Margaret Roberts

100 Edible & Healing

Flowers
cultivating • cooking • restoring health

Text by Margaret Roberts

Photographs by Phyllis Green

 Published by Struik Nature
(an imprint of Random House Struik (Pty) Ltd)
Reg. No. 1966/003153/07
First Floor, Wembley Square,
Solan Road, Gardens, Cape Town, 8001
PO Box 1144, Cape Town, 8000 South Africa
Visit www.randomstruik.co.za and join the Struik Nature Club
for updates, news, events, and special offers
First published in 2000 by Spearhead as Edible & Medicinal Flowers
New edition published in 2014 by Struik Nature
1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2
Copyright © in text, 2014: Margaret Roberts
Copyright © in illustrations, 2014: Margaret Roberts
Copyright © in photographs, 2014: Phyllis Green
unless indicated otherwise alongside images
Front cover photograph: Julie Workman
Copyright © in published edition, 2014: Random House Struik (Pty)
Ltd
Publisher: Pippa Parker
Managing editor: Helen de Villiers
Editor: Julia Casciola
Project manager: Colette Alves
Design director: Janice Evans
Typesetting: Tessa Fortuin
Proofreader: Emsie du Plessis
Reproduction by Hirt & Carter Cape (Pty) Ltd
Printing and binding: Times Offset (M) Sdn Bhd, Malaysia
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or
otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright
owner(s).
 ISBN 978 1 77584 037 4 (Print)
ISBN 978 1 77584 152 4 (ePub)
ISBN 978 1 77584 153 1 (ePDF)

ALWAYS CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE STARTING A HOME TREATMENT.

THE INFORMATION IN THESE
PAGES IS IN NO WAY INTENDED TO REPLACE YOUR DOCTOR’S ADVICE.
ALWAYS BE 100% CERTAIN OF
THE CORRECT IDENTIFICATION OF A PLANT BEFORE USING IT. WHEN IN
DOUBT, DON’T USE!
 Contents
Acknowledgements
Preface
The featured flowers
Introduction
Planning your garden
The soil
Making your own compost
Mulching
Plant options
Propagating plants
 Sowing seeds in containers
Sowing seeds directly in the garden
Cuttings
Layering
Root cuttings
Root division
A–Z of flowers
Therapeutic quick reference
Flower index
Recipe index
 Acknowledgements

It is with great appreciation that I stand before a really amazing team

of professional book creators. Thanks to Pippa Parker, who heads
Struik Nature and whose unending and infectious ideas spark off so
much I can hardly keep up! As a result of Janice Evans’ incredible
ability to create a visual feast, I look at this book in awe, and with the
team of professional editors, layout designers, and competent and
willing book creators like Colette Alves, I am thrilled to hand over my
writings and recipes, knowing that they are putting in place a great
and fascinating bouquet!
Once again, I thank my long-time friend, Annatjie van Wyk, who
has played a part in so many of my books, for her patient typing of
my many handwritten pages. Bless you for your ever willing
assistance!
To Phyllis Green, for her numerous photographs of all the old
familiar plants in the Herbal Centre gardens, and for the new
beauties she has come to know and photograph, my most grateful
thanks always.
To my daughter, Sandra, my endless gratitude for her new
recipes and exciting food ideas, her endless support, her interest in
all things edible that build health, and her kitchen garden that
stretches further and further in front of her restaurant, which gives
hotel school students and young chefs new ideas and inspiration.

Flowers are surely the most beautiful of all God's creations. They
say, 'I love you', 'I'm sorry', 'Please forgive me' and 'Thank you'.
Flowers send blessings and good wishes. They are present in
bouquets and posies at the beginning of our lives, throughout all
the celebrations and great days, and also on the not-so-great
days. And at the end of our lives, flowers speak of grief and
mourning, of sympathy and compassion, of loss and the great
change and challenge that death brings.
All the more precious is the role that flowers play in our day-to-
day lives, where they can be incorporated into food, and used in
bathing, washing, and healing of big and little wounds. Flowers
are well loved, respected and appreciated. They thread their
beauty into every aspect of our time here on Earth.
Is it any wonder, then, that they become our companions when all
else becomes too much, too exhausting and too worrying? Just a
breath of their fragrance, just a pause to look deep into the heart
of a flower and experience that moment of upliftment, changes us
for the better.
So here is a salute to flowers, a feeling of gratitude and wonder
that nature gives us so much that betters, inspires and uplifts us.
And here is to flower gardens everywhere!
 Preface

In 2000 I wrote Edible & Medicinal Flowers, never dreaming that my

gardens of flowers would reach into so many places, and so I was
spurred on to rewrite it incorporating new recipes and the new
flowers I have grown in the interim years.
Health, wellness and organic gardening go hand in hand, and
with these easy-to-grow flowers and their vast edible and medicinal
properties, I foresee an enjoyment of wellbeing, as people benefit
from planting gardens of healing flowers.
And so I put into your hands my new recipes, thoughts, plantings
– a garden of health and wealth – and I urge you to replan, rethink
and replant your present garden into the paradise of food and natural
medicine it was intended to be.
I dedicate this book to gardeners everywhere! May every page
inspire you to grow your own edible and healing flowers close at
hand for everyday use to build wellness and great positivity!

Margaret Roberts
The Herbal Centre, De Wildt
North West Province, South Africa
The featured flowers
Food plants combine well wtih edible flowers, making for a beautiful
and valuable garden. Here, in the nursery, food plants are ready for
sale.

Introduction

There is nothing more appealing or exciting than creating a garden of

flowers that can be eaten, incorporated in festivities, celebrations and
feasts, and used as medicines or cosmetics.
Clever planting will ensure that the garden remains beautiful and
fascinating throughout the seasons. Learning about the growth habits
of every plant you bring into the garden will become an ongoing and
rewarding interest. Find out about perennials (permanent plants),
biennials (growing for about two years) and annuals (planted anew
every year), which often bring the biggest colour splash to the garden.
In this way, you can build a garden that is literally always rich in colour
and interest. I set aside beds or edgings where I can grow perennials
and annuals in quantity not only for cut flowers, but also to use in
cosmetics, as well as for fragrance and medicinal purposes.
 Food gardens interplanted with edible flowers become enchanting,
and there is something uplifting about planting wheat, red poppies,
chamomile and cornflowers together with rows of frilly lettuces and
strawberries. No spring garden will ever be as varied and colourful as
this one is – and you can make it happen!
Learn the value of the seemingly humble seed. I am passionate
about these little gems; I save them, swop them, send them all over the
country and the world. I continuously collect and store seeds in tins and
glass jars that I have recycled, labelled and dated. My edible and
medicinal gardens reflect this passion never-endingly.
I urge you to revitalise or re-invent your garden – it is like a small
revolution that reawakens your interest. Cut out old trees and branches
to let more sunshine in, replace old woody shrubs, creepers and
perennials. Replace old hedges, repair or lift up old paving, and let light
and sun into dark spaces. If tree roots hamper growth, create raised
beds with new soil; new arches and fences for climbing plants can turn
an uninteresting area into a fascinatingly beautiful garden, bright with
sunshine and colour! If heavy trees overhang your only space, ask the
neighbours if you could cut away the hanging branches. There are tree
fellers who will do it expertly and reasonably quickly.
No matter how large or small our gardens – even if we only have a
collection of pots and a sunny patch – it is vital for our health that we
grow vegetables, fruits, healing herbs, shrubs and even a small lemon
tree wherever we can.
A kitchen garden, filled with colourful edible flowers and fruit trees,
planted around a beautiful ornamental fountain.
 Planning your garden

Make sure your garden has easy-to-sweep paths to make it easier to

manoeuvre wheelbarrows full of compost.

When planning a new flower garden, select the location very

carefully. The best spot is usually one that gets full sun, as a
minimum of six hours of sun daily will ensure a good harvest of
flowers, fruit and vegetables throughout the year.
Once you have selected a spot, look out for invading trees, as
well as old creepers that become woody and occupy too much light,
and cut these back. Also, when planting new trees and shrubs, be
mindful of how you plant them, considering the space they will
require to grow into as the years pass. Before you know it, a once
attractive garden can outgrow itself and need quite ruthless cutting
back and chopping out.

The soil
Tired, depleted, really ‘outgrown’ soil needs to be replenished. This
requires a lot of work and attention if you want your new garden to
thrive. I have learned the hard way that new compost is essential –
often several loads of it. Removing a 30–40-cm layer of old depleted
soil is ideal, by the barrow load, especially when it’s an old lawn. The
old soil should be replaced by several loads of compost mixed with
new top soil – this is the most vital part of the new garden and a
budget for extra compost will be necessary. Just remember: the
more compost you put in, the better. Soak each layer well and dig
and dig again, turning it in well.

Making your own compost

It is really quite easy to make your own compost heap. Lawn
mowings, raked leaves, weeds, prunings, kitchen vegetables and
fruit peelings can all be thrown onto the compost heap.
First select a site for the heap, making sure it has easy access for
a wheelbarrow. Clear the ground and spread an area as big as you
can manage – 2 x 2 m is ideal – with twigs, prunings and rough
clippings. This bottom layer will aerate the heap. Now add layers of
leaves, raked up clippings, kitchen peelings and even grass
mowings, veld grass and flower stalks, alternately with comfrey and
yarrow leaves and flowers, and cattle or horse manure and grass
from their stables and stalls.
Do this layer by layer, adding a little soil, and also layers of
buckwheat as it matures. Buckwheat is an amazing soil improver
and I grow it especially for this purpose. I also grow it over an empty
flower or vegetable bed to dig back into the soil as it ripens – a
practice known as green manuring.
Water the compost heap weekly to keep it moist and encourage
decomposition. It will heat up steadily as the heap starts to decay.
On top of the compost, sow a crop of amaranth, fenugreek, flax, oats
or winter wheat and barley in winter. Once they mature to flowering
stage, dig them in. This greatly invigorates the heap, adding
excellent nutrients.
The greatest compost enemies are excessive moisture or
excessive dryness! Should your heap become too wet or too dry,
dismantle it and build it up again, layer by layer.
Remember, yarrow and comfrey are two of the most valuable
compost makers. Grow them abundantly for continuous pickings for
the compost heap – a heap that’s worth its weight in gold!

Mulching
Mulching is very important – without it, weeds grow abundantly and
the soil dries out rapidly. It is vital to prevent surface evaporation by
covering beds with a 5-cm layer of mulch. Particularly in the summer
heat, I have found mulching with dried leaves, straw, roughly
chopped sprigs, prunings and twigs quite effective. These can all be
mixed and sprinkled over the soil between plants. Water is able to
run through the layer, but weeds are deterred, and the soil does not
dry out so rapidly. Do not use green grass mowings as a mulch – it
packs down, making a perfect nesting place for ants and crickets!

Plant options

Ground covers
Ajuga perennial
Calamint perennial
Cape sorrel perennial
Catmint perennial
Strawberry perennial
Violet perennial

Low growing
Anise annual
Calendula annual
Caraway annual
Carpet geranium perennial
Chamomile annual
Chives perennial
Clover (Red) short-lived
perennial
Daisy annual
Dandelion perennial
Hyssop perennial
Mint perennial
Nasturtium annual
Pansy and viola annual
Sage perennial
Wild garlic perennial

Medium height
Bergamot perennial
Broccoli annual
Bulrush perennial
Californian poppy annual
Carnation perennial
Cauliflower annual
Coriander annual
Cornflower annual
Dahlia perennial
Day lily perennial
Echinacea perennial
Evening primrose perennial
Fuchsia perennial
Gladiolus bulb perennial
Korean mint perennial
Linseed annual
Lucern perennial
Marigold annual
Mustard annual
Pineapple sage perennial
Poppy annual
Pumpkin and annual
squash
Rocket annual
Safflower annual
Snapdragon annual
Stevia perennial
Tuberose bulb perennial
Tulip bulb perennial
Turmeric bulb perennial
Yarrow perennial

Tall growing
Angelica biennial
Artichoke biennial
Borage annual
Buckwheat annual
Chicory biennial
Fennel perennial
Fruit sage perennial
Garland winter
chrysanthemum annual
Golden rod perennial
Hollyhock biennial
Lavender perennial
Milk thistle annual
Mullein biennial
Rose-scented perennial
pelargonium
Roselle annual
Rosemary perennial
Sacred basil perennial
Sunflower annual

Shrubs
Elder
Feijoa
Gardenia
Judas tree
Myrtle
Plumbago
Prickly pear
Rose
Yucca

Trees
Almond
Banana
Crab apple
Fig
Hawthorn
Moringa
Orange
Peach
Plum

Vines
Delicious perennial
monster
Granadilla short-lived
perennial
Honeysuckle perennial
Jasmine perennial
Pea annual
Wisteria perennial
 Propagating plants

A collection of pots is vital for establishing new plants and cuttings.

Keep rooted cuttings in semi-shade to establish well before planting
out.

Plants are propagated mainly by sowing seeds (in containers or

directly in the garden), by cuttings, layering, root cuttings and root
division. The most appropriate means of propagation for each plant
is described in the individual flower entries, but as an easy reference
the framework below is useful.

Sowing seeds in containers

It can be advantageous to start seeds in containers in sheltered
positions. Perennial plants, which often take longer to germinate, can
be started indoors in late winter and then moved outside to harden
off in spring. The temperature and soil conditions can be controlled
in the indoor environment, making it possible to produce superior
seedlings and have more successful germination.
Commercially produced seed boxes are probably the easiest to
handle and come ready with drainage holes. Any container can be
used for his purpose, however. You can line strong cartons and
tomato boxes with plastic and make a few drainage holes. Place a
few small stones at the bottom of the container and then fill it with
your soil mixture to within 15 mm of the top. The soil mixture should
be loose, well-draining and yet able to hold water. Equal parts of
sand, garden loam and a fine, well-matured compost make a good
basic mixture. Sieve the mixture through a 6-mm mesh screen to
remove clods and sticks, and press down well in the container. Soak
with water.
The seeds should be sprinkled evenly over the surface and
covered with a depth of soil approximately twice the diameter of the
seed. Water carefully, using a fine spray to ensure the seeds are not
washed out of the soil or exposed. Alternatively, soak the bottom of
the seed tray in a pan of water so that the moisture is drawn up into
the soil by capillary action. The secret of successful seed sowing is
to ensure that the soil never dries out in those first critical weeks of
germination.
Make sure you label the containers clearly so that you are sure
which seeds you have sown, and cover them with hessian or a pane
of glass to protect them from the drying effect of the wind. Seeds do
not need light until they have sprouted but fresh air is needed to
prevent fungus formation, so lift the cover for a couple of hours each
day and check to see that the soil has not dried out. Water daily with
a fine spray.
Once the seeds have germinated, the container can be moved to
partial shade with good light but not full sun. Rotate the container
daily so that the seeds receive equal exposure to light. Keep the soil
moist but do not over-water as the seedlings are liable to damp off at
this stage. Once two sets of true leaves have formed, the seedlings
can be transplanted into bigger containers, or, if sturdy enough, they
can be planted into prepared beds in the garden and shaded until
stronger. To establish the seedlings well, plant them into the new
containers in a richer mixture of soil: two parts garden loam, one part
river sand and one part sifted peat moss or compost. Space the
seedlings wider apart, at least 5 cm, and water carefully until they
are well established.
When the plants are strong and big enough, place the seed box
in the sun for increasing periods over the course of a few days in
order to strengthen them before planting out. Plant them out in a
prepared bed that is well-composted and has a good amount of leaf
mould added to it. Use two spadefuls of compost and one spadeful
of leaf mould or old manure to a square metre of soil.

Sowing seeds directly in the garden

Seeds can also be sown directly in the garden, providing there is no
danger of frost and that the soil has begun to warm up. Some seeds
that fare well sown directly into their site are aniseed, buckwheat,
caraway, cornflower, field poppy, linseed, mustard and nasturtium.
Begin by choosing a spot that is suitable for the plant and then
turn the soil to a depth of 30 cm, breaking up the clods. If the soil
does not drain well, add organic compost, leaf mould, chopped hay
or peat moss to lighten it. Fork and level well, then make shallow
drills (draw the rake over the soil to indicate the lines) and sow the
seeds into the drills, spacing them well. Cover with soil to the depth
of roughly twice the diameter of the seed, press down well with the
back of the rake and water with a fine spray, making sure you don’t
expose the seeds. As new seedlings look alike, label the row so that
you know what is planted in that spot.
In our climate, it is usually necessary to make a low protective
frame of sticks. The frame should be 20 cm above the soil; anything
higher will need side flaps to counteract the slanting rays of the hot
spring sunshine. Drive forked sticks into the soil at each of the four
corners of the bed. Onto these, tie long sticks or reeds to form the
frame, and also a few cross reeds tied at intervals. Place a hessian
covering over the frame, tying it in place with string. Alternatively, you
can use a thin layer of thatching grass over the frame. Secure it by
tying sticks over it to weight it down against the wind. If it is difficult to
create a shaded area, I make a small dam around each seed, or a
long row of built-up earth, and put dried leaves and grass into it to
create a little shade for the germinating seeds. Ensure that the seeds
remain moist by watering at least twice a day.
Most annual seeds take 12–14 days to germinate, and perennials
take a little longer – sometimes from three weeks up to a month. The
soil must be kept moist throughout this period.
Broadcasting is another method you can use to plant seeds. This
method is employed when you want to cover a certain area rather
than plant rows. Prepare the soil as above, water well and scatter
the seeds evenly over the area. Cover the area with sand, and water
and shade it as you would rows of seeds.

Cuttings

Seed collections can be ongoing for continuous variety.

Growing plants from cuttings is an easier method of propagation and

is a much quicker process than growing from seed. Many herbs grow
well from cuttings for example, bergamot, catmint, lavender, mint,
pineapple sage, rosemary, sage, St John’s wort, the thymes and
wormwood.
You can take cuttings at any time during the growing season from
healthy, well-established plants. Strong new tip growth makes the
best cuttings. Using a sharp knife or clippers, make the cutting just
below a leaf bud or node. The cutting should be between 8 cm and
15 cm long. The cuttings must be kept damp – place them between
layers of wet newspaper or cloth and keep them out of the sun until
you are ready to plant them.
Have seed boxes ready, about 10 cm in depth and filled with river
sand. A pot or jam tin will suffice if you have just a few cuttings, as
long as it has good drainage (place a few stones in the bottom of the
container). Wet the sand well and use a stick to make a row of holes,
about 5–8 cm deep. Strip the lower leaves from the cuttings and
press each one into its prepared hole. You can dip the cut end into a
hormone rooting powder first. Press down firmly and complete the
rows. Water the cuttings again and place in a protected, warm place
in the shade. If you take the cuttings before winter, create a
miniature greenhouse by covering them with plastic, supported on a
frame or wire arches, with the edges tucked under stones to keep
out draughts.
It will take a month to seven weeks for the cuttings to take and
form strong roots of their own and during this time they must not dry
out. Allow them to harden off a little in the sun before transplanting,
and take care when removing them from their seed tray – shake the
box out gently on its side so as not to pull away the tender new
roots.
The plants should be transplanted into prepared beds that have
been well dug with compost and old manure (two spadefuls of
compost and one spadeful of manure per square metre). Use extra
compost if you do not have old manure. Prepare a hole, place the
cutting into it, cover the roots with soil, press down firmly and water
well. The cuttings must not dry out. Mulch with coarse compost.
When the plants are established, water regularly once- or twice-
weekly.

Layering
Creeping plants such as catmint, elder, honeysuckle, the mints, the
thymes and winter savory will take root while still attached to the
parent plant if they are brought into contact with soil. Many flowers,
in fact, send down roots naturally from little tufts or branches that
touch the ground, so this is a quick and easy way to make new
plants.
Choose a strong, healthy tuft, twig or branch growing close to the
ground. Prepare a shallow hole below it, and fill it with sand, soil and
a little compost. First scratch a small raw place on the underside of
the branch, then apply a little hormone powder and bend the branch
down into the hole. Use a heavy wire arch to anchor it in place. Firm
down with soil and give it a good watering. Place a stone over the
area to keep the soil above the branch undisturbed.
After six weeks, check on the progress, gently scraping away a
little of the soil. Once good roots are established, sever the stem
from the parent plant and leave it undisturbed for three weeks. The
new plant is now ready for transplanting to a different position.
Prepare a hole with well-mixed soil and compost and fill it with water.
Carefully dig out the plant, with a lot of soil around it, and place it in
the hole, covering the roots with soil and pressing down firmly. Make
a small dam around it and water well. Check twice a week to ensure
it does not dry out completely.

Root cuttings
It is easy to propagate any plant that sends up suckers, for example
bergamot, catmint, elder, goldenrod, the mints and yarrow. Choose
strong suckers and chop them off with a spade, taking as much root
as possible. Prepare a deep seed box, filling it with light garden soil
with a little compost worked into it (four spadefuls of soil to one
spadeful of compost).
The root cuttings must be placed horizontally in the box and
covered with soil. Firm them down and water well. Put the box in the
shade, making sure that it is not in a draught. It is important to keep
the cuttings moist. When new growth and leaf buds appear,
transplant into individual pots, where the cuttings can develop into
strong plants. Keep them partially shaded, then place them in the
sun for lengthening periods each day to harden off. Once they are
established, plant out in the garden in well-prepared beds.

Root division
It is best to divide plants in autumn or early spring, when they are not
forming new growth. Bergamot, chives, goldenrod, strawberries,
violet and yarrow are among the plants that divide well.
Dig out a clump and place it on a firm surface. Then, using two
forks back to back with their prongs firmly in the clump, pull them
apart and split the clump open. Repeat this process if necessary, or
simply pull apart the clumps until the sections are suitably small, and
replant in newly prepared soil. Fairly rich soil is needed for these
perennials, so dig in three spadefuls of compost and two spadefuls
of old manure per square metre of garden soil. Make sure the soil
remains moist until the newly planted pieces have adjusted.
The central portion or original mother plant often becomes woody
and stunted and needs to be discarded. If you replant in the original
position, where the soil will have become depleted, first dig in some
compost and old manure.
Separate perennials every 2–3 years and give a yearly feed of
compost and old manure. Perennials form the backbone of the
flower garden so they deserve the best care in order to continue their
good work.
The Herbal Centre’s kitchen garden is filled with a constant supply of
edible flowers. The cage in the background protects tender radishes,
cauliflowers, broccoli and newly sown spinach. Meyer lemons thrive
in pots and make an attractive feature.
Ajuga
Ajuga reptans • Carpet bugle

Ajuga is a favourite old-fashioned ground cover grown for centuries

to cover moist ground as a neat and attractive path edging, while its
pretty blue flowers have been used for food flavourings and
medicines. No cottage garden was without it and it became a
valuable ingredient in a popular medication kept in every household,
known as ‘traumatick decoction’, which was registered in the
London Dispensatory in 1694. This marvellous medication was used
to treat injuries, falls, wounds, broken bones or ‘miner’s accident’
and it was also used by carpenters and stoneworkers. Its common
 name was ‘carpenter’s herb’, and it was made into ointments,
lotions and even dried and powdered and spread over injuries of all
descriptions.
Nicholas Culpeper, the famous English herbalist, encouraged all
gardeners and farmers to grow it and wrote about it in The English
Physician Enlarged in 1653: ‘If the virtues of it (ajuga) make you fall
in love with it (as they will if you be wise), keep a syrup of it to take
inwardly, an ointment and a plaister to use outwardly, always by
you.’ Culpeper used it as a wound herb and considered it to be a
cure for hangovers. It was grown around inns so that it could be
picked and made into a strong tea to ease a hangover. Today it can
still be found lining the paths to pubs in Europe and England, along
with ivy, which was said to cure drunkenness!
Ajuga belongs to a genus of around 50 species native to
Eurasia, with a few species native to tropical Africa and Australia.

CULTIVATION
Ajuga requires deeply dug, richly composted soil that is kept moist. It
thrives in light shade in the midsummer heat and needs a light frost
cover during the midwinter months. The flowering tips are edible and
can be picked at any time of the year except during the coldest months,
when it does not flower prolifically. Propagation is by division of the
clump, with rooted tufts replanted in rich moist soil. Occasionally you
will find ajuga seed.

MEDICINAL USES
Ajuga has been used as a home remedy through the centuries. Rubs,
lotions and ointments made for rheumatic and arthritic pains became a
valuable trade around the 1660s. The leaves and flowering heads were
gathered in the summer, dried, and made into lotions to wash wounds,
grazes and minor burns.
By the mid-17th century, monks in Britain and Europe had created a
soothing oil as a panacea for many ailments, and old herbals had
explicit and complicated methods of making the comforting and popular
medication. Often combined with other herbs to give it scent, these
ointments, oils or lards were sold as cure-alls.
 When dried, the entire herb is a bitter astringent and was made into
a tea for coughs, stomach ulcers, bronchitis and flu with a high
temperature. In some herbals it was even used to treat heart ailments,
all with excellent results.
To make ajuga tea, pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup fresh
flowering tops, six crushed cloves and a thin sliver of lemon rind, the
length of your little finger. Allow the tea to stand for five minutes, strain,
sweeten with a touch of honey and sip slowly as a gentle laxative, or for
tired, aching legs. The tea was also taken to lower high blood pressure,
for excessive menstruation, to clear mouth ulcers and a sore throat,
and for laryngitis and loss of voice. Monks in medieval England used
the tea to wash wounds and for coughs, colds and varicose ulcers, with
the honey included.
In the Mediterranean area, the flowers and flowering tips were
warmed in olive oil on a slow fire and applied to bruises and sprains
using a soft cloth, as hot as could be tolerated.
I began making ajuga oil and lotion early on in my herbal work when
experimenting with herbs that could ease pain. What finally made me
aware of its valuable pain-reducing effects was that I found the farm
dogs constantly lying on my ajuga plantings. So I stuffed ajuga pillows
for the dogs’ baskets and made ajuga tea to add to their drinking water,
and ajuga lotion for everyone’s bath – dogs, children and the whole
family!

Ajuga lotion to relieve pain and wash wounds

2 cups fresh ajuga flowering sprigs and leaves
½ cup whole cloves, lightly crushed
2 litres water

Simmer the ajuga, cloves and water in a heavy-bottomed stainless

steel pot, with the lid on, for 30 minutes. Stir often. Set the lotion aside
to cool, then strain. Add a cupful to the bathwater. In the case of a bad
sprain or bruise, soak a facecloth in the warm brew and wrap it around
the area, cover it with a warm towel, and relax for 10 minutes.

Ancient ‘ajuga syrop’ for aches and fatigue

1 cup ajuga flowering sprigs
1 litre water
1 cup honey
1 teaspoon aniseed, lightly crushed
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon brandy

Simmer the ingredients together for 20 minutes and stir well, then
strain. Cool the syrup and keep in a glass bottle in the fridge. Warm half
a cup at a time and sip slowly for great fatigue, aches and pains all
over, and a feeling of not coping.

Ajuga orange and ginger syrup for pain relief

This Mediterranean recipe from near Sicily ideally needs an organically grown orange
and organically grown ginger.

1 cup fresh ajuga flowering sprigs

¼ cup finely grated orange rind
½ cup finely grated ginger
¾ cup honey
¼ cup fresh flowering thyme sprigs
10 crushed cloves
1 litre water

Simmer all the ingredients together in the water for 20 minutes, with the
lid on. Allow the syrup to cool, keeping it covered. Strain and pour into
a glass bottle and take one tablespoonful in a little hot water for aches
and pains, bruises, tumours, circulatory ailments, internal bleeding and
excessive menstruation.

Ajuga massage cream for aches and pains

1 cup good aqueous cream
1 cup fresh flowering ajuga sprigs
1 teaspoon powdered cloves
1 teaspoon rose-geranium essential oil

Simmer the aqueous cream, ajuga and cloves together in a double

boiler for 20 minutes. Stir often. Leave the cream to cool for 15
minutes, then strain and add the essential oil. Spoon the cream into a
sterilised jar. Use warm as a gently soothing massage cream. It is
wonderful for a stiff neck.

CULINARY USES
Ajuga and butter bean stir-fry
SERVES 4–6
This is a much-loved vegetarian dish served in many cultures.

500 g big white butter beans

2 onions, finely chopped
½ cup of olive oil
1 cup chopped green pepper
2 cups chopped fresh pineapple pieces
½ cup chopped parsley
1 cup chopped ajuga flowering tops
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 1 lemon

Soak the butter beans overnight. In the morning, boil them in fresh
water with no salt, simmering until tender. Strain the beans. In a deep,
heavy-bottomed pan, fry the onions in olive oil until lightly brown. Add
the butter beans and stir-fry. Add the green pepper, pineapple, parsley
and ajuga flower tops and gently stir-fry. Finally, season with salt and
pepper, add lemon juice and serve piping hot with rice or crusty brown
bread.

COOK’S NOTE
The pretty mauve-blue flowers can be pulled from their
calyxes and added to salads and stir-fries, or sprinkled over
cakes, desserts and drinks.
Almond blossom
Prunus dulcis • P. amygdalus

Almonds are rich in protein and are considered to be so nourishing

and valuable that almond trade is still as brisk today as it was 3 000
years ago! And the dried flower petals are still gathered today in
great calico sheets spread under the trees in spring, and used in
cosmetics and soaps in Central and western Asia.
CULTIVATION
Almond trees grow up to 6 m in height and need full sun and deeply
dug, richly composted soil. They need a deep weekly watering,
increasing to twice-weekly in the hot dry months. Trees should be
planted 4 m apart. They do not self-fertilise, so plant three or four
varieties together, or ask a neighbour to plant one type and you plant
the other to ensure fertilisation. Almond trees thrive with pruning in
midwinter only to shape them and open out very tangled branches. I
spray mine with a seaweed foliar feed throughout the year, and clip and
train the supple branches to shape the trees, and am rewarded with
masses of blossoms and a small collection of nuts for my efforts.
Underplant almond trees with chives, garlic chives, lucerne and red
clover, as this will increase the yield of fruit.

MEDICINAL USES
The delicate blossoms contain small amounts of B vitamins, particularly
biotin and niacin, as well as vitamin E and traces of several amino
acids. The petals and nuts contain calcium, magnesium, iron,
phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc. Because the blossoms and
nuts are so rich in these vitamins and minerals, they are a superb
energy food. The ancient Phoenicians used the petals in honey as a
tonic and sprinkled them into gruels and stews to boost muscular
strength in soldiers. They used crushed petals as a poultice over skin
spots, and mixed the crushed petals with oil in cases of dry skin and
sunburn. Crushed petals are also soothing when applied to insect bites.
A tea made from the whole flower makes a refreshing mouthwash
and gargle that clears up mouth ulcers and sore inflamed gums, and as
a bonus, sweetens the breath. To make almond blossom tea, add ¼
cup almond blossoms and one sprig of peppermint or spearmint to a
cup of boiling water. Allow the tea to stand for five minutes, then strain
and drink.
Almonds have been cultivated for over 3 000 years and through the
centuries ‘almond milk’ has been a much cherished and enjoyed
energy drink.

Almond milk
This is excellent for recovery after an illness, during exam times or to help the elderly
regain energy and vitality. Stir in a few almond petals for extra vitamins and minerals.
Almond petals can be dried for use in winter-time drinks.

1 cup almonds
2 cups boiled water

Soak the almonds in the boiled water overnight. Next morning, blend in
a liquidiser or food processor, adding a little more boiled water if
needed to make the paste a little softer. Add 1–2 tablespoons of paste
per glass and top up with milk, apple juice or grape juice.

CULINARY USES
Almond blossom milk energiser
SERVES 1
This drink is a quick pick-me-up at the end of a busy day, or a lunchtime energiser
much loved by children.

1 glass full-cream milk

1–2 tablespoons roughly chopped almonds
1 banana, peeled
1 dessertspoon honey
1 dessertspoon almond blossom petals, stripped off their calyxes

Briefly liquidise half the milk and all the almonds until the almonds
disintegrate. Add the banana, honey, almond blossom petals and the
rest of the milk. Blend until well mixed. Pour immediately into a glass
and drink it slowly.

COOK’S NOTE
Use blossoms and seeds (nuts) from your own trees when
cooking or making teas so that you know they are organically
grown and not irradiated or sprayed.
Almond blossom and strawberry ice-cream
SERVES 6–8
The first strawberries appear in spring just as the almond trees come into bloom. I
make this special ice-cream at that time as a much-appreciated treat after the winter.
It is one of the prettiest desserts, perfect for a spring birthday party or a wedding.

4–5 cups hulled and sliced strawberries

3 tablespoons white sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tin condensed milk
3 cups thick cream
1 cup almond blossom petals

Liquidise the strawberries and sugar. Add the lemon juice. Pour into a
bowl and whisk in the condensed milk until it starts to thicken. In
another bowl, whisk the cream until it doubles in bulk, then add to the
strawberry and condensed milk mixture. Fold in the almond blossom
petals. Pour into two shallow ice-cream trays and freeze. Stir every now
and then to break up the ice crystals. Serve sprinkled with more almond
blossom petals and fresh strawberries in attractive glass bowls.

Almond blossom chocolate cake

SERVES 6–8
This is real angel food, wickedly rich, but so superb you will want to make it often for
special occasions. Take care not to overcook it or it will dry out; I leave it slightly
underdone and moist in the centre. Since it contains no flour it cannot upset the
digestion. It is best made a day ahead as it matures beautifully. It can also be served
as a dessert.

175 g milk or dark chocolate, broken into pieces

4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons castor sugar
3 large eggs, separated
6 tablespoons ground almonds
1 cup fresh fine brown breadcrumbs

Icing
175 ml thick cream
¾ cup icing sugar
2–4 tablespoons dark rum
1 cup almond blossom petals, stripped off their calyxes

Preheat the oven to 190°C. Warm the chocolate in a double boiler with
the butter until both are melted and well mixed. Whisk the sugar and
egg yolks together and add this to the chocolate and butter mixture. Stir
in four tablespoons of the ground almonds (keep the other two
tablespoons aside), and the breadcrumbs. Beat the egg whites and fold
into the mixture very gently and evenly.
Grease a springform cake tin (20 cm in diameter) with a good layer
of butter and sprinkle in the remaining ground almonds. Spoon in the
cake mixture and bake in the centre of the oven for 25 minutes until
almost done. Allow to cool in the tin on a wire rack. It will deflate
slightly.
Gently remove the cake from the springform tin and place on a
plate. To make the icing, whip the cream, sweeten to taste with the
icing sugar and add the rum, and fold in about two tablespoons of the
almond blossom petals. Pipe the cream or spread it decoratively over
the cake and sprinkle the remaining almond blossom petals over it.
Angelica
Angelica archangelica • Garden angelica

According to the medieval herbals, angelica is an ancient herb of

the angels, ‘praised for its virtues’. It originated in the cool moist
meadows of Europe, and has remained a plant of great value. All
parts of it are used, and it has been listed in the pharmacopoeias of
Britain, Europe and China for centuries. In the present British
 pharmacopoeia it is listed as a urinary antiseptic for easing cystitis,
and for inflammatory rheumatic conditions.
In addition to its medicinal properties, angelica is cultivated for
its oils, fragrance and soothing constituents used in cosmetics,
colognes, soaps and lotions. It is also used extensively in the food
industry as a flavouring; in liqueurs and alcoholic drinks; and in a
delicious soft drink with fruit sugars.
The main growers are Belgium, Germany and Hungary, and to a
lesser extent Britain. The whole plant is utilised, from the roots to
the flowers, and the seeds are used to produce an oil that has
bactericidal and fungicidal properties.

CULTIVATION
Angelica is tricky to propagate only if the seed is not fresh – and by
fresh I mean literally just matured, ripe and starting to fall off the
umbels. So sure am I of my fresh organically grown seeds that I sow
only two seeds per four-litre planting bag and both come up in the rich
moist compost. Keep the seedlings moist, shaded and protected until
they are 5 cm high, then gradually move them out into the sun for short
periods each day, extending the time little by little until they are strong.
Their final position in the garden should be in light shade or partial
shade. They grow beautifully under 40% shade cloth for commercial
plantings.
Angelica is a robust biennial and takes cold winters if protected. A
light-as-a-feather covering of plant fleece bought at your nursery or
hardware shop, draped over sturdy wire hoops and tucked down at root
level with a stone or two, makes a protective tent. Lift up the northern
side on a sunny winter day, and cover again at night. In a frost-free
area there is no need to cover, and as angelica’s homeland has bitter
winters, the plants adjust easily.
Water once-weekly in winter and two or three times a week in
summer; angelicas prefer a long slow stream to their roots rather than
an overhead spray.
Deeply dug soil with a lot of compost is essential. Plant angelicas 1–
1.5 m apart as the leaves are around 60 cm in length and often in
width. Great umbels of beautiful ‘lace flowers’ appear in its second
year. These have a branched habit so that a row of angelica looks
spectacular in the garden. The flowers attract many beneficial insects
that control and prey on aphids, whitefly, red spider and flies.
I partner angelica with Salvia leucantha ‘Midnight’ (the showy bright
purple variety) and they thrive together in light shade but with late
afternoon sun. Seed sown in autumn will ensure a mass of seedlings in
spring and early summer. Angelica is cut once the flowers turn to seed.

MEDICINAL USES
Traditionally, angelica was regarded as a gift from the Archangel
Michael and was used as a protection against evil and a cure for all ills.
In the 15th century it was rated one of the most important medicinal
plants by John Parkinson, an esteemed herbalist, in northern Europe
and Asia, where it is found naturally. Angelica has remained a valuable
and versatile herb that today still holds its place as a medicinal tea.
Angelica flower tea is still one of the favourite medicinal teas, and is
available in specialist shops from China to Greenland to Central Asia. It
has a bittersweet aromatic taste and remains a popular tea as an anti-
inflammatory, for indigestion and digestive upsets, to relax muscle
spasms, for bronchial coughs and tight chests and for the female
reproductive system after giving birth. Angelica tea was often served in
hospitals overseas.
To make angelica tea, fill half a cup with dried angelica flowers, or
use fresh flowers with a piece of finely chopped stem and a piece of
leaf. Top up and fill the cup with boiling water, and allow the tea to
stand for five minutes, stirring continuously. The tea is a respected
treatment for anorexia, menstrual and obstetric problems, poor
circulation, chronic fatigue, flu, catarrh, urinary problems including
cystitis, pleurisy, to increase perspiration and thus lower fevers, and as
a strong expectorant.
Angelica is also used for migraines, taken in tablet or capsule form.
Alternatively, take angelica tea at the first sign of a migraine, and sip
frequently and consistently a little at a time.

WARNING: Do not take angelica in any form if you are pregnant or

diabetic, even mildly diabetic.

Angelica poultice
Use this poultice for menstrual cramps, cystitis pains and colic.

4–6 angelica leaves and stems (pick the whole compound leaf)
Boiling water
Towel
Pure cotton

Warm the leaves and stems in a large pot of boiling water. Lay them on
a towel and cover with a piece of cotton. Place over the area of pain,
cotton side against the body. Cover with another towel and a hot-water
bottle. Rest for 15–20 minutes, keeping everything as hot as possible.
Once the pain eases, rest for a further 10 minutes. Interestingly,
angelica poultices were listed in ancient medical texts for treating
aching feet and rheumatic joints – done exactly this way.

