I'm deeply enamored by the fall foliage, but even more so when I can make medicine with it. The Sassafras tree (Sassafras albidum) puts on such a show in the fall and, although the essential oils in the leaves are certainly more concentrated in the summer, the mucilage is still potent in the fall and lots of their aromatic and unique flavor is still present. I love gathering them now- when the trees are about to drop them anyway and they're in their full autumnal glory.- and make a potent and delicious herbal honey with them. You can even gather recently fallen leaves for medicine! 

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is a phenomenal food as medicine enjoyed in cuisines the world over from China to India to the Mediterranean, Levant, North America, Mexico, Australia, and beyond. It’s a common weed on every continent except Antarctica and everywhere humans have encountered this plant, they’ve woven it into their culinary traditions.

Rose season is quite possibly my most highly anticipated “plant season” of the year. Many of us bioregional herbalists mark the year in this way…April is Dandelion and Violet, May is Nettles, and Rose season here begins in June. Whether it’s Beach Rose growing wild on the coast, Wild Rose growing every which way with the brambles in the hedges, or a fragrant antique Rose growing in a hidden garden- I love them all.

Wild Sodas are a fun and easy way to make living, medicinal, naturally probiotic beverages that are made by wild fermentation- we don’t add any yeast- the wild yeast on the flowers and yeasts in the raw honey are what cause the fermentation! They can be made with 100% local ingredients, making them a wonderful example of “localvore medicine” that reflects the true terroir of the land and has a super small carbon footprint. I mostly make them in the warmer months, but they can be made year-round. 

It's blueberry season and the Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) in the garden is just going off, along with sooooo many other herbs, so I whipped-up a Blueberry & Anise Hyssop oxymel with the seasons' bounty. This recipe is kitchen medicine at its finest.

At its most basic, nougat is a confection made with nuts, honey, and/or sugar, however it can also include egg whites, herbs, spices, dried fruit, and seeds depending on where it’s made. There are variations traditionally made throughout the SWANA region (Southwest Asia & North Africa), the Mediterranean, and southern Europe, and the name it’s most commonly known as in the US, nougat, comes from France.

Ferments are already medicinally active foods unto themselves and the additional medicinal herbs elevates them even further. I personally enjoy enhancing fermented vegetables with herbs and spices- kimchi, sauerkraut, and root vegetables in particular- choosing the blend based on what’s really in its prime and available in my garden, local farms, and woodlands and meadows.

We’re having an amazing mushroom year, especially with Maitake/Hen of the Woods (Grifola frondosa) and when I have an abundance this is one of my favorite ways to put up the harvest! This is a traditional Italian way of preserving mushrooms- the way mushrooms on an antipasto plate are commonly preserved.

When it comes to the bitter flavor Americans are WAY off their game compared to so many other parts of the world where bitter herbal liquors after meals are the norm. Other than our coffee, which is the main source of bitter in our diets and is actually a perfect example of too much of a good thing (read on to understand this more), our diets are more or less devoid of the bitter flavor.

This is one of my all-time favorite Rose preparations that’s a go-to for me all summer to cool down that fiery Pitta/Fire energy or when I just want a delicious and refreshing beverage that also makes me feel amazing! Oxymels are herbal drinks or sipping vinegars that are made by extracting herbs and/or fruits into a combination of vinegar and honey.

I recently recorded a free Community Class on my Patreon Page, Herbal Support during the Covid-19 Pandemic, on my thoughts on easy and accessible herbal support you can be doing right now to protect yourself and strengthen your immunity.

It’s always a plus when your medicine tastes good- am I right!? Cordials enter into the food as medicine realm and can be a lovely way to take your herbs. I like to enjoy my cordials the European way- sipping in sweet little cordial cups after dinner or while socializing with friends.

I love working with the evergreens this time of year...they just seem to beckon. That sole greenery on the landscape is a potent reminder of the verdant abundance to come and also of the strong medicine these trees have to offer. I love that even in the depth of winter I can head outside with my harvesting basket and gather these healing herbs for medicine right outside my door.

The ground froze so early this year I didn’t get a chance to get my garlic in the ground! So, what to do with all that garlic? Make garlic honey of course! This is a super easy recipe and so useful to have around the house in the winter months. And it’s such a beautiful form of kitchen medicine, using just the familiar household ingredients of garlic and honey.

It’s spring and Violet season is upon us. There’s lots to say about the medicinal properties of this herb- it’s a cool and moistening nutritive tonic, especially rich in vitamin C and A, and is especially well-known for it’s ability to move lymph, especially in the breasts. I love making a Violet Oil every year for this purpose.

When spring finally comes here in the northeast it can sometimes feel like a race against time. After waiting months for the return of the green, the plants seemingly pop-up all at once, with wonderful exuberance, and at a pace that few of us can keep up with. Harvesting spring greens- if you let it- could easily be a full-time job!

At this point most folks are familiar with this amazing beverage and for good reason! Golden Milk is a delicious, turmeric-based drink that’s a traditional home remedy in India, where it’s known as Haldi Ka Doodh, commonly drank for colds, flus, coughs, and congestion. It’s also often enjoyed simply as a nourishing and calming before-bed tea.

Ghee comes to us by way of Indian cooking and Ayurvedic medicine where it has been revered as a medicinal food for millennia. It’s a total staple in our home and one my all-time favorite concentrated sources of good quality fats. I’ve really been loving it so much lately and decided it was time to write a post about it and spread the ghee love!

Winter is a time for nourishment and replenishment and the holidays, fun though the revelry can be, can also sometimes leave us feeling tired and depleted during a season when rest should be paramount. Enter adaptogens!

I love making tallow balm because it’s such potent kitchen medicine and the process of making it is quite nourishing unto itself. I always choose to render my suet into tallow on a day that’s I’m already bouncing around the kitchen engaged in other food as medicine projects. Read on to learn about the amazing medicine of tallow and how to make your own nutritious, non-toxic skin balm.