that’s still true for me. AND Nature’s patent ability to recover even from nuclear catastrophe, is heartening. The New Wild is a challenging and inspiring read. Linda Light. July 2022 |
This past season a choko or chayote vine came climbing with searching tendrils over the back fence and grew and grew and ended up the cherry tree and covered the fence. I didn't mind because it is an unused space and this plant produced a huge amount of food. It could also be seen as a weed the way it grows. I choose to see it as a great asset. We gave away lots of the fruits and educated people about how to use them. Quite a few people said they didn't know what to do with them and that they didn't have any flavour, but I find they do have a subtle, slightly sweet flavour. We have found they are so versatile and don't lose their texture so easily. Our favourite is to bake them by cutting them into wedges with the skin on. You put some crushed garlic, salt and pepper and they cook beautifully into soft, tasty very edible wedges. We have stir fried them, put them in soup and mashed them with pumpkin. They can be pickled, fermented, put in curries, smoothies and used to bulk up fruit. It does take up flavours and has a great texture.
We also ate tendrils and young leaves. It turns out both fruit and seed are rich in amino acids, vitamin C, folate, pantothenic acid and vitamin E. We've been so grateful for this abundance which has health benefits. I have written a blog on it here. |
The flourishing vine climbing over the fence. |
The young tendrils and young leaves are very edible as well as having diuretic, cardiovascular and anti-inflammatory properties. A tea made from the leaves has been used in the treatment of arteriosclerosis and hypertension, and to dissolve kidney stones. |
Stir fried choko and charrots with seasonings. Delicious! |
My nettle plant is resting over the winter and not actively growing. I grow it in a pot because it is a spreader.
This nettle cookie has to be the simplest I've ever made and it is very delicious! I usually make a double batch so they last a bit longer!
Inspired by Rosalee de la Fôret
Preheat oven to 350°
Ingredients:
1 cup almond flour
1 T finely ground nettle leaf powder (I dry nettle then grind in coffee grinder to powder or small pieces)
1T finely ground orange peel (I dry orange peel and then grind it)
1/4 tsp salt
3 T butter I used a vegan one as I am dairy intolerant)
1/4 tsp honey
Method
Mix together the almond flour, nettle leaf powder, orange peel powder and salt.
Mix in the butter and honey (use a hand mixer)
Next wash your hands and leave them wet/moist (to prevent sticking to the dough). Use a soupspoon to measure out the dough and then using your moist hands, roll into a ball about the size of a $2 coin. Place the cookie on a baking sheet (baking paper put on first). Use your thumb or finger to make an indent in the middle.
Bake 10-12 minutes or until the bottom is slightly browned. If the indent rose up repress to form a little crater.
Let cool.
For the filling I used frozen mulberries (thawed) soaked with chia seeds to make it thick. When ready to serve we put stewed apple and then a dollop of mulberry, decorated with tree fuchsia flowers.
The original recipe uses 3 T dried rosehips soaked in 1/2 cup hot water or apple juice. Once hydrated pour off the excess water add a little honey and then add to the cookie. Or you could use any jam. |
This winter I've planted dianthus flowers, snap dragons and alyssum in pots. These are all edible flowers. I've written two blogs on edible flowers. Go here to read. I didn't sow the chickweed that came up around the flowers. It is self sown and I love that it's easily accessible being on the patio and there is fresh, lush food growing around the flowers. Chickweed is a cut and come again plant so you can grab a handful cut it, turn it upside down to check for milk weed (white sap oozes out of the single milk weed stems - do not eat these stems) and then add the chickweed to a salad. Example below. |
Here is the list of things in this salad: oakleaf and red sail lettuce grown in the greenhouse, sugar snap peas, fennel, gotu kola, creeping mallow, dandelion, plantain, Vietnamese mint, parsley, chickweed, nasturtium, puha, chia and nipplewort leaves, celery, lentil sprouts plus dianthus and oxalis flowers as decoration. I have a tomato in the greenhouse that provided the lovely red cherry tomatoes. |
These little plants are nipplewort which grow in a little colony as in the photo. That is because the seeds drop down to the ground from the mother plant. They can be cut like microgreens and some of them were in the salad. |
This past summer this beautiful amaranth came up itself around the garden which is how I like it. The plants grow where they want and I don't have to grow them. I did start this off last year from Kings seeds. Its called Red and green amaranth and now it is established it will keep coming back itself. It is such an elegant plant and is still in the garden looking tatty and dilabidated and at the end of its season after lots of rain and wind. I've harvested lots of seeds to add to crackers and my seed breakfast. I also made a pesto using the leaves.