CULINARY USES
Sweet angelica spice for stir-fries and
noodles
This sugary spice is still popular in the market places of Asia.

10–15 umbels of just-opened flowers, stalks attached

1 litre water
1 cup soft treacle sugar
1 teaspoon chopped fresh chilli
1 teaspoon crushed coriander seeds
1 teaspoon crushed cardamom pods

Cut the umbels with stalks attached, and set aside. Select a heavy-
bottomed pot and simmer the water with the treacle sugar, chopped
fresh chilli (if the chillies are not ripe use dried chilli a little at a time and
taste for heat), coriander seeds and cardamom pods. Simmer for 20
minutes, stirring frequently.
Now dip each fresh flower head into the sugary mixture, gently
submerging and turning it so that every part is covered. Shake off the
excess syrup and tie a string to the stalk so that it can be suspended.
Hang in an airy place to dry.
 Once dry and brittle, discard the stalks, and crumble the flowers
over fried fish, fried mushrooms, stir-fries, soups, noodles and rice. This
flavoursome spice can also be served as a condiment in small bowls.

Angelica and orange marmalade

Try this marmalade with cheese and biscuits – it is delicious!

4 sweet oranges
2 rough-skinned lemons
1 cup finely chopped angelica leaves and stems
4 cups treacle sugar
4 cups water

Squeeze the juice from the oranges and lemons and mince the skins.
Put the juice and minced skins into a bowl. Tie up the chopped angelica
in a muslin square, push it into the fruit and leave it covered overnight.
Next morning, boil the juice, skin and angelica for two hours. Remove
the angelica bag and discard. Add the sugar and simmer, stirring
constantly. Test for setting (a little will set on a cold saucer), then switch
off the stove. Leave the jam to cool, stirring often to disperse the peel
evenly. While still warm, pour the jam into sterilised jars, seal and label.
Anise
Pimpinella anisum

Anise is native to the eastern Mediterranean areas as well as

western Asia and North Africa, where it still grows wild as a wayside
weed. Because it is so shortlived, it often appears in spring and
again in late summer, drawing bees and butterflies to it in droves
with its sweet liquorice fragrance.
 Remarkably, anise has been cultivated in Egypt for over 4 000
years. Pharaonic texts show that even then it was used as a
digestive herb, diuretic and to help ease toothache. The Greeks
used it too; Dioscorides wrote in the first century that aniseed
‘warms, dries and dissolves, facilitates breathing, relieves pain,
provokes urine and eases thirst’. Modern medical science has
proved that these ancient uses of this marvellous herb were indeed
correct.

CULTIVATION
Anise is an attractive, short-lived annual growing up to 50 cm in height
with pretty, feathery flowers typical of the Umbelliferae, often mistakenly
called lace flowers. It is a rewarding plant to grow as it demands
nothing more than good, well-composted soil, full sun and a twice-
weekly watering. It thrives on neglect, gives a swift return on its easily
and quickly raised seeds, and is a delight to the eye and palate with its
fragile beauty, tender buds and leaves, and pungent seeds. When
growing anise in the garden I have found that the more one picks, the
more flowers are produced.

MEDICINAL USES
Aniseed (and to some extent the leaves and flowers) helps with all
digestive ailments, from colic and bloating to nausea, flatulence,
heartburn and tummy rumblings, in all age groups, from infants through
to the very elderly. Both the seeds and flowers are antispasmodic.
Simply chewing a few seeds or flowers will ease period pain, asthma,
bronchitis and coughing (it helps to dry up phlegm and is a known
expectorant), and for whooping cough there is nothing better.
Doctors are now looking at anise flowers and seeds to help with
irregular heartbeat and to ease anxiety. Stress is ever-increasing in our
frenetic fast-paced lives, and anise’s extraordinary antispasmodic effect
can be relied on to ease tight chest pains and distressed breathing. Sit
quietly, take several deep breaths, and slowly sip a cup of anise health
tea. It is also excellent for children writing exams, especially with a
sprig of peppermint in the tea to boost concentration and promote clear
thinking. When there is a tension headache this tea often gives
immediate results, and in the case of a chill, shock or severe agitation
this remarkably soothing tea is definitely worth trying. Anise flowers in
the diet and a tea made from the seeds helps breast-milk production in
nursing mothers, and reduces acidity. All in all, anise really should be
used more than it is!

Anise health tea

SERVES 1
I find this tea superb after a heavy meal or when I have dined out, or eaten rich or
spicy food. It also helps with cramps and coughs and every other ailment mentioned
above. I even travel with a little jar of aniseed and some dried flowers to ensure that I
have a good night. Omit the honey if you prefer the tea unsweetened.

2 teaspoons aniseed
1 tablespoon fresh flowers and leaves
Honey

Pour a cup of boiling water over the seeds, flowers and leaves and
allow the tea to stand for five minutes. Stir well, strain, sweeten with a
touch of honey, and sip slowly.

Anise de-stress vinegar

This excellent de-stressing vinegar can be used in two ways: mixed with water, it
makes a delicious, soothing beverage at the end of a frantically busy day; used in the
bath, it literally calms, untangles and eases you – lie back and enjoy its comforting
presence. Be sure to make lots of this precious vinegar while your aniseed plants are
in flower!

1 large bottle apple cider vinegar

Anise sprigs, flowers and leaves
1 tablespoon aniseeds

Press aniseeds, and as many sprigs, flowers and leaves as possible,

into the vinegar. Keep in a warm place out of direct sunlight and shake
up daily. After 10 days, strain out the flowers, leaves and seeds and
replace with fresh ones. Keep it in a warm place for a further 10 days,
shaking daily. Repeat the process if needed. Finally, strain, pour into a
clean bottle and label. For easy identification, push in one fresh
flowering sprig or a tablespoon of seeds.
 To take orally, mix two teaspoons of vinegar in a glass of chilled
water and sip slowly, especially on a hot afternoon. For a soothing bath,
add a dash to the water and relax.

CULINARY USES
Anise apple dessert
SERVES 6
This dessert is quick, easy and delicious served either hot with cream and custard, or
cold with ice-cream.

6 Golden Delicious apples

A few thin strips of fresh ginger
Sultanas
½ cup honey
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup anise flowers, stripped off their stems
½ cup soft butter

Core the unpeeled apples and place them in a steamer. Press some
ginger and a few sultanas into the cores, and steam for 15 minutes. Mix
the honey with the sunflower seeds, anise flowers and the butter, and
spoon over the apples. Cover and steam for a further 15 minutes.
Serve either hot or cold, with the fragrant sauce poured over the fruit.
Anise pasta confetti salad
SERVES 4–6
I make this bright salad for summer picnics when the anise flowers are at their best. It
keeps well in the fridge.

300 g pasta shells or any small pasta

2 carrots, peeled and finely grated
1 red pepper, finely chopped
2 sticks celery and their leaves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
6 radishes, finely chopped

Dressing
½ cup grape vinegar
¾ cup anise flowers, stripped off their stems
½ cup water
½ cup honey
2 teaspoons mustard powder
3 tablespoons olive oil
Cook the pasta in rapidly boiling water until al dente. Drain, rinse in cold
water and leave to cool. Mix with the carrots, red pepper, celery,
parsley and radishes, and refrigerate.
Place the dressing ingredients in a screw-top bottle and shake well.
Leave to stand and infuse. Just before serving, shake the dressing,
pour over the pasta salad and mix well.

COOK’S NOTE
Anise leaves give a refreshing taste when chopped into
salads, soups and stews, and sprinkled on fritters, the freshly
chopped leaves and flowers will aid digestion.
Artichoke
Cynara scolymus • Globe artichoke

Greatly esteemed by the ancient Greeks and Romans, the artichoke

was used as both a food and a medicine, and finds its place in the
pharmacopoeias of the world from the earliest times. In the first
century AD, Dioscorides recommended using mashed artichoke
 root as a deodorant, applying it as a scrub to the armpits and feet to
fend off offensive odours!
The Italians are considered the best artichoke growers in the
world and fields of the beautiful silvery-grey leaves, fat juicy buds
and thistle-like purple flowers grace the Italian landscape. As a
garden plant it is eye-catching, and a row in the vegetable garden
will give three or four years of spring-flowering heads.

CULTIVATION
Native to the Mediterranean region, this much-loved plant thrives in
warmth and sun, and needs richly composted, deeply dug, moist,
loamy soil – the richer the soil the better. Artichokes are propagated by
seed, with the seeds sown 1.5 m apart in rows. They grow over 1 m in
height and produce beautiful flowers during spring and early summer.
After flowering, new shoots will appear at the base, which in turn will
mature the following season into new flower-bearing plants. Although
the artichoke is considered to be a perennial, it is often planted as an
annual or a biennial, or renewed every three or four years. Cut the
flowering heads back after reaping the unopened flower buds, and
mulch well. Leave some buds to mature and dry on the stems before
cutting, and reap your own organic seed.

MEDICINAL USES
Although all parts of the globe artichoke are medicinal, the young flower
buds and leaves have the highest levels of beneficial constituents for
high cholesterol, gall bladder ailments, nausea, indigestion and
abdominal bloating, distension and flatulence. All parts of the plant are
bitter and stimulate digestive secretions, which in turn help to cleanse
the liver and move toxins out of the system, protecting against infection.
Current medical research is indicating that artichoke can boost the
immune system, and simply adding globe artichokes to the diet will help
to promote the flow of bile to the gall bladder, ensuring a healthy liver.
The globe artichoke is rich in vitamins A, C and all the B-vitamins,
especially folic acid, biotin and niacin. The whole plant contains insulin,
a polysaccharide that helps to control blood sugar, hence it is especially
valuable for diabetics. It also contains cynarin, predominantly in the
flower scales and leaves, which tones and improves the functioning of
the arterial lining. In addition, artichokes are rich in natural and easily
utilised iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and manganese, and
have been found to help with anaemia, glandular disorders, obesity,
kidney ailments, diarrhoea and even chronic halitosis. They are also a
good diuretic.
The seeds from the mature flowering head make an excellent tea.
To make the tea, pour a cup of boiling water over 1–2 teaspoons of
crushed seeds from your own organically grown plants. Allow the tea to
stand for five minutes, stirring every now and then. Strain and sip
slowly. Add a squeeze or two of fresh lemon juice for more flavour, if
desired.
You can dry the flower heads after the flowers have matured by
cutting them in half and drying them in a warm dry place. Turn them
frequently. Once they are bone dry, store in airtight glass jars. In this
way you will have this precious natural medicine year-round and not
only in spring when artichokes begin their flowering cycle.

CAUTION: Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should avoid

the globe artichoke as it contains a substance that curdles milk.

Old Mediterranean liver tonic remedy

2 tablespoons fresh artichoke juice (1 cup artichoke leaves, 2–3 young
flower buds and ½ cup hot water)
1 cup wine or hot water

To make the artichoke juice, liquefy the chopped artichoke leaves and
flower buds with the hot water, and strain. Add the wine or hot water to
the juice, and take one cupful daily as a liver cleanser and high
cholesterol treatment.

CULINARY USES
Pickled artichokes
MAKES 1 LARGE JAR
Serve these delicious pickled artichokes with cheese and salads or finely chopped
over mushroom dishes.

6 young tender artichoke buds

1 sprig origanum
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs parsley
2 cups brown grape vinegar
1½ cups brown sugar
½ cup mustard seeds

Select young tender buds, cut off the tough outer leaves and pare away
the tops of the leaves, leaving the base. Scoop out any of the fluffy
flower parts, the thistle’s ‘choke’, and cut the heart into quarters. Pack
into a glass jar, and add the origanum, bay leaves and parsley. Boil up
the vinegar with brown sugar and mustard seeds for 10 minutes. Pour
the hot mixture over the artichoke hearts, seal and label. Leave them to
mature for at least a month before eating.

Artichokes with mint and yoghurt

SERVES 4
This recipe is delicious as a summer starter or even as a supper dish. The dressing is
a healthy alternative to butter.

4 large artichokes, trimmed

1 sprig mint
Salt

Dressing
1 cup plain yoghurt
2 tablespoons finely chopped mint
4 spring onions, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Boil the artichokes in water with a sprig of mint and salt for about 45
minutes until they are tender. Drain. Remove the tough outer leaves
and open out the centres. Pull away the tight tiny pale leaves, and
using a teaspoon, scrape out the thistle-like fluff, the choke. Leave to
cool. Mix the dressing ingredients together and pour into the centre of
each artichoke. Dip each scale into the dressing and enjoy!

Artichoke dip
SERVES 6
This is the most delicious and nourishing dip I know. Serve it with savoury biscuits,
chips, celery and carrot-sticks, or use it as a filling for baked potatoes. Use tinned
artichoke hearts if it is not artichoke season.

250 g artichoke hearts, freshly cooked and finely chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
½–¾ cup good mayonnaise
Juice of 1 lemon
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Mix the ingredients together well. For a smoother dip, whirl everything
together in a blender. I often ring the changes with one of the following:
½ cup chopped green pepper, ¾ cup chopped fresh brown mushrooms,
or ¾ cup mashed avocado. Try spreading a little as a pizza topping.

COOK’S NOTE
Try sprouting your own organic artichoke seeds and see how
delicious they are – the slight bitterness improves with a little
lemon juice. Soak the seeds overnight, then spread on wet
cotton wool in a shallow glass dish. Cover with another layer
of cotton wool and keep moist. Check daily. Once they have
sprouted, remove the top layer of cotton wool and keep the
little sprouts moist with a frequent spritz spray of water. Eat
with salads when 2–3 cm high.
Banana flower
Musa species

The banana tree or palm is a huge-leafed, exotic tropical plant that

can grow up to 3–4 m in height, with a magnificent sheath of leaves
at its crown. Each mature shoot produces an exquisite flowering
stalk, which hangs under the protective canopy of giant leaves.
Ideally it needs hot, moist, tropical air, but it will survive and even
 produce fruit against a sunny wall where it is protected against cold
winds.
The banana is thought to have originated in Indo-Malaysia and
eastern Asia. The ancient Egyptians are known to have eaten the
Abyssinian banana, Musa ensete, and many varieties have been
recorded in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world over the
centuries.

CULTIVATION
Growing bananas is a fascinating hobby. Viable shoots can be cut
away from the parent plant and propagated in full sun in moist, richly
composted soil, and a stem will flower and fruit in about 15 months.
Once the main shoot has fruited, it can be cut out to allow space for the
next shoot to emerge. The clump or ‘stool’, as it is known botanically,
can live for 60–70 years, sending up new fruit shoots continuously, but
commercial growers keep the clump going for usually no more than 8–
10 years, before replacing it with new stock.
Apply a fresh load of compost annually and dig it in carefully around
the plant so as not to damage the emerging shoots. In January I dump
a barrow load on top of the clump as well and give it a deep twice-
weekly watering. The leaves really need moisture, so spray them with a
hose often during hot dry periods. The best varieties to grow in South
Africa, all of which have edible flowers, are Musa ‘Cavendish’, Musa
‘Williams’, Musa ‘Grand Nain’ selec American, and selec Israeli.

MEDICINAL USES
The ancient Egyptians used banana leaves, fruit and flowering sheaths
as a wound dressing, often mashing the fruit and applying it as a
poultice over rashes, infected scratches, grazes and burns, covered
either with a banana skin or with a leaf warmed in hot water. Today
many surfers worldwide use mashed banana pulp on sunburnt
shoulders and noses. Hikers rub aching heels, corns and blisters with
the inside of a banana skin and use the flowering bract, magenta in
colour and spongy and crisp when young, as a heel guard, pressed into
shoes to ease cracks in the heel.
COSMETIC USES
In Hawaii, flowering bracts are boiled in twice the volume of water,
together with a few ripe banana skins, as a hair rinse for scalp
problems, oily hair and hair that falls out. Boil for 20 minutes, cool,
strain and use as a scalp massage and hair rinse. Sceptics wonder
how this can possibly help, but just look at the Hawaiians’ beautiful
thick glossy hair!

Banana flower cream for cracked heels and dry skin

1½ cups good aqueous cream
1 cup finely sliced banana flower bracts
½ cup finely sliced skin of a partially ripe banana
2 teaspoons thinly pared skin of a lemon
2 teaspoons vitamin E oil
1 teaspoon lemon essential oil

Simmer the aqueous cream, banana bracts, banana skin and lemon
rind in a double boiler, pressing down well and bruising the bracts.
Simmer for 20 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes, and strain. Add the vitamin
E and lemon essential oils and mix thoroughly. Store in a sterilised
glass jar. Massage often into cracked heels and dry skin on the feet
and legs.

CULINARY USES
Banana blossom paella
SERVES 4–6
This is an easy-to-prepare Mauritian recipe that varies from village to village as the
ingredients become available through the season.

4 medium onions, chopped

4 cups white fish, skinned, deboned and cubed
A few shrimps or langoustines, shelled and deveined
¼–½ cup olive oil
2 cups banana flowers, shredded and rinsed
2 green or red sweet peppers, cut into strips
½ cup desiccated coconut
½ cup sesame seeds
Juice of 1 lemon
Sea salt and cayenne pepper to taste
½ cup chopped mint

Brown the onions and seafood in the oil in a large wok. Add the banana
flowers and stir-fry for about 10 minutes. Then add the green or red
peppers and stir-fry, turning frequently. Add all the other ingredients
except the mint and keep stir-frying. Finally, add the mint, and serve
immediately on a bed of rice. Add a little water to the juices in the pan
and pour over the paella.

COOK’S NOTE
In Sri Lanka, banana buds are a well-loved vegetable boiled
and served with lemon juice, salt and fish, and in China they
are pickled. Always prepare the flowers with salt and lemon
juice before cooking with them, as described in the recipe
above.

Banana flower kari-kari

SERVES 4
This quick and delicious dish was probably first enjoyed in the Philippines. It has
many variants, but this is the plainest.

2 cups thinly shredded banana flowers, turned in salt and lemon juice
4 cups slivered topside beef
Sunflower oil
3 garlic cloves, thinly slivered
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 cups chopped green spring onions
1–2 tablespoons grated ginger root
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 cup water
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Prepare the banana flowers with salt and lemon juice as described in
the cook’s note. Meanwhile, gently sauté the beef in the oil until brown,
then add the garlic and onions. When soft, add the banana flowers that
have been drenched in fresh lemon juice. Add the spring onions and
grated ginger root, soy sauce and water, and salt and pepper to taste.
Simmer gently for about 10 minutes, adding more water if necessary.
Serve with rice or pasta.

COOK’S NOTE
To prepare banana flowers for cooking, remove the tough,
sheath-like covering from the flowers. Slice the flowers thinly
crosswise, sprinkle with salt, and let them stand for an hour.
Squeeze them with the salt, add lemon juice and squeeze
again, then rinse. This removes any milky sap and
astringency and makes the flowers more tender.

COOK’S NOTE
To ring the changes, add bacon, chopped green pepper or
celery, peeled tomatoes, or thinly sliced aubergines to the
banana flower kari-kari, or experiment with your own
combinations.

Banana flower and mushroom sauce

SERVES 4

2 medium onions, minced

½–¾ cup olive oil
3 cups brown mushrooms, finely chopped
2 cups banana flowers, thinly sliced and prepared (see cook’s note)
1–2 tablespoons rich soy sauce
½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup seedless raisins, soaked overnight and then finely chopped
1 cup minced celery
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Sea salt and cayenne pepper to taste
2 cups water

Brown the onions in the olive oil. Add the remaining ingredients and
stir-fry until tender. Serve hot with rice.
Bergamot
Monarda didyma • Bee balm • Oswego tea

Bergamot originated in North America, where the great swathes of

red bergamot flowers in the grasslands around the Oswego River
near Lake Ontario earned it its name of ‘Oswego tea’. The
Cherokee Indians as well as the Chippewa, Fox and Ojibwa Indians
were the first to use it to ease digestive and respiratory symptoms.
 Its superb health benefits became more widely known after the
famous Boston Tea Party in 1773, when the citizens of Boston
rebelled against taxes imposed on tea and the monopoly given to
the East India Company. Disguised as Indians, they raided three
British ships in Boston Harbour, tossing a shipload of English tea
overboard. Bergamot or Oswego tea became the fashionable tea to
drink.

CULTIVATION
Bergamot is easy and rewarding to grow and is so loved by bees and
butterflies that no garden should be without it. It needs full sun and
well-composted soil, and in midsummer it is spectacular with its bright
flowering spikes ranging from 80 cm to 1 m in height. Once spent,
these need to be cut off and the plant tends to look a bit lost, so it is
best planted in a mixed border. It forms a cushion-like perennial clump
that needs to be divided every three or four years. Do this in winter by
thrusting two forks back to back into the centre and splitting it in that
way. Plant out into well-composted soil and by midsummer you will
have tall spikes of bright, fragrant flowers again. There are many
bergamot varieties, with flowers ranging in colour from mauve to deep
magenta, and from bright pink to purple. All have the same uses.

MEDICINAL USES
Bergamot is a most comforting tea for the elderly, taken last thing at
night. Bergamot health tea helps settle the digestion, eases muscular
aches and joint pains, and acts as a sedative that disperses fears and
helps to regulate the sleep pattern. Taken with chamomile tea (add one
flowering head or one leaf to chamomile tea), bergamot also helps to
calm and unwind, digest rich food and ease the day’s tensions. For
digestive problems, colic, nausea, bloated distended stomach,
vomiting, flatulence and belching, make the standard brew tea (¼ cup
bergamot flowers and leaves steeped in a cup of boiling water), and
add four cloves per cup. Sip slowly and chew one of the cloves gently
every now and then. A teaspoonful of this brew can be given to a
fretting baby and to children who have eaten too many sweet things.
Bergamot health tea
SERVES 1
If you enjoy the taste of Earl Grey tea, you can make your own by adding one or two
bergamot leaves and a bergamot flower to a pot of ordinary Ceylon tea. This will
infuse, giving it that typical Earl Grey taste. (Note that commercial Earl Grey tea is not
made with bergamot, but with the dried rind or essential oil of the bergamot orange,
Citrus bergamia.)

1 bergamot flower, calyx discarded

1 bergamot leaf
1 teabag of your favourite tea
1 cup boiling water
Honey and lemon to taste

Pull the petals out of the calyx and infuse with the leaf and your
favourite tea for a few minutes in boiling water. Strain, sweeten with
honey and add a slice of lemon. Serve either hot or cold and sip slowly.
If served cold, make ice cubes with the top petals of the bergamot
flower, and add a little lemon juice. This tea will relax you and clear a
stuffy head.

Bergamot massage cream

Use this cream to ease aches, muscular strains and stiff sore muscles and to soften
dry wind- or sun-burned skin.

1 cup good aqueous cream

1 cup fresh bergamot flowers and leaves
10 cloves, lightly crushed
6 drops clove oil
2 teaspoons vitamin E oil

Simmer the aqueous cream, bergamot and cloves, stirring frequently

for 20 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and strain. Discard the leaves,
flowers and cloves. Add the clove oil and vitamin E oil, stir well, and
spoon into a screw-top glass jar. Warm the cream before applying by
standing the jar in a bowl of hot water. Apply the cream frequently, and
in the case of sprains and sore muscles, keep the area warm with a
hot-water bottle wrapped in a soft towel.
COSMETIC USES
Bergamot skin tonic
Use this tonic for itchy, dry skin and sunburn.

1 cup bergamot leaves and flowers

1½ litres water

Boil the bergamot in the water for 10 minutes. Cool and strain. Use as a
splash or spritz, or add to the bath.

CULINARY USES
Bergamot and peach jelly
SERVES 4–6
This was one of my children’s favourite puddings, which I made often during summer
using a basket of ripening peaches that needed to be eaten, and a whole row of bright
bergamot in flower.

10 peaches
3 tablespoons gelatine
1 cup warm water
1 litre unsweetened peach and orange juice or peach and mango juice
Honey if desired
1 cup bergamot flowers, stripped off their calyxes

Peel and slice the peaches. Mix the gelatine with warm water until
dissolved. Stir the gelatine into the fruit juice, adding a little honey if it is
not sweet enough. Add the peaches, and finally toss the bergamot
flowers stripped off their calyxes into the mixture. Pour into a glass bowl
and set in the fridge. Once set, serve with whipped bergamot cream or
custard decorated with bergamot flowers.

Roasted okra with bergamot flowers

SERVES 4
The secret of this extraordinary lunch dish is to use very young and tender okra pods.
Serve the dish with roast chicken and roast potatoes.

20 very young okra pods

Olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper
½ cup chopped bergamot petals
Juice of 1 lemon
Parmesan cheese
Tabasco sauce

Trim the stalks off the okra pods. Dip pods individually into olive oil and
lay them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt, black pepper, chopped
bergamot petals and lemon juice. Roast for 20 minutes or until they
start to crisp. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and a few drops of
Tabasco sauce. Serve hot.

Bergamot cream
250 ml thick cream
1–2 tablespoons icing sugar
½ cup bergamot petals

Whip the cream with the icing sugar. Fold the bergamot petals in lightly.
Spoon into a pretty glass bowl and decorate with bergamot flowers.
Borage
Borago officinalis

A hairy weed native to the Mediterranean regions, borage is a

robust and prolific annual that grows with ease all over the world. It
is an ancient, much-revered herb, and has an important place in
both food and medicine. Through the centuries its calming and
stress-relieving qualities have been well recognised, and the
crusaders took it on their pilgrimages to give them courage and
induce calmness of mind. In Elizabethan times, borage flowers were
added to drinks like claret cup to prevent drunkenness while adding
to the merriment. Traditionally the flowers were made into syrups
and wines, taken for coughs and colds and also for anxiety and fear,
 which is why borage has been important through the ages for
treating grief and depression.

CULTIVATION
The exquisite blue, star-shaped flowers make a wonderful show in
summer and attract bees and butterflies to the garden. They have a
fresh, cucumberlike flavour and can be added to cordials, Pimm’s cup,
salads and desserts. The plants are prolific, and both leaves and
flowers benefit from picking. Borage readily seeds itself and needs
space in the garden as it can grow up to 80 cm in height and about 60
cm in width. It needs richly composted, well-dug soil in full sun and
thrives with a good twice-weekly watering. Even in the dry area where I
live it seems to survive against all odds, sending up its blaze of
beautiful blue and reseeding itself everywhere, even in winter. The tiny
seedlings are easily transplanted.

MEDICINAL USES
A tea made from borage leaves and flowers will reduce high
temperatures by inducing sweating and will act on flu and colds quickly
and reliably. Rich in potassium and calcium, the tea is both a tonic and
a blood purifier. To make borage tea add ¼ cup fresh flowering tops
and leaves to a cup of boiling water. Allow the tea to stand for five
minutes, then strain and sip slowly. With its high mucilage content it
soothes respiratory ailments, chronic coughs, bronchitis, pleurisy, tight
chests and whooping cough, easing and breaking down mucous. Make
no more than one cup of borage tea a day; divide it up and take a little
throughout the day.
Borage also has a comforting emollient action due to its soothing
saponins and tannins, which is helpful for sore, inflamed skin.

CAUTION: Like comfrey, borage contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids, so it

should not be taken internally too often. The flowers and seeds, from
which borage oil is made, are the safest parts of the plant.

Borage lotion
Use this lotion for eczema, psoriasis, sunburn, rashes and itches.
1 cup borage leaves and flowers
3 cups water

Boil the borage leaves and flowers in the water for 10 minutes. Leave
the lotion to cool, then strain and pour into a spritz bottle and spray
frequently over the area or dab on often. It will soothe a wide range of
skin conditions.

CULINARY USES
Borage sangria
SERVES 6–8
I was once lucky enough to find an ancient recipe made by monks in England, who
called borage ‘the Good Herb’. My modern version of this ancient drink has drawn
many a favourable comment, especially when served warm on a cold winter’s night.

3 thumb-length sprigs fresh rosemary

2 cups borage leaves, stems and flowers, roughly chopped
4 tablespoons honey
4 cups good red wine
2 cups pure apple juice
2 lemons, thinly sliced
1 naartjie, thinly sliced
Borage flowers

Crush the rosemary and borage leaves, stems and flowers and pour
the honey and wine over them. Stir well and leave to stand for about an
hour. Add the apple juice and the fruit and stir well. Cover and
refrigerate for a day and a night. Strain the following day. Keep chilled.
Serve either hot or cold before dinner and float several borage flowers
on it before serving.

Hearty borage winter health soup

SERVES 6–8
Borage survives the coldest winds, so you will always be able to find something fresh
and green during the winter frosts. This is my winter standby and I make a big pot
every few days as it keeps well in the fridge. Soak the pulses overnight beforehand.

1 cup butter beans, soaked overnight

1 cup pearl barley, soaked overnight
1 cup lentils, soaked overnight
1 cup split peas, soaked overnight
3 large onions, finely chopped
Sunflower oil
2 sweet potatoes, grated
6 celery stalks and leaves
6 carrots, finely grated
2 cups borage leaves, finely chopped
4 tomatoes, skinned and chopped
Sea salt and cayenne pepper to taste
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons Marmite
Juice of 1 lemon
2 litres water or stock

Drain and rinse the soaked beans, barley, lentils and peas. Brown the
onions in the oil. Add the sweet potato and celery and stir-fry. Once
they start to brown, add all the other ingredients. Mix well and simmer
gently, adding more water if necessary. Keep covered and on low heat,
and adjust the flavouring as preferred. Cook for about one hour or until
the beans are tender. Serve with fresh brown bread and butter.

COOK’S NOTE
This soup is rich in vitamins and is filling and satisfying. Ring
the changes by using green peppers, mushrooms, finely
shredded cabbage or kale, spring onions, grated pumpkin or
butternut, or squash.

Borage fritters
SERVES 4–6
These fritters make a delicious snack served as an appetiser or as a side dish to
stews or roasts.

12 borage leaves
Sunflower oil

Batter
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
½ cup water
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon crushed coriander
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Mix all the batter ingredients together until a runny consistency is

achieved. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Dip each leaf into the batter and
lay it carefully in the hot oil, turning when necessary. When they are
golden brown, remove the leaves from the oil with tongs and drain on
crumpled paper towel. Serve hot.

COOK’S NOTE
Set borage flowers in an ice tray, one flower per ice cube. In a
cooldrink the ice will melt, leaving the flower to be enjoyed, as
it tastes fresh and delicious when chilled.
Broccoli
Brassica oleracea

Broccoli is the flowering head of an easy-to-grow winter annual. It is

a member of the huge and vital cruciferous family of cabbages,
kales and cauliflowers that developed from the ancient wild
cabbages in Europe and the Mediterranean area.
 It is incredible to think that for well over 2 000 years broccoli has
been planted as a food crop. We have the Romans to thank for their
dedication in selecting the best plants and saving the seed year by
year that put broccoli in a class of its own.
By the 16th century broccoli had become so much a part of the
Mediterranean diet that broccoli trade began, and in this way it
gradually spread throughout the world. Monks in medieval England
created the first medicinal gardens and grew food crops among the
medicinal herbs. They treated the sick with these plants, and
broccoli, onions, celery and other green herbs such as thyme,
shallots and some of the spinaches, were cooked into nourishing
‘gruels’ and broths that became well known for relieving coughs,
colds, flu, bronchitis and ‘wasting illnesses’.
Broccoli is listed in ancient herbals and pharmacopoeias as a
medicine and food. It was also recorded as being a good food for
the spirit, lifting despair, depression and anxiety. Broccoli featured
strongly in these medications and broths, and its role in the diet was
recognised in restoring physical and emotional wellbeing.
It was only in 1923 that the D’Arrigo brothers, originally from
Italy, began the first plantings of broccoli in California. In 1929 the
brothers began advertising this extraordinary health food, and the
broccoli industry took off and has never looked back!

CULTIVATION
Best grown as a winter annual, broccoli thrives in a deeply dug richly
composted bed in full sun. Start the seeds off in seed trays (they
germinate easily) and when big enough to handle, about 10 cm in
height, prick the tiny plants out and plant into moist rows, spaced 50 cm
apart. Do not let them dry out. Keep them shaded with dry leaves for
the first few days.
The florets form quickly and can be reaped at a fairly young stage.
Water the plants well twice-weekly. Allow some to set seed as in the
heat of the summer aphids and black fly are a problem, and in order to
save the crop broccoli needs to be heavily sprayed with chemicals. This
is why winter-grown broccoli is so important. Chemically sprayed
broccoli will not build up health, it will break it down, and heavy
spraying is the only way that commercial farmers can produce crops.
So rather grow broccoli sprouts in the summer months and grow your
own broccoli through the cooler months. Sow the first seeds in March
and continue through to early August. After that grow your own organic
seed sprouts throughout the summer. Broccoli seed, especially
organically grown seed, has become worth its weight in gold! Save all
you can from your own plantings.

MEDICINAL USES
Broccoli is an excellent source of vitamins C, A, K, B6 and E, as well as
folic acid, magnesium, calcium, potassium and phosphorus. With this
amazing array of health boosters, broccoli has been considered a
superfood for centuries.
Make ‘monks’ broccoli broth’ as a winter health builder and have it
daily. I make this soup every week and keep any excess in the fridge.
Warm up a cupful when on the run and squeeze in extra lemon juice if
feeling tired or if a cold is threatening. In cases of breast cancer, lung
cancer, colon cancer, cancer of the throat, oesophagus, pharynx,
larynx, stomach and prostate, this soup should be part of the daily diet.
Broccoli is essential for smokers. It is low in calories, high in lutein,
and is essential for obesity, toxaemia, high blood pressure, kidney
ailments and constipation. And given our exposure to cell phone,
computer and chemical radiation, broccoli is a lifesaver. Start growing it
today!

Broccoli sprouts are extremely valuable for children. Teach

them to grow their own and to eat them on sandwiches and in
salads daily. Chop the organically grown broccoli leaves into
stir-fries – it boosts the immune system!

Monks’ broccoli broth for colds, flu and cancer

protection
SERVES 6
I have perused many ancient herbals and have found this to be closest to the gruel or
broth served by the monks as a health booster.

½ cup olive oil

2 cups chopped onion
2 cups thinly sliced leek
2 cups chopped celery
2 large broccoli heads
1 cup pearl barley
2 cups buckwheat greens, flowers included
2 cups mustard greens, flowers included
2 cups spinach
2 cups radish, finely chopped, leaves included, or 2 cups grated turnip,
leaves included
Juice of 2 lemons and a little lemon zest
Sea salt to taste
Red pepper or paprika to taste
2 litres rich stock

Pour the olive oil into a large heavy stainless steel pot. Brown the
onions and leeks. Add the remaining ingredients, stirring all the time.
Simmer until everything is tender. Add more lemon juice and salt, if
needed. Remember that this is a health soup for coughs, colds, flu,
bronchitis, cancer protection and for age-related ailments such as
macular degeneration of the eyes, digestive problems and circulatory
ailments. So do not add other flavourings or sauces.

Broccoli contains vitamin C – 73 mg to 100 g of broccoli. It is

also rich in vitamins A and B2 predominantly with calcium, iron
and potassium, and is used to clear toxaemia, ease
hypertension, clear a toxic liver and to get the digestive
system up and running. Steam 2 cups daily and eat with
lemon juice.

CAUTION: Do not eat broccoli if you have an underactive thyroid; it

will exacerbate the problem.

CULINARY USES
Steamed broccoli florets and leaves
SERVES 4–6
This is a real comfort food and one that is good for the entire family. Use a bamboo
steamer if possible as it gives the broccoli a fresh taste.

1 head broccoli

Cheese sauce
3 cups milk (full-cream or low-fat)
2 tablespoons cornflour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon paprika
1 egg, beaten
1½ cups grated cheddar cheese

Steam a whole head of broccoli, broken into florets, as well as the

lightly chopped surrounding leaves. It steams in about 15 minutes to
tender perfection.
While the broccoli is steaming, make a rich white sauce. Simmer 2½
cups of the milk in a heavy-bottomed pot. As it begins to boil, stir in the
cornflour that has been dissolved in the remaining half cup of milk. Add
the salt, paprika and beaten egg. Stir in, whisking all the time, on very
low heat (do not stop or take your eyes off it for a minute). As it
thickens, stir in one cup of the cheddar cheese, mixing it in quickly.
Spoon the hot broccoli into an ovenproof glass dish. Pour the cheese
sauce over it, sprinkle with the remaining half cup of grated cheese and
a grinding of black pepper and keep it warm in a low oven until ready to
serve. This will melt the cheese and keep it piping hot. Serve with
Sunday roast chicken, roast potatoes and garden-picked winter peas.

COOK’S NOTE
Fresh broccoli florets in a winter salad of butter lettuce, celery
stalks and leaves, rocket, mustard greens and baby spinach,
with a good squeeze of lemon juice, will keep winter colds
and flu away. For variety, add sprinklings of sprouts and lots
of chopped parsley. It will give you energy you didn’t know
you had!
Buckwheat
Fagopyrum esculentum

Although buckwheat is not truly a grain, it is classified as such in

most cook books. Sometimes called ‘Saracen corn’, it originated in
Asia and was brought to Europe by the crusaders. Today it is still
widely grown, primarily for its remarkable mineral and vitamin
content and its exceptionally high rutin content. Rutin is of utmost
importance in strengthening the walls of blood vessels, in the
treatment of high cholesterol, and for varicose veins, thread veins
and the capillaries in the retina of the eye. The creamy white flowers
are equally rich in rutin, and are tender and appetising served on all
sorts of savoury and sweet dishes.
CULTIVATION
Modern research has found this humble plant to be one of the most
important medicinal plants known to humankind, and as it is so easy to
grow and delicious to eat, no garden or cook should be without it. It
needs well-dug, well-composted soil in full sun. Seeds can be sown
directly into the soil, which needs to be kept moist for the first few
weeks. Tender whole seedlings can be pulled up and eaten even in the
earliest stages. Sow the rows 30 cm apart and sprinkle the heart-
shaped seed thinly in shallow drills. It will grow quickly to about 60 cm
in height. You can grow 2–4 crops a season, starting in early August,
as it is such a fast-growing annual.

MEDICINAL USES
Buckwheat is exceptionally rich in bioflavonoids, which is why it is
essential in treating circulatory problems, cold hands and feet,
chilblains and haemorrhoids. It also strengthens the inner wall of the
tiniest capillaries and disperses small bruises that appear for no
apparent reason. Buckwheat contains all eight essential amino acids,
which helps to tone the whole body. It is rich in vitamin C, calcium,
magnesium, beta-carotene, phosphorus, zinc, manganese, folic acid
and potassium, making it an excellent all-round tonic for the whole
body, and for circulation and the heart in particular.
Buckwheat restores health and vitality to those in deep depression
due to its remarkably high vitamin and mineral content. Post-flu
depression and postnatal depression respond immediately to
buckwheat tea. Arthritis and gout in the crippling inflammatory stages
respond equally well to buckwheat tea and buckwheat flour and groats
in the diet. To make buckwheat tea, pour a cup of boiling water over ¼
cup fresh flowers, leaves and stems. Allow the tea to stand for five
minutes before straining. Take one cup daily for two weeks, then take a
break for four or five days before starting again.

