Roasted Chicken with Fruit and Herbs

Make Marinade

1 TBSP of fresh catnip finely chopped

1 TBSP of fresh Italian parsley leaves finely chopped

1 large garlic clove finely chopped

1 TBSP of olive oil

1 TBSP of honey

1/2 cup of orange juice

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and let sit for one hour.

Preheat oven to 350.

Pour 1-4 TBSP of olive oil into a shallow baking dish.

Top with a layer of sliced onions.

Add a layer of peeled, cored, and sliced apples.

1/4 cup of golden raisins

1/4 cup slivered almonds

Salt and pepper to taste

Top with 1 TBSP of finely chopped catnip and 1 TBSP of finely chopped parsley.

Starting with a whole defrosted chicken , butterfly/spatchcock it (slice down the spine with kitchen scissors or knife to open the chicken up and spread it inside down in your dish). Place on top of your apples.

Salt and pepper to taste

Pour your marinade on top of the chicken.

Bake for 1 hour, until done.

Serve fruit mixture over rice and add the cut chicken next to it. Braised greens or roasted carrots would make a nice side dish.

Nepeta cataria has small white/pink flowers clustered down a stalk. The heart oval shaped leaves are arranged alternately on a square stem. . This plant has its own distinctive strong scent which cats obviously love. It can be confused with other members in the mint family like lemon balm or spearmint. Catnip has more “silver” green leaves which are fuzzy in texture, with a toothed margin and a lighter underside. The stem is also hairy. It can grow 3-4 feet high, especially as it shoots up to flower. This plant has become an invasive species in many ecosystems. You will find it in backyards, wastelands, in grazing areas, along a stream as you hike in urban corridors, or in cracks in the sidewalk. It is a self seeding perennial that likes a lot of sun and does well in poor soil. There is a similar plant in the Nepeta family called “catmint” This herb has purple flowers and much smaller leaves. It is more likely to be a cultivar that found in the wild. All Nepetas have similar properties and uses.

Catnip has been used for food and medicine since ancient times. It contains powerful chemical constituents that are powerful sedatives, pain relievers, euphorics, and aphrodisiacs. No wonder kitties love it. Nepeta moves energy, relaxes the nerves and clears heat. This herb contains many volatile oils. It has such an affinity for the energy of kids, supporting them when they feel feverish, anxious, restless or sick. It is great for babies as a weak tea or bath for colic, teething, insomnia, or crankiness. A hot tea promotes sweating. It is thought to be an excellent remedy for colds, flu, bronchitis, pneumonia, childhood illnesses, menstrual problems, headaches, and motion sickness . This plant is has been used for all manner of stomach complaints like , gas, and diarrhea, parasites and indigestion. Externally people have used catnip for pain, injuries, hemorrhoids, acne, dandruff, arthritis, eye inflammation and allergies.

Family: Laminaceae/mint

Parts used:Leaves and flowers

Energetics: pungent, bitter, cool, dry

Element:water

Contraindications:Do not use in pregnancy. Very large doses can cause nausea and vomiting.

Unless I want to resort to pesto or salsa , I think I have exhausted all the possibilities for catnip in food. I think it is just too strange of a flavor to be used/substituted raw like basil or lemon balm. Catnip does work well with roasted meat and vegetables, especially when you combine it with lovage. Lovage is in the parsley/ carrot (Umberlliferae)family. It will remind you of those but also celery with a much stronger taste. I like using the finely chopped spring leaves, raw and cooked. It works well in stews and soup. The flavor would go well with fish or chicken, rice or grains. The seeds can be used in baked goods.

Scalloped Potatoes with Mushrooms, Catnip, and Lovage

2-4 medium red potatoes, thinly sliced

1/2-1 cup of sour cream or yogurt ( I used Forager DF cashew milk yogurt)

2 TBSP finely chopped catnip

2 TBSP finely chopped lovage

1/2 medium onion, coarsely chopped

4-6 large mushrooms, coarsely chopped

1/2-1 cup shredded cheese ( I used Follow Your Heart DF mozzarella cheese)

Preheat over to 350

Grease a square or rectangular baking dish.

Saute your mushrooms and onions until soft, set aside.

Spread a layer of sour cream or yogurt across the bottom of your baking dish.

Top with a layer of potatoes that do not overlap.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Add 1 TBSP of catnip and 1 TBSP of lovage.

Top with a layer of cheese.

Add all your cooked mushrooms and onion.

Top with a layer of yogurt or sour cream.

Add another layer of potatoes.

Top with the rest of your fresh herbs.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Add a layer of cheese.

Bake for 45-60 minutes, until cooked. The cheese melted and bubbling.

Historically lovage is known as a digestive tonic for its warming and stimulating qualities. It helps with any stomach issue. It has been used as a diuretic or to support the body to sweat. This plant is thought to loosen and remove mucous from the lungs. The Chinese use it for painful and scanty menstruation. It is rare to find it growing in the wild. It has a lot in common with Osha, but it is unclear if you can substitute it for that rarer plant. Osha often goes by the name of Porter’s or wild lovage. Lovage is cultivated and grown in gardens. This herbs is more common in Europe. Many of my herbals do not include it. You may not find it used much in the USA.

