Hello friend, welcome to Tasty Salty Real. An ongoing conversation about the pursuit of flavor and our relationship to food. If you made it here without being a subscriber I can help with that:
Yesterday a young farmhand paused and with a sigh of exasperation asked me if they could cease to live through historic moments for just a period of time. I returned their gaze with a smile, noticed the pull of my crow’s feet, and thought about the unfairness of it all.
The weight of our moment in time is reflected in my podcast feed. Alternating between political topics, environmental demise, and conversations about collective burnout. Where is the pleasure? The joy? Thank goodness for children’s laughter and the blooming spring.
My herbal apprenticeship with Birchwood Botanicals taught me to think of herbs as allies or friends that don’t solve my problems but rather support me in my own healing journey. What I find interesting about this way of thinking is that you have to shift your mindset away from that of a consumer and instead develop a relationship with the plant. Two such plants that I am currently leaning on are Lilacs and Lemon Balm.
Lemon Balm
For the best flavor, harvest before the warmth of summer causes flowering. After flowering the plant will be far more astringent and bitter.
Taken internally through a tea, herbal infusion, or a tincture; Lemon Balm gently calms the mind, body, and spirit. Strong in her ability to soothe nervous exhaustion and digestion. She has been used as an antibacterial, antiviral, and antidepressant medicine.
In herbal folklore, Lemon Balm is famous for powerfully chasing the melancholy away and for encouraging honey bees to remain in their hives. In this way, she reminds us to nurture our family and friends through the mundane tasks of homemaking. With joyful and intentional persistence she extends delicious comfort.
I listen to Lemon Balm. Chew a leaf while I weed and bring it into my kitchen through a simple cold water infusion. To do this simply cut or muddle a few leaves into a jar, squeeze in a fresh lemon (or lime) and refrigerate until chilled through. Crushed leaves may also be applied to the skin to soothe itchy bug bites. You may also infuse the fresh leaves in witch hazel for use in homemade non-toxic bug spray.
Lilacs
The harvest window of this delicate flower is short. Be mindful to harvest from plants you know have not been subjected to sprays. If you live in the Bellingham area, respond to this email and I will welcome you to gather from my garden.
Sweet spring innocence. An early bloomer she is the first flush of flirtation with summer. The look that makes your heart skip and smile in spite of yourself.
You breathe deep and wish that feeling before falling in love could last. It never does.
In the language of flowers, white lilacs symbolize purity and youth, while deep purple represents love, and blue-hued flowers bring happiness as well as tranquility. Many associate the flower with remembrance. You will frequently find them on the edge of old farmhouses planted to mark the graves of miscarriages.
The magic of Lilac brings with it the ability to banish negativity and embrace innocence. Lately, I find myself yearning for naivety. For the ability to look at the world and believe that at its core it is good. This is getting harder to do. So I bring the blooms into my home and sit with the heady potency of purity.
There are many uses for Lilacs in the kitchen, including infused honey and topical oils. Historically it has been used as an astringent medicine to reduce fever or aid digestion. It is important to remember that it is delicate so care must be taken when selecting a medium for infusing the plant. I have made many things over the years with this plant but my favorite remains a simple syrup.
Lilac Syrup
This process may be used to create any form of herbal syrup, though the amount of botanical will vary.
1 C Sugar
1 C Water
4ish C Lilac blossoms (roughly 6 hearty branches)
2 Blueberries (optional for color)
Separate the lilac blossoms from the green stems by gently plucking them into a bowl. Discard all stems as they are rather bitter and not appropriate for syrup. You are aiming for about 4 cups of blossoms.
Heat your sugar and water in a thick-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Stirring occasionally to incorporate your sugar. Once the sugar is dissolved completely, lower the heat until your pot is heavily steaming but not boiling—this is very important. Think of a cup of tea that is still too hot to drink but you can put your face over it without burning yourself.
Stir in your blossoms and blueberries. Maintain this level of heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring the blossoms occasionally. You are waiting for your kitchen to become perfumed and watching for the blossoms to “get tired”. You will see that they have lost color and wilted. Once this occurs, cover your syrup and let it cool on the counter to finish the infusion period.
When the syrup has reached room temperature strain it out. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 months in the refrigerator.
If you are enjoying this encouragement to bring the season into your kitchen register for my upcoming event On May 29th.
Lilac Lemonade
3 Tbsp Lemon juice
3 Tbsp Lilac syrup
1 Q Water
A fresh sprig of lemon balm, and lilac blossom (optional)
Combine all in a quart-sized mason jar. Cover, shake, and refrigerate for four or more hours. Serve chilled garnished with fresh lemon balm and lilac blossom.
If you lean on these herbal allies this weekend, let me know in the comments!