CAUTION: Medical science suggests that people with allergies or

those who have cancer should not eat buckwheat as it is high in
vegetable protein and can cause a reaction.
Hulled buckwheat salad
For inflammation associated with arthritic pain (gout and muscular pain included),
hulled buckwheat is now accepted as being an effective anti-inflammatory.

1 cup hulled buckwheat

3 cups water
1 teaspoon celery seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
½ cup fennel flowers
1 cup buckwheat leaves and flowers
Fresh lemon juice

Prepare hulled buckwheat the same way you would cook rice, but
without salt. Cook all the ingredients in a heavy-bottomed pot,
simmering until tender. Drain, add fresh lemon juice and enjoy it as a
salad, either hot or cold.

CULINARY USES
Buckwheat cake
SERVES 6
This cake keeps well and is the ideal lunchbox treat.

1 cup sunflower oil

4 eggs
1 cup liquid honey
1½ cups buckwheat flour
½ cup buckwheat flowers, broken into small pieces
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground allspice
4 teaspoons baking powder

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a cake tin with oiled greaseproof
paper. Whisk the oil, eggs and honey together until creamy. In another
bowl, mix the buckwheat flour with the flowers, cinnamon, allspice and
baking powder. Add the oil, egg and honey mixture and beat lightly until
well blended. Pour into the prepared cake tin and bake on the middle
shelf for 30–35 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve with tea or coffee
or as a dessert with apple purée or sliced peaches and cream.
Buckwheat flower salad
SERVES 6
This attractive salt-free salad is so loaded with nutrients that it should be served daily!
Onion or garlic can also be added.

2 cups buckwheat flowers

2 cups buckwheat leaves
2 cups thinly sliced cucumber
1 butter lettuce
2 cups chopped celery
1 cup thinly sliced radishes
2 cups carrot parings (pare with a potato peeler)
2 cups diced avocado
1 cup chopped green and red sweet peppers
½ cup chopped parsley
1 cup chopped fresh pineapple

Dressing
Juice of 1 lemon
½ cup sesame seeds
½ cup olive oil
½ cup honey
½ cup grated ginger root

Mix the dressing ingredients together in a screw-top jar and shake well.
Mix the salad ingredients together in a glass bowl and add the dressing
while mixing. Serve immediately, decorated lavishly with buckwheat
flowers.

Buckwheat flower stir-fry

SERVES 2–4
I love stir-fries and make them often, especially after a hard day when there is little
energy left to make a big meal. Use whatever ingredients you have for variety. Serve
with buckwheat groats (cook them as you would cook rice) or brown rice, or even just
brown bread and butter. It makes a nourishing, healthy meal.

1 medium-sized aubergine
1 large onion, finely chopped
2–4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped buckwheat flowers
2 cups peeled and grated potato
2 cups thinly sliced mushrooms
2 cups grated or thinly sliced courgettes
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped mint
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lemon

Peel and slice the aubergine finely and soak in cold, salted water while
you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Fry the onion in the olive oil
until it starts to brown. Add the buckwheat flowers and stir-fry, then add
the potato. Add a little more oil if necessary and once the potato starts
to brown, add the aubergine slices (pat the aubergines dry before
adding). Stir-fry well. Add all the other ingredients, shaking the pan and
stirring continuously. Serve hot on rice with a green salad and squeeze
more lemon juice over the stir-fry.
Bulrush
Typha latifolia • Cattail

The bulrush is a cosmopolitan aquatic genus that has become a

loved and valued plant in all its varieties worldwide. It is different
from the bulrush mentioned in the story of Moses in the Bible,
Cyperus papyrus, which is a member of the sedge family.
 Several kinds of bulrush have been used through the centuries
in many countries as both food and medicine, and in China a much-
respected medicine is made, known as pu huang, from the long
brown flowering spikes of the following: Typha angustifolia, T.
davidiana, T. orientalis and T. bungeana. All are used
interchangeably with T. latifolia as hormonal compounds known as
phytoecdysteriods.
Around the world bulrushes have been used in folk medicine
since the earliest centuries and almost every river has its succulent
edging of this valuable plant. Each year I am amazed that in a deep
furrow along the sandy road to my small farm, a stand of bulrushes
blooms in abundance through the scorching hot months, before
fading into virtual obscurity through the dry winters. Just a trickle of
runoff rainwater starts the first new blades again, and before long in
even the driest summer, there are sufficient flowering stems for the
medicine-seeking sangomas.
The young flowering spikes are gathered for flower
arrangements before they mature, but the majority are left so that
pollen can be gathered. Many tribes harvest the unripe flowering
spikes while still tender and cook them as a vegetable, especially
during times of scarcity in North Africa, North America, parts of
Europe and Asia (native lands of the bulrush). Traditional recipes
utilise the inner stems, roots, rhizomes and young shoots in often
strange but fascinating ways.

CULTIVATION
The garden staff at the Herbal Centre sometimes grow bulrush
rhizomes in a big pot filled with compost, and lower it into a pond.
Eventually the pot is turned out, washed well, and the base of the stalks
and the thick rhizomes are peeled, washed and simmered in boiling
salted water. Pieces of rhizome and tufts of new growth are replanted
into fresh compost in the large pots and again sunk into the pond.
In rivers, new plants can be dug out of the muddy submerged
clumps, and scattered seed will take hold in every moist and hospitable
place. Many farmers destroy bulrush beds as the water courses, dams
and streams can become strangled by this tenacious plant.
 In South Africa, T. capensis is the name given to the common
bulrush, or T. latifolia capensis, or T. capensis syn T. latifolia subsp.
capensis. Today around 15 species are found worldwide; all retain the
name Typha and are basically similar and used for the same things.

MEDICINAL USES
All parts of the bulrush are used, the pollen being the most valuable
medicinally. However, the young shoots, boiled or eaten fresh, are an
excellent diuretic and also control excessive menstrual bleeding,
improve circulation and promote healing of bruises, wounds, scrapes
and cuts.
Dried pollen on the flowering spike is used as a treatment over
wounds and bleeding cuts, and can be used on cattle too, which I
learned from the staff on my husband’s cattle farm! Dried flowering
spikes can be packed over wounds to assist quick healing, and
replaced daily.
In Europe, the bulrush is a valuable medication, listed in the
pharmacopoeias of many countries, and made into medicines for
tapeworms, diarrhoea, angina pains, postpartum pains, cancer of the
lymphatic system, painful or copious menstruation, abnormal uterine
bleeding, and for haemorrhaging wounds. Bulrush tea is taken
internally and used externally in a poultice or dressing. To make bulrush
tea, pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup chopped and well-washed
leafy stem bases. Stir frequently, pressing down the pieces of succulent
leaf base, for five minutes, then let the tea stand and cool for a minute
or two, strain, and sip slowly. Take the tea two or three times a day.
However, always ask your doctor before starting a home treatment,
especially where there is angina and internal bleeding.
I learned from women on the farm how they used bulrush flowers in
various ways. During their monthly menstrual cycle the women packed
handfuls of stored, dried bulrush ‘pollen’ into small cotton or calico
pouches they had sewn, making soft ‘sanitary towels’. In the case of
abscesses, boils and sprains, a poultice of warm honey mixed with the
bulrush ‘fluff’ made a valuable dressing bound in place with bulrush
leaves. This is still used today by farm workers in some rural areas, and
the rhizomes are still used for reproductive problems in men and
women, taken as a tea and eaten as a vegetable.
 Today a registered medication for hormonal treatment is made by
metabolising the flavonoids, volatile oils and hormonal compounds in
the ripe ‘flowers’ of the bulrush into either oestrogenic or androgenic
substances that are medically registered.
A bulrush decoction can be taken to ease menopausal symptoms.
To make the decoction, cut young flowering stems into thumb-length
pieces, place the pieces in a saucepan with enough water to cover, and
simmer for one hour. Strain the liquid and refrigerate it. One cup is
taken per day.

COSMETIC USES
Bulrush cream
Use this cream to treat dry skin and lips, and brittle nails during menopause.

2 cups good aqueous cream

2 cups young bulrush flowering tips
1 cup tender bulrush leaf bases
2 teaspoons vitamin E oil

Place the aqueous cream, flowering tips and leaf bases in a double
boiler and simmer for 40 minutes. Remove from the heat, allow to cool
and then strain. (The discarded shoots and flowers can be tied in cloth
and used for washing.) Add the vitamin E oil to the cream and mix
thoroughly. Spoon into a sterilised glass jar and massage frequently
into the skin and nails. The rural farm workers used sunflower oil
simmered with the bulrush flowering tips a decade ago. Now aqueous
cream is more readily available and is far more easily applied and
absorbed!

WARNING: Bulrush stimulates the uterus and should therefore not be

used in any form during pregnancy.

CULINARY USES
 As a young bride on a remote farm, I was shown how to
cook bulrush shoots, the tender bases of the young
leaves and the unripe flower spike. The pollen of the ripe
flower was added to flour to enrich it substantially and a
delicious ‘scone’ was cooked in a pan on the open fire.

Bulrush stew
SERVES 6–8
I recall sitting by the fire as a young woman, tentatively tasting this unusual stew, and
being so surprised by the rich flavour and succulent wholesomeness of it all that I
make it to this day.

4 large onions, chopped

½ cup sunflower oil
4 cups bulrush shoots, chopped tender stems and young flowers
4 cups dried beans (haricot, sugar or kidney), soaked overnight and
cooked
4 cups spinach leaves or pumpkin vine tips
2 teaspoons salt
Vinegar to taste

Brown the onions in a little sunflower oil. Add the chopped bulrush
shoots and stems and stir-fry for a minute. Add the cooked beans and
the spinach leaves or pumpkin vine tips. Add enough water to cover,
then simmer until everything is tender. Add salt and a dash of vinegar
just as you serve it.
Burdock
Arctium lappa

This rather unusual herb originated in Europe and parts of Asia,

where it is much respected as both a food and a medicine. It grows
in temperate regions throughout the world and is being
commercially propagated in China for its medicinal seeds. Both
Western and Chinese medicine have researched and documented
 the medicinal uses of burdock, and its ancient uses are being
scientifically proven. It is a superb skin treatment for recurring
ailments such as weeping eczema, psoriasis and allergic rashes. It
has a cleansing effect on the whole body, from the liver to blood
circulation, the kidneys and respiratory organs, and it has antibiotic,
antiseptic and diuretic properties.

CULTIVATION
I have established burdock as an easy-to-grow biennial, and it
flourishes, surprisingly, in the heat of the African sun just the way it
does in the bitter winter winds and frost of Europe. It needs a deeply
dug, rich, well-composted loamy soil in full sun, and I find that it takes
afternoon shade quite happily. It needs a deep watering twice or even
three times a week and thrives if the leaves are sprayed. In its second
year it will send up a flowering head of many small, rounded capsules
with a small crown of purple stamens and masses of burs, hence its
name. These hook into everything and so get transported easily for
germination.

MEDICINAL USES
Once widely used in cleansing, detoxifying remedies, burdock has been
used through the centuries to lower blood sugar levels, break up kidney
stones and as a treatment for acne, boils and abscesses. Crushed
flowers and buds pounded to a pulp and warmed were applied to the
area, even over the kidneys, and held in place with a large, warmed
burdock leaf, bound with bandages. Burdock tea is excellent for easing
the itch and heat in measles and for soothing and relaxing muscle
spasms. It also appears to have antitumour action and will reduce the
swelling and discomfort in mumps. To make a standard brew, pour a
cup of boiling water over ¼ cup fresh buds and flowers and a small
piece of leaf and stem. Allow the tea to stand for five minutes, then
strain and sip slowly.
Burdock contains a rare and precious ingredient, arctiin, which is a
smooth-muscle relaxant, and it makes a wonderful healing cream.

Cleansing burdock tea

SERVES 1
This is excellent as a cleansing, rejuvenating tea, also good for acne and boils. The
Chinese add a few burdock seeds.

1 cup boiling water

1 burdock flower
1 piece burdock leaf, about 3 cm square
Cinnamon stick
Honey
Powdered ginger

Pour the boiling water over the flower and piece of leaf. Stir with a
cinnamon stick and let the tea draw for five minutes. Strain, sweeten
with a touch of honey and a pinch of powdered ginger, and sip slowly.
Add one dandelion flower if you are taking the tea for acne or boils.
They combine exceptionally well.

Burdock healing cream

This cream can be used to soothe sprains, arthritic joints, rashes, eczema and
psoriasis.

1 cup burdock (flowers, buds, pieces of leaf and stem)

1 cup good aqueous cream
1 teaspoon vitamin E oil

Mix the chopped herbs well with the aqueous cream. Simmer for 15
minutes in a double boiler with the lid on. Cool and strain. Discard the
burdock and mix in the vitamin E oil. Pour into a sterilised screw-top
glass jar and store in a cool place. Apply frequently to stiff muscles,
strains and rashes.

Burdock vinegar for acne

1 bottle apple cider vinegar
2 cups burdock flowers, chopped

Warm (but do not boil) the vinegar. Place the chopped flowers and their
attached stems in a large glass jar and pour the warmed vinegar over
it. Every part of the flowers needs to be submerged. Leave it to draw for
10 days, giving it a daily stir, then strain. Discard the flowers, then bottle
and label the vinegar. Use a dash in the rinsing water after washing the
face and dab on spots and pimples frequently.

CULINARY USES
Burdock bud syrup
MAKES 2 LITRES
This makes a most refreshing drink, served hot or cold.

20 very young burdock buds

2 cups burdock stems, peeled and cut into 3 cm lengths
4 litres cold water
4 cups dark brown treacle sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup thinly sliced ginger root

Trim the buds and stems with a sharp knife to remove all the rough bits.
Place the buds and stems in two litres of the water, bring to the boil and
simmer for 10 minutes. Discard the water and boil up again with the
remaining water, again simmering for 10 minutes. Add the sugar,
cinnamon, ground cloves and thinly sliced ginger root. Keep the lid on
and simmer gently for a further 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, cool
and strain. Bottle the syrup and keep in the fridge. Dilute ¼ glass syrup
and top up with iced water and crushed ice and a thin slice of ginger.
Sip slowly.

COOK’S NOTE
In ancient cultures, young tender burdock flower buds were
combined with dandelion or chamomile flowers to make a
warming and cheering wine, which can also be made from
burdock flowers alone. The root can be cooked as a
vegetable, and the peeled and fried stems make a tasty snack.
Burdock flower cleansing soup
SERVES 4–6

This is a most unusual soup, very fresh and very green. It is so rich in vitamins and
minerals that I try to make it every few weeks, especially if I have been eating out a
lot. It is a superb detoxifier, of particular importance after an anaesthetic or after a lot
of X-rays, or if you have been plagued by boils or bad skin conditions and feel
overloaded nd burnt out. It will get rid of all sorts of toxins and acidity.

1 butter lettuce, roughly chopped

3 cups chopped celery stems and leaves
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup torn-up burdock leaves and stems
1 cup trimmed young burdock buds
2 thinly sliced onions, green tops included
2 cups fresh lucerne leaves, stripped off their stems
1 cup pearl barley, soaked overnight
3 grated carrots
2 litres water
Juice of 1 lemon
Sea salt to taste

Bring all the ingredients to the boil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Turn down
the heat and simmer gently with the lid on until the barley is soft,
usually about 40 minutes. Top up with water if necessary. Liquidise to
make a smooth soup, and serve piping hot.
Calamint & emperor’s mint
Calamintha ascendens • C. officinalis • Micromeria
species

Calamint

Calamint originated in Europe and Asia, extending from the British

Isles eastwards towards Iran. It flourishes in poor soil and is a
familiar sight along roadsides. It was greatly esteemed in ancient
 times for its medicinal properties and the Greeks used it to clear
coughs and ease digestive disorders, while leaf poultices were
used to treat bruises and sprains. Calamint tea induces sweating
and in medieval times it was revered as a detoxifier and cleanser,
and was used as a treatment against the plague. Modern
scientific research has verified the presence of a powerful oil rich
in pulegone in the plant, and research is still being conducted into
its use as an expectorant in respiratory ailments. Simply taking a
deep breath and inhaling the pungent peppermint-like aroma is
enough to open sinuses and clear a blocked nose. In days gone
by calamint was believed to have magical protective properties
and bunches of fresh calamint were hung in the doorways of
homes to protect the occupants, giving rise to the name
‘protection plant’.

CULTIVATION
Calamint and emperor’s mint are confusingly similar in appearance
and fragrance, and are used medicinally to treat the same ailments,
yet they are not related at all. Both are delightfully fragrant and pretty
creeping perennials, with slightly hairy, oval, thumbnail-sized leaves
and tiny white or mauve flowers. The difference lies in the
propagation – calamint has a creeping rootstock that can be divided
at any time of the year once the soft flowering spikes have been cut
back, while emperor’s mint sows itself freely all around the mother
plant. Both take sun and light shade. Calamint has only been
cultivated since the 17th century and once you have it in your garden
it will always reseed itself.

MEDICINAL USES
The sprays of tiny white flowers last well in water and if crushed and
tucked under the pillow they will ensure a good night’s sleep as the
strong peppermint aroma opens the nose and clears the sinuses.
A tea made from calamint is still favoured in Europe today to help
relieve colic, wind and indigestion. To make the tea, pour a cup of
boiling water over ¼ cup fresh flowering sprigs. Allow the tea to stand
for five minutes, then strain, and sip it slowly. This tea is particularly
soothing when you have overeaten, or when you feel nauseous or
chilled. Use the same tea for a fretting child or a colicky baby, giving
a teaspoonful of the warm tea at a time. For a cough, tight chest, flu
or a bad cold, use the same brew but add the juice of one lemon and
three teaspoons of honey. It will encourage sweating and in this way
bring down a fever; it will also act as an expectorant and clear the
nose and lungs.

CAUTION: Avoid both calamint and emperor’s mint if you are

pregnant, as they are very strong herbs.

Calamint steam treatment for blocked nose and

sinuses
3 litres boiling water
2 large cups fresh flowering calamint sprigs

Pour the boiling water over the calamint sprigs in a large bowl; make
a towel tent over your head, and bend over the steaming bowl. Keep
your eyes shut and inhale the steam deeply. It is an excellent
treatment to open the nose, loosen phlegm and act as an
expectorant.

Mango and calamint smoothie

SERVES 2
To aid digestion and ease heat build-up after sports exertion.

1 large ripe mango, peeled

½ small pineapple
3 teaspoons calamint flowers and leafy sprigs
½ spanspek melon
1 cup crushed ice

Peel and cut the fruit into pieces. Liquidise fruit, flowers, sprigs and
ice in a blender. Pour into a glass and sip slowly. Do not eat anything
within 30 minutes of drinking the smoothie.
CULINARY USES
Calamint after-dinner tea, and refreshing
iced tea
Serve this tea in place of after-dinner coffee, in small cups, or add fresh sprigs to
filter coffee. The same tea cooled and mixed with equal quantities of fresh
unsweetened fruit juice, particularly litchi juice, served with crushed ice and a
sprinkling of calamint flowers, will refresh and revive you after a long day. With a
little dash of white wine it makes a party-time treat and a tonic as well!

1 cup boiling water

¼ cup fresh calamint sprigs, leaves and flowers

Pour the boiling water over the calamint sprigs, leaves and flowers
and allow the tea to stand for five minutes before straining. Serve hot
and sip slowly.

Calamint or emperor’s mint conserve

Use this delicious sugar to flavour puddings, herb teas and after-dinner coffee.

10 flowering sprigs of calamint or emperor’s mint

Dark brown caramel sugar

Pick the flowering sprigs and crush them lightly with a rolling pin.
Sprinkle layers of dark brown caramel sugar under and over the
sprigs and seal in a wide-mouthed jar. After a week remove the
sprigs and seal the jar again. Use this sugar to flavour puddings, herb
teas and after-dinner coffee. Alternatively, place 10 flowering sprigs
in one bottle of runny honey, such as orange blossom honey. Leave it
for one week, standing in the sun. Strain and taste. If it is not strong
enough, repeat. Serve with calamint tea.

Peach and calamint dessert

SERVES 4–6
This light, fragrant dessert is perfect after a heavy meal.

12 large yellow peaches, peeled and sliced

2 apples, peeled and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh ginger root
1 cup sultanas
Sugar to taste
½–¾ cup tiny calamint flowers, pulled out of their calyxes
2 cups apple juice
A little water
2 sprigs fresh calamint leaves

Simmer all the ingredients together until the peaches and apples are
tender. Discard the calamint sprigs. Serve hot or cold with whipped
cream sprinkled with more of the tiny mauve or white calamint
flowers.
Emperor’s mint
Calendula
Calendula officinalis

Calendula is often confusingly referred to as ‘marigold’ in

overseas herbal books. However, South Africans know marigold
(Tagetes sp.) as that strong-smelling, pungent, insect-repelling
mainstay in our summer gardens, often planted among
vegetables to keep them insect-free. Do not use any Tagetes
 species for medicinal or culinary purposes in any way – they do
not have the same properties as calendula.
Calendula officinalis has no insect-repelling properties, but this
old-fashioned winter-flowering herb is an amazing medicinal plant,
its therapeutic properties having been well documented since the
earliest times. An old 12th century Herbal suggested that merely
looking into the brilliant bright orange calendula flowers would
clear up eye ailments, improve the eyesight and clear the head!

CULTIVATION
Growing calendulas is remarkably easy. Sow the seeds in late
summer and plant out the little seedlings in well-dug, richly
composted soil in full sun about 25–30 cm apart. Keep them moist
until they have settled, after which they will need to be watered two or
three times a week. You will be rewarded with masses of flowers all
through the winter and well into spring and early summer. Calendula
is a winter annual, so grow a row to save for the summer ahead. Dry
the petals on brown paper in the shade. Turn daily, and when fully dry
store in a glass jar with a tight lid. You’ll find many uses for the petals.

MEDICINAL USES
Calendula has anti-inflammatory properties, relieves muscle spasm,
prevents haemorrhages, is astringent and antiseptic, helps to heal
wounds, regulates menstruation, helps to relieve gastric
disturbances, colitis, fevers and infections, and is detoxifying and
mildly oestrogenic. Quick relief from the above ailments can be
obtained by drinking a cup of calendula tea. To make the tea, pour a
cup of boiling water over ¼ cup fresh calendula petals and leave to
stand for five minutes before straining. When cooled, the tea can be
used as a lotion for skin problems such as acne, eczema, oily skin,
psoriasis, rashes, grazes, stings, bites and even sunburn. Calendula
petals can be used to make an exceptional healing massage oil, and
calendula cream is a classic remedy for cuts, grazes, wounds and
skin irritations.
Healing calendula massage oil
This is one of the most comforting oils for chilblains, haemorrhoids and broken
capillaries.

Calendula petals
Almond oil

Warm equal quantities of calendula petals and almond oil for 15

minutes, stirring continuously. Strain and bottle in a sterilised glass
jar. Massage into the affected area frequently during the day. A
teaspoonful or two added to the bath will also soften and moisturise
dry skin, and it is soothing and calming for nervous tension and
menstrual pain.

Calendula antiseptic cream

Calendula cream is antiseptic, antifungal, anti-inflammatory and astringent. It is
easy to make and no home should be without it.

1 cup calendula petals

1 cup good aqueous cream
2 teaspoons vitamin E oil

Heat the petals and aqueous cream in a double boiler for 20 minutes,
stirring frequently. Strain and discard the petals, and mix in the
vitamin E oil. Pour the cream into a sterilised glass jar, seal and keep
in a cool place.

CULINARY USES
Calendula omelette
SERVES 1
This is a quick and easy supper dish and full of goodness. Make individual
omelettes and serve immediately.

½–¾ cup grated cheddar cheese

¼ cup parsley
½ cup fresh calendula petals
2 eggs
2 tablespoons water
A pinch of salt
Black pepper

Mix the grated cheese, parsley and calendula petals and set aside.
Whisk the eggs well with the water and seasoning. Heat a little olive
oil in a frying pan and pour in the egg mixture. Allow to set for about
three minutes, tipping the pan to ensure that the omelette cooks
evenly. Spread the cheese mixture over one half of the omelette and
allow it to settle for a minute or two. As soon as the omelette is
cooked, flip one side over to cover the cheese mixture, and slide it
onto a hot plate. Decorate with triangles of buttered toast and
sprinkle with more calendula petals. Serve immediately.
 COOK’S NOTE
Calendula is used as a natural yellow food colouring in the
food industry. The bright orange petals can be added to
many foods, from drinks and jams to curries, desserts, rice
dishes and pancakes. I sprinkle the fresh petals on dishes
all through the winter (never use the green parts – it is only
the petals that have medicinal properties).

Calendula curry
SERVES 6–8
This nourishing, hearty standby dish freezes successfully and keeps well in the
fridge. If you are vegetarian, substitute mushrooms for the meat.

500 g diced lean beef (topside or rump)

2 cups chopped onions
½ cup sunflower oil
2 cups diced carrots
2 cups chopped celery
3 cups chopped tomatoes
2 cups chopped green peppers
3 cups peeled, diced potatoes
1–2 cups calendula petals
½ cup honey
½–¾ cup fruit chutney
2 tablespoons curry powder mixed with a little milk
1 litre water
Salt and cayenne pepper to taste

Brown the meat and onions in the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add
all the other ingredients. Simmer gently, stirring every now and then.
Adjust the flavour if necessary and add more water if it boils away.
Simmer until the meat is tender. Sprinkle with more calendula petals
and serve piping hot, with brown rice and peas.

Calendula custard
SERVES 4
This was my children’s favourite dessert served either hot or cold, on its own or
with apple tart, stewed rhubarb or peaches.

1 cup calendula petals

1 litre hot milk
Piece of vanilla pod or 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornflour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice

Bruise the petals well to release the bright yellow colouring. Heat the
milk in a double boiler and add the petals, keeping the mixture just
under boiling point. Add the vanilla. Beat the eggs with the sugar,
cornflour, cinnamon and allspice, and whisking carefully and
continuously, add this mixture to the simmering milk. Remove the
vanilla pod. Whisk gently until the custard thickens. Serve with
whipped cream and sprinkle with calendula petals.
Californian poppy
Eschscholzia californica

The fact that this glorious orange flower is edible comes as a

great surprise to many people. I learned about its remarkable
healing properties from an American Indian visitor to my herb
gardens, who inspired me to know and grow more of this old-
fashioned plant that has been so taken for granted. Centuries
ago, American Indians used the flowers, and to some extent the
leaves, as a painkiller, particularly for toothache. A leaf and a
couple of petals would be well chewed and the tooth packed with
the softened leaf. It has tremendous analgesic, antispasmodic,
calming and sedative properties, and is valuable in treating both
 physical and psychological problems in children as it is gentle and
safe.

CULTIVATION
Usually treated as an annual, the Californian poppy is a gorgeous
sight in spring with its brilliantly coloured flowers and finely cut grey-
green leaves. It thrives in any soil as long as it is well-drained, and
has adapted to withstand all sorts of climates around the world, far
from its native habitat in western North America. It needs full sun and
thrives on a twice-weekly watering (slightly more in hot weather), and
thereafter can literally be forgotten about! It benefits from picking as
the more you pick the more flowers it produces. Sow seed in boxes in
autumn and keep them warm, protected and moist throughout winter.
Transplant seedlings in late winter to a well-dug, well-composted bed
in full sun, spaced 40 cm apart. The mature height of the plant is
about 30 cm.

MEDICINAL USES
Although similar in effect to the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum),
the Californian poppy has a very different effect in that it is not
narcotic and it does not disorientate like the opium poppy.
Researchers are looking at the promising effect it has on
bedwetting in highly strung children, as well as in cases where there
is difficulty establishing a good sleep pattern, and in those with
anxiety, nightmares, sleepwalking and panic attacks.
The easiest way to take Californian poppy as a medicine (other
than in food) is as a comforting tea. Combined with chamomile to
enhance relaxation and encourage sleep, it is an easily assimilated
and very gentle medicinal nightcap that is completely safe for
children. To make Californian poppy tea, pour a cup of boiling water
over three petals and a small leaf of the Californian poppy, and add a
tablespoon of fresh chamomile flowers. Allow the tea to stand for five
minutes, then strain and sweeten with a touch of honey. For a child
aged under three years, give half a cup; for children aged over three
years and for adults, sip a full cup slowly just before going to bed.
 NOTE: Chamomile and the Californian poppy flower at the same
time of the year.

Californian poppy muscle-relaxing cream

This cream is calming, relaxing and relieves pain and spasm, making it particularly
useful for strains, sprains, aching shoulders and stiff necks.

1 cup good aqueous cream

1 cup fresh Californian poppy petals and buds
4 or 5 Californian poppy leaves
2 teaspoons vitamin E oil
10 drops rose-scented pelargonium or lavender essential oil

Simmer petals, buds, leaves and aqueous cream in a double boiler.

Stir frequently, pressing the petals down into the cream. After 30
minutes, cool and strain. (The petals can be tied in a facecloth and
used in the bath with soap to massage aching legs and back.) Mix
the vitamin E oil into the aqueous cream and add the rose-scented
pelargonium essential oil or lavender essential oil, as these oils ease
muscle tension and spasm. Spoon into a sterilised glass jar with a
well-fitting lid and label. Use liberally for aches and muscle spasm,
and on children with bruises and restless legs.

Californian poppy poultice

This poultice makes a very comforting treatment for sprains, bruises, aches and
painful muscles in winter, when this plant flowers in abundance. We dry petals for
use during the rest of the year.

Fresh Californian poppy flowering sprays, stems and leaves

Hot water
½–¾ cup Californian poppy muscle relaxing cream (see above)
Pure cotton cloth and towel

Soften and warm the flowering sprays, stems and leaves in hot water.
Then mix in the Californian poppy muscle relaxing cream. Apply this
mixture to the affected area, as warm as is comfortable. Cover with a
cotton cloth, then a towel and place a hot-water bottle over the area
(or use a heat lamp). Keep the area warm while relaxing for 15–20
minutes. Remove the poultice and massage in the soothing cream.
The resultant relaxation and pain release can be enhanced by
drinking a cup of Californian poppy tea. To make this tea, pour a cup
of boiling water over ¼ cup of fresh petals and one leaf, leave it to
stand for five minutes, strain, sweeten if desired with a touch of
honey and sip slowly.

CULINARY USES
Californian poppy spring fruit salad
SERVES 4–6
This fruit salad is a delight as the warmer days tumble together! It is wonderful
made with early peaches, but can be made with any fruit in season.

Brown sugar to taste

2 cups well ripened mulberries, stalks removed
2 cups thinly sliced strawberries
4 pears, peeled and chopped
2 apples, peeled and grated
4–6 early peaches, peeled and sliced
2 papinos or small pawpaws
Juice of 1 orange
1 cup Californian poppy petals

Sprinkle the sugar over the mulberries and strawberries and let them
stand at room temperature for at least two hours. Thereafter mix the
remaining ingredients together, saving some of the Californian poppy
petals for decoration. Serve in a pretty glass bowl with whipped
cream.

New potato salad with Californian poppies

SERVES 4

Dressing
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons good mayonnaise
2 tablespoons plain Bulgarian or Greek yoghurt
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
1 cup lightly packed Californian poppy petals

Boil the unpeeled new potatoes in salted water until tender. Leave
them to cool with their skins on. Meanwhile mix the dressing
ingredients together, keeping a few petals aside for garnishing. Toss
the potatoes in the dressing in a glass bowl and sprinkle a little
chopped parsley over the salad. Keep in the fridge until ready to
serve and decorate with the Californian poppy petals.

Californian poppy and aubergine stir-fry

SERVES 4
This tasty salsa-like dish is delicious served with hot crusty bread as a starter, or
with a salad as a lunch dish.

3 medium-sized aubergines
Olive oil
½ cup chopped pecan nuts
½ cup sesame seeds
½ cup Californian poppy petals
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lemon
¾ cup parmesan cheese

Peel and slice the aubergines and soak in salted water for 10
minutes before draining. Sauté them in a little olive oil until tender.
Add all the other ingredients except the parmesan cheese. Mash and
mix well, stir-frying continuously. Spoon the stir-fry into a serving dish
and sprinkle with the cheese. Decorate with chopped parsley and a
few of the Californian poppy petals.
Cape sorrel
Oxalis pes-caprae • Suring

Sorrel is the common name confusingly attributed to several

species of plants with acidulous (sour) sap. Oxalis pes-caprae
has beautiful, brilliant yellow flowers in late winter and is not to be
confused with the Rumex species of sorrel. Indigenous to the
Cape of Good Hope and used in traditional Cape cooking, Cape
sorrel is an easy-to-grow plant that has become a prized
 hothouse plant overseas, where it obligingly blooms at a
completely different time of year to its native cousins. Several
local tribes use fresh Cape sorrel as a salt substitute for bland
foods, and when eaten with fresh grilled fish on the beach, Cape
sorrel makes a succulent, never-to-be-forgotten addition to a
glorious meal.

CULTIVATION
Cape sorrel grows prolifically on waste ground, tolerating icy winds
and salt spray as readily as it tolerates desolate, hot sandy areas. It
requires no care or attention at all, except perhaps a weekly watering
during its winter flowering period. It thrives on the Cape’s winter
rainfall and stoically withstands the cold, wet conditions, offering a
blaze of uplifting colour before the other spring flowers appear.
However, its flowering period is often brief as by late spring the heat
shrivels the flowers and eventually it all but disappears underground,
leaving only a few dried leaves to mark the spot where it grew. With
regular watering in the garden it can go on well into summer, but its
dormant period is late summer to midwinter. With well-dug, well-
composted soil in full sun it will flourish in the garden, but always be
sure to mark the spot where it grows or in its dormant period you may
be apt to forget that it is there and plant something else on top of it.
Cape sorrel is a herb well worth growing.

MEDICINAL USES
Sailors in the 16th and 17th centuries calling at the Cape collected
the tender, juicy, swollen roots of the Cape sorrel as a treatment for
scurvy, and ate the leaves and flowers as well. The swollen root was
dried and taken on long voyages as it could be rehydrated in water,
and used medicinally.
The leaves can be crushed and applied to burns, scratches and
grazes, and they are still used as a first-aid treatment in rural areas of
the Cape today.

Cape sorrel poultice

This poultice is used for boils and suppurating sores.

Cape sorrel leaves

Hot water
Crêpe bandage

Warm the leaves in hot water, and bind over a boil or suppurating
sore to bring it to a head, using a crêpe bandage to keep the poultice
in place. Replace the poultice frequently with fresh warmed leaves.

COSMETIC USES
Sorrel flowers pounded with water and made into a paste can be
spread on acne spots and pimples; this will quickly clear spots of
redness and help them to dry up. Teenagers should eat a few flowers
every day during the plant’s spring flowering to clear their skins of
oiliness and pimples, and the juice of the flowering stems can be
dabbed onto spots to hasten healing.

Cape sorrel vinegar for problem oily skin

This old Cape remedy is valuable for problem oily skin. Make two or three bottles
while the flowers are in bloom.

Fresh Cape sorrel flowers and a few leaves

1 bottle apple cider vinegar

Steep the flowers and leaves in the bottle of vinegar. Place in the sun
for four days and shake it daily. Repeat this for four more days, then
strain. Apply frequently to the problem area. Wet a pad of cotton wool
with warm water and wring out. Then dip the pad into the vinegar
solution and apply to skin three times a day after washing the face.

CULINARY USES
Yellow sorrel salad
SERVES 4–6
This is the first salad I make every spring, using fresh springtime ingredients; its
piquant taste makes it a favourite with everyone. Serve with sorrel mayonnaise.

1 butter lettuce
2 papinos or 1 medium pawpaw, peeled and diced
2 oranges, peeled and sliced
2 cups sliced celery
2 cups watercress
2 cups finely grated carrots
2 avocados, peeled and diced
1 cup peeled grated butternut
4 hard-boiled eggs, shelled and sliced
Black pepper
1 cup Cape sorrel flowers

Line a dish with butter lettuce leaves. Lightly mix all the ingredients
(except the eggs, black pepper and sorrel flowers) and spoon onto
the bed of lettuce leaves. Arrange the sliced eggs on top. Grind some
black pepper over the salad and sprinkle with sorrel flowers.

Sorrel salad dressing

MAKES 1 SMALL BOTTLE
This ‘quick mayonnaise’ is very easy to make and is far healthier than the stabilised
and preserved commercial mayonnaises.

½ cup thick cream

½ cup plain yoghurt
½ cup runny honey
½ cup apple juice
2 teaspoons mustard powder
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
½ cup fresh Cape sorrel flowers
Whisk the cream lightly until it holds its shape. Add the yoghurt and
whisk gently. Mix the honey, apple juice and mustard powder
together and add to the cream and yoghurt mixture. Add the parsley,
chives, sea salt and black pepper to taste, and finally stir in the Cape
sorrel flowers. Pour into a small jug, and serve with the yellow sorrel
salad or with fish or chicken dishes.

Cape sorrel and pickled fish

SERVES 8–10
This is a traditional Cape dish enjoyed not only by South Africans but also by
visitors from overseas who often ask for the recipe. Serve it cold with salads.

2.5 kg firm white fish – Cape salmon, kingklip or kabeljou are best
4 onions, neatly sliced
4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
¾ cup sugar – brown treacle sugar is best
1 tablespoon turmeric
750 ml brown grape vinegar
125 ml water
½ cup thinly sliced fresh ginger
20 coriander seeds
¾ cup sultanas
4 fresh lemon leaves
1 cup fresh sorrel flowers

Cut the fish into small neat portions and set aside. Mix all the
ingredients, except the sorrel flowers, and simmer in a heavy-
bottomed pot for 15–20 minutes. Stir well, then add the fish pieces
carefully so as not to break them. Simmer for another 20 minutes
with the lid on. Carefully lift the fish out of the sauce and place in a
glass or stainless steel dish. Pour the sauce over the fish, remove the
lemon leaves, and let the dish cool. Just before serving, sprinkle with
the fresh sorrel flowers. This dish keeps well in the fridge.
Caraway
Carum carvi

The word ‘caraway’ has its origins in the ancient Arabic word for
seed, karawya. The ancient Egyptians used it in medicine and as
a flavouring, and Isaiah speaks of the cultivation of caraway in the
Bible. Archaeologists have found seed in small clay containers in
diggings on Mesolithic sites, dating from thousands of years BC.
The herb originated in Central Europe, Asia and North Africa,
where it is found on waste ground and grasslands. Its tendency to
self-seed prolifically meant that it became widespread and
naturalised further afield. Caraway is one of the most ancient
herbs and is still cultivated extensively as a food and medicine. It
is now cultivated worldwide on a large scale.
CULTIVATION
Cultivated primarily for its seeds, but also for its flavour-filled leaves,
roots and flowers, caraway makes a charming garden plant, and has
the lace flowers typical of its Umbelliferae family origins. The flowers
have the same effects as the seeds, although they are not as potent,
and they can be used in fruit salads, salads and stir-fries with
delicious results. Caraway needs a sunny position and loose, light
soil and grows as a quick annual two or three times a season during
the warm months, scattering seed everywhere. I sow the seed
straight into the ground three times during spring and summer and
give it a good dressing of compost three times a year.

