Volume 7, Issue 7, March 1999
The Black Swamp Herb Socity, with Gardens at the Wood County Historical Center
I HEARD A BIRD SING
I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December
A magical thing
And sweet to remember.
“We are nearer to Spring
Then we were in September,”
I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December.
– Oliver Herford
Thanks to Kathy Hicks for organizing the “Soup-salad-bread” potluck. She even provided us with golden crowns. Pictures from the evening will be on display March 22. It was a mental health boost as good as the bird song of December. It was a night of building friendship and finding out how much we didn’t know about herbs.
Monday, March 22, 7 pm is the next meeting. Kathy will be in charge as I will be out of town. This is Show and Tell night. Please bring videos, slides, photobooks, pamphlets – any visual material that speaks of gardening experiences here, there or anywhere. We’re not limited to herbs. A video player will be available, but if you have slides bring a projector. Nothing to display? Bring yourself and enthusiasm.
Hostesses: Kathy Hicks, Jean Coffield
Joyce has ordered the seeds we listed during our January planning meeting. Members Lynne Beard and Wendy Vaughn will have their own new junior members this summer. Congratulations. Any new grandchildren on the horizon?
Start thinking about new (or repeating) officers for the next two years. Needed: President (overall picture); Vice-President concerned with garden matters; Vice-President concerned with programs and ways and means; Recording Secretary ; Corresponding Secretary; Treasurer. Angela Bair said she would continue as Treasurer. She has everything set up on her Quicken Program. If asked I will be happy to continue with the Newsletter.
You all should have a copy of the bylaws, so take a minute to look them over for more details. (You can’t garden now so you might as well read by-laws.) Extra copies will be available March 22.
Cooking With Herbs
It is sadly enough NOT the Spring of the Year, but here are a couple of recipes for cool weather crops. Does any herb push through the earth earlier than the first leaves of the determined mint? Do you really think it will be possible to plant peas on the traditional St. Patrick’s Day date?
HINT: Buy one or two basil plants during the frost danger period and plan to use from your window sill. After danger of frost is gone, plant the well pruned beauties – if enough is left.
Herbed Pea Medley
2 cups shelled green peas
1 cup sugar snap peas, trimmed and halved crosswise
1/2 cup diced carrot
1 cup snow peas, halved crosswise
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon margarine, melted
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Steam green peas, sugar snap peas, and carrot, covered 4 minutes. Add snow peas. Cover: steam an additional 2 minutes or until crisp-tender.
Combine parsley and remaining ingredients in a large bowl; stir well. Add vegetable mixture; toss well.
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup).
Calories 123 (24% from fat); Fat 3.3g; Protein 6.2 g; Carb. 18g.; Fiber 4.9 g; Chol. 0 mg; Iron 2.8 mg; Sodium 339 mg; Calc 59mg.
Potato Salad with Peas
2 pounds red potatoes (about 7 medium)
1 cup shelled green peas
3 tablespoons chopped chives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup tarragon vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoons cracked pepper
1 garlic clove minced.
Place potatoes in a large saucepan. Cover with water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, partially covered, 25 minutes or until tender. Add green peas; cook 1 minute. Drain; let cool slightly. Cut potatoes into 1/4 inch slices.
Combine the potatoes, green peas, parsley, chives, and basil in a large bowl. Combine vinegar and remaining ingredients in a small bowl, and stir with a whisk. Pour over potato mixture, tossing gently to coat.
Yield: 6 servings (serving size; 1 cup).
Calories 152 (2% from fat); Fat 0.3g; Protein 4.6g; Carb 33.2g; Fiber 3.4g; Chol. 0 mg; Iron 1.6mg; sodium 209 mg; Calc 23 mg.
Story Time for Aging Gardeners
According to her own story, Donna Izabella, Queen of Hungary, was severely afflicted with gout. At the age of 72 she was visited by a wandering hermit, who left her the recipe for Hungary Water. In the words of the Queen, “I recovered my health and regained my strength, and on beholding my beauty the King of Poland desired to marry me, which I refused for the love of our Lord Jesus Christ, believing that the recipe had been given me by an angel.”
A Recipe for Hungary Water
Place in a jar 1 tablespoon mint leaves, 1 tablespoon rosemary leaves, 1/2 cup fragrant rose petals and the grated rind (without pith) of 1 orange and 1 lemon. Fill the jar with brandy and seal the jar. Leave for at least a week, shaking every day. Store in dark, well-sealed bottles.
Site Plan – Dream Plan
The Wood County Park District and the Wood County Historical Society have a committee working to develop a long term “professional” site plan. As our gardens are part of the “site” we have been asked for input. With no promises made we have even been asked to dream a little.
