Laurel Nest Yurts

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been apprenticing with an herbalist friend of mine. I’ve made some salves, lip balms, tinctures and oils. It’s been amazing how simple it is to go out in the field or garden and harvest some plants to make healing remedies.
Echinacea grows in many gardens and is also a wild flower.

Echinacea grows in gardens and wild.

It does great when made into a tincture. I was amazed how simple the process was. Fall is the best time to harvest the roots, so in the next few weeks is a good time to make the tincture.  I actually ate one of the flowers, and it had the craziest taste and texture, try it at least once!

Making the tincture is simple, first go find some flowers and dig them up.

Stuff the jar with roots, leaves, and flowers.

Wash and cut the roots before putting them in the tincture.

Then you will take the roots, wash them off. Then cut up the roots, and leaves.   Place the roots, leaves, and flowers in a jar and cover all of it with Vodka.   Let it sit for the next month, and it will be ready when cold season comes! After a month, strain the roots, flowers, and leaves.

At first sign of cold and not feeling good, take several drops of your tincture.

I was hiking in the woods near our home the other day, and growing in the bark of a fallen tree was some Chicken of the woods!  This is the common name for the mushroom, Laetiporus is a genus of edible mushrooms found throughout much of the world. Some species are commonly know as chicken of the woods, the chicken mushroom, or the chicken fungus because many think they taste like chicken.

I ended up cooking the mushroom for dinner, and it was delicious.  Sometimes these mushrooms are a little dry, so I added a lot of butter and also water to moisten it up.  I’ve heard a lot of people cook it with greens, and then it can soak up some of the juice…

To prepare, clean the leafy sections thoroughly and cut away the woody core, using only the leafy sections of young tender specimens. If the mushroom is to be stored, keep it refrigerated and use within several days for the best flavor or cut into pieces, blanche or sauté and then freeze. The flavor which represents the name, tastes somewhat like chicken.

Sprouting is the practice of soaking, draining and then rinsing seeds at regular intervals until they germinate, or sprout.  (Wikipedia)

Mixed vegetable sprouts

Mung bean sprouts are one of the most common , but chickpeas, alfalfa, and lentils are also very easy to do.

Moisture, warmth, and in most cases, indirect sunlight are necessary for sprouting. Some sprouts, such as mung beans, can be grown in the dark. Little time, effort or space is needed to make sprouts.

To sprout seeds, the seeds are moistened, then left at room temperature (between 13 °C (55.4 °F) and 21 °C (69.8 °F)) in a sprouting vessel. We use Mason Jars, and put some panty hose over the tops, with rubber bands to hold them in place.

Sprouting is so simple... just use jars and pantyhose!

(Good thing, because since I’m on teaching sabbatical, I have no use for them   We stagger our sowings, so that we always have a constant supply.  Sprouts usually germinate within a day or two, and are prime for eating within the first week.

Each seed has its own ideal sprouting time. Depending on which seed is used, after three to five days they will have grown to two or three inches in length and will be suitable for consumption. If left longer they will begin to develop leaves, and are then known as baby greens. A popular baby green is sunflower after 7-10 days. The growth process of any sprout can be slowed or halted by refrigerating until needed.

Common causes for sprouts to become inedible:

• Seeds are allowed to dry out
• Seeds are left in standing water
• Temperature is high or too low
• Insufficient rinsing
• Dirty equipment
• Insufficient air flow
• Contaminated source of water
• Poor rate of germination of seed

“Sprouts are a tremendous source of (plant) digestive enzymes. Enzymes act as biological catalysts needed for the complete digestion of protein, carbohydrates & fats. The physiology of vitamins, minerals and trace elements is also dependent on enzyme activity.”

“Being eaten whilst extremely young, “alive” and rapidly developing, sprouts have been acclaimed as the “most enzyme-rich food on the planet”. Estimates suggest there can be up to 100 times more enzymes in sprouts than in fruit and vegetables, depending on the particular type of enzyme and the variety of seed being sprouted. The period of greatest enzyme activity in sprouts is generally between germination and 7 days of age.”

Thank you Wikipedia for a lot of the information you offered on sprouting!

Tonight when I walked into our kitchen, two of our community members were eating sushi.  Zack was making nigiri with some wonderful Atlantic Salmon.  There was still a little rice left and so I decided to show them how to make a few rolls.  The salmon was all eaten up, so we decided to make “fruit rolls”.

Slicing up the sushi roll...

I sliced up some strawberries, kiwi, bananas, almonds, and got out some peanut butter.  Sara made some cream cheese frosting.

We dipped our sushi rolls in homemade cream cheese frosting! Yum!

The rolls turned out wonderful… making them reminded me of how sustainable and lovely a food they are.  You can put anything in sushi.  Garden vegetables, sprouts, desserts, you name it…. Raw sushi is a marvelous option, too, and something that can be a simple part of your diet as we head into spring, summer, and fall, and daily garden meals….

Our plate of fruit sushi...