MEDICINAL USES
Caraway is a much-respected antispasmodic; the seeds soothe and
work directly on the digestive tract, easing spasms, colic, bloating,
flatulence and heartburn. Some Middle East eating-houses serve a
tiny bowl of caraway seeds on each table to chew on between
courses or between mouthfuls. Interestingly, caraway’s
antispasmodic, diuretic and expectorant qualities have been
confirmed by medical research, and to add to its benefits, the seeds
and leaves sweeten the breath, improve appetite, counter heart
irregularity and ease menstrual cramps. The standard brew for all
these ailments is ¼ cup caraway flowers and two teaspoons of seeds
in a cup of boiling water. Allow the tea to stand for five minutes, then
strain and sip slowly. If used as a mouthwash and gargle, it will clear
bad breath, gum ailments and even tighten the teeth, it is believed! A
teaspoonful or two of this tea will calm and quieten a restless baby,
ease indigestion and restore a feeling of wellbeing in the elderly.
Caraway is a remarkable herb; it can even be added to your dog’s
food and will help to counter wind and bad breath. Caraway is now
being medically tested as a heart and pulse regulator and as a
treatment for severe menstrual pain. The flowers and seeds are an
expectorant and tonic, and are added to some patent medicines,
particularly for the treatment of chronic coughs.
Caraway muscle-soothing cream
Caraway with mint is an old-fashioned muscle relaxant and I have made this cream
for many years, particularly for pain and discomfort associated with menstruation.
Warm the cream by standing it in a jar of hot water, then massage it in gently, and
rest with the knees up and a hot-water bottle and blanket over the affected area.

1 cup fresh caraway flowers with a few leaves and stems

1 tablespoon crushed caraway seeds
½ cup fresh mint
1½ cups good aqueous cream
3 teaspoons vitamin E oil

In a double boiler, simmer the flowers, leaves, stems, seeds, mint

and aqueous cream together for 30 minutes. Cool it, strain, and add
the vitamin E oil. Mix well and spoon into sterilised glass jars.
A soothing tip is to stuff fresh flowering caraway sprigs into the
cover of a hot-water bottle, between the bottle and the cover. The
heat of the boiling water will release the fragrance and the gentle oils
and help to relax painful spasms.
Make several pots of caraway flower cream in the summer. It will
become a valuable pain reliever throughout the year. Keep it
refrigerated in hot weather.

CULINARY USES
Caraway egg and potato salad
SERVES 4–6
This popular salad can be served with cold meats or cheese, or simply with crusty
bread.

8 medium-sized potatoes
1 butter lettuce
A few fresh spinach leaves
6 hard-boiled eggs
1 thinly sliced green pepper
1 cup caraway flowers, broken up and stalks removed
Juice of 1 lemon
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Dressing
2 teaspoons crushed caraway seeds
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons dry mustard powder
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Boil the potatoes, peel off the skins and dice. Tear up the lettuce and
spinach leaves, and quarter the eggs. Mix everything together
carefully. Place the dressing ingredients in a screw-top jar, seal and
shake well. Pour the dressing over the salad and serve immediately.

Caraway flower and peach pashka

SERVES 4
This is a lighter version of the traditional Russian dessert. Use strawberries and
peaches, apricots and mangoes, or any combination of your choice.

2 tablespoons clear thin honey

1 cup plain Bulgarian yoghurt
250 g smooth cottage cheese
4 cups mashed fruit, such as strawberries and peaches
2 cups caraway flowers, stripped off their stems

Stir the honey into the yoghurt, then mix in the cottage cheese. Add
the mashed fruit and the caraway flowers. Spoon the mixture into a
cheesecloth-lined clean, wet flower pot. Chill, and leave it to drain
over a bowl. Take the pashka out of the mould after two hours and
serve it on a glass plate decorated with fruit slices and umbels of
pretty caraway flowers. Serve with caraway tea or after-dinner coffee.
Caraway fish curry
SERVES 4
Nourishing, delicious and easy, this dish is good as it is, or it can be enhanced with
the addition of aubergines, mushrooms, mango or pawpaw slices.

4–6 deboned hake fillets

Sunflower oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Sea salt and cayenne pepper to taste
1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
2 teaspoons crushed caraway seeds
4 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped
4 medium onions, finely chopped
A few fresh green curry tree leaves
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
1–2 teaspoons turmeric
1–2 teaspoons good curry powder
1 cup caraway flowers

Gently fry the fish in a little sunflower oil with the lemon juice, sea
salt, cayenne pepper, ginger and caraway seeds. Meanwhile soak
the tomatoes in boiling water to facilitate peeling, then peel and chop.
Add to the fish and simmer gently. In another pan, fry the chopped
onion in a little oil until it browns. Add the curry leaves (if you have
them), honey, spices and caraway flowers and cook for a few
minutes, then mix into the fish and tomato mixture. Add a little water
if necessary and simmer for four minutes. Serve with rice and
decorate with caraway flowers.
Carnation
Dianthus caryophyllus • Clove pink

The carnation is an ancient herb, revered through the centuries

for its beautiful clove-like scent and remarkable medicinal value.
Native to southern Europe and India, it was a common feature in
 European monastery and cottage gardens, and in Elizabethan
texts it was referred to as the ‘gillyflower’.
The original species, Dianthus caryophyllus, has sadly
become almost extinct through the centuries, giving way to the
hybridised forms of carnation with little scent and even less
medicinal value. Today carnations are available in a vast array of
colours, from red, pink, salmon and magenta through to white and
yellow, and even striped and flecked, but it is the old-fashioned
clove-scented variety, usually pink, that is used herbally. The
species D. carthusianorum, D. plumarius ‘Doris’, D. deltoides
(Maiden pink) and the D. × allwoodii pinks, which are a cross
between D. caryophyllus and D. plumarius, can also be used
herbally.

CULTIVATION
Carnation is a short-lived perennial that needs well-drained soil.
Propagation is easy, either by sowing seed or taking stem cuttings in
spring. Merely strip off the little leafy tufts that form along the
flowering stem, and leaving the small ‘heel’ still attached, strip off the
lower leaves and press the cutting into wet sand. Keep it shaded and
moist and it will quickly send out tiny roots.

MEDICINAL USES
For about 2 000 years the bright petals of Dianthus have been used
medicinally to soothe and calm nervousness and anxiety, and to treat
kidney and bladder ailments, skin ailments such as eczema, and
constipation.
Our grandmothers made a beautifully scented simple carnation
cleansing cream, which they used daily to cleanse off grime and
oiliness and to moisturise dry skin areas and cracks around the lips.
Carnation lotion, in turn, is a great favourite to refresh and soothe on
a hot day.

Carnation tonic wine

MAKES 1 LITRE
3 teaspoons crushed coriander seeds
2 teaspoons powdered ginger
2 teaspoons powdered nutmeg
½ cup honey
4 cups good white wine
½ cup carnation petals, white heels removed
½ cup lemon balm leaves (Melissa officinalis)

Mix the spices into the honey. In a double boiler, warm the wine with
the carnation petals and lemon balm leaves for 5–10 minutes. Add
the honey and spice mixture and warm for a further five minutes.
Strain, pour into a wine bottle and cork well. Keep refrigerated. Take
half a cup at a time and sip it slowly. For sensitive stomachs, dilute
with a little water. It can be served warm on a winter’s night, or cool in
summer.

COSMETIC USES
Carnation cleansing cream
1 cup good aqueous cream
1 cup of fresh carnation petals, stripped off their calyxes
2 tablespoons glycerine
1 tablespoon almond oil
2 teaspoons vitamin E oil

Place the aqueous cream and carnation petals in a double boiler and
mix in the glycerine and almond oil. Simmer for 15 minutes with the
lid on, stirring every now and then. Pour through a sieve and quickly
stir in the vitamin E oil. Pour into a sterilised jar with a screw-top lid.

Carnation lotion
1 cup carnation petals, stripped off their calyxes
10 cloves
1 stick cinnamon
1 litre boiling water

Add the carnation petals, cloves and cinnamon stick to the boiling
water. Simmer for 10 minutes with the lid on. Cool, strain and pour
into a spritz bottle. Add a few drops of carnation essential oil if
desired. Shake well and spray frequently over the face, neck and
arms.

COOK’S NOTE
When cooking with carnations, remove the bitter white heel
at the base of the petal (heels tend to be more bitter in some
varieties than others). Use the petals lavishly in salads,
cakes, desserts and drinks.
CULINARY USES
Mango nectar with carnation petals
SERVES 1
This drink is a magical midsummer experience. I serve it every year as a party
drink and no one can get enough!

1 mango, peeled and sliced

1 cup unsweetened mango juice
3 mint leaves
Carnation petals, heels removed
Blend the mango flesh, juice and mint together in a liquidiser, adding
a little water if it is too thick. Serve chilled in a tall glass, with
carnation petals and mint leaves sprinkled on top.

Carnation pickle
This enchanting recipe dates back to 1629, from a book titled The Garden of
Pleasant Flowers. It ends with the charming line: ‘This pickle now draws the
highest esteem with Gentlemen and Ladies of the greatest note.’ I make it as a
sweet-and-sour pickle to serve with cheese.

6 cups carnation flowers

Brown sugar
A few cloves
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
2 cups brown grape vinegar
2 bay leaves
1 stick cinnamon

Strip the flowers out of their calyxes and remove the bitter white
heels from the petals with a sharp knife. Lay a thin layer of petals in a
wide-mouthed jar and sprinkle with brown sugar. Add another layer
and sprinkle with sugar and a few cloves and the coriander seeds.
Add more layers and more sugar. Warm the vinegar with the bay
leaves and cinnamon for 10 minutes. Pour the hot vinegar over the
carnation petals. Seal and allow the pickles to stand for two weeks
before eating. A peeled, sliced cucumber, pickling onions, or green
peppers and even sweet corn cut off the cob, can be added to the
recipe, in alternating layers with the carnation petals.
Carpet geranium
Geranium incanum • Wild geranium • Bergtee •
Vrouetee • Creeping geranium

While all the plants previously known as geraniums are now

correctly known as pelargoniums, only one small, rather
unobtrusive plant is still called geranium, and that is South
 Africa’s pretty, feathery-leafed groundcover, the carpet geranium.
Used for centuries by most South Africans, this much-loved
indigenous plant is now sold in nurseries around the world as far
afield as Australia. In Europe and Britain it is known as creeping
geranium and it is grown in hanging baskets and window boxes,
with its feathery silvery leaves and small bright magenta flowers
cascading attractively.
I look on the carpet geranium as a childhood friend. My
grandmother grew great swathes of it in her terraced seaside
garden in Gordon’s Bay in the Cape when I was a child, and we
used it in many ways: we drank a pleasant-tasting tea made from
it on most mornings, and dipped the flowers, wet with rain or dew,
into icing sugar and served them as sweets to our friends.

CULTIVATION
The carpet geranium is not fussy as to soil type and requires little
more than a place in the sun, the odd spade or two of compost every
now and then, and never much more than a weekly watering. Pull off
rooted tufts to propagate, and keep them shaded and moist until they
are established. This pretty groundcover is undemanding and
deserves far more space in our gardens.

MEDICINAL USES
Traditionally, a tea made from the leaves and flowers was taken to
ease bloating, diarrhoea, excessive and irregular menstruation, colic,
indigestion and flatulence. It is called vrouetee because this is the
best tea for expelling the afterbirth, starting milk flow for the newborn,
and easing cystitis and other bladder infections in women. To make
the tea, steep ¼ cup flowers in a cup boiling water for four or five
minutes. Strain and sip slowly.
We underestimate the value of carpet geranium, and as it forms
part of our history, it should be planted more widely. In my hot
mountainside gardens I have struggled to keep it going, particularly
on the very dry, baking days when everything wilts. Some gardeners
may need to consider partial or light shade.
 In the early days of the Cape, plant sellers traded vrouetee for
other plants and seeds. Over a cup of vrouetee women shared
stories and supported one another. Sitting on a couple of bricks
around a fire and sipping this pleasant brew brought great comfort in
many ways.
As a young mother, I sat with a group of women in the Cape and
shared in their cups of comfort on the busy Grand Parade. From
them I learned to treat cystitis with several cups of vrouetee and how
the flowers of the carpet geranium could be melted into oil or
aqueous cream and used to soothe rash or itchiness under the
breasts or around the panty line. The flowers need to be finely
chopped and pressed down well in either almond oil or olive oil (more
recently I mixed grape seed oil with aqueous cream, ½ cup of each).
Simmer for 30 minutes, then strain. Bottle in a glass jar with a well-
fitting lid. I was also told by those amazing women never to wear
synthetic underclothes and only to wear cotton close to the skin, and
I have done so ever since.

COSMETIC USES
Carpet geranium can be used to make an age-old lotion for itchy skin
and oily hair, and when mixed with oats, it makes a superb scalp
treatment for dandruff, flaky scalp and psoriasis of the scalp, soothing
and softening the irritated area.

Carpet geranium lotion for itchy skin and oily hair

2 cups Geranium incanum leaves, sprigs and flowers
1 cup rose-scented pelargonium flowers and leaves
2 tablespoons aniseeds
2 litres water

Boil the carpet geranium with the other ingredients in the water for
10–15 minutes. Strain, and use as a lotion on dry itchy skin, as a
rinse on hair that becomes oily very quickly and as a spritzer spray
on sunburnt skin and heat rashes.

Carpet geranium and oats scalp treatment

1 cup oats (the large-flaked non-instant kind)
1 litre carpet geranium lotion (see recipe above)

Simmer the oats in the geranium lotion for five minutes until the oats
start to soften. Remove from the heat and cool until pleasantly warm.
After shampooing and rinsing the hair, carefully spread handfuls of
the warm oats and geranium-lotion mixture onto the scalp,
massaging it in well. Wrap your hair in a towel and relax for 10
minutes, then rinse thoroughly with warm water to which a little apple
cider vinegar has been added.

CULINARY USES
Crystallised carpet geranium flowers
My grandmother taught me the wonderful art of crystallising violets when I was a
child, and I have since experimented with many other flowers. Carpet geranium is
one of the best! The flowers should have a bit of stalk still attached.

1 cup carpet geranium flowers

2 egg whites, softly beaten but still fairly runny
Castor sugar

Dip each flower into the egg white and paint inside and out with a
paint brush, holding it by its little stalk ‘handle’. Have a baking tray
ready, lined with greaseproof paper and sprinkled with a little castor
sugar. Dip each flower into the castor sugar and sprinkle some sugar
over it, so that all surfaces are coated. Arrange the flowers on the
baking tray, place in a preheated warming drawer, and turn off the
heat. Leave the flowers there until they are dry. During winter or
damp weather, switch the warming drawer on for about 10 minutes
every now and then, and then switch off again. Store the flowers in a
sealed container and use to decorate cakes and desserts.

Fragrant carpet geranium tea

SERVES 1
This pleasant tea is a real comfort on days when one is feeling rushed and
harassed. In hot weather it can be made into a refreshing iced tea by cooling the
same infusion and adding about ¾ cup fresh fruit juice (grape or litchi is wonderful)
and an ice cube.

1 cup boiling water

1 thumb-length sprig peppermint
¼ cup carpet geranium leaves and flowers
1 cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons honey

Pour the boiling water over all the ingredients. Allow the tea to stand
for five minutes, then strain and sip slowly. Alternatively, allow the tea
to cool and make into iced tea as described.

Pear and carpet geranium stir-fry

SERVES 4
This delicious, quick-and-easy dessert proves to be popular with everyone.

6 large ripe pears, peeled, cored and cut into pieces

2–3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons brown sugar
½–¾ cup chopped pecan nuts
½ cup carpet geranium flowers

In a wok or frying pan, stir-fry the pears in the butter and add the
sugar and pecan nuts, stirring for about five minutes. Just before
serving, add the carpet geranium flowers. Spoon the dessert into
individual glass bowls. Serve warm with whipped cream, decorated
with more fresh carpet geranium flowers.
Catmint
Nepeta mussinii • N. cataria • Catnip

Nepeta cataria

A pretty perennial border plant dating back to antiquity, catmint

has been around for centuries as an insect repellent, a medicine,
a charm, and a salad for cats! It is native to Europe and Asia and
 has subsequently been naturalised all over the world. The tiny
mauve flowers and the flowering spikes are recorded in ancient
pharmacopoeias as a gentle yet profound medication, especially
for children but also for adults as a calming, quietening drink at
the end of a hectic day. In the Middle Ages, catmint syrup or
catmint honey was sold in the market places as a medication for
coughs, colds, sore throats, intestinal cramps and sleeplessness.
Interestingly, while catmint is a calming herb for humans, it sends
cats into a frenzy of delight, acrobatics and joy!

CULTIVATION
Catmint requires full sun and deeply dug well-composted soil for its
flowering spikes to create a show. It reaches 15 cm in height, and
from its basic clump-forming habit it can spread 50 cm in width,
forming a neat attractive cushion. It thrives with a deep twice-weekly
watering and needs to be cut back twice-yearly right down to the
base of the stems and given a good dressing of compost lightly dug
in around it.
Catnip helps to keep aphids, whitefly, red spider and even fungal
attacks away from special plants, and it remains a favourite old-
fashioned flower in the most modern of gardens. It makes a pretty
companion plant to roses, fruit trees, beans, broccoli and cauliflowers
and can be planted between spinach and lettuce rows.

MEDICINAL USES
Catmint tea is a respected drink for stress, anxiety, coughs, colds, flu
and indigestion. It is also a calming and safe medication for children
who sleep fitfully and bed-wet. To make the standard brew tea, pour
a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup fresh flowering sprigs. Let the tea
stand for five minutes, stir frequently, strain, sweeten with a touch of
honey, and sip slowly. The tea has been found to ease insomnia and
ensure sleep without nightmares. It also reduces anxiety, tension and
heart palpitations, eases indigestion, flatulence, colic and diarrhoea,
relieves headaches, and releases muscular cramps and pains. It has
been unquestionably found to have a sedative effect in all age
groups. Because of its pleasantly calming effects, catmint tea is listed
today in medical texts and modern pharmacopoeias as a relaxant
herb, equally safe for toddlers and the aged.
Through the years I have created what I call ‘peace pillows’ or
‘sleep pillows’, which are small pillows filled with the relevant dried
herbs and soft foam, with a washable pillowslip. The pillow is small
enough to tuck into the neck or the small of the back while sitting or it
can be placed under a bigger soft pillow to give support where it is
needed.

Catmint pillow for insomnia and anxiety

Plain white cotton fabric (for the inner slip)
Pure cotton fabric in a design (for the pillowcase)

Select pure, soft cotton fabric. Do not be tempted by synthetic non-

crease fabrics as these do not ‘breathe’ and will become hot and
uncomfortable. The priority is to find pure cotton and to wash off the
starchy ‘covering’ of the material before commencing.
Cut the plain white cotton folded double 35 x 24 cm. Sew a
double seam all around it, about 1 cm from the edge, leaving an
opening of 12 cm at one end in order to stuff in the herbs and foam.
Make a pillowcase from the pretty cotton (slightly bigger than the
inner slip) and leave a longer flap at one end to fold over like an
ordinary pillowcase.

Filling
1 cup dried lavender sprigs (Margaret Roberts lavender retains its
scent well)
1 cup dried catmint flowering sprigs
1 cup dried rose-scented pelargonium leaves
½ cup cloves
½ cup chopped dried lemon peel
½ cup dried lemon zest
1–2 teaspoons lavender oil

Mix the lavender sprigs, catmint and pelargonium together. Then

make the scented fixative mixture with the cloves, dried lemon peel
and zest, and spoon it into a big glass jar. (To make the zest, peel the
lemon with a potato peeler and dry it in the sun.) Add the lavender oil
to the clove and lemon peel mixture, shake well and leave overnight.
The next morning add more lavender oil if needed and let it blend
well overnight. Mix the now headily fragrant fixative into the lavender,
rose-scented pelargonium leaves and catmint. Keep in a sealed
container overnight, then mix it with foam chips to make a soft and
comfortable filling. Stuff the pillow and sew up the side. Keep it in a
large plastic bag to keep in the fragrance.
To refresh the pillow, make a small cotton bag filled with the
fixative, sew it up securely, open the end of the inner pillow slip and
push the new fragrant fixative into the centre of the pillow.

Nepeta mussinii

CULINARY USES
Catmint honey
6 catmint flowering sprigs
6 crushed cardamom pods, husks removed
1 jar runny honey
Push the catmint and cardamom into the jar of honey – wild flower or
orange blossom honey is perfect for this recipe. It is a slow process,
but you need to push the sprigs to the bottom. They will slowly rise in
the honey, so open the jar every now and then and press the catmint
down again. The catmint imparts a delicious flavour with the
cardamom seeds. This delicious honey can be used as a sweetener
for hot teas. The soothing and calming qualities of the catmint will be
released into the tea.

Catmint spicy rub

This delicious rub is perfect for spicing up chicken breasts, big brown mushrooms,
roast potatoes, sweet potatoes and pumpkin.

¼–½ cup dried catmint flowers, stripped off their stems

½ cup crushed coriander seeds
¼ cup caraway seeds, crushed
1 teaspoon chopped chilli (mild or hot, depending on how you like it)
¼ cup dried thyme leaves and flowers
1–2 teaspoons crushed Himalayan salt or crushed coarse sea salt
2 teaspoons paprika

Mix the ingredients together thoroughly and store in a screw-top jar.

Rub about one tablespoon of the mixture onto chicken or vegetables
before grilling or roasting. You will find many uses for this exceptional
flavouring – try adding about two teaspoons to a savoury pancake
batter for a different taste!

COOK’S NOTE
Tiny catmint flowers pulled out of their calyxes were an
ancient and edible decoration used on desserts, cakes, fruit
salads, soups and stews, while catmint tea was a favourite
drink in Europe long before coffee and Ceylon tea were
introduced.
Cauliflower
Brassica oleracea var. botrytis

The cauliflower has to be among the most spectacular and

delicious of all the flowers to find a place in this book! Originating
in the Mediterranean area and Asia Minor, records show that it
has been a valuable food and surprisingly an equally valuable
medicine since the sixth century BC. It was grown as a food crop
in Turkey and Egypt in about 400 BC and from there it spread to
Greece, Italy and France as a favoured delicacy, cooked in milk.
As the spice trade progressed, finely grated nutmeg was
considered to be the perfect match with cauliflower, and is still
popular with it today!
The medieval monks grew cauliflower in their cloister gardens
to make a delicious soup with onions, leeks and celery to treat
coughs, colds and pneumonia, and by the 14th century it was
 listed in the first medical texts and pharmacopoeias as a
medicinal plant. During the winter months the monks pickled
cauliflowers in vinegar flavoured with strong-tasting seeds like dill,
fennel, fenugreek and mustard seeds, for use during the winter
months. Cauliflower was introduced to England around 1586 as
‘colewort’ and was made into a gruel to treat lung infections and
severe coughs.
I was entranced by beautiful botanical drawings displayed in
the ancient monastery collections at some of the abbeys in Britain
and Europe. Cauliflower stood out in its pale magnificence,
painted as a winter medicine with mustard seeds alongside it!

CULTIVATION
I plant cauliflower as a winter annual as the summers are generally
too hot in South Africa and aphids love all the brassicas in the
summer months! (I am a dedicated organic gardener and do not
spray any kind of poisonous insect repellent, so I grow the brassicas
only in the cold months.)
At the end of summer sow seed in seed trays and keep them
moist. Transplant into compost-filled bags once they are big enough
to handle. Keep moist and protected, and move the bags of young
cauliflowers out into the sun for increasing periods each day until
they are about 12 cm in height. Plant out in full sun, spaced 50 cm
apart, in rows that have been deeply dug and richly composted.
Flood with water two or even three times a week if the winter days
are warm.
Cauliflowers look spectacular in the flower garden too. Last
winter, Flanders poppies and chamomile (self-seeded) came up in
my cauliflower rows, which looked breathtaking. I left them growing
happily together, and interestingly, had masses of butterflies in the
early, still cold, spring days!

MEDICINAL USES
Cauliflower is rich in vitamins B3, B5 and C, as well as folic acid,
potassium, iron and fibre. The entire cabbage family is rich in
immune-boosting and cancer-fighting components and is vital in the
diet, especially in soups and broths for treating coughs, colds,
bronchitis, pneumonia. A potent and remarkable juice can be made
from cauliflower together with other important immune-boosting
plants. It is of particular value during winter to ward off flu and
bronchitis. I was given the recipe or ‘formula’ below by a
homeopathic doctor:

Immune booster juice

SERVES 1–2

2 cups fresh lucerne sprigs and flowers

2 cups buckwheat leaves and flowering tops
2 cups red clover flowers and leaves
2 cups fennel bulbs and leaves, sliced
2 cups violet leaves and flowers (garden violet, p. 200, not African
violet)
2 cups cauliflower florets and leaves
2 cups broccoli florets and leaves
3–4 fresh organically grown carrots
2–3 peeled apples
2 beetroots, peeled and quartered
3 cups fresh young barley grass or wheatgrass

Push all the ingredients through a juice extractor. The apples, carrots
and beetroot supply the juice, so alternate them with the other
ingredients when juicing. They also add sweetness. Half a glass a
day is ideal, made fresh every day. Remember that fruit and
vegetable juices always need to be taken fresh as after two hours
they lose their optimal potential. I use a spiral juicer to extract every
precious drop from the wheat and barley grass and the leafy plants.
This juice is also excellent as an anticancer drink. I am privileged to
have been given this remarkable recipe and to be able to pass it on.

Chicken and cauliflower ‘hot pot’

Quick and easy to make, this wonderful soupy ‘stew’ fights colds, flu and bronchitis.
1 organic chicken
2 large onions, finely chopped
Olive oil for browning the chicken
4 carrots, sliced
1 medium-sized cauliflower and leaves
3 cups chopped celery
3 cups shredded green cabbage leaves
1 cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
Water (enough to cover chicken)
Sea salt and red pepper to taste
Juice of 2 lemons

Brown the chicken and onions in the oil, turning. Add all the other
ingredients and simmer until the chicken is soft and tender, usually
1–1½ hours. Add more water as needed. Finely shredded cabbage
and cauliflower leaves, midribs discarded, make a very tasty, tender
and delicious base to the hot pot. Keep the hot pot well chilled, take
out what is needed and heat well. Serve with fresh chopped parsley
and another squeeze of lemon juice.
CULINARY USES
Cauliflower pickle
MAKES 1 LARGE JAR
When there are too many cauliflowers maturing at once, they can be pickled, the
way the monks did. This is a tasty way of preserving them. Serve with salads, cold
meats and cheese through the summer.

1 fresh cauliflower, cut into florets

3 cups white grape vinegar
4 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds

Cut the cauliflower into neat florets and pack them into a wide-
mouthed jar. Boil the vinegar with the honey, mustard seeds and
coriander seeds (dill seeds, caraway seeds, cumin seeds and
aniseed are also delicious, so vary them). Simmer the vinegar for 10
minutes and pour over the cauliflower until fully covered. Seal well
and store for at least one month before eating.

COOK’S NOTE
Eat raw cauliflower, straight from the garden, washed, then
dipped in homemade mayonnaise with paprika. It makes a
feast to remember, and it is so good for you! Raw
cauliflower florets can also be dipped in batter and fried
lightly in olive oil as a gourmet treat and snack food served
with pre-dinner drinks.
Chamomile
Matricaria recutita • Chamaemelum nobile

Two species of chamomile are used medicinally and they have

identical properties. German chamomile, Matricaria recutita is a
spring annual with small, daisy-like white flowers and fine feathery
leaves, while Chamaemelum nobile, often called lawn chamomile,
is a perennial that is lower-growing (about 10 cm in height) and
spreading, with similar flowers and leaves. Both are indigenous to
 Europe and both are superb medicinal plants; their flowers, fresh
or dried, have been valued for centuries for their amazing healing
properties.

CULTIVATION
Growing annual chamomile is easy. Sow seed in mid-autumn where
it is to grow in full sun in well-dug, well-composted soil. Keep it moist
(I sprinkle a light cover of leaves over the area) and water lightly
twice a day until the tiny, feathery seedlings push through. Transplant
them in the very early stages when they are big enough to handle,
but after that they do not like to be moved. Chamomile is essentially
a cool-weather plant and will flower prolifically in spring, reaching a
height of 25–30 cm. If left to go to seed it will come up year after
year.

MEDICINAL USES
Chamomile is cultivated in Europe for homeopathic medicines and
current research confirms its ancient uses: it is excellent for digestive
problems such as acidity, gastritis, bloating, colic, hiatus hernia,
peptic ulcer, Crohn’s disease and irritable bowel syndrome. It helps
with morning sickness in pregnant women and eases sore nipples in
lactating mothers (drunk as a tea or applied as a lotion). Tense,
aching muscles and menstrual cramps are quickly soothed with a cup
of hot chamomile tea. It also soothes away stress, anxiety and panic
attacks, and it is anti-allergenic, effective against hay fever, catarrh,
asthma, eczema and skin rashes.
Chamomile flowers contain an aromatic oil that gives them their
typical scent, and they have powerful antiseptic and anti-
inflammatory properties. A superb gargle, douche and eyewash can
be made using fresh or dried flowers. In the case of tired, red,
irritated eyes, soak a clean facecloth in the warm brew, cover the
eyes with it and lie down for a few minutes. Use the same brew as a
gargle for a dry, strained throat, especially if you are a public speaker
or a singer.
Chamomile eyewash, douche and gargle
1 cup fresh chamomile flowers or ¾ cup dried chamomile flowers
1½ litres water

Simmer the flowers in the water for 10 minutes. Strain, add a cup of
cold water, and mix well. Use as a douche or wash to clear any
infections, irritations and itchiness. Store excess in the fridge and
warm it a little each time you use it, but never warm it in a microwave.

Chamomile tea for insomnia

SERVES 1
This old-fashioned tea is an age-old remedy for insomnia.

1 teaspoon dried or 2 teaspoons fresh chamomile flowers

1 cup boiling water
1 clove

Place dried chamomile flowers in a little sieve and pour the water
through them until almost level with the edge of the cup. (Fresh
flowers can be added straight to the water.) Add a clove to the water
and allow the tea to stand for five minutes. Remove the flowers and
the clove, sweeten with a touch of honey and sip slowly.

Chamomile cough syrup

This is a superb cough mixture for tight chests or a soothing drink for restless
children. It also makes a delicious drink, either hot or cold.

4 cups fresh chamomile flowers or 2 cups dried flowers

½–2 cups honey
1 stick cinnamon
10 cloves
Juice of 3 lemons
A few thin slivers of lemon rind
1 large sprig lemon balm mint (Melissa officinalis)
Simmer all the ingredients together for 20 minutes in a covered pot.
Remove from the heat and allow the syrup to cool. Strain and pour
into clean bottles, cork well and label. To help relieve a cough, dilute
two teaspoons of the syrup in a little hot water and take frequently. As
a drink, dilute ¼ cup syrup in one cup of warm or ice-cold water and
sip slowly.

CULINARY USES
Chamomile fruit jelly
SERVES 4–6
This superb summertime dessert for the whole family is especially good at the end
of a hectic day when the children are stressed. Grape, apple, mango or litchi juice
may be used instead of orange juice, and pieces of fruit may be set into the jelly
too.

1 litre chamomile tea

½–¾ cup runny honey
4 tablespoons gelatine
Juice of 6 oranges

Make the chamomile tea by pouring a litre of boiling water over three
tablespoons of fresh chamomile flowers or 1½ tablespoons dried
flowers; leave to draw for 10 minutes, then strain. Mix the honey into
the warm chamomile tea and taste, adding a little more if necessary.
Dissolve the gelatine in one cup of hot water and add to the tea, then
add the orange juice. Stir well, pour into a pretty glass bowl and leave
to set in the fridge. Serve with custard or cream.

Honey, fruit and chamomile loaf

We dry apple slices, apricot halves and peach slices in our endlessly working
driers, then chop a selection and mix with sultanas for this loaf, which is delicious
and keeps well.

1¼ cups mixed dried fruit

1 cup chamomile tea
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup low-fat milk
¼ cup fresh chamomile flowers
2¼ cups wholewheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Soak the mixed dried fruit in the chamomile tea for an hour, then
strain. Mix the honey into milk and heat with the flowers. Let it stand
for an hour, then strain. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Grease and line
a loaf tin with baking paper. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and
bicarbonate of soda together into a mixing bowl. Add the softened
fruit with the strained warm milk, little by little, alternating and mixing
it well. Spoon into the lined loaf tin and bake for 45 minutes or until a
skewer inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean. Cool for
a few minutes, then turn the loaf out carefully onto a wire cake rack.
Once cooled, slice carefully and spread with a little butter. It tastes
best served with a cup of chamomile tea.
Chicory
Cichorium intybus

A deep-rooted, hardy perennial that sends up a beautiful blue

flowering branch in summer, chicory was once a common sight in
Europe and Western Asia along roadsides and in marshy places.
 It has become naturalised all over the world. Records of herbal
uses of chicory date back to the first century. In about AD 60,
Pliny the Elder made a mixture of chicory juice, rose oil and
vinegar to treat headaches, and modern research into chicory’s
detoxifying properties indicates that he was on the right track.
Since the earliest times chicory root has been dry-roasted and
ground to make a coffee substitute, or peeled, scrubbed and
either boiled as a vegetable or roasted with onions and potatoes.

CULTIVATION
The chicory root stump or crown may be dug up and trimmed before
flower production, then stored in a warm, dark place to develop
young buds called chicons. These are eaten in salads, or as a
vegetable. Witloof is traditionally the favourite variety to plant, but
seedlings of other varieties are now also on sale at nurseries. These
should be planted in rows spaced 30 cm apart. If planting from seed,
sow them in rich, well-composted soil, in full sun in rows spaced 30
cm apart. Alternatively, sow them initially in seed trays until they are
big enough to handle, then plant out in rows.

MEDICINAL USES
Chicory has a mildly bitter taste and the root is similar medicinally to
the root of the dandelion, Taraxacum officinale, exerting a cleansing
action on the liver, stomach, kidneys and urinary tract. As a treatment
for gout, rheumatic conditions and general aches and pains of the
joints, chicory was once considered to be particularly appropriate for
the elderly, and was also used as a gentle laxative for children. Today
doctors find that chicory tea aids digestion, clears toxins, reduces
inflammation, has a tonic effect on the liver and gall bladder, and
flushes the kidneys. If the same tea is used as a wash or added to
the bath during an attack of cystitis, it gently soothes any external
discomfort and itch. To make the tea, pour a cup of boiling water over
¼ cup mixed leaves and flowers and leave to stand for five minutes;
it can be sweetened with a touch of honey if desired. Usually one cup
a day will do the trick. The tea is slightly laxative and safe for children
made as a standard brew; give children under 10 years of age half a
cup at a time.
Mothers in medieval France and England grew chicory in their
cottage gardens and used the herb for purging and for flushing out
the bladder. Today’s research verifies these uses: chicory cleanses
the bladder and colon, clears infections, acts as a strong tonic and
increases the flow of bile.

CAUTION: Excessive and continued use of chicory may impair the

function of the retina in the eyes due to its exceptionally powerful
action.

Chicory flower bath

This ancient remedy has been used for centuries to ease varicose veins and
haemorrhoids and to reduce anal inflammation and itching.

3 cups chicory flowers and stems

10 chicory leaves
3 litres water

Simmer the flowers, stems and leaves in water for 20 minutes. Strain
and add to the bath. Alternatively, soak small towels in the warm
brew and apply to the area, carefully wrapping it in place, to bring
comfort and relief. Soak the towels in the hot liquid now and then and
reapply.
This marvellous brew has also been used for gout pains and
rheumatic, hot and swollen joints. It can be cooled and reheated as
needed. Cooled chicory flower water has astringent properties and
has been applied to thread veins on the face with cotton wool.

CULINARY USES
Chicory and tuna salad
SERVES 4
Use mustard greens, spinach, rocket, butter lettuce or any other green leaves of
your choice in this salad.

1 tin tuna in brine

2 cups green beans 2 cups green leaves
1 sweet pepper, thinly sliced
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup good mayonnaise
1 teaspoon mustard powder
½ cup finely chopped spring onions
1 cup chicory flowers

Break up the tuna. Steam the beans lightly and refresh in cold water,
then cut them up. Shred the green leaves into small pieces. Mix all
the ingredients together and decorate with blue chicory flowers.
Serve with crusty bread as a lunch dish.

Chicory stir-fry
SERVES 4
Apple is an excellent complement to chicory in this thoroughly tasty and nutritious
stir-fry. It must be served immediately.

2 medium-sized onions, chopped

2 cups thinly sliced leeks
Olive oil
2 cups thinly sliced brown mushrooms
2 apples, peeled and coarsely grated
½ cup parsley
2 sticks celery, chopped (leaves included)
1 cup chicory flowers
1 cup peeled and coarsely grated sweet potato
Sea salt and cayenne pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lemon
½ cup sesame seeds
1 dessertspoon Worcestershire sauce
Brown the onions and leeks in the olive oil, then add the mushrooms
and stir-fry briskly. Add the apples, parsley, celery, chicory flowers
and sweet potato and season with salt and cayenne pepper. Finally,
add the lemon juice and sesame seeds, followed by the
Worcestershire sauce. Stir-fry until tender, and serve piping hot with
brown rice.

COOK’S NOTE
Remember that chicory is a bitter herb and that the apple
takes away some of the bitterness. However, like dandelion,
chicory is so good for you that it is worth using often.

Pickled chicory flowers

MAKES 2 JARS
This is an old-fashioned recipe made with hot spicy vinegar and onions. Keep a jar
close at hand for a quick and tasty addition to soups, stews and stir-fries. (Pickled
flowers may be used in the stir-fry recipe above in place of fresh chicory flowers.)

4 cups chicory flowers

4 cups onion rings
2 cups good grape vinegar
1 cup honey
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 bay leaf

Fill two wide-mouthed glass jars with chicory flowers and onion rings.
Boil up the vinegar with the honey, coriander seeds and bay leaf.
Pour this over the chicory flowers, seal and leave for 10 days.

Chicory and pear dessert

SERVES 4
The end of summer is the time to make this delicious dessert, when chicory is in
full bloom and pears are ripening. You can serve it with custard or ice-cream in
place of the whipped cream.