What if we had some limited access to Park District equipment and manpower to build new beds? What if we came up with a sound long term plan that could be considered for outside financing? Knowing we have limitations of working time and power can we think of expanding beds? Is the status quo enough? What if one pond were filled in and the other cleaned?
Many ideas have cropped up in conversations with members:
- The long hoped for construction improvements for the Chicken Coop.
- An outdoor patio area for education – complete with arbor for shading.
- Children’s garden.
- Cosmetic garden.
- Garden sculptures in well designed settings.
- Replace the fence with a more aesthetic design and material.
- Butterfly garden.
Please, add your ideas and thoughts.
If Asked
Several issues ago we had about a dozen definitions of what is an “herb.” Two favorites:
“Plants used by humans for food or physic or for aromatic, cosmetic, or dyeing use.”
– Rodale’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs.
“A useful plant.” – The Green Pharmacy
Sign-ups
VERY IMPORTANT There will be a sign up sheet on a green clipboard in the Chicken Coop. Any time spent working in the garden, planning directly for the garden, volunteering for events involving the garden, or doing crafts that involve making money for the garden’s maintenance MUST be recorded for two reasons:
- Members contribute ten hours per year for the benefit of the Black Swamp Herb Society.
- We turn in the hours to the Historical Society, so our volunteer time is recognized.
We also hope to have individuals or sets of individuals sign up for special areas of the garden. Angela Bair will become Compost Queen. Dorothy Golden and Jean Graham are Rose Specialists. Jan Bingham and Jody Carrol have the White Garden in front of the Chicken Coop. The side gardens also need guardians who will take primary responsibility. Recruit a friend and adopt a garden.
Lovely Hands
Some tips for gardeners from Spring “Herb Quarterly.”
- Make sure you have enough protein in your diet, as too little can make your nails brittle and your skin dull.
- Never use your nails as knives, screwdrivers or pruning shears.
- Soothe cuts and scrapes by washing your hands in a strong tea made from fresh calendula petals or lavender flowers. To help sores heal quickly, apply a bit of vitamin E oil or honey to the area.
- To keep your nails clean while gardening, scratch a bar of soap before going outdoors. Let the soap get under your nails so dirt won’t.
- Use sun protection on your hands when working outdoors.
- Wear the right gloves for the job to protect your hands.
More suggestions:
- Soak tired hands for ten minutes in warm water infused with fresh flowers such as lavender, calendula, mint or rosemary.
- Try a “hand mask” made of yogurt with a teaspoon of honey for twenty minutes. Rinse with warm water, then cool water then massage in favorite cream.
The ambitious can create this formula to put on when working in the garden:
3 tablespoons grated beeswax
1/2 cup dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons spring water
2-3 drops essential oil of lavender
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
Combine ingredients and melt (do not boil) in a double boiler or microwave. Pour into container, cool and stir again.
The sesame oil is a mild sunscreen, the lavender a natural insect repellent.
Ideas from Janice Cox’s Natural Beauty from the Garden (Henry Holt)
The Culinary Garden
Borage (Borago officinalis)
Borage is an annual that grows 3 feet tall, 16 inches wide and is easily grown from seed. It grows in full sun or partial shade.
Harvest young leaves from summer to fall. The blue star shaped blossoms are used in cake decoration.
To preserve, bag dry or oven dry. Pick a bouquet and put in a glass of water, refrigerate, and it will last for a week. Stores well in vinegar.
Culinary suggestions:
- Use where cucumber flavor is needed.
- Use blossoms in salads and pastas.
- Leaves can be steamed or sauteed like spinach.
- Stems can be used like celery when peeled.
- Borage blends well with dill, mint, and garlic.
- The leaves and stems enhance cheese, fish, poultry, most vegetables, green salads, pickles and salad dressing.
- The leaves may also be used for tea.
From Culinary Herbs for the Beginner
An Hawaiian Garden
“I have a garden slowly evolving behind my house with lemon basil, basil, lemon balsam (I think), a Japanese sushi green, a Chinese green I used to eat in Taiwan called in Chinese ‘empty heart/centergreen’ – for the hollow stem, bok choy, oregano, rosemary, Japanese, Italian, and American parsley. And some pepper green – maybe raddachio or something like that. I go out there every day with scissors and cut my salad and mix it with green cabbage and carrots or whatever from the store – all organic of course. Olive oil, Japanese Ume vinegar, and Spike for dressing. Often mixed with tabouli and/or drained lentil soup, yams, sweet potatoes, and so on. I eat really healthy. After all, my specialty at the University is food and medicine. Did I ever send you a summary of a book I really liked on the subject called ‘With Bitter Herbs. . .’ If not, I’ll send it. Its quite interesting.”
– e-mail from Morgan T. Brent, Ethnobotanist