Edible weed pesto
Large double handful of 'weeds' e.g. Amaranth, basil, dandelion, mallow (and whatever you have)
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup nuts (almonds, cashews sunflower seeds or what you like)
2-3 T approx. olive oil juice from 1/2 lemon. In a processor blitz garlic and nuts, then add greens, salt and a little lemon juice and blitz again. Add oil and lemon as needed to get a consistency you like.
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New Regulations Seek to Control the Sovereign World of Plants
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This article by Guy Hatchett is so beautiful the way he describes plants and how amazing they are and how our existence is inextricably tied up with them. He stresses how important it is to protect natural uses of them and natural remedies made from them. Once again these natural remedies are intended to be controlled and taken away from our use as Guy explains further in the full article.
Undoubtedly the plant kingdom excels. Every individual in the world, in every nation, eats to live each day. Plants have enjoyed a coevolutionary symbiotic relationship with multicellular animal species for at least 500 million years. We have land and aquatic plants to thank for the oxygen we breathe. Plants derive their timeless world sovereignty directly and continuously from the sun, the earth, and water. Ancient cultures have always revered and employed the life supporting properties of plants. The ancient Rig Veda refers to them as ‘mothers of mankind’. Maori tradition as children of Tāne, the god of the forest, who separated earth and sky. Our health and food security is inextricably tied up with that of the plant kingdom. We should make it a priority to protect the integrity of the plant world. We should seek to maintain an alliance with plants, not just in a metaphorical sense but in actuality use our knowledge and influence to sustain their sovereignty and protect their evolutionary genetic structures which underpin our own health.
To read the whole article go here
Please share. |
Magenta spreen and seeds in autumn
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The Magenta spreen was so colourful a little while ago with such pretty autumn colours. The seeds were also pink and very attractive. I enjoyed watching the sparrows come and eat the seeds. We picked quite a few also to add to crackers and other baking. |
I've noticed a huge increase in people wanting to learn how to grow their own food to be more resilient and not rely so much on the soaring prices of fruit and vegetables. Stacey Murphy has lots of material and courses on her website if you're looking for some gardening tips and ideas. She's a a master gardener/teacher in America. Her website is called 'Grow your own vegetables' . Here is a link to the blog. |
A beautiful Dandelion flower and seed head. Dandelion is such a giving, friendly plant and very forgiving if you think about it. As it is the most targeted for spraying to get rid of it. But it doesn't give up it comes up in cracks in the pavement (as at my back door) and on the edges of gardens or in the lawn to say "I'm not going anywhere and I'll keep coming back as I'm here to be of service and to help." It is wonderful for detoxing our livers by making a simple tea from the roots. You could dig and dry the roots, especially at this time of year when the plant is smaller and has withdrawn down into the roots.
The flowers are like little suns and you can make wishes with the seed heads, many wishes as each seed that flies away was one of the numerous petals of the flower. It is such a joy to have in the garden! |
There is always Music among the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. -Minnie Aumonier This scene is from Yatton Park in Tauranga that has many huge, very old trees. You can see onion weed or three cornered leek Allium triquetrum growing underneath the trees which will die down in summer without a trace. It is your free winter spring onions and the flowers are wonderful to eat and decorate food with. |
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