6–8 pears
1½ cups water
¾ cup soft brown sugar
3 crushed cardamom pods
1 cup chicory flowers

Peel and core the pears and cut into small pieces. Bring the water to
a brisk boil, add the pears, sugar, cardamom pods and chicory
flowers and simmer gently for five minutes. Remove from the stove
and cool. Serve in individual glass bowls with whipped cream and
decorate with fresh blue chicory flowers.
Chives
Allium schoenoprasum

There is much speculation today about where this remarkable

plant originated, but it is likely that Marco Polo found it on his
travels to China, where it had probably been in use for a few
 thousand years. He brought it back to the West, and today it is
widespread and one of the most popular culinary plants. A
member of the onion family along with garlic, leeks and spring
onions, chives contain sulphur, which accounts for their pungent
smell and flavour.

CULTIVATION
Chives, garlic chives and wild garlic all need well-dug, richly
composted soil in full sun and a deep twice-weekly watering. Chives
die down in winter, at which time they can be divided into small
clumps and replanted. Wild garlic and garlic chives can be divided at
any time of the year. Plant chives 20 cm apart as a path edging as
they only grow to about 20 cm in height. Wild garlic and garlic chives
need 40–50 cm between them, and their pretty flowering heads will
reach about 50 cm in height.

MEDICINAL USES
Chives have marvellous medicinal properties and from the earliest
times were used in the treatment of chest ailments, bladder and
kidney infections and to cleanse the blood. Modern research verifies
their age-old uses: chives lower blood pressure and cholesterol, build
up resistance to infection, treat respiratory disorders and assist the
digestive tract and urinary system. All Allium species contain mild
natural antibiotics, and although chives are not as potent in this
regard as garlic, for example, their benefits are still quite astonishing.
Fresh chives also ease and promote digestion, and chopped and
sprinkled onto food they stimulate the appetite. Chopped chive
flowers with grated carrots, celery and parsley make a health-booster
salad, and together with dandelion flowers and leaves, they fight flu
and colds exceptionally well. A large daily helping of all these superb
health-boosting, immune-building herbs will go a long way towards
helping us cope with the pressures of modern living.
One of Europe’s favourite cough remedies remains a mixture of
fresh grated ginger root with equal quantities of chopped chive
flowers and a little bit of honey. This remedy goes back to the time
when ginger was traded as a magical spice.
Old chive remedy for colds
Our great-grandmothers used this pungent remedy to boost resistance and fight
coughs, colds and flu.

1 onion
A few chive leaves and flowers
Brown sugar

Slice the onion and chive leaves and flowers, cover them with brown
sugar, and leave them to stand for 4–6 hours, well covered. Strain off
the juice and take a teaspoonful at a time. To soothe a sore throat,
add a little lemon juice to the mixture. Chives can also be chopped
with onions and mixed with a little grated fresh ginger root, lemon
juice and chopped parsley; in the old days this mixture was spread
onto fingers of bread and given to children suffering from a cough or
cold.
CULINARY USES
Chive blossom vinegar
This pretty pink vinegar is delicious as a salad dressing, and a dash added to stir-
fries, grills, braais or stews enhances all the flavours. Make it in spring when the
blossoms are abundant. You can also add peeled garlic cloves, chopped onions,
coriander seeds and a bay leaf, or even a fresh cayenne pepper.

1 bottle white grape vinegar

Chive flowers, including garlic chive flowers

Fill the bottle of vinegar with chive flowers and place it in the sun for
five days, shaking it daily. Strain the vinegar and discard the flowers.
Pour into an attractive bottle and add fresh chive flowers for
identification. (The pungent taste of the chives means that you only
need to keep the vinegar in the sun for one five-day period, whereas
with other herb vinegars the process is repeated for optimum flavour.)

COOK’S NOTE
Chive, garlic chive or wild garlic flowers can be used
interchangeably in the recipe above. Chives have a tonic
effect and improve the appetite, so use lavishly.

Creamed spinach and chive flower supper dish

SERVES 4
This is a nourishing and delicious vegetarian dish that everyone enjoys, and it
helps to keep colds and flu at bay.

Large bunch chopped spinach (to make 4 cups when cooked)

2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chive flowers
2 tablespoons butter
3–4 tablespoons cornflour
500 ml milk
1 cup plain Bulgarian yoghurt
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
2 teaspoons mustard powder
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Cook the spinach, onion and chive flowers in a little salted water for
about six minutes. Strain well. In another pan, melt the butter, mix in
the cornflour and add the milk and yoghurt slowly, whisking
continuously. As it thickens, add the seasoning, mustard powder and
cheese. Mix the white sauce into the spinach and onions, spoon into
a baking dish, top with more grated cheese and brown under the grill
for a few minutes. Serve hot, decorated with chive flowers, together
with crusty brown bread.

Chive and garlic chive health salad

SERVES 4–6
This tasty salad will boost the immune system and is satisfying enough to have as
a lunch dish served simply with brown bread and butter.

3 cups thinly sliced English cucumber

1 whole head celery, thinly chopped
2 ripe avocados, cut into squares
½ cup chopped parsley
½ cup stoned olives
2 cups watercress or land cress, lightly chopped
2 cups finely grated carrots
1 cup chive flowers
1½ cups chopped onion mixed with chopped garlic chives
1 cup mozzarella cheese, cut into small squares or coarsely grated

Dressing
½ cup lemon juice
½ cup olive oil
2 teaspoons mustard powder
½ cup honey
Cayenne pepper
Small pinch sea salt
Mix the salad ingredients together lightly in a bowl. Place all the
dressing ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake well. Pour the
dressing over the salad and decorate with garlic chive flowers.

COOK’S NOTE
Chive leaves can be chopped and scattered over a variety of
dishes ranging from salads to soups, and the flowers can
be used in salads, pasta dishes and stir-fries, adding
immune-boosting benefits.
Clover
Trifolium pratense

It may come as a surprise that both red and white and clover
(Trifolium pratense and T. repens) are herbs with astonishing
medicinal value that have been esteemed for centuries. Medieval
Christians associated clover’s three-lobed leaves with the Holy
 Trinity, and monks in Europe grew it in their physic gardens to
cure all manner of ailments, from kidney stones to conjunctivitis,
arthritic pains and dry coughs.
Clover is native to Europe and Asia and is used all over the
world in animal fodder. It is an excellent companion plant for
pasturing crops as it replenishes the soil with both nitrogen and
boron (a mineral often lacking in over-cultivated soil), as well as
other trace elements.

CULTIVATION
Clover is a short-lived perennial and is very easy to grow. Little tufts
can be pulled off the mother plant and planted out in moist soil. All it
requires is richly composted soil in full sun and a deep twice-weekly
watering, and it offers an abundance of honey-scented flowers in
return.

MEDICINAL USES
Around 1930, red clover flowers were used as an anticancer
treatment, and some doctors are still prescribing it today for breast,
ovarian and lymphatic cancers. It was once widely used in the
treatment of bronchitis, whooping cough, arthritis and gout, and to
soothe psoriasis and eczema, taken both internally and applied
externally as a healing cream. Country children have rubbed crushed
clover flowers onto bee stings and insect bites to soothe the affected
area. Crushed red clover flowers and leaves can be used as a
compress over inflamed joints, and together with a cup of clover tea,
even severe aches will be soothed. To make the tea, pour a cup of
boiling water over ¼ cup red clover flowers and leaves. Allow the tea
to stand for five minutes, then strain and sip slowly. The cooled tea
also makes a superb eyewash for conjunctivitis and irritated red
eyes. In the case of a cough, bronchitis and whooping cough, mix a
good squeeze of lemon juice, two teaspoons of honey and a pinch of
ginger powder into the tea.

Clover cream
Use this cream for bites, itches, rashes, eczema and psoriasis.

1 cup clover flowers

1 cup good-quality aqueous cream

Simmer the clover flowers in the aqueous cream in a double boiler for
20 minutes, giving it an occasional stir. Strain the cream, pour it into a
sterilised jar and seal. Keep it refrigerated and apply as a soothing
treatment.

Clover compress for arthritic joints and gout-inflamed

areas
This compress is soothing for arthritic joints and gout-inflamed areas.

Clover flowers and leaves

Hot water
Crêpe bandage

Crush the clover flowers and soak them in hot water. Drain them and
bind in place over the affected joint with a crêpe bandage. Leave the
compress on overnight.
Clover douche to soothe vaginal itching
2 cups clover flowers and leaves
2 litres water
½ cup apple cider vinegar

Boil the clover flowers and leaves in the water for 15 minutes, with
the lid on. Set the liquid aside to cool, then strain and add the apple
cider vinegar. Use it lukewarm as a douche or use it as a wash lotion
externally. Its emollient qualities will quickly soothe the irritated area.

CULINARY USES
Red clover stir-fry
SERVES 4

Olive oil
2 medium-sized onions, chopped
1 cup green pepper, chopped
2 cups sweet potato, coarsely grated
1 cup celery stems and leaves, chopped
1 cup red clover flowers
Salt and black pepper
Soy sauce
Juice of 1 lemon

Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the onions until golden. Add the
green pepper and stir-fry, then the sweet potato and fry some more.
Add the celery stems and leaves and the red clover flowers. Season
to taste with a touch of salt, black pepper, soy sauce and lemon juice.
Serve piping hot with roasted chicken and rice.

Lentil and clover risotto

SERVES 4
This vegetarian dish is quick and easy to make, and full of healthy goodness.

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup finely chopped green pepper
2 cups cooked lentils
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup mung bean sprouts
1 cup clover flowers
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
Juice of 1 lemon
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Fry the onions in the oil until golden brown. Add the green pepper
and stir well, then add the remaining ingredients and stir-fry. Add a
little water and cook through quickly with the lid on for six minutes.
Serve piping hot, decorated with clover flowers, together with a salad.

Cauliflower and clover cheese

SERVES 4
This is a nourishing supper dish, with the clover lending its delicious honey-like
taste to the cheese sauce.

1 large or 2 small cauliflowers

500 ml milk
1 cup clover flowers
2 eggs, well beaten
2 tablespoons flour
Sea salt and cayenne pepper to taste
½ cup cold milk
1 cup strong cheddar cheese, grated

Break the cauliflowers into florets and boil in salted water for 20
minutes. Heat the milk with the clover flowers to boiling point, and
then turn down the heat. Whisk the eggs with the flour, salt and
cayenne pepper and add the half cup of cold milk. Gradually add this
mixture to the hot milk and clover, and stir briskly while it thickens,
being careful not to let it burn. Finally, add the cheese, keeping some
aside for the top.
Drain the cauliflower well and place it in an ovenproof dish. Pour
the cheese sauce over it and sprinkle the top with additional cheese.
Place the dish under the grill to melt the cheese, and serve it piping
hot, decorated with clover flowers.
Coriander
Coriandrum sativum

Coriander has been used as a medicinal and culinary herb for

over 2 000 years. Native to Europe and the Middle East, it is
mentioned in the Ebers papyrus dating back to about 1500 BC, in
Sanskrit texts, and in the Bible, where it is one of the bitter
Passover herbs. The Chinese recorded its use during the Han
Dynasty, between 202 BC and AD 9.
All parts of the plant have a pungent aroma and may be used
in cooking. The broader lower young leaves, called dhania, are
much loved in Indian cuisine. In parts of Europe the root is eaten
as a tasty vegetable, and the seed can be used in curries,
chutneys, soups, sauces, vinegars and vegetable dishes. The
pretty lacy mauvish-white flowers, typical of the Umbelliferae
 family, can be added to salads, stir-fries, fruit salads and stewed
fruit. The Romans combined coriander seeds with cumin and
vinegar and used it as a preservative for meat, very similar to the
blend of spices we use for making biltong!

CULTIVATION
Growing coriander is simple and rewarding, since three or four crops
can be achieved before the first frosts of winter. It needs full sun and
a light, well-drained soil with a good dressing of compost. It requires
a good twice-weekly watering and thrives in heat and dryness. Sow
the seed directly into the ground where it is to grow, about 20 cm
apart, keeping the soil moist and protected with a thin layer of dry
leaves until the seedlings are strong enough to withstand the full sun.
They grow up to 60 cm in height.

MEDICINAL USES
This strongly aromatic annual is an exceptional remedy for colic,
flatulence, digestive upsets, gripes and bloating. Apart from being a
superb antispasmodic, it is a wonderful remedy for anxiety attacks
and tension when taken as a tea. It also cleanses the breath after
eating garlic (merely chew a flower or two or a few seeds) and helps
rheumatic aches and pains, both as a tea and as a lotion. To make
coriander tea, pour a cup of boiling water over either ¼ cup fresh
leaves and flowers or one teaspoon of dried seeds. Leave the tea to
stand for five minutes before straining, and sip slowly for all the
above ailments.

Ancient Chinese coriander remedy for aching joints

1 cup fresh coriander leaves, flowers and twigs (or 3 tablespoons
seeds)
1 litre water

Boil the fresh coriander leaves, flowers and twigs in the water for 10
minutes; if there is no fresh green plant available, use three
tablespoons of seeds boiled in a litre of water for 15 minutes. Strain
and pour into a sterilised bottle. Soak a cloth in the lotion and bind
over inflamed areas and painful, aching joints, or use as a spritz to
cool the inflamed area and to remove the itch from insect bites and
rashes.

CULINARY USES
Aubergine and coriander flower lunch
dish
SERVES 4
I learned this superb way of serving aubergine from an Indian chef.

4 medium-sized aubergines
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large tomatoes, skinned and chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger root
1 tablespoon coriander flowers, without stems
1 teaspoon crushed coriander seed
1 large green pepper, thinly sliced
Sea salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons honey

Peel and slice the aubergines, sprinkle well with salt, and cover with
a heavy weight to allow them to release their bitter juices for about 20
minutes. Sauté the onions in the oil until lightly brown. Rinse the
aubergines and add to the onion along with the tomatoes, stir-frying
them together. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well, then cover
with a well-fitting lid and turn down the heat. Simmer gently for about
seven minutes. Serve with brown rice and decorate with coriander
flowers.

Leek, kale and coriander flower soup

SERVES 4–6
Made at the end of autumn with the last of the coriander flowers, this warming soup
is a marvellous immune system booster, keeping coughs and colds at bay.

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 thinly sliced leeks
4 cups finely chopped kale or cabbage
4 large potatoes, peeled and grated coarsely
1½ litres good chicken stock
½ cup coriander flowers, without stems
Juice of 1 lemon
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
125 ml thick cream

Lightly brown the onions in the olive oil. Add the leeks and stir-fry
until they become soft and lightly browned too. Then add the kale,
particularly the green outer leaves, and the potatoes. Stir-fry briefly.
Add all the other ingredients and stir well. Cover and simmer for 15
minutes, stirring every now and then. Serve piping hot with a
sprinkling of parsley and more coriander flowers.

Green bean and potato salad with coriander flowers

SERVES 4–6
I serve this quick-and-easy salad on summer picnics with cold chicken and
everyone loves it!

4 cups young green beans

4 cups tiny new potatoes
1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped

Dressing
3 tablespoons brown grape vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons coriander flowers, stripped off their stems
1 teaspoon crushed coriander seed
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
2 teaspoons mustard powder
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon brown sugar or honey

Cut the beans into 1 cm pieces and cook lightly. Quarter the potatoes
and steam until tender. Mix both together with the finely chopped raw
onion. Place all the dressing ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake
until everything is well mixed and the sugar is dissolved. Add a little
sea salt to taste. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and decorate
with coriander flowers. Keep the salad refrigerated before serving.
OTHER USES
Fresh coriander insect repellent
The best time to make this valuable insect repellent is when the coriander is in full
bloom and little green seeds are beginning to form.

Several coriander plants (including roots)

1 teaspoon tea tree oil

Wash the coriander plants well and chop into pieces. Place them in a
large pot and cover with water. Simmer for 15 minutes with the lid on.
Then cool and strain. Pour the potent brew into a spray bottle and
add the tea tree oil. Shake well and spray to repel mosquitoes and
flies, especially around the braai area.
Cornflower
Centaurea cyanus

The cornflower is indigenous to Europe and now grows wild in all

temperate regions, often in cornfields, which is how it got its
name. The beautiful blue flowers and the leaves are both used
medicinally, while use of the flowers in cooking is an ancient
 practice that ought to be revived. The brilliant blue petals can be
added to cakes, fritters, biscuits, tarts, custards, and cheese and
pasta dishes.
Monks in 12th century England, Ireland and later Wales and
France made cornflower wine, which was used to treat a wide
variety of ailments ranging from stomach problems, kidney and
bladder ailments, tremors, vertigo and liverishness, to flu, chest
ailments, coughs and excessive mucous. A cornflower infusion
was used as a tonic after a severe illness, and even given to
children. Modern research verifies these ancient uses as the
petals and leaves have been found to contain small amounts of
natural antibiotics.

CULTIVATION
I have found that cornflowers grow best as a winter annual. I sow the
seed in late summer and plant the seedlings out in full sun, 50 cm
apart, before winter. They grow quickly and establish themselves well
in lightly composted, well-drained soil, with a good twice-weekly
watering. The plants grow to about 50 cm in height. The more flowers
you pick, the more are produced, right through winter and spring,
until they succumb to the hot weather in midsummer.

MEDICINAL USES
In France, cornflowers are still called casselunette, which means
‘break the spectacles’, as a cornflower lotion or poultice is believed to
strengthen the eyes and ease eye strain.
The flowers can also be made into a bitter tonic tea to improve
resistance to infection and to ease rheumatic conditions such as
aching joints and stiffness. To make the tea, pour a cup of boiling
water over ¼ cup leaves and flowers; allow the tea to stand for five
minutes before straining. Drink one cup a day. Cornflowers also
make an excellent poultice for inflamed rheumatic joints and stiff
swollen ankles.
The flowers retain their exquisite royal blue colour and are
beautiful in bath preparations as they soothe and soften the skin.
Cornflower poultice for inflamed rheumatic joints
3–4 cups fresh cornflowers
5 cups hot water

Steep the cornflowers in hot water for five minutes, then spread them
on a cloth and apply as hot as can be tolerated to the affected area.
Repeat at least three times.

COSMETIC USES
Cornflower eye lotion
1 cup boiling water
1 tablespoon fresh blue petals

Pour the boiling water over the petals. Allow the lotion to stand for
eight minutes before straining, and use as an eyebath to revive tired
eyes.

CULINARY USES
Cornflower pasta salad
SERVES 4
Delicious hot or cold, this is an easy and popular lunch dish, and it brightens up
any meal.

2 cups farfalle (pasta bows)

4 medium-sized ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced
2 ripe avocados, sliced
8–10 slices mozzarella cheese
½ cup cornflower petals, pulled out of their calyxes
½ cup chopped parsley
¾ cup chopped basil

Dressing
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons wholegrain mustard
2 tablespoons honey
½ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup sesame seeds

Cook the pasta in salted water until al dente, then drain, rinse and
cool. Place the pasta in the centre of a flat dish and arrange the
tomato, avocado and mozzarella slices all around it. Keep the
cornflower petals, parsley and basil aside for the top.
To make the dressing, blend the olive oil, vinegar, mustard and
honey in a blender. Add the sunflower and sesame seeds and whirl
for another two minutes. Pour the dressing over the pasta, and
sprinkle the dish with the cornflowers, parsley and basil. To serve the
dish hot, add a little grated mozzarella cheese and pop it under the
grill until it sizzles before sprinkling with the cornflowers, basil and
parsley.

Butterscotch and cornflower sauce

SERVES 4–6
Served over rice puddings, plain yoghurt, ice-cream or custard, this sauce is so
easy to prepare – and it turns an ordinary dessert into party fare! Try it over baked
apples or bread-and-butter pudding, or as a topping on a plain vanilla cake.

250 ml cream
½ cup honey
250 ml golden syrup
4 tablespoons butter
One stick cinnamon
½ cup cornflower petals

Pour the cream into the top of a double boiler and warm. Add the
honey and syrup, then the butter, cinnamon and cornflower petals
pulled out of their calyxes. Simmer gently on low heat, stirring every
now and then, for 45 minutes. Once the sauce starts to thicken, stir
well and serve hot over any dessert.
Strawberry and banana dessert with cornflowers
SERVES 4
This has to be one of the quickest desserts I know and it is much loved by children.
I make it in spring when strawberries and cornflowers are at their best.

4 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced

4 bananas, thinly sliced
Juice of 1 orange, mixed with a little honey
Whipped cream
Desiccated coconut
½ cup cornflower petals

Sprinkle the strawberries with sugar, and place layers of bananas

and strawberries in individual glass dishes, ending with strawberries
on the top. Pour the orange juice and honey over them. Top with a
dollop of whipped cream and sprinkle with coconut. If you are lucky
enough to find a fresh coconut, drain off the milk by piercing the three
soft holes, saw it in half, and then grate the precious flesh and use it
instead of desiccated coconut. It is superb! Finally, decorate with the
beautiful blue cornflowers.
Crab apple blossom
Malus floribunda M. pumila

Crab apples grow wild in the hedgerows of Britain and Europe

and have been used in both medicine and cooking since ancient
times. Cider recipes using crab apples date back many hundreds
 of years, and although the sour fruit are pretty inedible, they make
delicious jellies.
Some crab apple species are grown as garden ornamentals,
their lovely white, pink and cerise flowers heralding spring and
drawing bees and butterflies. The fruit of these ornamentals vary
in colour from dark russet to crimson, orange and golden yellow. I
have seen a row of large urns planted with crab apples pruned
into lollipops down a suburban driveway, and marvel at their
attractiveness in every season: their show of blossoms in spring,
their neat greenness in summer, their flush of bright fruit and
glorious coloured leaves in autumn, and their bare sculptured
shapes underplanted with a blaze of violas in winter.

CULTIVATION
Planted as a hedge or as a specimen shrub or small tree, crab
apples do well in richly composted soil in full sun, and can be
espaliered against a wall or clipped into a charming topiary. They do
exceptionally well in colder areas, but also adapt to seaside gardens
and even gardens that are more tropical. Because they are so slow
growing, they make perfect container subjects and it seems a pity
that they are not used more in landscaping as they need so little
attention. Prune in late winter.

MEDICINAL USES
In ancient herbals the crab apple was revered as a medicine for boils,
abscesses, splinters and wounds, and for coughs and colds and a
host of other conditions ranging from acne to kidney ailments. Many
dishes made with apples and apple blossom are of medieval origin,
and crab apples, roasted, drenched in honey and dried, were used by
monks and physicians as a treatment for diarrhoea, dysentery and
gallstones. In the spring they gathered the blossoms and preserved
them in vinegar for drawing poultices and for bee stings and other
insect bites.
Crab apple blossom vinegar for bee stings and
mosquito bites
Crab apple blossoms
1 bottle white grape vinegar

Press as many blossoms as possible into the bottle of white grape

vinegar. Keep in a dark place for seven days. Strain and repeat with
more fresh blossoms and buds. Strain after another seven days and
keep near at hand for summer insect bites. In the case of a wasp,
hornet or bee sting, soak a pad of cotton wool immediately in crab
apple vinegar and hold it over the sting for 10 minutes. Keep dabbing
with vinegar for another 30 minutes and you will find that it hardly
swells at all. Use the same vinegar to relieve mosquito bite itches.

CULINARY USES
Crab apple verjuice
Make this in autumn and store it sealed, until spring, when crab apple blossoms
are at their most glorious. That is the secret ingredient!

2 cups ripe crab apples

1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup soft brown sugar
½ cup grated ginger root
2 cinnamon sticks
10 cloves
1 bottle good brandy
1 cup runny honey

Clean and slice the crab apples, cover well and soak overnight in the
apple cider vinegar, with a weight on top. The next morning sprinkle
the sugar over them and leave to stand for two hours. Meanwhile add
the ginger root, cinnamon and cloves to the brandy and leave to
stand.
After the sugar has dissolved and mingled well with the crab
apples, add the honey and stir in well. Now add the brandy and
spices and pour into a wide-mouthed jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake
it up well and store in a dark cupboard all winter, giving it a daily
shake and inspection. In spring, add one cup of crab apple blossoms
and seal again, giving it a gentle daily shake for 14 days. Finally,
strain and bottle the verjuice in a good decanter.
Serve well diluted with chilled apple juice as it is potent! Put five
raisins soaked overnight in brandy into each glass. Taken as a
liqueur at the end of a meal, this is a remarkable digestive, and a
very little goes a long way!

Crab apple blossom sponge fingers

MAKES ABOUT 20 BISCUITS
This is an ancient spring recipe from Scotland. When the crab apples are not in
bloom I use peach blossom, wisteria or even borage flowers, depending on what is
flowering. They are easy biscuits to make, and keep well. I serve them with creamy
desserts and ice creams, as well as for a teatime treat.

50 g castor sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
½ cup crab apple petals, stripped off their calyxes
50 g cake flour

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Whisk the sugar, eggs and vanilla
essence until light and creamy. Mix the lemon rind and petals into the
flour, then gently fold into the egg and sugar mixture with a metal
spoon. Place elongated finger shapes onto a well-greased and
floured baking tray, one tablespoonful at a time and spaced 3–4 cm
apart. Sprinkle with a little castor sugar and bake for about seven
minutes or until just browning at the edges. Remove the biscuits
carefully with a spatula while still hot, and allow them to cool and firm
on a wire rack. Store them in an airtight tin.

Lemon and crab apple blossom jelly

MAKES 3 JARS
This delicious jelly is a delicate version of marmalade. Serve it on toast, as a
topping on steamed pudding, or as a cake filling. It is so pretty that it makes a
charming gift.

1 kg fresh lemons
3 litres water
1 kg white sugar
3–4 cups loosely packed crab apple blossoms

Scrub the lemons and peel them. Shred the peel finely and simmer
with half the water for 1½–2 hours. Keep the mixture covered and
simmer gently. Roughly chop the lemon pulp and simmer it in another
pan with the rest of the water for 1½ hours. Strain this pulp through a
fine sieve and add the juice to the lemon peel mixture. Boil briskly for
10 minutes, then lower the heat and add the sugar. Stir well and
simmer gently until it sets (usually about an hour). Pour a little into a
saucer and let it stand. If it sets it is ready. Finally, add the crab apple
blossoms and mix well. Pour into hot sterilised jars, seal while hot,
and label.
Dahlia
Dahlia juarezii • D. rosea

With its glorious range of colours the dahlia is spectacular in the

summer border, but it is only relatively recently that it has become a
garden ornamental rather than a food crop. The Mexicans used the
dahlia as a food and medicine for several centuries before it was
introduced to Europe in 1789 by the superintendent of the Mexico
City Botanic Gardens, who sent the first seeds to botanist
 Cavanilles of Madrid. He named the plant Dahlia pinnata, in honour
of botanist Dr Andreas Dahl, a pupil of the famous Swedish botanist
Carolus Linnaeus.
The tubers, rather than the flowers, were eaten and are still
eaten today by the Tunebo Indians in British Columbia. However,
the rather pungent taste of the dahlia was not popular with the
Europeans and dahlias all but disappeared there until Napoleon’s
wife, the Empress Josephine, became the first person in France to
grow them in her world-famous gardens at Malmaison.

CULTIVATION
Dahlias come in a dazzling array of colours and make for a spectacular
display in summer. Most of the single and pompon dahlias originate
from D. rosea, while the cactus varieties originate from D. juarezii. They
can be planted from August to November. Tubers set into richly
composted soil in full sun give a display that lasts all summer long.
They need little attention, other than to be cut back once they dry off in
autumn, dug up and the tubers stored in early winter. They thrive with a
long, slow watering twice weekly during summer.

MEDICINAL USES
Dahlia petals and the thinly sliced tubers were used by the Aztecs and
later the Mexicans as an excellent skin treatment. Crushed, warmed
and placed over rashes, grazes and infected scratches, the petals
formed a soothing poultice that was also used over insect stings and
inflamed rough areas of skin. The petals were used to make an
excellent foot soak to soothe tired feet, and the same remedy was used
to wash sunburned skin and rashes.
The exquisite and spectacular tree dahlia, D. imperialis, has 3-m-
high cascades of lilac-coloured single flowers that never fail to draw the
eye in their autumn glory; these flowers have been used through the
centuries as a poultice. Crushed petals placed over an itchy sore spot
on the skin give quick relief, and to help clear a pimple place a piece of
crushed moistened petal over the spot. It will soothe and quickly bring it
to a head.
Dahlia petal poultice
The exquisite tree dahlia’s petals fall on the ground as the flowers mature. Gather the
petals whenever you see them.

Dahlia petals
Coarse sea salt

Gently mix the petals into the sea salt, then store the mixture in a well-
sealed jar or crock. To soothe aching feet or a sore back, take the salt
and petal mixture, roll it into a towel that has been wrung out in hot
water – about two cups – and place the poultice over the affected area.
Cover and keep it warm.

Dahlia foot soak

4 cups dahlia petals
2 cups sliced dahlia tubers
4 litres water

Boil the petals and tubers in the water for 10 minutes. Leave the
mixture to stand for 10 minutes, then strain and use as a wash, soaking
the feet in it for a few minutes, or use the water to wash sunburned skin
and rashes.

CULINARY USES
Cream cheese and dahlia dip
This Mexican spread is delicious on toast and also makes a party dip served with
crudités, Melba toast or French fries. The Mexicans use chilli salsa instead of
Worcestershire sauce.

250 g carton smooth cream cheese

1 cup finely grated mozzarella cheese
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce or chilli salsa
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon finely ground coriander seed
A little milk
½–¾ cup dahlia petals

Mix the ingredients together, adding a little milk if it is too stiff. Spoon
the dip into a bowl and top with dahlia petals.

Mexican mealie and chilli dish with dahlia flowers

SERVES 4–6
Exotically different, this bright, spicy and delicious country dish varies from village to
village in Mexico. Serve it in green mealie husks for a braai or a picnic.

6 mealies
1 cup onion, finely chopped
½ cup olive oil
½–1 hot fresh chilli, finely chopped
2 green peppers, finely chopped
2 cups chopped spring onions
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lemon
¾ cup mixed dahlia petals

Boil the mealies until tender, then cool them slightly and cut the kernels
off the cobs. Brown the onion in the olive oil, add the chilli and green
pepper, then stir in the mealie kernels and spring onions. Add the sea
salt, black pepper and lemon juice. Lastly, add the dahlia petals. Serve
hot in a wooden bowl and decorate with dahlia petals.

COOK’S NOTE
All the dahlia varieties are edible, although the tubers are not
very palatable. While the petals are not very tasty either, they
can be used as an attractive decoration, for example on rice
and mealie dishes in the Mexican style.

Sundried tomato and dahlia bread

SERVES 4–6
This delicious Mexican-type bread is so quick and easy that you can make it often.

375 g white bread flour

1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons instant dried yeast
50 g sundried tomatoes, drained from their oil and chopped
¾ cup multi-coloured dahlia petals
5 tablespoons lukewarm olive oil
¾ cup lukewarm water

Heat the oven to 220°C. Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Stir in
the dried yeast, sundried tomatoes and dahlia petals. Warm the olive oil
in a double boiler. Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in the
warm water and oil, mixing them together well to form a soft dough.
Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead it gently for about
seven minutes, turning it over and over. Grease a baking sheet and
press the dough fairly flat in an oval loaf shape. Brush with olive oil and
bake for about 30 minutes. It should sound hollow when you tap it and
be light golden brown on top. Serve hot with butter.
Daisy
Bellis perennis • Lawn daisy

The common daisy is found in lawns and meadows all over Britain,
Europe and the Mediterranean area, and has a long and colourful
history as a folk remedy and medicine. Its Latin name Bellis comes
from bellus meaning ‘pretty’, while perennis means ‘perennial’.
Easily grown in temperate and subtropical parts of the world, it is
considered one of the worst ‘lawn weeds’ in England. However it
has long been used to treat all sorts of ailments, and it is listed in
herbal writings, pharmacopoeias and ancient medicinal texts. I once
read a charming description of the ‘daisie’ in a London museum:
‘Great virtues for Daisies, which do mitigate all kinds of pains, but
especially the paines of the joints, and gout, if they be stamped with
new butter unsalted, and spread upon the pained place.’
I have a fond memory of learning to make a daisy chain on my
first visit to England. Two elderly ladies in Sandringham’s beautiful
gardens in Norfolk showed me how to prick a small hole under the
base of the calyx of one daisy, and push through the stem of
another daisy, linking it to the next and the next, making a chain.
One of the women removed the hat pin from her wide-brimmed hat
to make the holes, and I completed the chain under their watchful
 eyes. I pressed that sweet daisy chain and have it to this day! Daisy
chains originally marked the winner of a race or an event, or the
doer of a good deed, and were placed upon the person’s head ‘in
recognition of accomplishment’!

CULTIVATION
The common daisy is one of the easiest plants to grow. This pretty little
low-growing perennial needs full sun and a well-dug bed with lots of
compost to ensure a long flowering period. Under the heat of the
African sun it is best treated as a winter annual. The hybrid daisy is
readily available in nurseries during winter and spring and has the
same uses as its dainty white cousin.
Plant it as a path edging or as a border plant to enjoy the thumbnail-
sized daisies, as it only reaches 10–12 cm in height. Water two or three
times weekly in the winter months and it will go on well into spring. Pick
and dry the flowers often as the more you pick the more they produce!
Plant 20 cm apart.
Today the daisy is thought to be a troublesome invader in some
areas, but its ability to survive indicates its valuable medicinal
constituents. Save the seed yearly and re-sow in autumn for cool-
weather flowering.
Grow the daisy in-between vegetable rows such as between peas
and cabbage, between lettuce and spinach, and between radishes and
kohlrabi. It invigorates its companions, keeps them producing succulent
leaves, and keeps slugs, snails and caterpillars away. Planted a bit
closer than usual, 12–15 cm apart, they form a perfect thick barrier to
deter snails.

MEDICINAL USES
Crushed daisy flowers were once used on the battlefields where they
grew to staunch bleeding wounds, and as the daisy has antiseptic
properties, fresh crushed flowers were associated with warfare. Salves
and ointments were made by heating the fresh flowers and buds in hot
lard and oil; the salve was set in small containers, making it easy to
carry.
Saponins, essential oil, flavones, tannins and mucilage are present
in varying quantities, mostly in the flowers, although the leaves contain
smaller amounts. The more ornamental varieties of Bellis perennis
daisies still contain those components.
Daisy tea can be taken to help relieve gastritis, diarrhoea, enteritis,
sore throats, coughs, colds, sneezing and mucous production.
Astringent and expectorant, this tea is safe for children and the elderly.
To make B. perennis tea, pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup fresh
flowers and one leaf. Leave the tea to stand for five minutes, stir
frequently, sweeten with a touch of honey, and sip slowly for all the
above ailments. A strong brew of the flowers was used in the bath to
treat skin disorders, bruises, wounds and grazes.
Daisy ointment was loved by country folk and used to treat varicose
veins, haemorrhoids, minor wounds, gouty joints and sore red watery
eyes (rub the salve gently on the eyelids, not anywhere near the inside
of the eye). Today B. perennis is a valued homeopathic remedy for
deep internal bruising.

Daisy wash
Use this wash for wounds, grazes, acne and rashes.

2 cups fresh daisy leaves and flowers

1 litre water

Simmer the leaves and flowers in the water for 20 minutes, with the lid
on. Allow the liquid to cool, then strain. Use as a wash or a spritz spray
over the area, or as a poultice for sprained muscles, with a cloth wrung
out in the warm brew.

Daisy ointment
This ointment is good for varicose veins, haemorrhoids and gouty joints. Pick the
leaves and flowers in late winter and spring, when they are most prolific.

2 cups fresh daisy flowers, buds and leaves

1 cup good aqueous cream
½ cup almond oil
10 cloves
½ cup comfrey leaves, chopped
Simmer the ingredients together in a double boiler, stirring and pressing
continuously for 30 minutes. Press the comfrey particularly well. Cool
the mixture for 10 minutes, strain. Spoon it into sterilised glass jars,
label, and store in the fridge in summer.

CULINARY USES
Daisy honey
MAKES 1 JAR

30 daisy flowers
1 jar runny honey

Submerge the flowers in the bottle of honey to infuse their delicious

flavour of newly mown hay. Leave the flowers in the honey until it is
finished, when you can eat the daisies. Stir a spoonful of the honey into
a cup of herb tea to ease aches and pains. For a snack with the tea,
put a daisy or two on a cheese sandwich – this was considered to be a
good treatment for backache!

Daisy vinegar
MAKES 1 BOTTLE
Daisy vinegar was once also called daegus eage, an Anglo-Saxon word meaning the
‘day’s eye’ (a reference to the daisy’s centre with white petal ‘rays’ around it). The
vinegar was used to flavour salads, and as a bath tonic.

50 fresh daisy flowers

1 bottle white grape vinegar

Submerge the daisies in the vinegar. Stand the bottle in the sun for 10
days, giving it a daily shake. Strain out the daisies and replace with
fresh ones. Use the vinegar as a salad dressing to release stiffness and
gout, or use a splash of it in the bath to ease aches and pains.

Pickled daisy buds

MAKES 1 OR 2 JARS
I once bought a small jar of pickled B. perennis buds at a market in Spain. They were
as delicious as capers, especially when served with a salad of fresh daisy leaves and
flowers!

2 cups white vinegar

1 cup honey
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
2 cups fresh B. perennis buds

Simmer the vinegar, honey and seeds together for 20 minutes, with the
lid on. Pack the daisy buds into jars and pour the hot mixture over
them. Seal the jars, and leave for four weeks before serving the buds
with bread and cheese. Taste the Mediterranean!
Dandelion
Taraxacum officinale

This common weed with its astonishing array of health benefits is

proof indeed that a weed is a plant out of place! It originated in
Europe but is now widespread all over the world, its name deriving
from the French dents de lion, meaning ‘teeth of the lion’, a
reference to its jagged leaves. It is astonishing to think that a plant
 with such remarkable medicinal properties, and that was actually an
official medicine in the 16th century, could have become largely
forgotten, but happily it is once again the subject of a resurgence of
interest and research.
Dandelion is primarily a detoxifier and a diuretic, and Arab
physicians back in the 11th century recommended it as a treatment
for liver and kidney ailments. In the 13th century, physicians from
Myddfai in Wales named dandelion a cure-all cleanser. Those
ancient physicians were amazingly accurate, as modern research
has shown dandelion to be one of the most important and effective
of all herbs for detoxifying the body.

CULTIVATION
I brought dandelion seeds from England 30 years ago and as it is such
an undemanding and robust perennial and self-seeds, I am never
without it. It is unfussy as to soil type, thrives in any sunny position,
transplants easily and the rewards from the bright yellow flowers and
jagged-toothed leaves are enormous.