Contraindications; pregnancy and kidney disease. If you see it possibly growing in the wild or in an urban wasteland, it would be best not to touch or harvest it. People have confused it with hemlock or hogweed which are both very toxic.

Have you ever tried lovage as food or medicine?

Lavender Lemon Oat Cookies

Preheat your oven to 350

Melt 1/2 cup of butter or substitute (do not use coconut oil)

Once cooled add in one beaten egg and…..

1 TBSP of brown rice syrup.

In a separate bowl add together…….

1/3 cup of’sugar

1/2 tsp of baking powder

1/3 cup of almond flour

1/3 cup of white rice flour and

1 cup of rolled oats coarsely ground in a coffee grinder with some whole grains still left. If you are using quick oats no need to grind them.

Stir until mixed and moist.

Gently add in…

1 tsp of fresh whole lavender flowers

1 tsp of finely chopped lavender leaves

1 TBSP of lemon zest

Use a large spoon to form individual mounds and bake them for 15 minutes on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Makes 16

Lavandula is in bloom all over town. If it does not grow in your yard, I bet you have neighbor with some to spare. This year there is an overabundance to harvest. Lavender is known for its amazing smell. The pure essential oil is used for burns, cuts, tight muscles, rheumatism, edema, eczema, hair loss, acne, fungal infections, earache, cold sores, and insect bites/stings. This plant contains numerous volatile oils, many of which are powerful anti-microbials. It was used in WW 2 for wounds and parasites. It was burned for bubonic plague to prevent the spread of the disease. Steam inhalations, baths, and infusions have been used to treat chest infections, asthma, dizziness, insomnia, digestive issues, colic, fever, colds, flu, strep, yeast, vaginal infections, bad breath, headaches, fatigue, stress and anxiety. Lavender has a history of being present at birth and death because of its calming nature. The flowers are edible and can be used in baked goods, and other sweets. You will find this herb in many gifts and beauty products. Contraindications: During pregnancy. Do not use the essential oil internally. Do your research on using the pure EO on a frequent basis externally (including in creams and shampoos).

How do you love to use lavender!

My white elder bush is finally big enough for me to harvest the flowers. I am still waiting for the black elder to grow larger for the berries. It seems to struggle and break easily with any storm. Both bushes were hard to get established. I had failures in years past. Once it gets going Elder can easily take over. I saw them “groomed” in a Japanese garden. I am pruning them regularly into more attractive shapes. I did not grow up with elder. I am just recently using it as an herbalist. There is a quite a bit of “drama” around Elder which I discussed in the previous post. I had so many flowers this year, a lot of ideas, and as always too little time. I managed to dry a jars worth of flowers. A dehydrator is crucial for this as they go off and start to ferment quickly. I infused my first honey using fresh plants, I made a tincture and a syrup. I did not get to the fritters.

Elder Flower Muffins

Preheat your oven to 350

1/3 cup of walnut or vegetable oil

1/4 cup of sugar

1 TBSP of dried orange peel

10 drops of orange or tangerine essential oil

1 egg beaten

3/4 cup of yogurt

1 tsp of vanilla extract

1/4 cup sorghum flour

2/4 cup of almond four

1 cup of white rice flour

2 tsp of baking powder

1/2 tsp of salt

1/4 cup of dried elder flowers

Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the orange peel and tangerine oil. Stir in the egg, yogurt and vanilla extract. Set aside.

In a large bowl , mix together the dry ingredients. Add in the wet ingredients and stir until smooth.

Fold in the dried elder flowers.

Line your muffin tins with paper cups

Fill 3/4 full

Bake for 20 minutes or until just brown and fragrant

Serve with butter and elder flower honey or strawberry jam.

Fresh Elder Flower Infused Honey

This was my first infused honey. I had reason to fear the flowers would ferment but they did not. I only let them infuse for 2 days. That was enough to provide the distinct flavor. Fill 1/4-1/2 of a clean jar with fresh flowers (best to choose a jar with a wide mouth and straight sides. Pour in enough honey to just cover the flowers. Let the air bubbles escape. Add more honey and allow bubbles to escape. Keep filling and repeating the process until the jar is full. Tap the jar gently to release more bubbles. Let sit 24 hours. Top off with more honey the next day if need be. The fresh flowers will have floated to the top. You can push them back under the honey and release any bubbles with a knife or chopstick. Strain out the flowers after 2 days. Store in an attractive jar in a cool , dark place. This is a culinary honey to get the volatile oils and flavor. For a medicinal honey I prefer to grind dry herbs and whip them into my product. There is no straining of plant material and they store a long time. An infused honey can be served over ice cream or fresh fruit.

Have you ever made anything with elder flowers?