MEDICINAL USES
Dandelion is one of the best bile stimulants known; it helps to break
down gallstones, soothes chronic rheumatism, clears gout, eases
painful and stiff joints, and also aids fever, constipation, insomnia, and
surprisingly, hypochondria. It helps to detoxify the body after a
hangover, after over-indulging or eating junk foods, and helps clear up
acne and boils.
To take dandelion medicinally, eat three fresh leaves daily in a
salad. The younger the leaf, the less bitter it is. Add a sprinkling of
flower petals from two flowers for the beta-carotene content as well as
the vitamins, minerals and amino acids the petals contain.
Dandelion flowers and young leaves in spring are considered to be
a tonic, flushing toxins from the body. Spring tonic wines were made
across Europe and can still be found in rural areas today.
The milky latex in the stems and at the flower base is an excellent
treatment for removing warts, corns and verrucas. Apply the juice
frequently, at least twice a day. Repeat every day until the wart, corn or
verruca subsides.
Dandelion tonic wine
This is a simple version of the traditional diuretic and digestive dandelion tonics.

2 cups dandelion flowers

2 litres water
1 cup honey
10 cloves
2 star anise
Juice of 4 lemons
1 litre good wine (optional)

Boil the flowers in the water with the honey, cloves, star anise and
lemon juice. Simmer gently for 15 minutes with the lid on. Cool, strain
and add the wine if desired. Refrigerate, and take a wine glass daily.

CULINARY USES
Dandelion and bacon salad
SERVES 4
This is the best known of all dandelion dishes.

4 cups fresh young dandelion leaves

2 cups dandelion flowers, calyxes removed
250 g streaky bacon
4 tablespoons olive oil
5 slices bread, cubed
Sea salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Tear up the dandelion leaves and mix with the flowers. Chop up the
bacon and fry until crisp. Drain the bacon, and add the olive oil to the
bacon fat in the pan. Fry the bread cubes in the fat and oil until golden,
then remove them from the pan and drain. Mix the croutons and bacon
with the dandelion leaves and flowers in a glass bowl. Sprinkle the
balsamic vinegar over the salad just before serving and decorate with
dandelion flowers.

COOK’S NOTE
The dandelion’s long tap root can be dried, roasted and
ground to make a pleasant, healthy version of coffee, while
young dandelion leaves and flowers are superb in salads and
can be added to soups, stews and sauces.

Dandelion flower omelette

SERVES 1
6 dandelion flower buds
Butter
2 eggs
3 cups water
Sunflower oil
3 cups parsley
¾ cup grated cheddar cheese
Sea salt and pepper

Pick flowers that are just about to open. Sauté them quickly in a little
butter and set aside. Whisk the eggs with the water. Heat a little
sunflower oil in a pan and pour in the egg and water mixture. Mix the
sautéed dandelion flower buds with the parsley and cheese, and as the
omelette sets, sprinkle this on one half of it. Add sea salt and pepper,
flip the other side over to cover the cheese and flowers, and let the
omelette settle for one minute. Slide it onto a hot plate and serve
immediately with hot buttered toast.

Dandelion and beetroot salad

SERVES 4
This salad is both delicious and healthy. It can be served either hot or cold, and is
always well received. Serve it with chicken or fish.

2 cups dandelion leaves, roughly torn

2 cups dandelion flowers
1 cup chopped celery
6 cooked beetroots, peeled and thinly sliced

Dressing
1 cup brown grape vinegar
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons mustard powder
1 teaspoon powdered coriander
½ teaspoon powdered cloves
Dandelion flowers
Chopped parsley

Mix the dandelion leaves and flowers with the celery and beetroot
slices. Heat the vinegar, sugar and mustard and stir until the sugar
dissolves. Add the coriander and cloves. Pour the hot dressing over the
salad and serve hot sprinkled with dandelion flowers and parsley, or let
it cool and serve it cold.
Day lily
Hemerocallis species

The Chinese first cultivated the day lily as a food and medicine
thousands of years ago. By the 12th century it had been introduced
to the New World, where it became established in the gardens of
the rich. Much reverence and mystery were associated with the
flower owing to its short lifespan – each exquisite flower blooms for
 only a day. The three petals were thought to symbolise the Trinity,
and the three sepals were thought to represent yesterday, today
and tomorrow, symbolising the transience and brevity of life. The
flowers will last without water for a day and have been used over
the centuries in religious ceremonies and to decorate shrines, fonts
and places of worship in many cultures worldwide.
Pliny the Elder recommended a tea made from the dried flowers
to ease the pain of childbirth. In the late 19th century, day lilies were
thought to have pain-killing properties and were taken in the form of
a tea to relieve rheumatism, aching joints, toothache and cramps.

CULTIVATION
Perennial, undemanding and easy, these lilies can be the backbone of
a garden, or even a vegetable garden. What makes them so appealing
is that they need no attention other than a deep twice-weekly watering,
a few barrow-loads of compost twice a year, and occasional division.
Plant them about 75 cm apart in well-dug, richly composted soil, and
apart from the odd tidying up of dry leaves and stems, they can largely
be left to themselves. They flower prolifically and I have counted nine or
10 blooms on a stem, opening one day after the other. You will be
rewarded with a splendid display all summer long.
Day lilies take full sun and light shade equally well and adapt to all
types of soil. Divide the clump every three or four years in winter by
pushing two forks into it back to back and forcing them apart. Cut off
the long leaves, leaving only about 10 cm, and replant in newly
composted soil, watering it well. These lilies cross-pollinate easily, so
within a few seasons you may find you have a new colour.

MEDICINAL USES
The earliest medicinal use of the day lily was as a tea. To make the tea,
add one fresh flower to a cup of boiling water; leave it to stand for five
minutes, then strain, add a touch of honey and sip slowly. The tea is a
great comfort for aching muscles, strains and sprains and was often
used as a lotion, with bandages soaked in the tea and bound over
sprains and bruises. The brew can also be made into a mouthwash to
ease toothache and mouth infections. In the past, crushed day lily
petals were warmed and simply bound in place over bruises.
Day lily mouthwash
This mouthwash is used to clear oral infections and ease toothache.

1 fresh day lily flower

1 teaspoon cloves
1 cup boiling water

Pour the boiling water over the day lily flower and cloves. Swill the brew
around the mouth several times during the day. Cloves are excellent as
a disinfectant and as a painkiller for toothache.

CULINARY USES
Day lily stir-fry
SERVES 4
This is a tasty, quick-and-easy supper dish that can be served in minutes and can be
varied according to the ingredients you have at the time.

A little olive oil

2 onions, thinly sliced
1 packet large brown mushrooms, roughly sliced
2 green peppers, thinly sliced
8 baby marrows, cut into thin strips
10 day lily flowers and buds, thinly sliced
Juice of 1 lemon
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
½ cup chopped parsley

Heat the olive oil in a large wok or pan and add the onions. Let them
brown lightly and then add the mushrooms, green peppers and baby
marrows and stir-fry, turning constantly. Add the day lilies, lemon juice,
sea salt and black pepper and stir well. Finally, add the parsley and
serve piping hot with brown rice.

COOK’S NOTE
Cooking with day lilies is a pleasure, and their crisp, green
bean-like taste enhances salads and stir-fries. The buds and
 flowers can be steamed or fried and complement just about
any dish.

Golden day lily and yellow peach salad

SERVES 4–6
This is a golden feast for both the eye and the palate and it is my favourite summer
salad. I add dandelion petals, pumpkin flowers and yellow nasturtiums for festive
occasions. It is spectacular!

6 large, firm yellow peaches, coarsely grated or thinly chopped

2 cups celery, thinly chopped
2–3 yellow sweet peppers, thinly sliced
12 yellow and orange day lilies and buds
6 raw baby marrows, thinly sliced or ½ a peeled raw butternut squash,
grated
4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup good mayonnaise
Black pepper and sea salt to taste

Mix the ingredients together gently and spoon into a pretty glass salad
bowl. Sprinkle with a little freshly grated ginger and decorate with
yellow day lilies all around the bowl.
Steamed day lilies and asparagus
SERVES 4
In spring the first asparagus comes onto the market just as the day lilies begin to
flower. Pick the buds as they start to colour and steam them with the asparagus for a
deliciously healthy spring treat.

4 cups day lily buds

2–3 packets asparagus

Sauce
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups full-cream milk
2 teaspoons mustard powder
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons cornflour
1 teaspoon salt
Black pepper to taste
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Place the flower buds and asparagus in a steamer and cook until they
are tender. To make the sauce, whisk the eggs into the milk and
mustard powder. Heat the butter and the cornflour, stirring well. Add the
egg and milk mixture and stir well until it thickens. Add the salt, pepper
and cheese, stirring all the time until the sauce reaches the correct
consistency. Remove from the heat. Place the asparagus spears neatly
on individual plates, surrounded by the day lily buds. Pour the sauce
over them and decorate with day lily petals. Serve hot as a nourishing
lunch dish.
Delicious monster
Monstera deliciosa • Ceriman • Swiss cheese plant

Rather surprisingly, this familiar house plant belongs to the Arum

family. It originated in the jungles of Mexico and Guatemala, and is
one of about 30 species of tropical climber belonging to the genus
Monstera.
 The delicious monster produces incredibly tough, woody, multi-
jointed stout stems that bear huge, perforated leaves up to a metre
long at intervals along the nodes. In its third year the flowering spike
will appear if conditions are suitably moist. The inflorescence is a
tough, creamy, arum-like flower with a bisexual spadix enclosed in a
creamy white spathe. The rind that covers the spadix is covered in
pale green hexagonal scales or plates, and the flower takes a year
to ripen. As this happens, so the rind disintegrates and small pieces
fall away, each with a succulent, exotic-tasting tip. Finally the
scented, edible white pulp, which is the centre of the flower, is
exposed, and it is this flower heart with its flavour of guavas,
pineapple, granadilla and banana that is simply food for the gods.

CULTIVATION
The delicious monster has an extraordinary growth habit, climbing by
means of masses of aerial roots. In the case of an indoor plant
restricted to a pot, these roots can dangle rather untidily, but do not cut
them away as the plant draws moisture from the air by means of them
and they help it to survive. It continues to fruit at erratic intervals during
the warm months and I have found that it does so readily if sprayed
with water every week and if its aerial roots are led down into a bed of
rich, moist compost that I replenish twice a year. It needs shade and
protection and if it is in a greenhouse or on a verandah, it will benefit
from a partner. As my grandmother used to say, they need to chat to
one another so far from their jungles!

MEDICINAL USES
The spadix is the rigid core of the flower, which develops little scales.
Discard the little top of each scale as there are tiny hairs of calcium
oxalate on each section that can cause a burning irritation on the skin
and tongue. Cut away the top and use only the ripened tips at the
centre of the flower. The inner pulp and very ripe bits of the flowers are
used as a treatment for skin spots, pimples, dry flaky skin on the heels
and elbows and rough spots on the toes. Sticky and soothing, leave it
on for as long as possible, then wash it away with tepid water to which
a dash of apple cider vinegar has been added.
 The soft young outer covering of the flower, the spathe, is still used
in Mexico today as a comforting poultice over a sprain or bruise.
Pressed open and softened in water, it makes a soothing dressing that
is often used to hold other herbs in place over a wound or contusion.
The leathery little plates can be loosened off the ripe fruit and the
creamy inner core rubbed onto sunburned skin.

Delicious monster spathe poultice

I was shown this very comfortable poultice for painful cracks on the heels. The spathe
of the delicious monster is thought to have pain-killing properties.

1 delicious monster flower

1 tablespoon good aqueous cream
2 teaspoons almond oil
1 teaspoon rose essential oil

Cut away the inner core of the flower and discard it. Fill the spathe with
the aqueous cream mixed well with almond oil and rose essential oil,
smearing it into the tough spathe at the base. Now fit it over the
cracked heel and gently move the spathe around the heel for a minute
or two to massage the cream mixture in. Repeat this daily, using the
spathe as a cup. After three days, the heel cracks should disappear.
Discard the spathe and keep the heel softened and moisturised by
applying the aqueous cream, almond and rose oil mixture every night.

CULINARY USES
Mexican ceriman (delicious monster) drink
SERVES 4

Ripe pulp from 1 delicious monster flower, scales removed (about ¾

cup mashed)
2 cups hot water (not boiling)
1 litre iced water
½ cup honey
1 litre granadilla or mango juice
Mint sprigs

Mash the pulp and cover with the hot water. Leave it to stand and cool,
then put it through a liquidiser with a little of the iced water. Strain if
preferred. Add the honey, fruit juice and mint, and chill. Serve in tall
glasses with a sprig of mint. Sip slowly and relish every magical
mouthful.

Delicious monster and litchi dessert

SERVES 4
This is a taste experience – since first tasting it I watch eagerly to see if my delicious
monster flowers will ripen during litchi season.

2 tablespoons gelatine
1 cup warm water
1 litre litchi juice
A little sugar (optional)
4 cups litchis, peeled, stoned and sliced
1 ripe flowering delicious monster spadix, scales carefully removed and
finely mashed

Dissolve the gelatine in the warm water and stir into the litchi juice.
Taste for sweetness, adding a little sugar if necessary, and stir well.
Add the litchis and finally the mashed spadix. Pour into a glass bowl
and set in the fridge. Serve with whipped cream.

Paradise ice-cream
SERVES 4
This unforgettable dessert is one of the quickest summer treats I know. Use either
home-made or bought vanilla ice-cream.

Vanilla ice-cream
Pulp from 4 granadillas
1 cup finely crushed pineapple
1 ripe delicious monster spadix, scales removed and finely mashed
Whipped cream
Spoon three or four balls of ice-cream into individual glass bowls. Pour
a little granadilla pulp over them, and on top of that a spoonful or two of
pineapple pulp mixed with the mashed delicious monster spadix. Top
with a little whipped cream. This is what eating in paradise must be like!
Echinacea
Echinacea purpurea • Purple cone flower

Echinacea is undoubtedly one of the world’s most important

medicinal plants. In recent years it has drawn increasing respect
from the medical profession as its ancient uses in traditional herbal
medicine are being verified by scientific research. It is native to
North America, and is now cultivated on a large scale worldwide.
 The Sioux and the Comache Indians have used echinacea for
centuries to treat the same ailments we use it for today: bronchitis,
pneumonia, viral infections, acne and boils, animal and insect bites
and stings, fever blisters, earache, flu, coughs and colds, sore
throats and tonsillitis, skin allergies and infections, fungal infections,
kidney and bladder infections, mild asthma, toothache and
abscesses. It is a natural antibiotic, it boosts the immune system,
and it is antifungal, anti-allergenic, anti-inflammatory and
detoxifying. With all these amazing properties it is little wonder that
echinacea is being researched for its ability to combat HIV – it could
be set to become the plant of the new millennium.

CULTIVATION
Echinacea is an easy-to-grow perennial. It thrives in well-dug, well-
composted soil, and being a prairie plant, it can do with very little water
and needs little care or attention. The cushion of tough, coarse leaves
gives rise to tall flowering spikes in midsummer, with bright pink, daisy-
like flowers. The plant grows up to 60 cm in height, and the clumps
need to be spaced 50 cm apart as they spread rapidly. The plant dies
down in winter, almost disappearing from sight, and the spent flowers
need to be cut. Cover with compost in spring and soak it well.

MEDICINAL USES
Echinacea is an exceptional anti-allergenic plant, and this is one of its
key actions. In the case of allergic rhinitis, echinacea tea taken with
three or four tablets of the biochemic tissue salt Natrium muricatum
(available from your local pharmacy), will immediately soothe, open the
nose and stop the streaming.
To make echinacea tea, pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup
petals, leaves and root. Allow the tea to stand for five minutes, then
strain and sip slowly. During an acute infection take two cups of the tea
daily, and for chronic infection take one cup on alternate days. To
relieve chilblains, make a cup of the tea to drink, and cool a second cup
as a lotion to apply externally to sore fingers and toes. Dip pads of
cotton wool into the lukewarm tea and apply to the area.
For post-viral fatigue syndrome, commonly known as ME, take a
cup of echinacea tea daily and include the flower petals in the diet.
Echinacea tea is being researched with favourable results as a
treatment for asthma, particularly allergic asthma, and hay fever, cold
sores or fever blisters caused by the Herpes simplex virus (see also
elder flowers).

Echinacea healing cream

It is worth making your own healing creams and this easy-to-make cream has many
applications.

1 cup echinacea petals and buds

1 cup comfrey flowers and buds
1 cup calendula flowers
2 cups good aqueous cream
3 teaspoons vitamin E oil
10 drops tea tree oil

Simmer the petals, flowers, buds and aqueous cream in a double boiler
for 30 minutes. Strain. Add the vitamin E and tea tree oils. Mix well and
pour into a sterilised jar.

CULINARY USES
Echinacea and melon fruit salad
SERVES 4–6
This pretty and healthy dessert is cool and green on a hot summer’s day.

1 ripe green melon

4 kiwi fruits, peeled and sliced
3 cups green grapes, cut in half and seeds removed
4 prickly pears, peeled and sliced
1 cup echinacea petals
½ cup honey
½ cup warm water

Remove the seeds from the melon and cut the flesh into squares. Mix
all the fruit and the echinacea petals together in a glass bowl. Stir the
honey into the warm water and pour over the salad. Allow the dessert
to chill in the fridge. Decorate with fresh echinacea petals and serve
with whipped cream.

American Indian savoury echinacea spread

SERVES 4
This spread makes an excellent lunch dish with sweet potatoes. Baked potatoes or
even pasta can be substituted for the sweet potatoes.

4–6 large sweet potatoes

1 cinnamon stick
3 medium onions, chopped
Olive or sunflower oil
1 cup celery stalks and leaves, finely chopped
2 cups mustard greens, roughly torn
2 cups watercress sprigs or land cress leaves
1 cup echinacea petals
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons honey

Boil the sweet potatoes in their skins in salted water with the cinnamon
stick until cooked. Meanwhile fry the onion in the oil until it starts to
brown, then add the celery stalks and leaves. Stir well. Add the mustard
greens, then the watercress and echinacea petals. Stir well for about
one minute and add the sea salt, black pepper and finally the honey.
Split open the hot sweet potatoes and pile the echinacea spread on
top. Decorate with fresh echinacea petals and a wedge of lemon.

COOK’S NOTE
Echinacea petals are fresh-tasting and tender. I only started
using them in cooking a few years ago after an American
Indian visitor to the Herbal Gardens described how they fry
the petals with watercress, onion and mustard leaves and
spread it over sweet potatoes (see recipe). I found this so
interesting and delicious that it spurred me on to start
experimenting.
Echinacea pane bagno
SERVES 4
Pane bagno literally means ‘bathed bread’. It is a delicious salad roll, perfect as a
lunchtime snack or for a picnic.

4–6 large freshly baked rolls, or 1 French loaf

1 can tuna in brine
Sea salt and black pepper
Fresh lemon juice
4 ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced
2 onions, thinly sliced
2 green peppers, thinly sliced
1 cup echinacea petals
1 cup stoned olives, chopped

Dressing
½ cup olive oil
½ cup white grape vinegar
2 teaspoons mustard powder
½ cup runny honey
Pinch sea salt and black pepper

Split the rolls or French loaf horizontally along one side, without cutting
all the way through the crust. Butter both sides lightly. Mix all the
dressing ingredients together in a screw-top jar and shake well. Open
the bread so that it lies flat and gently dribble a little dressing along
both sides. Drain the can of tuna fish and mash with a little sea salt,
pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Arrange the sliced
tomatoes, onions and green peppers on the rolls, and top with the
mashed tuna. Finally, sprinkle with the echinacea petals and olives.
Close up the rolls or French loaf and wrap in cling wrap. Put a weight
on them and leave for an hour to allow the dressing to soak in well. Just
before serving, slice the rolls or loaf into manageable portions.
Elder flowers
Sambucus nigra

The elder is a sprawling, multi-stemmed deciduous shrub or small

tree that is indigenous to Europe. It has been much revered through
the centuries for its medicinal powers and it was believed to have
magical protective properties. One of the most popular traditional
beliefs was that it kept witches away, and in Europe elder trees
 were often planted close to people’s homes for this reason. The
purplish black berries appear after the flowers in midsummer and
are particularly high in vitamins A and C; they have been made into
a glorious wine or syrup for coughs, colds and bronchitis for
centuries.

CULTIVATION
The elder is an undemanding shrub that requires little more than a
sunny position. It will tolerate most soils but thrives in well-composted
ground. Propagation is by means of cuttings in the spring, and it can be
clipped back in winter to prevent it from becoming too sprawling and
untidy. The elder can reach a height of about 4 m but is easily trimmed
to form a hedge and can even be confined to a large tub providing that
it has full sun and well-composted soil.

MEDICINAL USES
Elder is a renowned antiviral herb that helps to reduce fevers, fight flu
and colds and boost the immune system. The flowers are used to tone
the mucous linings of the nose and throat, helping to reduce catarrh
and alleviating sinus problems, allergic rhinitis, hay fever, coughs, sore
throat, postnasal drip and chronic earache. The flowers also stimulate
the circulation and help to ease arthritis by encouraging sweating and
urine production, which in turn remove acidity and toxic waste products
from the body.
Research has found that the flowers help to break down the Herpes
simplex virus, which is marvellous news for sufferers of fever blisters or
cold sores. To rid the body of the Herpes simplex virus try a tea made
with equal quantities of elder flowers, echinacea petals and black
peppermint (Mentha piperita nigra). Pour a cup of boiling water over ¼
cup herbs. Allow the tea to stand for five minutes, then strain and sip.
Take one cup every alternate day for two months and then thereafter
once or twice a week for 4–6 months. In persistent cases, continue
taking the tea twice a week for a further three or four months.

COSMETIC USES
Elder flower skin cream
Elder flowers make a wonderful healing skin cream that can be used to treat dry skin,
cracked heels, and skin blemishes such as dark spots and freckles.

1 cup elder flower heads

1 cup aqueous cream
2 teaspoons vitamin E oil
4 teaspoons almond oil

Simmer the elder flower heads in the aqueous cream in a double boiler
for 15 minutes with the lid on. Give the mixture an occasional stir.
Strain, discard the flowers and add the vitamin E and almond oils. Mix
well, and store in a sterilised jar. Apply daily to the spots and massage
into rough skin. The elder flowers will soften and moisturise the skin.

Elder flower lotion

This is one of the most loved lotions in Europe. It is still used as a country cosmetic
and has been well documented.

4 cups fresh elder flowers

3 strips lemon rind, thinly peeled with no pith
1 cup yarrow flowers
10 cloves, crushed
2 litres water
2 tablespoons witch hazel
10–15 drops lavender essential oil

Simmer the elder flowers, lemon rind, yarrow flowers and crushed
cloves in the water for 20 minutes. Let it cool down, keeping it covered,
then strain when cold. Add the witch hazel and lavender essential oil
and mix briskly. Pour into sterilised spritz spray bottles and label. Use
as an astringent lotion after washing the face, either spraying it on the
skin or dabbing it onto the skin with a cotton wool pad. Elder flower
lotion has a pore refining action and has become a traditional skin
treatment for problem skin as well as for ageing skin.
CULINARY USES
Elder flower lemonade
SERVES 8
This is an exquisite summer cordial and keeps well in the fridge.

4 cups elder flowers, pulled off their stems

Juice of 8 lemons
1 tablespoon lemon rind
3–4 cups white sugar
2 litres water

Simmer the ingredients together for 10 minutes. Add a little extra water
if necessary. Cool, then strain. Pour the lemony syrup into a decanter
and keep in the fridge. To serve, pour ¼ glass syrup and top up with
iced water and crushed ice, or ice-cold soda water with a sprinkling of
elder flowers floating on top.

Elder flower fritters

SERVES 4
These fritters make a beautiful dessert or tea-party treat and are quick to prepare.
Always make more than you think you want – they are so delectable!
12 large elder flower heads, fully open
Sunflower oil

Batter
3 eggs
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup cake flour
1 cup milk
½ cup water

To make the batter, beat the eggs well with the sugar and cinnamon
and then whisk together with the flour, milk and water to a runny
consistency. Heat a little sunflower oil in a large pan. Holding each
elder flower by its stalk, dip the whole flower into the batter and then
immediately transfer it to the pan of hot oil. Let it cook for about two
minutes or until golden brown. Transfer it to a pile of crumpled paper
towel and let it drain. Place the flowers on a plate, snip off the stems,
and dredge the fritters with icing sugar. Serve warm with whipped
cream and sprinkle with more tiny elder flowers, stripped off their
stems.

Elder flower and rhubarb dessert

SERVES 6
Elder flowers add a muscatel-like flavour to the tart rhubarb and lessen the need for
so much sugar. Use this as a dessert or as a pie filling. Peaches, apples or pears can
be added for a change of flavour.

12–20 long rhubarb stalks

4 cups sugar
4 cups elder flowers, stripped off their stalks
A little water

Strip the leaves off the rhubarb and cut the stems into 4 cm lengths.
Place in a deep pot with the sugar, elder flowers and water and simmer
gently, stirring every now and then until the rhubarb is tender and
breaks up. Do not let the mixture burn. Set it aside and allow it to cool.
Serve on pancakes with whipped cream or ice-cream, and decorate
with more elder flowers sprinkled over the top.
Evening primrose
Oenothera biennis

The evening primrose is a hardy biennial native to North America,

where it is a common weed. It has been used for centuries to treat a
wide variety of ailments, and modern research is verifying these
age-old uses. The Ojibwa, a North American Indian tribe, were the
first to discover its medicinal properties; they used evening primrose
 to treat asthma and chest ailments, as a poultice and lotion for
bruises and skin disorders, as a tea for fear, nervousness, panic
attacks and anxiety, and for ageing women. It was brought to
Europe around 1614 as a botanical curiosity and today it is
recognised as one of the world’s most important medicinal plants.
Leaves and flowers have long been added to soups, stews and
teas, and American Indians pickled the buds in oil and salt for the
winter. Simply eating one of the clear yellow flowers in the garden in
the evening will set you wondering about this remarkable plant.

CULTIVATION
The evening primrose will tolerate any sort of soil and is as
undemanding as any weed, merely requiring a sunny position. The
leaves are arranged in rosettes in the first year and can be eaten like
spinach; in the second year the leaves are arranged along the stem,
and fluorescent yellow flowers that scent the night air are also
produced. New flowers open every evening, only to fade and shrivel in
the hot sun the following day during summer. Masses of seeds form in
the capsules of the spent flowers, and it is these seeds that contain the
remarkable evening primrose oil that is used for such a wide variety of
ailments. The plant seeds itself prolifically all over the garden – once
you have it you will find seedlings popping up everywhere. Root it out
after the seed spire turns brown and scatter the seeds. The plant grows
to about 1 m in height.

MEDICINAL USES
Evening primrose oil is used extensively for premenstrual tension,
multiple sclerosis, as an anticoagulant and antispasmodic, and in the
treatment of wounds, skin eruptions, gastric irritation such as irritable
bowel syndrome, coughs, colds and menopausal hormone correction. It
contains the important gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), which has been
proven to lower blood pressure by preventing the clumping of platelets;
it has also been shown to lower cholesterol levels and to aid weight
loss. Evening primrose has also been found to be effective in the
treatment of hyperactive children. To make a tea for all the above
conditions, pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup fresh flowers and
leaves. Allow the tea to stand for five minutes, then strain and sip
slowly.

Evening primrose lotion for eczema

3 cups evening primrose leaves and flowers

1½ litres water

Simmer the evening primrose leaves and flowers in the water for 15
minutes. Cool, strain and apply the lotion externally, either using a
spritz spray bottle or dabbing onto the skin using a cotton wool pad.
Take the tea as an additional treatment.

COSMETIC USES
Evening primrose oil
For very dry skin, cracked lips and dry, flaking nails, this oil will become a standby for
many skin ailments.

Primrose flowers and buds

Grape seed or almond oil
30 drops lavender essential oil
3 teaspoons vitamin E oil
750 ml glass bottle

Pack the bottle with as many flowers and buds as it can hold. Fill the
bottle with grape seed or almond oil and seal well. Keep it in a warm
place, out of the sun, giving it a daily shake. After three days, pour
everything into a double boiler and simmer it gently for 30 minutes,
stirring often. Cool for 20 minutes, then strain. Add the lavender and
vitamin E oils and mix well. Return the oil to the bottle or pour into
smaller bottles and label. Do not expose to light; this oil must be stored
in a cupboard.

CULINARY USES
Evening primrose stuffed eggs
SERVES 6
Collect the evening primrose flowers in the early morning before they fade, and
refrigerate them. This recipe is a favourite for summer picnics, and I make it often as
a lunchtime snack.

1 dozen eggs
1–2 teaspoons horseradish sauce
½ cup good mayonnaise
½ cup chopped parsley
½ cup finely chopped celery
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
½ cup finely grated strong cheddar cheese
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup roughly chopped evening primrose flowers

Boil the eggs until hard – around ten minutes – and when they are
cooked, submerge them immediately in cold water. Shell the eggs, cut
them in half and remove the yolks. Mash the yolks with the rest of the
ingredients. Fill the hollows in the egg whites with the mixture and
arrange the stuffed eggs in a flat dish on a bed of lettuce and
watercress. Decorate each egg with an evening primrose petal, and
serve chilled.

Evening primrose and onion scones

SERVES 6
These tasty scones are much nicer than bread rolls as an accompaniment for supper,
and are quick to make.

1½ cups butter, coarsely grated

2 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Pepper
3 spring onions, finely chopped
1 cup chopped evening primrose flowers
¾ cup buttermilk
Rub the butter into the flour. Add the baking powder, salt, and pepper to
taste, then the spring onions and chopped evening primrose flowers.
Slowly add the buttermilk and mix into a dough, adding more if it is too
stiff. Turn out onto a floured board and knead briefly into a ball. Pat into
an oblong about 2 cm thick and cut into neat squares about 5 cm in
size. Lay these on a floured baking sheet. Brush the tops with
buttermilk and bake at 180°C for about 10 minutes or until the scones
start to turn golden brown on top. Serve hot with butter.

Evening primrose and pear dessert

SERVES 4–6
Make this easy dessert in autumn when there is an abundance of evening primrose
flowers (the flowers last longer than one night in cooler weather).

12 pears
1 litre water
1 cup sugar
1 cup lightly chopped evening primrose petals
½ cup evening primrose buds (optional)

Core and quarter the pears and poach them lightly in the water and
sugar until tender, usually about 10 minutes. Remove from the stove
and allow to cool. Just before the pears are completely cool, stir in the
lightly chopped evening primrose petals. Serve with whipped cream or
custard, decorated with more evening primrose petals. For a slightly
stronger flavour cook the pears with half a cup of evening primrose
buds. Add the flowers before serving.
Feijoa
Feijoa sellowiana • Pineapple guava • Brazilian
guava

This fascinating shrub is unusual in that it is a monotypic genus,

which means that it is the sole representative of its genus. It was
discovered in 1819 by a German explorer named Sellow, who found
it growing abundantly in Brazil and named it after Don de Silva
 Feijoa, a San Sebastian botanist, and himself (Feijoa sellowiana). It
was only introduced to Europe around 1890 by Edourd André, a
French horticulturist who found that it thrived in his garden on the
French Riviera. From there it was introduced to Australia, New
Zealand and California around 1900.
Very little is known about the feijoa and there has been virtually
no research done on it, which is surprising because not only is it
prolific and easy to grow, but its small, green fruits that appear in
abundance in late summer are exotically sweet and succulent to
eat. They resemble miniature guavas, with fragrant, white, guava-
flavoured flesh. Its attractive, dense grey-green foliage makes this
evergreen shrub an asset in a garden of any size.

CULTIVATION
The feijoa adapts remarkably well to any soil type and temperature and
can be found growing in the most unlikely spots, but it flourishes best in
warm, protected, richly composted sites. It needs full sun and a deep
weekly watering. When it is clipped, trained and controlled it makes a
most charming topiary, a luscious espalier against strong wires on a
sunny wall, a neat hedge or an attractive container plant, and can be
trained over arches. Left alone, it can reach 6 m in height and spread,
but pruned and controlled it is a perfect shrub for a small garden and is
beautiful in all seasons. Underplant it with tansy to prevent the fruit from
being stung, and hang a tin with molasses, water and fruit peels in the
tree as fruit fly bait.

MEDICINAL USES
In its native Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina, the feijoa is used
to treat certain thyroid conditions as it is rich in iodine. A tea can be
made from the plant by adding a cup of boiling water to ¼ cup mixed
flowers and fruit. Leave the tea to stand for five minutes, then strain
and sip slowly. This same brew is used to treat dysentery and
diarrhoea, but with the addition of extra flowers – two tablespoons of
flowers or one tablespoon of flowers and half a tablespoon of fruit.
Steep for five minutes only in boiling water, then strain and sip a little at
a time. Repeat until the condition subsides.
 In Paraguay, fresh crushed flowers and the ripe fruit are applied to
rashes, mild burns, insect bites and stings, and itchy inflamed areas. A
lotion made from the flowers can be used to soothe sunburned skin,
and slices of the fruit can be used as a poultice.

Feijoa lotion for sunburned skin

2 cups feijoa flowers

6 cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon powdered nutmeg
½ litre water
2 cups milk

Warm the flowers, crushed cloves and nutmeg in the water and milk for
20 minutes, stirring constantly. Let the lotion cool, then strain and pour
into a spritz spray bottle. Spray over the sunburned area or dab on with
cotton wool.

Feijoa skin cream

A modern version of a cream used in Brazil for centuries, for burns, grazes and
scratches.

1 cup feijoa flowers

½ cup olive oil
1 cup acqueous cream
3 teaspoons vitamin E oil

In a double boiler, simmer together the flowers, olive oil and acqueous
cream for 30 minutes, crushing the flowers well into the oil and cream.
Cool for 20 minutes then strain. Add the vitamin E oil. Spoon into a
sterilised jar with a well-fitting lid. Appy frequently. It can also be used
for cracks at the corners of the mouth, cracked heels and nail
problems. Massage well into the cuticles, especially of the toenails.

CULINARY USES
Brazilian feijoa conserve
For centuries Brazilians have used the succulent pink, curiously folded petals and red
stamens of the feijoa flower to make a conserve.

4 cups feijoa flowers, calyxes removed

3–4 cups sugar
3 cups chopped ripe apricots, peaches, nectarines or plums, or a
mixture
1 stick cinnamon
½ cup water

Simmer the ingredients on low heat, stirring occasionally, until the fruit
is tender, about 20 minutes. Spoon into a sterilised jar and leave to
cool. Serve over ice-cream, with custard and cream, or over baked
custard and rice pudding. It keeps well in the fridge.

Feijoa fruit salad

SERVES 4–6
Any fruit in season can be used, but I prefer the exotic spring fruits for this light,
refreshing dessert. It makes an attractive party dish.

3 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced

2 cups mulberries, stalks removed
Sugar
1 cup feijoa flowers
3 cups early peaches, peeled and sliced
1 cup granadilla juice
3 bananas, thinly sliced
1 small pineapple, peeled and coarsely grated

Sprinkle the strawberries and mulberries with sugar and leave them to
stand in a warm spot to absorb the sugar for about an hour. Add the
remaining ingredients, mix together, and let the fruit salad stand
covered for an hour before serving to enable the juices to mingle.
Dribble with a little honey and serve with whipped cream, decorated
with feijoa flowers.
Buttered banana and feijoa breakfast dish
SERVES 4
This is a delicious dish for a festive brunch, or even a Sunday family breakfast.

4 thick slices tomato

4 large black mushrooms
A little cooking oil
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Sugar
4 thick slices wholewheat toast, crusts removed
2 tablespoons butter
6 bananas, peeled and cut in half lengthways
1 cup feijoa flowers, calyxes removed
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Fry the tomatoes slices and black mushrooms in a large pan, using a
little oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper on them, plus a little sugar on the
tomatoes. Cook until tender. Butter the toast, place on individual heated
plates, and top with the tomato slices and mushrooms. Keep warm.
Wipe the pan out and heat the butter. Add the bananas and the feijoa
flowers and cook them gently in the butter for about two minutes.
Arrange them around the tomato and mushroom toast and sprinkle with
parsley. Serve immediately while hot, decorated with a few fresh feijoa
flowers.
Fennel
Foeniculum vulgare

The ancient Greeks and Romans considered fennel to be a sacred

herb and used it for slimming, much as we do today. In Anglo-Saxon
times the seeds and flowers were eaten on fasting days to still
hunger pangs; fennel was also used as a tonic herb, and Roman
warriors took it to keep in good health when they went off to battle.
 Fennel was once a favourite strewing herb, especially during the
Middle Ages, as its pleasant aniseed-type fragrance helped to clear
the air of bad smells.

CULTIVATION
Fennel is a hardy, easy-to-grow perennial. It needs richly composted
soil in full sun and a deep twice-weekly watering, and produces pretty
yellow umbels of flowers that are much loved by bees and butterflies.
The mature flowering stems scatter a mass of seed. Seedlings can be
transplanted when they are 6 cm tall into well-dug, well-composted soil
about 80 cm apart, in full sun.

MEDICINAL USES
Fennel seeds and flowers are a palatable and useful digestive remedy.
Taken as a tea or chewed after a heavy meal they will alleviate
flatulence, heartburn and colic, aiding the whole digestive process and
easing the feeling of fullness. To make the tea, pour a cup of boiling
water over ¼ cup fresh fennel leaves and flowers. Let the tea stand for
five minutes, then strain. Take two cups a day during infection, followed
by one cup a day thereafter for about 10 days. This tea is the world’s
favourite slimming drink and it is also a superb detoxifier.
Fennel is also a circulatory stimulant and anti-inflammatory, it
promotes milk flow in nursing mothers, and it is a mild expectorant, and
a superb diuretic.

CAUTION: Fennel is a uterine stimulant, so avoid taking too much

during pregnancy. Small amounts in cooking are quite safe.

Fennel flower antacid remedy

This remedy combines three top digestive herbs, making it a most comforting
antispasmodic and settling abdominal distension and bloating quickly. If you do not
have flowers, use the seeds alone.

1 tablespoon fennel flowers (pulled off their stems)

1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon caraway flowers (pulled off their stems)
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1 tablespoon anise flowers (pulled off their stems)
1 tablespoon aniseed

Mix the flowers and seeds together, place them in a screw-top jar and
shake well. The flowers will dry naturally in the mixture if the lid is kept
off. To make up the remedy, pour a cup of boiling water over one
dessertspoonful of the mixture and stir well. Let it draw for five minutes,
strain and sip slowly. It is quick-acting and immediately effective.

Fennel hot toddy

SERVES 1
In the 17th century this hot toddy was used in monasteries to cure everything from
rheumatism and the ague, to mad dog bites and fainting fits. On a winter’s night it is
like a magic potion. It warms you up, lifts your spirits and chases stiffness and chills
away.

1 cup boiling water

½ cup fennel flowers
4 cloves
1 teaspoon crushed cinnamon (not powdered cinnamon)
Juice of 2 lemons
1 tablespoon honey
Dash of good brandy

Pour the boiling water over the fennel, cloves and cinnamon. Let the
mixture stand for five minutes, keeping it covered to retain its warmth,
or place it in a pot on the stove on low heat for five minutes. Strain, and
add the lemon juice, honey and brandy. Sip slowly – and watch your
mood change radically!

COSMETIC USES
Fennel has been used since ancient times to make a facial steam for
cleansing oily skin and clearing spots, blackheads and acne.

Fennel facial steam

1½ litres boiling water
2 cups fennel leaves and flowers

Pour the boiling water over the fennel leaves and flowers. Make a towel
tent over the head, and lean over the steaming bowl for a few minutes.
Rinse in tepid water to which a dash of apple cider vinegar has been
added. Pat dry. Do this once a week to help clear problem skin.

CULINARY USES
Fennel flower slimmer’s salad
SERVES 4
This is one of my favourite salads and all of us, even those not anxious to slim, should
eat it once a week or fortnight to keep the body clear of toxins. Should you be coming
down with flu or a cold, add extra lemon juice and sprinkle a little cayenne pepper
over the salad. This often stops the infection in its tracks.

1 butter lettuce, roughly torn

1½ cups chopped celery, leaves included
1½ cups alfalfa sprouts or fresh young lucerne leaves
1½ cups fennel leaves and flowers, roughly chopped
1½ cups peeled chopped cucumber
1½ cups finely grated carrot
½ cup chopped parsley
Juice of 1 lemon

Mix the ingredients together in a large bowl, and pour the lemon juice
over the salad. Decorate with fennel flowers. Do not add salt or pepper.

COOK’S NOTE
Fennel flowers, nipped off their stems and fried, make a
delicious addition to the salad or sprinkled over a soup. Fry
the flowers quickly in a hot pan with a touch of olive oil and
sprinkle with salt and paprika.
Fennel flower soup
SERVES 4–6
Another superb detoxifying dish, this soup is a good anti-inflammatory as well as
being rich in vitamins and minerals. It is also excellent for bringing down high blood
pressure.

3 cups finely chopped leeks

1 tablespoon sunflower oil
2 cups chopped fennel stalks, leaves and flowers
1 cup pearl barley, soaked overnight
2 cups finely chopped celery
1½ cups finely grated turnip
1½ cups finely grated carrot
1 cup split peas
½ cup grated fresh ginger
Juice of 1 lemon
Sea salt to taste
A little cayenne pepper
1½ litres water or vegetable stock

Lightly brown the leeks in the sunflower oil. Add the remaining
ingredients and simmer for about one hour. Add a little extra water if
necessary.

COOK’S NOTE
The leeks browned in the oil give a good flavour to the fennel
flower soup. For those on a fat-free diet, omit the oil. Finely
chopped fennel leaves are delicious in fish dishes and on
green beans.
Fig
Ficus carica

The fig really is a flower with a swollen calyx, with the stamens and
petals all inside! Small wasps act as pollinators, entering the ‘flower’
through the hole at the base, known as the ostiole. This structure is
unique to the Ficus genus.
From its early Mediterranean beginnings, this much-loved fruit
has spread throughout the world as one of the oldest food crops, a
 medicinal remedy, and a prized garden feature.
Figs probably originated in Syria, and have been cultivated
across Mesopotamia and Egypt since 4000 BC. The Phoenicians
took the fig into China and India. It was one of the plants grown in
the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and the dried fruits were traded
on the great trade routes. Figs were a major crop in ancient Greece
and Pliny the Elder (AD 23–79) described 29 cultivars thriving at
that time.
Drawings of the fig were found in the Gizeh pyramid and in the
archives of great antiquity. Many of the ancient varieties still exist
today, and the Kadota fig remains a favourite. We grow several
varieties at the Herbal Centre gardens and make jams, preserved
whole figs, jellies and dried figs the way the ancient growers did.

CULTIVATION
Dig a wide deep hole in full sun, and fill it with a really huge amount of
rich compost. Set a wide pipe at an angle into the hole so that a
hosepipe can be inserted to get water down to the roots in a long, slow,
deep watering, twice-weekly.
Propagation is from cuttings taken in the dead of winter, at the first
stirrings of spring. I have learned that twigs with four nodes on them are
best so that two nodes can go underground for good rooting to occur.
Keep the deep pot or bag constantly moist and shaded until the first
buds appear.
Lavender and rosemary are great companions, and with
elderberries and lemon verbena nearby, no unwanted insects come
near the figs. Remove overripe figs as fruit flies and fruit beetles will
descend upon them. Give each fig tree a barrow of compost two or
three times yearly, and make a huge sturdy dam around each tree so
that you can flood it with water twice-weekly.

MEDICINAL USES
Ancient medical texts referred to the fig fruit as ‘fig flowers’ or ‘flowers
of fig’. The fruit was used as a constipation remedy, and a valuable
alcoholic drink for toning the digestive system was made from thinly
sliced figs and honey, left to ferment. This potent brew was prized in
Turkey, Spain and Italy.
 ‘Syrup of figs’ is an ancient gentle laxative. Most chemists stocked it
during my childhood and my grandmother made her own. No-one
suffered from constipation, flatulence, colic or indigestion with a dose of
this marvellous medicine!
Fresh figs are excellent as a natural laxative. Four fresh or dried figs
eaten daily first thing in the morning will move sluggish bowels. Soak
dried figs in warm water overnight and enjoy them with a cup of herb
tea – mint tea is a favourite! In many countries, two dried figs softened
in water overnight have formed part of the diet for centuries – bladder,
bowel, kidney, stomach and even weight problems are eased and
corrected by this.
Figs build bones, so for osteoporosis be sure to grow a fig tree in
your garden as the fruit are abundant in vitamins A, C and E, as well as
many minerals like calcium, potassium and phosphorus, and to a lesser
extent iron, copper and manganese.
Fig twigs stripped of their leaves and pressed into flour bins will
keep weevils away, and the milky sap dries up warts (the sap is
released when a leaf is picked). Drip the sap onto the wart at least
three times a day.

Syrup of figs for digestive upsets and constipation

10 thinly sliced figs, skin intact
1 cup honey

Simmer the figs and honey in a double boiler. Stir frequently for 30
minutes, warming the syrup thoroughly. Strain, pour into a sterilised
bottle and label. Take one dessertspoonful daily for digestive upsets
and constipation. The syrup is safe for children – two teaspoons is
usually the right dosage.

CULINARY USES
Fig ice-cream
SERVES 4–6
16–20 ripe figs, peeled and chopped
4 cups plain Bulgarian yogurt
1–2 cups whipped cream
Sprinkling of nutmeg and cinnamon

Peel the figs and chop roughly. Stir in the yogurt and cream. Add the
nutmeg and cinnamon and mix well. Taste, and if it is not sweet enough
add a little runny honey, tasting as you go. Pour into freezing trays and
place in the freezer. Check every 15 minutes and stir gently. Freeze
solid. Serve with a sprinkling of chopped almonds or pecan nuts in
individual glass bowls.

Quick fig jam

Ripe figs
Soft brown sugar
Stevia syrup (1 cup stevia leaves and flowers)

Cut ripe figs into quarters and weigh them. Toss them in a large heavy-
bottomed pot. Weigh half the amount of soft brown sugar, and add it to
the stevia syrup. To make the syrup, boil one cup of lightly chopped
stevia leaves and flowers in one litre of water for 20 minutes. Allow the
syrup to cool, and strain. Taste the syrup and add to the fig mixture a
cup at a time, until you get the desired taste you feel is most delicious.
Simmer the jam, stirring frequently, until the figs are translucent and a
drop or two of the sugar mixture sets on a cold saucer. Spoon into
sterilised glass jars right to the top, screw on the sterilised lids and
label.
 COOK’S NOTE
Dry ripe sliced figs in the summer sun on stainless steel trays
or in a dryer. They make a delicious dried condiment. Chop
the dried figs and serve with ice cream.

Fig savoury salad

SERVES 4–6
This is a real party platter and one that even the pickiest eater will enjoy! Use black
figs as they hold their shape beautifully.

2 butter lettuces, leaves separated

Slices of mozzarella cheese, enough for each half fig
12 black figs, cut in half
Pickled sweet chillies or cucumbers
Twists of thinly sliced cold beef or strips of chicken breasts
Squeeze of lemon juice
Black pepper
Lay the butter lettuce leaves out like little boats on a large platter. Place
a slice of mozzarella cheese in each one, topped with half a fig, cut
side up. Place a pickled chilli or pickled cucumber on top of the fig, and
tuck a slice of rolled-up cold beef or sliced chicken breast around it.
Add a squeeze of lemon juice. Grind black pepper over the salad and
serve as a first course or as a snack with drinks on a summer evening.
Simple and simply delicious!

COOK’S NOTE
For breakfast try fresh or honey-baked figs with homemade
Bulgarian yoghurt or fresh cream, sprinkled with pecan nuts
or macadamias. It is absolutely irresistible! Figs are even
used to flavour coffee, and fiquette, a type of liqueur made
with ripe figs and juniper berries, remains a popular choice
overseas.
Fruit sage
Salvia dorisiana • Giant woolly sage

There are hundreds of species belonging to the genus Salvia, but

very little has been written about this spectacular variety with its
huge, shocking pink flowers, large leaves and unmistakable fruity
scent and flavour. A cousin to S. elegans and S. officinalis, it
endeared itself to gardeners in centuries past, but as more and
 more hybrids have become available it has sadly been all but
forgotten. There is little evidence of its uses in ancient herbals other
than as a strewing herb, and because of its fruity fragrance it is
sometimes confused with pineapple sage, with its masses of tiny
red flowers. If it were not for one little cutting brought into South
Africa with a few other botanical specimens for research, fruit sage
would not be available here today, and I hasten to resurrect it, as
from the tiny cutting in the Herbal Centre trial gardens it has
become queen of the winter garden and a favourite in the nursery. It
grows 1½–2 m in height and width, with great sprays of fragrant,
thumb-length, brilliant pink flowers. Sunbirds adore the flowers for
their fruity nectar.

CULTIVATION
Grow fruit sage in full sun in a large, compost-filled hole. It needs
protection during very cold winters and should be pruned back neatly
after the early spring flowering period is over. It needs space but can
also be potted into large tubs and clipped and trained. On a hot patio
the huge velvety leaves are a wonderfully handy insect repellent. Rub
the leaves onto chair legs, table tops and benches to keep flies and
mosquitoes away. Your guests will be intrigued by the fruity scent.

MEDICINAL USES
The genus name Salvia derives from the Latin salvere, meaning ‘to
save’, and the name is apt as all species have amazing medicinal
properties. Among other things, sage is a valuable digestive aid, a
herbal remedy for both animals and humans, and burning sage will
clear toxins, bad air and odours.
A tea made from the flowers is an excellent digestive that eases a
feeling of fullness, slight nausea, colic and flatulence, and helps you
relax. To make fruit sage tea, pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup
flowers. Leave the tea to stand for five minutes, then strain and sip
slowly. It is a most useful relaxing herb and a bunch of leaves and
flowers tied up and tossed into the bath will do more to help you unwind
than anything else I know. The soothing oils seem to ease aching
muscles and rashes and dry, itchy skin. A leaf placed in one’s shoe on
a long walk will ease tiredness and soothe blisters, and crushed flowers
placed over an insect bite and bound in place will take away the
redness and itch.

Fruit sage poultice for bruises and strains

Fruit sage leaves
Hot water

Place the fruit sage leaves in hot water for a few seconds, then pat
them dry and place them immediately over a bruise, a pulled muscle or
a strain, or a tired, aching joint. The poultice will soothe and relax the
area.

Fruit sage and almond oil rub for bruises

1 cup fruit sage flowers
3 fruit sage leaves
1 cup almond oil

Simmer the flowers and leaves in almond oil for 30 minutes, stirring
frequently. Cool and strain. Pour the oil into a dark bottle and label.
Warm the oil before use by standing the bottle in a bowl of hot water.
Massage oil gently into the bruised area.

CULINARY USES
Fruit sage dessert whip
SERVES 4–6

2 large eggs, separated

300 ml thick cream
6 tablespoons white sugar
3 tablespoons gelatine
4 tablespoons hot water
300 ml plain yoghurt
Pulp of 4 granadillas
½ cup fruit sage flowers, calyxes removed

In three separate bowls, whip the egg whites; the cream; and the yolks
and sugar. Dissolve the gelatine in the hot water and allow it to cool
(stand the bowl in iced water). Add the cooled gelatine quickly to the
egg yolks, and then add the yoghurt and granadilla pulp, whisking
evenly all the time. Now add the cream and fold in the egg whites. Pour
into a glass dish and place the fruit sage flowers in a pretty pattern over
the top of the dessert. Chill until set. Decorate with a little spray of fresh
flowers as you take it to the table.

COOK’S NOTE
Fruit sage flowers have a sweet, fruity taste. Sprinkle them
onto salads and scatter them over desserts and into fruit
drinks or use them as an attractive garnish. Remove the
calyxes before serving.

Baby carrots with fruit sage and honey

SERVES 4–6
Large carrots can also be used for this delicious dish but cut them into fine rounds.
Serve as a vegetable dish with roast meat or roast chicken.

36 baby carrots, well washed

4–5 tablespoons butter
¾ cup honey
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup sesame seeds
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger root
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons chopped fruit sage flowers, calyxes removed

Boil the carrots until tender (use just enough water to cover them). Melt
the butter and add all the ingredients except the carrots. Sauté while
stir-frying continuously; keep turning the seeds and fruit sage in the
butter. Drain the carrots in a sieve until dry and add them to the butter
and honey mixture, turning them until they are well coated and just
starting to brown. Transfer to a serving dish, and spoon the remaining
butter and honey mixture over the carrots. Serve hot.

Roast pork and fruit sage

SERVES 6
This dish is superb for a Sunday dinner and it is equally delicious served cold.

2½–3 kg leg of pork

1 large sheet of tin foil
½ cup honey mixed with 2 teaspoons mustard powder
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
1 cup chopped celery stalks and leaves
½ cup fruit sage flowers chopped, calyxes removed
2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced
2 apples, peeled and thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Trim the pork of excess fat and place on a
double layer of tin foil. Spread the honey and mustard mixture over the
pork. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then lay the celery and fruit sage on
the roast and cover with the onion rings and apples, and sprinkle with a
little more salt and pepper. Wrap up the tin foil tightly so that all the
juices are retained. Place in a large baking tray and roast until tender,
about an hour and 10 minutes. Serve with roast potatoes, roast onions
and vegetables, and decorate with fruit sage flowers. The flowers give
an exotic taste to the pork!
Fuchsia
Fuchsia species • F. corymbiflora • F. denticulata • F.
racemosa

The fuchsia is native to central and southern America and parts of

New Zealand. In 1690 a French missionary priest, Charles Plumice,
discovered a fuchsia in Mexico and sent it back to France, naming it
after the celebrated Bavarian botanist Leonard Fuchs (1501–1566).
 Nearly all traces of the plant were lost for the next century, but a few
specimens were taken to Kew by a Captain Firth. Years later, in
1793, an avid gardener, James Lee, spotted a flowering fuchsia on
a windowsill in London and begged a cutting from the woman who
lived there, who had received it from her sailor son. Lee raised the
first plant from that cutting, took more cuttings, and established a
small nursery that marked not only the beginnings of his fortune, but
a new fashion in potted plants.

CULTIVATION
Cuttings can be taken easily and need little attention, simply keep them
moist and shaded in boxes filled with sand. Once planted out in semi-
shade or full shade, they will give years of pleasure and ask little in
return other than a deep watering twice-weekly, or daily if they are in
tubs or hanging baskets, and a dressing of peat and wood ash (not coal
ash) over their roots in winter. Plants should be pruned back in spring,
and can take quite vigorous pruning if they are well established, but
they do need winter protection.

MEDICINAL USES
No proper research has been done on the fuchsia’s medicinal and
culinary values, but in South America the crushed petals and juice from
the berries have long been used to treat skin ailments, freckles, small
blisters and rashes. The flowers of the New Zealand tree fuchsia
(Fuchsia arborescens) are eaten and used crushed on bites, scratches
and grazes, the pinky juice relieving itching and redness. They are also
used in bathing water to soothe inflamed blisters and sunburn.
In rural parts of Scotland, F. magellanica flowers are crushed and
wrapped around corns or callouses on the feet and kept inside the shoe
all day. Fresh flowers can be reapplied at night, held in place with a
bandage, and by the next morning the painful corn is something of the
past.
A superb fuchsia jelly can be made to relieve sore throats and
tonsillitis, to soothe the early stages of a cold, and to strengthen the
voice.
Healing fuchsia jelly
This jelly is useful for treating sore throats, tonsillitis, mouth ulcers and gum ailments.

1 cup fuchsia flowers

1 cup fuchsia berries
½–1 cup honey
1 cinnamon stick
Juice of 1 lemon
2 cups water
1 apple, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons gelatine

Simmer the flowers and berries with the honey, cinnamon stick, lemon
juice, water and apple for 10 minutes. Cool and strain, then add the
gelatine dissolved in a little hot water. Allow to set in the fridge. Take a
tablespoonful at a time and hold it in the mouth for as long as possible
to derive maximum benefit.

CULINARY USES
Cold chicken and fuchsia salad
SERVES 4
This is a superb lunch or picnic dish, and it can be varied with salads in season such
as avocados and winter lettuces.

1½ cups good mayonnaise

4 cups diced cooked cold potato
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
1 cooked cold chicken, cut into slices and bite-sized pieces
1 pineapple, peeled and cut into small wedges
3 cups torn fresh spinach leaves
2 cups chopped celery
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup fuchsia flowers
2 spring onions
4 hard-boiled eggs, shelled and quartered 1 butter lettuce
Mix the mayonnaise into the potatoes, and season. Mix in the other
ingredients, except for the fuchsia flowers, spring onions, hard-boiled
eggs and lettuce. Line a bowl with the lettuce leaves and pile the
mixture into the lettuce-lined bowl and decorate with the eggs, spring
onions and fuchsia flowers. Serve chilled, with crusty brown bread.

Fuchsia ice-cream topping

SERVES 4–6
Use this as a topping for ice-cream, rice pudding, sago pudding, mashed bananas or
even oats porridge. It is so pretty that served with cream it quickly makes a party
piece. For the fresh fruit, use peaches, nectarines, strawberries, mangoes, mulberries
or a combination thereof. Select small fuchsia flowers so that you can keep them
whole.

3 cups fresh fruit, peeled and cut up

Sugar to taste (about 1 cup)
½ cup water
½ cup desiccated coconut
1 cup small fuchsia flowers

Simmer the fruit, sugar, water and coconut gently in a double boiler,
stirring often, until tender and syrupy. Cool. Add the fuchsia flowers and
pour the topping over the ice-cream or pudding. Decorate with more
fresh fuchsia flowers. For a beautiful summertime party dish, layer ice-
cream and the topping and fresh fuchsia flowers in individual tall
glasses. Serve decorated with a mint leaf or two and a fresh fuchsia
flower, and eat with long spoons.

COOK’S NOTE
I tasted fuchsia petals in a beautiful red pomegranate drink in
a London restaurant many years ago – long before
pomegranate became the important health food we know
today. The whole flower was cut in half, covered with castor
sugar and brushed with a pinch of nutmeg. This exquisite
flower, decorated in this manner and propped on the edge of
the glass completely won me over. It was a delectable
combination.
Fuchsia and potato mash
SERVES 4
That familiar comfort food, the mashed potato, can become a party dish if one livens it
up with the addition of a few brightly coloured fuchsia petals and a sprinkling of
parmesan cheese and aromatic spices.

6 large or 8 medium potatoes

1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces
¾ cup hot milk
Sea salt and black pepper
2 teaspoons crushed coriander
1 teaspoon powdered nutmeg
1 teaspoon powdered allspice (pimento berries)
¾ cup fuchsia petals
Parmesan cheese
Chopped parsley
Fuchsia flowers

Peel the potatoes and boil until soft. Drain off the water and mash
immediately. Add the butter, hot milk, sea salt and black pepper to
taste. Mash until light and fluffy, adding more hot milk if necessary. Fork
in the coriander, nutmeg and allspice, and finally, add the fuchsia
petals. Pile into a glass serving dish. Keep hot, and just before serving
top with a light sprinkling of parmesan cheese and decorate with
chopped parsley and fuchsia flowers.
Gardenia
Gardenia jasminoides

The exquisite gardenia, with its waxy white, heavily fragrant flowers
and glossy green leaves is native to China, where it has been
revered for its medicinal, cosmetic and fragrant properties for over 2
000 years. The Chinese add fresh flowers to the bath, and tie them
in muslin with a handful or two of salt to use as a scrub to soften
 and cleanse the skin. In past centuries, gardenias were cultivated
for the empresses of Japan to wear in their hair, for corsages, and
for use in the bath. In the cooler months they were cultivated in tubs
in greenhouses to ensure their bounty of flowers.
Gardenia flowers are still used in cooking in many rural areas
today, and can be added to sugar, drinks, fruit salads, desserts and
syrups. To scent tea in the ancient Chinese way, tuck a fresh
gardenia flower into a tin of loose tea leaves, close the tin securely
and leave it for four or five days, or until the flower dries, while it
imparts its heavy, beautiful fragrance to the tea leaves. Flowers
tucked into raw rice, oats or sago will impart the same sweet, heady
scent.

CULTIVATION
The gardenia is beautiful enough to be a focal point in a frost-free
garden, demanding little more than a large hole filled with good alkaline
leaf mould or lime-free compost well mixed with peat. It prefers a
partially shady spot but will also thrive in full sun, providing it has a bit
of afternoon shade. A deep weekly watering is all that is required, and
dead-heading of its spring to late autumn flowers. It will do well in a
large tub, where it can be kept trimmed into a ball shape. In open
ground gardenias will reach a height of up to 2 m and about 1–1.5 m in
width, and they benefit from an occasional dressing of peat to keep the
leaves from turning yellow.
Propagation is by soft-wood cuttings in spring and hard-wood
cuttings in late summer. They provide a mass of blooms, and cut
flowers floating in a shallow glass bowl will scent a room for days.

MEDICINAL USES
In traditional Chinese medicine a soothing lotion was made to wash
sores, grazes and insect bites. Drink a little of this infusion to relieve flu,
to lower a temperature, and to cleanse the liver. Interestingly, ancient
Chinese drawings depict the gardenia root, fruit and flowers being used
to treat snakebite.
In Indonesia, where the gardenia is grown extensively, the leaves
and flowers are made into a tea. To make the tea, add ¼ cup chopped
leaves and flowers to a cup of boiling water, leave to stand for five
minutes, then strain. This can be taken to ease tight, asthmatic
breathing, lower a fever, calm heart palpitations, lower high blood
pressure and to ease stress, fear and anxiety. Take half a cup in the
morning and half a cup in the evening. Sipped slowly, the warm tea
sweetened with a little honey is comforting and relaxing.

Gardenia lotion
This lotion is soothing on grazes, sores and insect bites.

2 cups mixed gardenia flowers, leaves and roots

2 litres water

Boil the ingredients together for 15 minutes, with the lid on. Cool the
mixture a little, strain, and use as a wash on the skin conditions
described.

Gardenia flower wash

Use this wash for red inflamed skin, sunburn, windburn and itchy rashes.

1 cup chopped gardenia petals

1 cup aqueous cream
½ cup rosewater

In a double boiler, simmer the petals in aqueous cream and rosewater

for 20 minutes. Cool, strain and spoon into a jar. Use a scoopful to
wash the affected area. It is immediately soothing. It can also be used
on blisters on the feet, over chafed areas and for facial skin problems.
Keep the wash on the side of the bath and use for all sore, red spots.

CULINARY USES
Gardenia chocolate mousse
SERVES 6–8
This decadent mousse is food for the gods, and so easy to make.
250 g dark chocolate
4 eggs, separated
2 tablespoons soft butter (at room temperature)
4 tablespoons castor sugar
3 tablespoons dark rum
1 cup cream
4 tablespoons thinly sliced gardenia petals

Break the chocolate into pieces and melt in a double boiler. Whisk the
egg whites until stiff. Whisk the butter and sugar together until creamy,
then add the beaten egg yolks and rum. Whisk the cream until stiff.
Gently combine all together, and finally add the gardenia petals. Pour
into a pretty glass bowl and refrigerate. When you are ready to serve,
decorate with a sprinkling of gardenia petals and a whole flower in the
centre.

Gardenia milkshake
SERVES 1
Energising and nourishing, this exotic milkshake is a meal in a glass and very
refreshing on a hot day. Children love to drink it with a straw.

1 glass milk
1 ripe banana
1 egg, well beaten
1 tablespoon honey
6 gardenia petals
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Blend all the ingredients (except for the cinnamon) in a liquidiser. Pour
into a glass and sprinkle cinnamon over the frothy top. Drink
immediately and feel your energy levels rise!

Gardenia and litchi fruit salad

SERVES 6
This is one of the most exquisite desserts I know, and it is perfect for a special
occasion. The litchis are essential to the recipe, but the other fruits can be varied
according to what is available or in season, such as mango slices, peaches, grapes,
watermelon, kiwi fruit or green melons. Tinned litchis can be substituted for fresh
ones.

4 cups peeled, stoned litchis

3 cups mango or peach slices, or other fruit
5–6 tablespoons grape juice
1 tablespoon grated ginger
2 tablespoons castor sugar (or 1 tablespoon honey)
3 gardenia flowers, petals separated and calyxes discarded
1 cup whipped cream

Arrange the fruit in individual glass dishes with a dash of grape juice.
Mix the ginger and castor sugar (or honey) together and sprinkle a little
over the fruit. Keep chilled. Just before serving, chop the gardenia
petals, sprinkle over the fruit, and top with the whipped cream.

COOK’S NOTE
It is essential to handle gardenia petals with the greatest of
care as they turn brown very easily; it is important to prepare
and add them just before serving. Sprinkle the petals with
lemon juice to prevent them from discolouring.
Garland chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum coronarium • Chop suey greens •
Edible chrysanthemum

This attractive, bright and easily grown annual is popular in oriental

cuisine, and has only recently been introduced to the rest of the
world. It has been grown for centuries in gardens all over the East,
and in China particularly, for use in stir-fries and teas and for its
marvellous medicinal properties. The ancient Chinese used this
chrysanthemum as a blood tonic, to help clear toxins from the body
and to assist the functioning of the kidneys and bladder. It is a
gentle diuretic and also a deodoriser.
 The leaves are used extensively in cooking as a chop suey
green and big bunches of the pungent, crisp feathery leaves are
now sold in markets all over the world. The bright yellow petals are
crushed into butter, fat, batters and sauces to lend colour and
flavour. Finely chopped raw leaves and flowers sprinkled over stir-
fries and rice dishes add a rich, full taste and help to clear the body
of toxins, an important benefit if one has eaten food that is too rich
or spicy.

CULTIVATION
The garland chrysanthemum likes well-dug, richly composted soil in full
sun and a lot of water – a deep soaking at least twice-weekly. It does
not do well in the heat of midsummer and is best grown as a winter or
cool-weather crop. It will survive frost and cold winds, but does best in
a protected area, where it will reach 1 m in height and even in width,
with a glorious show of bright yellow daisy-like flowers that go on and
on until the heat makes them bolt. Picking of leaves and flowers
benefits the plant. Sow fresh seed in trays every February for winter
planting and transplant the seedlings once they are big enough to
handle. Shade and protect the small plants in the beginning and do not
let them dry out.

MEDICINAL USES
A tea made from the leaves and flowers is a gentle diuretic that helps
with cystitis and water retention. To make the tea, pour a cup of boiling
water over ¼ cup flowers and leaves. Leave the tea to stand for five
minutes, strain and drink. One cup a day is sufficient, but in the case of
swollen feet, add fennel flowers and leaves and celery leaves, and
drink two or three cups through the day.
As a tonic herb the garland chrysanthemum is much loved in China
as it is rich in minerals, amino acids and vitamins A, D and E. A thin
soup can be made as a spring tonic and blood and kidney purifier, and
to clear up a lingering cold and clear the chest of mucous.

Garland chrysanthemum tonic broth

Take this broth to purify the blood and kidneys.
1 cup chopped garland chrysanthemum flowering tops
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup finely chopped parsley
3–4 cups water

Simmer the ingredients together for 30 minutes to make a thin tonic

soup. Take one cup of broth, warmed, two or three times a day. It is
quite pleasant. Flavoured with a dash of lemon juice, sea salt and
cayenne pepper, this soup will also clear up a lingering cold and clear
the chest of mucous.

COSMETIC USES
Garland chrysanthemum lotion is excellent for oily, spotty skin, and
fresh crushed flower petals, moistened in hot water, can be applied to
spots and pimples.

Garland chrysanthemum lotion

This lotion is used to treat oily, spotty skin.

1 cup garland chrysanthemum flowers and a few leaves

1 cup bran
2 cups water

Boil the flowers, leaves and bran in the water for 20 minutes. Allow the
lotion to cool, strain, and use it as a rinse after washing the face.
Alternatively, use the lotion unstrained as a massage mask over the
face to clear oiliness. It leaves the skin feeling soft, refreshed and
refined.

CULINARY USES
Garland chrysanthemum croutons
SERVES 4
Serve sprinkled over a light vegetable soup or as a snack with drinks, or mix into rice
and serve with soy sauce.

Sea salt and pepper

2 teaspoons mustard powder
4 thick slices brown bread
¾ cup sunflower oil
1 large onion, cut into rings
2 cups garland chrysanthemum flowers, cut into quarters

Sprinkle salt, pepper and mustard powder over the bread and cut the
slices into small squares. Heat the oil in a pan, and gently fry the bread
with the onion rings and garland chrysanthemum flowers until they all
start to turn golden, turning often. It is easier if you do this in small
batches rather than in one go. When the croutons start to crisp, lift
them out and drain on crumpled paper towel.
Garland chrysanthemum stir-fry
SERVES 4
The spicy taste of these easy-to-grow flowers gives this basic stir-fry a different taste.
Add seasonal ingredients to ring the changes.

1 cup finely chopped onions

Sunflower oil
1 cup thinly shredded carrots
3 cups thinly shredded cabbage
½ cup thinly shredded ginger root
1 cup garland chrysanthemum petals
1 cup garland chrysanthemum leaves
Juice of 1 lemon
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Dash of soy sauce

Fry the onions in oil until they start to brown. Add the carrots and
cabbage and stir-fry briskly. Add the other ingredients and keep stirring
until the vegetables are tender but still crisp. Do not overcook. Serve
piping hot with rice.

Garland chrysanthemum and apple dessert

SERVES 4
This dessert is delicious on a winter’s night and it is quick and easy to make. Serve
with custard or cream for a party dish.

6 apples, peeled and cored

2 litres water
1 cup honey

Topping
1 cup garland chrysanthemum flowers, quartered
½ cup butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1 teaspoon allspice powder
½ cup soft brown sugar
¾ cup pecan nuts, finely chopped
1 cup sunflower seeds
Cook the apples and honey in the water for 15 minutes. To make the
topping, gently fry the garland chrysanthemums in the butter, add the
spices and stir-fry well. Add the sugar, pecan nuts and sunflower seeds
and cook for two minutes. Spoon the cooked apples into a glass dish,
sprinkle with the spicy topping and keep hot in the oven. Serve hot with
whipped cream or custard, decorated with a sprinkling of garland
chrysanthemum petals.
Gladiolus
Gladiolus hybrids

The huge variety of gladioli cultivated today are believed to have

descended from the bright orange parrot flower, Gladiolus dalenii
(formerly G. natalensis), which is indigenous to South Africa and
was taken to England in the early 1700s. In 1904 one of the
engineers responsible for building the bridge that spans the
 Zambezi River at the Victoria Falls, Sir Frederic Fox, found the
pretty G. primulinus growing wild in the perpetual spray of the falls
and took it to the Royal Horticultural Society in England. From there,
Unwins of Cambridge, a long-established seed firm, developed new
hybrids using those original corms.

CULTIVATION
I became intrigued by this easy-to-grow plant in the early 1960s, when
my mother-in-law grew an acre or two of breathtaking hybrids for the
local florists in Rustenburg. I learned how they were packed for
transporting – tied onto river reeds in fan shapes so as not to bruise the
exquisite opening blooms – and I also learned that one needs to spray
for thrips in order to protect the buds. In my world that was not
acceptable, so, with the help of a patient farmhand, I began cultivating
organically grown gladioli far from her area.
Gladiolus corms need to be planted in spring in deep, richly
composted furrows in full sun. The corms must be spaced 30 cm apart,
and water needs to flood over them. A long, slow, twice-weekly
watering – not just a trickle from a hosepipe – will increase stem length
and number of florets. Gladioli need sunlight to form buds. They are not
frost-resistant: in cold areas the corms must be lifted in late autumn,
stored in straw during winter in a closed shed – no wind or draught on
the corms – and then replanted in spring. Large corms should be
planted 10–13 cm deep, and smaller ones 7 cm deep, exactly.
In the 1960s gladioli were the favoured cut flower, but today they
are seldom seen. In my herb garden I grow the wild orange gladiolus
for medicinal purposes and find that it multiplies quickly and easily.
Space them 25 cm apart and stake if the flowering spike becomes too
heavy.

MEDICINAL USES
Both the corms and flowers of Gladiolus dalenii have been used as
food and medicine by several African tribes, and several smaller
varieties of corms have been roasted in coals and used as a poultice
for drawing out boils and abscesses. Throughout the centuries, a drink
made by boiling the corms of some gladiolus varieties has been taken
by those who overindulged in alcohol. As gladiolus corms can be easily
confused with other plants, care must be taken in selecting the right
corm. Traditionally, the Zulu and Sotho people have used the corms of
wild gladioli, ground down to a fine meal, to treat dysentery, diarrhoea
and stomach upsets, and farmers in KwaZulu-Natal make an infusion of
the corms and lower portion of the leaves for coughs and colds. Use
one dessertspoonful of corms (peeled and finely chopped) and leaves
to a cup of boiling water, leave to stand 5–6 minutes, strain and drink.
Gardening in the summer heat, we soon learned that a crushed
gladiolus flower would soothe a blister or heal a scratch from the
secateurs. Zulu flower-pickers showed us how to crush and squeeze
the petals into a tight ball, which they rubbed over their fingernails to
strengthen them and prevent them from breaking (the dark red flowers
give the nails a beguiling pink tinge!). Gladiolus petals placed in a jar of
water and left in the sun for a few hours make a soothing wash for hot,
tired feet.

Gladiolus flower lotion for sores

12 gladiolus flowers, chopped
4 cups water
1 piece of bulrush stem and root, the size of a forefinger

Simmer the chopped flowers in water, stirring frequently. Crush the

bulrush stem and root and add to the pot. Simmer for 30 minutes. Allow
to cool, then strain and use for small cuts, grazes, burns, red chafe
marks and mosquito bites.

CULINARY USES
Stuffed gladiolus flowers
SERVES 8
This summer starter is real party fare. Choose fully open flowers and remove the
sheath of calyx.

2 cups mashed, drained tuna in brine

¾ cup good mayonnaise
⅓ cup sesame seeds
½ cup finely chopped celery
½ cup finely chopped green pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
2–4 flowers per guest

Mix the tuna, mayonnaise and the rest of the ingredients well. Spoon
teaspoonfuls into each open flower and pat into shape. Arrange the
flowers in a circle on a bed of lettuce on a serving platter. Serve chilled
with wedges of lemon.

Gladiolus and bean stew

SERVES 6–8
I first tried this tasty stew in the Eastern Cape over 30 years ago. The elderly farm
worker who gave me the recipe told me that his grandmother cultivated wild gladioli
around their grass hut especially for this purpose. Use any organically grown
gladiolus flower. The beans have to be soaked overnight beforehand.

500 g haricot beans

500 g large butter beans
4 large onions, finely chopped
A little sunflower oil
6 large tomatoes, skinned and chopped
1 finely chopped chilli, seeds removed
1 tablespoon crushed coriander seeds
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup brown grape vinegar
1 litre hot water
3–4 cups gladiolus flowers, roughly chopped
1 cup celery leaves
A little parsley

Soak the haricot beans and butter beans in a generous amount of

water overnight. The next morning sauté the onions in the oil, then add
the tomatoes, chilli, coriander seeds, sugar, vinegar and water. Rinse
and drain the beans, and add them. Simmer gently with the lid on,
adding more water from time to time and stirring well frequently. When
the beans are tender, add the gladiolus flowers, celery leaves and
parsley. Simmer for five more minutes. Serve the bean stew piping hot
with stywe pap, polenta or brown rice.

Gladiolus and avocado open sandwich

SERVES 4–6
This recipe is so quick and easy, and always popular. Open sandwiches can be varied
according to ingredients available, but this combination remains a favourite and is
spectacularly beautiful.

8 slices dark rye or pumpernickel bread

Horseradish sauce
8 thin slices ham
Cucumber slices
8–10 gladioli flowers, calyxes removed and petals separated
2 avocados, mashed with salt, pepper and lemon juice
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1 butter lettuce
Cherry tomatoes
Chopped parsley

Spread the bread with butter, followed by a thin layer of horseradish

sauce. Lay the ham on the bread. Place the cucumber slices on top of
the ham; then lay the gladiolus petals on top of the cucumber so that
the petals form a frill around the edge of the bread. Pile on the mashed
avocado, and top with the mozzarella cheese. Arrange the sandwiches
on top of lettuce leaves on individual plates with cherry tomatoes.
Sprinkle with parsley.
Goldenrod
Solidago virgaurea • S. canadensis

Most species of goldenrod are native to North America and were

reputedly spread around the world by soldiers and gypsies. The
plant has been used medicinally since ancient times and is
cultivated today for herbal and homeopathic remedies. The North
American species, Solidago canadensis, was brought over to Britain
 in 1648 by John Tradescant. The European and Asian species, S.
virgaurea, also known as Aaron’s rod, was once called ‘wound
weed’ because it reputedly had wonderful healing properties.
Goldenrod’s generic name, Solidago, comes from the Latin solido,
meaning ‘to join or make whole’. Today many cultivars have been
hybridised from those original species. Both these species are the
best for medicinal purposes.

CULTIVATION
S. virgaurea, the European variety, is a clump-forming perennial with
long, slender-toothed leaves and multi-branched stems about 75 cm
long, with tiny yellow flowers that brighten the autumn border. A waste-
ground weed, it will grow in any soil as long as it is in full sun. All it
needs is a barrow of compost every spring, a deep weekly watering,
and literally no other attention; however, cut back the spent flowering
spires in winter and divide the clump occasionally.
S. canadensis is the tall flowering variety and forms a spectacular
clump. Its flowering spires reach over 1.5 m in height; like S. virgaurea,
it requires a deep weekly watering, full sun and a good amount of
compost each spring.

MEDICINAL USES
It is the flowers of the goldenrod plant that have medicinal value; the
flowers can be dried on brown paper in the shade and stored in airtight
jars for winter use. They have diuretic, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory
properties, and are an important anti-oxidant. They are effective in
relieving urinary tract ailments, from cystitis to more serious conditions
such as kidney stones and nephritis. They also help to relieve
backache caused by kidney conditions, and they ease arthritis.
Goldenrod’s saponins act specifically against the Candida fungus,
which causes oral and vaginal thrush, and it is a valuable herb for
chronic sinusitis and nasal catarrh. It has a mild yet thorough action
and is helpful in treating gastroenteritis and diarrhoea in both adults
and children. Recent research has found that goldenrod reduces hot
flushes significantly during menopause. With this amazing array of
healing properties we should all be growing goldenrod!
 As a general tonic and as a treatment for any of the above ailments,
goldenrod health tea is wonderfully soothing. For acute conditions, take
up to three cups through the day, while for chronic conditions take no
more than one cup daily. Make the tea fresh every time. The honey and
cayenne pepper can be left out if preferred.

Goldenrod health tea

SERVES 1

1 cup boiling water

3 cups flowering goldenrod sprigs
2 cloves
1 mint leaf
Honey to taste
Tiny pinch cayenne pepper

Pour the boiling water over the goldenrod flowers and mash well with a
teaspoon. Add all the other ingredients and stir well. After five minutes,
strain and sip slowly.

Goldenrod douche
2 cups goldenrod flowering heads, or 1½ cups dried flowers
2 litres water
½ cup apple cider vinegar

Simmer the goldenrod in the water for 15 minutes. Allow the mixture to
cool for 10 minutes, strain out the flowers, and add the apple cider
vinegar. Use the full quantity as a douche, and repeat the process on
the next two nights to clear the infection. This brew can also be used
frequently as a wash or lotion.

CULINARY USES
Goldenrod and celery health drink
MAKES 3 GLASSES
This is a superb drink for any bladder or kidney ailment, and for cystitis I know no
better drink. It is also excellent as a general health builder and detoxifier. It can also
be served chilled with freshly squeezed orange juice. As with any herbal remedy,
remember to discuss it with your doctor first.

2 cups barley water

2 cups boiling water
1 cup goldenrod flowers
½ cup chopped parsley
1 cup chopped celery
Juice of 1 lemon

Make the barley water by boiling a cup of pearl barley in two litres of
water for 40 minutes. Keep topping up and simmer gently with the lid
on, then strain.
Pour the boiling water over the goldenrod flowers, parsley and
celery. Leave the mixture to stand for five minutes, then put through a
liquidiser. Strain, and add the barley water and lemon juice. Drink
slowly, either warm or cold. During acute infections, such as an acute
cystitis attack, drink three times a day and add extra water.

Goldenrod soup
SERVES 6–8
This old American Indian recipe is not only delicious, but health-building too. I make it
every autumn when the goldenrod is in flower.

2 cups chopped onion

A little olive oil
2 cups chopped celery
3 cups green mealies, cut off the cob
2 cups grated sweet potato, skin left on
2 cups grated butternut or pumpkin
2 cups chopped green pepper
2 cups peeled, chopped tomato
2 cups goldenrod flowers, pulled off their stems
Juice of 2 lemons
Sea salt and cayenne pepper to taste
2½ litres water
Lightly brown the onion in a little olive oil, then add the celery and stir-
fry briefly. Add all the other ingredients, and stir well. Cover and simmer
until tender. For a change you can add two cups of mushrooms or two
cups of leeks, or replace the water with chicken stock. Serve the soup
hot with crusty brown bread. It keeps well in the fridge.

Goldenrod and apple chews

MAKES 15–20
Much loved by children, these round ‘chews’ are a sugar-free health treat.

1 kg cooking apples
1 cup unsweetened apple juice
1 teaspoon powdered cinnamon
¾ cup chopped stoned dates
½ cup chopped goldenrod flowers and buds
¾ cup chopped pecan nuts

Peel and slice the apples and place them in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add
all the remaining ingredients, except for the pecan nuts, and simmer
gently over a low heat for three or four hours. Stir frequently and let it
melt together to form a thick dough. Scrape the dough into a shallow
bowl and leave it to cool, then roll the dough into balls and coat them
with the chopped pecan nuts so that they do not stick together. Twist
each ball into a small piece of greaseproof paper, ready for the
lunchboxes.
Granadilla flower
Passiflora edulis • Passiflora species • Passion flower

CULTIVATION
The vine needs full sun, a deep, richly composted hole, and a fence or
support to grow up. It needs to be protected from winter frost and I
usually replace my vines every four or five years. Keep vines lightly tied
up and trimmed, apply a seaweed foliar feed every six months, and
water deeply twice a week, and you will be rewarded with an
abundance of flowers and fruit.

MEDICINAL USES
It is fascinating to know that the fruit, leaves and flowers of the
granadilla have been used through the centuries to calm nervousness,
to soothe, tranquillise and quieten, and to allay fears and anxiety. For
those suffering from insomnia and panic attacks, this plant may prove
to be particularly useful. There are about 400 different granadilla
species and a number of them have a similar sedative action.
Passiflora incarnata and P. quadrangularis have been found to contain
serotonin, one of the main chemical messengers within the brain. To
make a calming tea, pour a cup of boiling water over one granadilla
flower (calyx and stem removed). Leave the tea to stand for five
minutes, then strain and sweeten with a touch of honey. The delicious
fruit is also a digestive aid.

Native to America and first recorded in Europe around 1699, the

granadilla flower is also known as the passion flower, and is
traditionally associated with Christ’s Passion. Spanish monks first
noted its symbolism, but it was a botanist and physician in the 16th
century, Monardes (after whom bergamot, Monarda didyma, is
named), who first recorded in writing the symbolic interpretation of
the flower.
The pillar or column at the centre of the flower was said to
represent the cross, with the three stamens inside the column
suggesting the Holy Trinity. The five anthers under the stamens
were thought to indicate Christ’s five wounds when nailed to the
cross. Beneath the three stigmas is a small, swollen seed vessel,
said to denote the sponge soaked in vinegar that was held up to
Christ’s mouth. The three stigmas were thought to represent the
three nails that pierced his hands and feet, and the calyx was said
to represent the halo. The corona of fine tendrils is usually purple;
this was believed to depict the crown of thorns stained with Christ’s
blood, and the 10 petals surrounding the flower were said to
indicate 10 of the 12 disciples (excluding Peter who denied him and
Judas who betrayed him). The digitate leaves were thought to
suggest the hands of the persecutors, and the long green tendrils
 along the stem the whips that lashed him. The colour purple was
thought to symbolise the robe thrown over Christ in mockery, and
white the purity of Christ’s love.

Calming granadilla syrup

1½ cups boiling water
2 granadilla flowers, green calyx removed
Pulp of 4 ripe granadillas
2 teaspoons honey

Pour the boiling water over the granadilla flowers. Add the fruit pulp, stir
well and steep for five minutes. Strain and add the honey. Pour half a
cup of the brew at a time and sip slowly. Children enjoy this warm tea,
and it settles, calms and unwinds them after a rushed and busy day.
Keep excess in the fridge – it will last a day or two – and warm half a
cup when needed. I use a small stainless steel double boiler pot to
warm special drinks like this.

Hot granadilla insomnia remedy

Monks in the Mediterranean area grew granadilla for treating stress and insomnia,
and became known for the ‘passiflora remedy’, recording it in their pharmacopoeias.
‘Passiflora’ became a valuable remedy and is still used as a distress remedy all over
the world, thanks to those early recordings. Make it fresh every night.

1 granadilla flower, chopped, calyx removed

½ cup unsweetened fresh granadilla juice
¾ cup boiling water
1 teaspoon honey
2 cloves, crushed

Simmer all the ingredients in a double boiler for 15 minutes, stirring

frequently. Let it stand for five minutes to cool, then strain it and sip it
slowly just before going to bed.

CULINARY USES
Passion flower nectar
SERVES 4–6
At the end of a hot day there is nothing nicer than this relaxing, exotic fruit drink.

1–3 teaspoons honey

1 cup granadilla pulp
2 cups granadilla juice
1 cup granadilla flowers, roughly broken
3 cups chopped watermelon, seeds removed

Put all the ingredients into a liquidiser and blend for two minutes. Pour
immediately into glasses with crushed ice, and add a dash of soda or
iced water if desired. Top each glass with a luscious granadilla flower
and let your guests savour its delicate fragrance.

Passion flower cake topping

Bake your favourite sponge cake in a large cake tin or pyrex dish and use this
incredible topping instead of icing. The sides of the dish need to be high to hold the
topping while it sets.

4 bananas, thinly sliced

1½ cups granadilla pulp
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons gelatine
1 carton smooth cream cheese
1 cup granadilla flowers

Gently poach the bananas in the granadilla pulp and sugar. Remove
from heat and allow the mixture to cool. Mix the gelatine in a little warm
water and add to the banana and granadilla mixture. Mix well. Fold in
the cream cheese. Discard the calyxes from the granadilla flowers, strip
off the petals, chop them up and mix in. Pour the topping over the cake
and place in the fridge to set. It should take about an hour. Serve
decorated with whipped cream and fresh granadilla flowers.

Passion flower tropical fruit salad

SERVES 6
Make this in midsummer with all the exotic fruits available. Change the fruits
according to what is in season.

½ cup sugar (optional)

1–1½ cups granadilla pulp
2 cups papino, cut into cubes
2 cups peeled, cubed mango
2 cups peeled litchis, cut in half
1 cup kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced
1 cup granadilla flowers, cut into quarters, calyxes discarded

Mix about half a cup of sugar into the granadilla pulp if it is too tart. Mix
all the cut fruit together gently and place in a glass bowl. Pour the
granadilla pulp over the fruit salad. Sprinkle with the granadilla flowers
and place a whole flower in the centre. Pipe rosettes of whipped cream
around the sides of the bowl, and serve with extra whipped cream or
with ice-cream. Wait for the applause!
COOK’S NOTE
The most delicious way of serving granadilla is to use the fruit and
flowers together. The monks warmed the flowers in honey and
served them with goat’s milk yoghurt, with the pulp of the fruit
poured over the top.
Hawthorn
Crataegus oxyacantha • C. monogyna

In the Middle Ages hawthorn was a symbol of hope. It is an ancient

herb, indigenous to the British Isles and Europe, where it still grows
in hedgerows today. It makes a charming tree, spectacular with its
heady white blossoms in spring, its glossy green leaves in summer,
and its brilliant red berries in autumn and early winter.
 Medicinally, only two species, Crataegus oxyacantha and C.
monogyna, may be used. Many hawthorn species with red berries
are for sale in nurseries, so it is important to get the correct species
if you are planning to use them in a home remedy.

CULTIVATION
Hawthorn is slow-growing; it will reach about 8 m in height if left
unchecked, or it can be pruned and trained to form a superb hedge or
boundary, or trimmed as a specimen tree. All hawthorns do best in cold
areas, withstanding icy winters, frost and even snow, but they are also
able to adapt to hot areas. In Europe a new hawthorn called C.
azarolus, or ‘azarole’, has been hybridised, the fruit of which is more
appetising and makes a good jam.

MEDICINAL USES
Hawthorn is used principally for circulatory and heart ailments such as
angina, heart strain and coronary disease as it has antispasmodic and
sedative properties and it is an effective vasodilator. It normalises both
high and low blood pressure by regulating the action of the heart.
Excellent for stress and heart tension, it helps hearts weakened by age,
and is also helpful for nervous heart problems, irregular heartbeat and
arteriosclerosis. Historically it has also been used to help remove
kidney and bladder stones, for treating diarrhoea, and as a diuretic. The
bark has been used to treat malaria and other fevers, and although the
tiny red berries are not very appetising, they are perfectly palatable,
and like the flowers, they are important for heart ailments and
circulation.
Crushed hawthorn flowers and buds or crushed hawthorn berries
are excellent in a cream for poor circulation and chilblains. Hawthorn
flower tea is marvellous to help you unwind, to ease tension and
anxiety, and to help lower high blood pressure. To make the tea, pour a
cup of boiling water over one tablespoon of fresh hawthorn flowers plus
one or two hawthorn leaves. Allow the tea to stand for five minutes and
strain. Sweeten with honey if desired, and sip slowly.

Hawthorn flower de-stressing drink

This precious drink remains one of the original favourites going back to medieval
times. The flavoured honey can be made in spring, when the plant is in flower.

Clusters of hawthorn flowers

1 jar of runny honey (citrus works particularly well)
¼ cup crushed hawthorn berries
Boiling water

Press the flowers into the honey jar using a long spoon. It will keep for
many months, so make several jars. In late summer and autumn, fill a
quarter of a cup with the crushed berries. Fill the cup with boiling water
and sweeten with the hawthorn flower honey. Stir well and sip slowly.
Preserve the hawthorn berries in the same way as the flowers.

Hawthorn cream
Use this cream for chilblains and poor circulation.

1 cup hawthorn flowers, buds or fruit

1 cup aqueous cream
10 drops rose geranium oil
2 teaspoons vitamin E oil

Simmer the hawthorn and aqueous cream in a double boiler for 20

minutes. Strain and add the rose geranium oil and vitamin E oil. Store
in a sterilised jar and use as a massage cream on hands and feet after
a hot bath.

Sage and hawthorn flower tea for menstrual problems

SERVES 1

1 cup boiling water

¼ cup fresh mixed sage and hawthorn buds and flowers, plus 1 or 2
leaves of each plant

Pour the boiling water over the flowers. Leave the tea to stand for five
minutes, stir well, strain and sip slowly. It will ease bloating and
premenstrual tension, regulate oestrogen flow, ease menstrual and
menopause problems, and slow down a racing heart.
CULINARY USES
Hawthorn pancakes with lemon curd
SERVES 4–6
This is a delicious teatime treat and so quick to make in spring when the flowers are
abundant.

Sunflower oil
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 cups cake flour
A little water
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 cup hawthorn buds and flowers, pinched off their stems
Lemon curd

Heat a little oil in a large flat pan. Whisk the egg into the milk. Whisk the
flour into the egg and milk mixture with a little water to make a runny
consistency. Add the sea salt and the hawthorn buds and flowers. Drop
a spoonful or two of the batter at a time into the pan and tilt it so that
the batter is thinly spread. As soon as the pancake bubbles, flip it over.
When it is done, slide it onto a plate. Spread with lemon curd, roll it up
and keep it hot. Add a little cream when serving and decorate with fresh
hawthorn flowers.

Chicken and hawthorn flower stir-fry

SERVES 4
This is a delicious supper dish that takes so little time and effort to prepare; I make it
when the spring blossoms are at their best. The chicken breasts are easiest to slice
when semi-frozen. You can substitute thin slices of beef or mutton for the chicken.

3 skinless chicken breast fillets, thinly sliced

2 leeks, thinly sliced
2 cups thinly sliced button mushrooms
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1 peeled, grated apple
1 cup hawthorn buds and flowers, stripped off their stalks
A little olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper
Fresh lemon juice to taste

Brown the chicken and leeks, then add the remaining ingredients,
stirring continuously. Once the chicken is done, spoon the stir-fry onto a
bed of brown rice, decorate the plate with fresh hawthorn blossoms all
around, and serve hot.
Hollyhock
Alcea rosea

The common hollyhock is native to China and was taken to Europe

in the 16th century, where it became a much-loved cottage garden
plant. Known as ‘holyoke’ or ‘beyond-sea rose’, it was grown far and
wide for its medicinal properties, as a dye, as well as for its edible
flowers. Monks in Europe used the darker red petals of the
 spectacular flowers to colour wine and medicines, and the flowers
were added to batters, soups and stews as a health-giving, soothing
tonic.

CULTIVATION
The hollyhock is easy to grow, and seeds are available in nurseries and
in seed catalogues worldwide. All that is required for a spire of
breathtaking flowers is a well-dug, richly composted spot in full sun.
Sow the seeds directly into the ground where they are to grow, 75 cm
apart, and keep them moist and shaded. Hollyhock has a long tap root
and does not like to be transplanted, but very small plants can be
relocated quickly, provided that they are immediately submerged in
water once they are removed and then kept moist and shaded in their
new positions for a week or two. The hollyhock is supposedly a
biennial, but I find that it mostly does better as an annual. In warm
areas the tall flowering spire is quick to mature, and during midsummer
it makes an eye-catching display in the border.

MEDICINAL USES
The hollyhock has a soothing effect on the mucous membranes and is
useful for treating coughs, colds and bronchitis. Hollyhock species have
been used since 300 BC to treat earache due to chronic catarrh, and
hay fever with catarrh and allergic rhinitis. Hollyhock counters excess
stomach acid, peptic ulcer pain and soothes and eases gastritis,
irritable bowel syndrome, diverticulitis, colic and even diarrhoea.
A warm, comforting tea made from hollyhock flowers will ease
cystitis and frequent urination. The leaves and root are also used, and
its close cousins, the marshmallow, Althaea officinalis, and the common
Malva sylvestris, are used in the same way. To make hollyhock tea,
pour a cup of boiling water over one hollyhock flower. Leave the tea to
stand for five minutes, strain, sweeten with honey and add a squeeze
of lemon juice. Sip one cup daily as a treatment for all the above
conditions. In the 16th and 17th centuries hollyhock tea was popular for
easing irregular menstruation, for spongy gums (used as a gargle and
as a tea), and to dissolve ‘coagulated blood from falls, blows and
knocks’.
 As a lotion used for washing and as a douche, hollyhock has a
soothing effect on tender, inflamed skin, and it will soothe rashes, boils
and even abscesses.

Hollyhock lotion for inflamed skin and boils

4–6 hollyhock flowers

2 litres water
½ cup apple cider vinegar

Boil the flowers in the water for 10 minutes, strain and add the apple
cider vinegar. Use as a wash or douche to soothe tender skin,
abscesses, rashes and boils. A warm poultice can be made by soaking
a towel in the brew and placing it over the boil or abscess. Repeat twice
a day.

CULINARY USES
Hollyhock summer fruit salad pancake
SERVES 4–6

1 ripe orange-fleshed melon (spanspek) or green melon, cut into cubes

1 pineapple, thinly sliced and cut into cubes
2 cups grapes, seeded
2–3 cups mango, peeled and cubed
2 bananas, thinly sliced
Juice and pulp of 6 granadillas
Petals from 6 hollyhock flowers, calyxes discarded

Pancake batter
2 cups flour
1 cup milk
1 cup water
2 beaten eggs
Pinch salt

Mix all the fruit together and set aside. Whisk the pancake ingredients
together well. Heat a little oil in a large pan, pour in about half a cup of
batter and tilt the pan to spread it thinly. Flip each pancake over to cook
the other side. Place the pancakes on individual plates, top with
spoonfuls of the fruit salad, decorate with whole hollyhock flowers and
serve dusted with icing sugar and whipped cream.

Hollyhock scones
MAKES 10 SCONES
This is a quick recipe and a favourite Sunday afternoon treat.

2 cups cake flour

Pinch salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
5 tablespoons butter, coarsely grated
4 tablespoons sugar
½ cup milk
2 eggs
½ cup granadilla pulp
6 hollyhock flowers

Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a large bowl. Rub in the butter
until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. Dissolve the sugar in
the milk. Whisk the eggs into the milk and sugar until creamy, add the
granadilla pulp and whisk well. Add to the flour mixture and mix lightly
to form a ball. Turn onto a floured board and pat out to 2 cm height. Cut
round shapes with a pastry cutter. Place on a floured baking sheet and
bake at 180°C for about 10 minutes or until the scones begin to turn
golden. Cool slightly. Split the scones, spread with butter and a
hollyhock flower (remove the calyx) or a few petals. Dust with icing
sugar and decorate the plate with hollyhock flowers. You can spread
the scones with strawberry jam or honey before topping with the
hollyhock petals.

COOK’S NOTE
Hollyhock flowers are delicious added to green salads and
fruit salads, whisked into drinks and used to decorate
puddings. Cooked in syrup, they make a delicious sauce over
rice and sago pudding.

Hollyhock and green bean salad

SERVES 4–6

4 cups young green beans

1 large onion

Dressing
1 cup plain Bulgarian yoghurt
½ cup fresh lemon juice
½ cup honey
½ cup chopped spring onions
2 teaspoons mustard
Hollyhock flowers
Chopped parsley

Top and tail the beans and simmer in salted water until tender. Strain
and cool. Slice an extra-large onion into fairly thick rings. Place a
handful of beans through each onion ring and place on individual plates
– the bean bundles should look as though they are neatly tied by the
onion. Liquidise the dressing ingredients and pour over the beans.
Place two hollyhock flowers over each end of the beans. Sprinkle with
parsley and serve chilled with cold chicken or cold meat.
Honeysuckle
Lonicera species • Woodbine

Also known as woodbine, honeysuckle is a perennial evergreen

climber, native mainly to Europe and the Caucasus, but some
species are also found wild in North Africa, North America and
western Asia. There are many kinds of honeysuckle, all of which are
exquisitely fragrant, and all with similar medicinal properties. The
 genus was named in the 16th century by a German physician,
Lonicer, who strongly advocated its medicinal properties, but monks
in Europe had been using honeysuckle for centuries to treat chest
ailments, hay fever and homesickness. The most commonly used
species are Lonicera caprifolium; the pink flowering, more bushy L.
periclymenum; and in old gardens the winter-flowering, sweet L.
fragrantissima, a shrubby plant that has tight, stalkless clusters of
creamy white flowers on bare branches.

CULTIVATION
I grow honeysuckle over fences and arches and place shaded benches
nearby, where one can sit and enjoy the glorious scent. It goes on
undemandingly year after year, scenting the hot summer days and
nights with its heady fragrance. An arch of honeysuckle over a gate
was an old tradition in rural gardens as a blessing for all who entered.
Easy to grow, all it needs is a deep, well-composted hole, a good
strong support and a deep weekly watering. I tie and wind in the
tendrils continuously and every winter tidy up the thick growth. New
plants can be propagated by merely pulling up rooted runners and
replanting them, keeping them moist until they root well. Honeysuckle is
tolerant of adverse conditions, and will thrive in spite of heat, drought,
bitter winter winds and even neglect.

MEDICINAL USES
Honeysuckle flowers have emollient, expectorant and antispasmodic
properties, and crushed and pounded in a gentle cream, they make a
soothing, pain-relieving treatment for swollen, aching haemorrhoids.
Made into a lotion, honeysuckle quickly soothes skin inflammations,
aches and dry rashes.
For a heart tonic, and to help relieve asthma, hay fever and
rheumatism, an ancient remedy was to take a cup of honeysuckle tea
and eat honeysuckle flowers once a day for a period of 10 days. To
make the tea, pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup fresh flowers.
Allow the tea to stand for five minutes, then strain, sweeten with honey
and sip slowly.
Recent research has found honeysuckle flowers, and to an extent
the leaves, to be outstanding in the treatment of colitis. I have made
honeysuckle syrup for many years and keep it as a standby for coughs,
chills, sore throats, runny noses, tight chests and exhaustion. It is an
old-fashioned remedy but works as well today as it did in our
grandmothers’ day.

Honeysuckle cream for haemorrhoids

1 cup honeysuckle flowers

½ cup pennywort leaves (Centella asiatica)
1 cup aqueous cream
1 teaspoon vitamin E oil

Simmer the honeysuckle flowers and pennywort leaves in the aqueous

cream in a double boiler for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Stand for 15
minutes to cool, then strain. Discard the pennywort leaves and add the
vitamin E oil. Mix well, then spoon it into a sterilised jar with a well-
fitting lid.

Honeysuckle lotion for sunburn, dry rashes and

eczema
2 cups flowering honeysuckle sprigs, leaves included
2 litres water

Boil the flowering sprigs in the water for 20 minutes. Cool and strain.
Use as a splash, lotion or as a spray in a spritz bottle for skin
inflammations, sunburn, rashes and eczema.

Honeysuckle cough syrup

2 cups honeysuckle flowers and buds

2 teaspoons aniseed
1 tablespoon fresh lemon thyme sprigs
Juice of two lemons
2 teaspoons lemon zest
about ½ cup honey
½ cup stevia flowers
500 ml water

Simmer the ingredients gently for 15 minutes with the lid on. Remove
from the heat and allow the mixture to cool. Strain, and discard the
herbs. Pour into a bottle with a tight-fitting lid and keep in the fridge.
Take one tablespoon of the syrup in about ¾ cup hot water twice a day,
the second dose preferably just before going to bed.

CULINARY USES
Honeysuckle energy drink
SERVES 1
This is an excellent exam-time drink that will give energy and a sense of wellbeing. It
is also nourishing for invalids and for those who are overworked and overtired. Make
it fresh every time and do not let it stand.

1 egg
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
1 banana
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon chopped almonds
½ cup honeysuckle flowers

Whisk all the ingredients together in a blender for three minutes. Pour
into a glass and drink immediately, sipping slowly.

Honeysuckle fruit salad

SERVES 4–6

1 pawpaw peeled, seeded and diced

Juice of 2 oranges
4 ripe guavas, peeled and grated
2 ripe bananas, peeled and diced
2 cups sultana grapes, seeds removed
2 Golden Delicious apples, peeled and grated
1 cup honeysuckle flowers

Mix all the ingredients together in a glass bowl. Dribble a little honey
over the fruit salad and sprinkle with honeysuckle flowers. Serve chilled
with custard, whipped cream or ice-cream.

COOK’S NOTE
Grow honeysuckle near the kitchen and pick the flowers for
salads, fruit salads and stir-fries. The buds can be used in
pickles with onions and cucumbers. Honeysuckle can even be
used in milky desserts. Honeysuckle is a versatile plant.
Hyssop
Hyssopus officinalis

Native to southern Europe, hyssop is a lovely, free-growing

perennial that is a tough yet persistent roadside weed, particularly in
the Balkans and Turkey. It loves sunny places and does well in poor,
barren soil, preferring roadsides to the garden! The beautiful blue
 flowers are borne in late summer and are much loved by bees and
butterflies.
Once considered nature’s cure-all, hyssop has been a revered
herb since the earliest times. It was used by the ancient Greeks for
purifying temples and for the cleansing of lepers. It is mentioned in
the Bible: ‘Cleanse me with hyssop and I shall be clean’ (Psalm 51
v. 7). Over the centuries people have thought that this reference
could have been to oreganum, marjoram or winter savory, but it is
now believed that it probably refers to the same hyssop we know
today, as modern research has found that the mould that produces
penicillin grows on hyssop leaves. This could have acted as
antibiotic protection for lepers when they were bathed in hyssop.

CULTIVATION
I do not find hyssop particularly easy to grow, as my hot mountainside
garden is too taxing for it, but it does do well if it likes the spot. It is a
short-lived perennial, and full sun, lightly dug soil and not too much
attention or water seem to be all that it requires. You will be rewarded
with 30-cm-high flowering spikes and an equal spread. Cut off the
spent flowers from time to time. New cultivars in Britain range from
white through to pale blue and pink flowering spikes, and all seem to
have similar properties. Propagation is by seed and by means of small
cuttings taken from around the base of the plant. In the hot area where
I live, I find that it does best with afternoon shade. Hyssop will thrive in
the cooler areas of the country with a yearly dressing of compost as it
takes light frost and cold winds well.

MEDICINAL USES
The diverse uses of hyssop have earned it a rightful place in folk
medicine through the ages; these uses have been verified by modern
research. It was prescribed in ancient times for asthma, stomachache,
nasal catarrh and pleurisy. Today it has been found to relax peripheral
blood vessels and to have significant antiviral properties, particularly
with the Herpes simplex virus. It is expectorant, anticatarrhal, anti-
inflammatory and antispasmodic. It eases chest colds and asthma,
clears bronchitis and urinary tract inflammation and is used with figs for
constipation. To make hyssop tea, pour a cup of boiling water over ¼
cup flowering sprigs. Let the tea stand for five minutes, then strain.
Sweeten with a little honey if desired, and sip slowly.

CAUTION: Do not take hyssop during pregnancy or nervous

irritability, as strong doses can induce muscular spasms.

Hyssop cough syrup

1 cup hyssop flowering sprigs
6 cloves, crushed
Juice of 2 lemons
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind
2 cups boiling water
½ cup honey

Simmer the hyssop sprigs, cloves, lemon juice and lemon rind in the
water for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Cool for 10 minutes. Strain.
Add the honey and mix well. Children love this cough mixture. Give two
teaspoons at least eight times during the course of the day.

Hyssop and fig constipation remedy

1 cup sliced fresh or dried figs (peeled if they are fresh)
1 cup hyssop flowering sprigs
2 cups water

Simmer the fig slices and hyssop flowering sprigs in water in a double
boiler for 20 minutes. Cool. Strain it through a coarse sieve or remove
the flowers and mash finely. Take two teaspoons with hyssop tea first
thing in the morning, and again late morning if necessary.

To make an excellent lotion for cuts, scrapes, grazes and

bruises, boil up a handful or two of hyssop flowers and
flowering sprigs with an equal quantity of water for 20 minutes.
Allow it to cool and then strain it.
CULINARY USES
Hyssop meal-in-one chicken dish
SERVES 4–6
This is a popular, easy-to-make chicken dish that I make on top of the stove in a large
cast iron pot. It keeps well and reheats well. The hyssop imparts a delicious, fresh
flavour that combines nicely with all the vegetables. To ring the changes, add sliced
mushrooms, sliced aubergine and sliced tomatoes.

1 large chicken, cut into pieces or 1 pack chicken pieces

2 large onions, peeled and sliced
Olive oil
2 green peppers, sliced
3 green mealies, cut off the cob
4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups peeled, diced carrots
½ cup hyssop flowers
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lemon
1 litre chicken stock

Brown the chicken pieces and onion in the oil. Add all the other
ingredients and stir, adding the chicken stock last. Simmer with the lid
on for about 30–40 minutes, stirring every now and then, or until the
chicken is tender. Just before serving, thicken the sauce with a little
cornflour mixed with water if desired. Serve with brown rice or crusty
bread.
Green hyssop salad
SERVES 4
This salad cleans the palate and is so refreshing that I serve it with any rich meat
dish.

3 cups torn or thinly shredded lettuce

2 cups watercress
2 cups chopped celery
1 cup thinly sliced cucumber
½ cup hyssop flowers, pulled off their calyxes
Juice of 1 lemon
Chopped parsley

Toss the lettuce, watercress, celery, cucumber and hyssop flowers

together lightly. Sprinkle the lemon juice over the salad and add a little
chopped parsley.
Poached nectarines and hyssop
SERVES 4
This is a delicious dessert and very quick and easy to make.

1½ cups castor sugar

2½ cups water
4 large or 8 small nectarines, pricked all over with a fork
½ cup hyssop flowers, calyxes removed

Choose a pot large enough to hold all the nectarines. Boil the sugar
and water for five minutes before lowering in the nectarines and hyssop
flowers. Turn down the heat, cover the pot, and let the nectarines
simmer for about four minutes. Remove from the stove and cool.
Carefully remove the nectarines and place them in a glass bowl. Pour a
little of the syrup over them and decorate with fresh hyssop flowers.
Serve with whipped cream, custard or vanilla ice-cream.
Jasmine
Jasminum officinale • Jasminum multipartitum

This exquisite plant, with its sweetly scented, star-shaped flowers,

was first introduced to Britain and then Europe via the ancient trade
routes from the East in about 1548. The Chinese first used the
flowers as a flavouring in tea centuries ago, and later in perfumery.
 There are about 300 Jasminum species throughout the tropical
and subtropical regions of the world. The beautiful Arabian jasmine,
J. sambac, native to southeast Asia, is also added to ordinary tea
and used in Buddhist ceremonies. It flowers all year round and
remains a valuable food flavourant. J. multipartitum is indigenous to
South Africa and its flowers are used in traditional medicine.
All the jasmines grown today have some medicinal, fragrant or
culinary use. J. officinale is the best species for the perfume
industry and for medicinal use.

CULTIVATION
It is only recently that the summer-flowering medicinal jasmine, J.
officinale, has become available to gardeners in the southern
hemisphere, and its more fragile, trainable growth makes it a popular
plant for fences and columns, and for pruning and clipping into bushes.
It has the additional advantage of flowering all through the summer.
Just three flowers in a room will impart a marvellous scent that is
soothing, calming and uplifting.
Growing your own jasmine is so easy that no garden should be
without it. All the jasmines take full sun to partial shade and require no
more than a good twice-weekly watering and a dressing of compost
twice a year. Tidying and pruning off the spent flowers is essential to
prevent new growth from climbing over the old wood, forming untidy
nests.

MEDICINAL USES
Jasmine oil is used to lift depression and ease stress, and has a
calming and soothing effect. Ancient Indian and Chinese doctors,
herbalists and religious sects used jasmine as a sedative to treat a
number of ailments and as a muscle relaxant, usually in the form of a
tea or added to oil as a massage for stiffness and soreness. Later,
jasmine infusions were added to the bath to release tension and to oils
and creams to soothe dry and sensitive skins.
Because jasmine oil is so remarkable as an antidepressant and for
anxiety-related sexual problems in both men and women, it is superb
as an aromatherapy massage oil. A few crushed jasmine flowers
rubbed on the temples will ease a tight throbbing headache.
 CAUTION: Avoid jasmine oil during pregnancy as it is a uterine
stimulant.

Jasmine massage oil

An effective treatment for relieving tension, jasmine massage oil can become quite
the panacea, and it needs to be made carefully!

1 cup almond oil

2 cups freshly picked jasmine flowers

Put the almond oil and jasmine flowers in a double boiler with the lid on.
Simmer gently for an hour, stirring frequently. The oil needs to
penetrate the soft waxiness of the flowers, so stirring the flowers
together with the oil is vitally important. After an hour, strain using a
new sieve. Set the flowers aside and bottle the fragrant oil in a
sterilised, dark glass bottle with a well-fitting screw-top lid. To test the
strength of the oil, spread a drop or two onto the skin on the inside of
the wrist and gently rub it in. If it becomes uncomfortable, itchy or
raises a red spot, wash it off immediately with warm water and milk. If
the oil is too strong, dilute it with more almond oil or add a tablespoon
of the jasmine-infused oil to half a cup of good aqueous cream. Test
again until it is comfortable.
Store the jasmine flowers in a screw-top glass jar to use in the bath,
just a few at a time. They will be fragrant and rich in oil and will make
for a relaxing bath experience. True jasmine essential oil is considered
the most precious oil in the world and it is the most expensive of the
essential oils!

CULINARY USES
Jasmine cordial
Jasmine flowers have been used in cooking for centuries. I was intrigued to find
recipes in ancient herbals using the flowers in delicious cordials and syrups. These
are refreshing and fragrant, and as a bonus they soothe anxiety and calm restless
children. Use only J. officinale for this.
1 cup honey
2 cups jasmine flowers, pulled from their calyxes Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon lemon zest, finely grated
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 litre water

Simmer all the ingredients together for 15 minutes in a double boiler.

Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool. Strain, discard the
flowers and bottle the syrup. Take one tablespoon of syrup in a glass of
chilled water with crushed ice and sip slowly. As a nightcap, take one
tablespoon of syrup in a cup of hot water, stir well and sip slowly.

Jasmine tea
Use J. officinale, J. sambac (Arabian jasmine) or our own indigenous jasmine, J.
multipartitum. Use a tin or glass container rather than plastic.

2 cups fresh jasmine flowers, pulled out of their calyxes

250 g loose Ceylon or green tea
1 airtight cake tin or large glass jar with a good lid

Mix the flowers into the tea leaves in the tin or glass jar, covering the
flowers completely with the tea leaves. Seal and leave undisturbed for
five days. Open and check that the fragrance is as strong as you would
like it, adding more fresh jasmine flowers if necessary. By now the
flowers should be almost dry. Spoon the tea and the jasmine flowers
into smaller tins or bottles with lids that seal well, to lock in the
fragrance. To make the tea, place 1–3 teaspoons of the mixture in a tea
pot, cover with about two cups of boiling water and let it draw. Use a
tea strainer and serve either black with lemon or add a little milk.

Jasmine and strawberry dessert

SERVES 4
This is one of the most attractive and enchanting desserts I know. Serve it on hot
summer nights under the stars with the scent of jasmine in the air, to a group of
appreciative friends.

3–4 cups fresh strawberries Castor sugar

1 cup jasmine flowers, pulled out of their calyxes
2 tablespoons Tia Maria or your favourite liqueur 4 cups soft vanilla ice-
cream
1 cup whipped cream

Hull the strawberries and cut them into thin slices. Sprinkle them with
castor sugar and leave to stand at room temperature for at least an
hour before serving. Meanwhile, marinade the jasmine flowers in the
liqueur. When ready to serve, spoon a layer of strawberries into
individual glass bowls, followed by a layer of ice-cream and a layer of
marinated jasmine flowers, then repeat the layers, finishing with a layer
of flowers. Top with whipped cream and decorate with whole
strawberries and fresh jasmine flowers.
Judas tree
Cercis siliquastrum • C. canadensis • Red bud tree

The Judas tree is a small, attractive tree that originates in Asia and
the Mediterranean regions, so named because legend has it that
Judas hanged himself from a tree of this species.
Tough, resilient, drought-resistant and even to a large extent
frost-resistant, it used to be a garden favourite and was commonly
 available in nurseries, but sadly it seems to have gone out of
fashion. Its pinky-mauve, almost magenta-coloured pea-shaped
flowers are strikingly beautiful in spring, when the bare branches are
covered in masses of brilliant blossoms, which withstand the early
spring winds. The tough camel’s foot-type leaves give dense shade
in summer.
Cercis canadensis or red bud tree, a North American native, is
its close relative. Both grow to about 5–8 m in height and form
attractive, wide, shrubby trees that make superb focal points in a
small garden as their growth habits are gently twisted and contorted
to form a mass of fascinating branches.

CULTIVATION
To plant a Judas tree, all that is required is a deep, well-watered hole
filled with compost, in a sunny position. Sink the plant into the hole
without disturbing the roots. Water the sapling well once a week,
making sure that it has a big ‘dam’ around it to hold both compost and
water. Do not plant anything close to its trunk. It needs no pruning.

MEDICINAL USES
Once used to treat anaemia and lack of energy, the Judas tree was an
important ingredient in the convalescent’s diet, as well as during
periods of overwork and stress, or for students writing exams. It has
been used through the centuries to treat kidney stones, respiratory
ailments and swollen feet during pregnancy. It is a gentle diuretic and
will clear a runny nose and ease a tight chest and laboured breathing.
The flowers are rich in carotene, high in vitamins and minerals and
have been found to help dissolve fatty deposits in the blood and liver
when combined with parsley.
To make Judas flower health tea for all the above conditions, pour a
cup of boiling water over ¼ cup fresh flowers. Allow the tea to stand for
five minutes, and strain. Sweeten with a little honey and add a squeeze
of lemon juice. The flowers can also be used to make a soothing cream
to help heal skin rashes, infected sores and fungal conditions.
The American Indians used the red bud to treat ailments ranging
from toothache and bladder infections, to spotty skin and split toe nails,
using crushed flowers as a poultice or lotion and adding them to teas.
Judas tree flower cream
This cream is very useful for treating rashes, infected sores, fungal conditions and
swollen feet.

1 cup Judas tree flowers

1 cup good aqueous cream
3 teaspoons vitamin E oil
2 teaspoons tea tree essential oil

Boil the flowers and aqueous cream in a double boiler for 20 minutes.
Strain through a fine sieve. Discard the flowers and add the vitamin E
and tea tree oils to the cream. Stir well and spoon into a sterilised jar.
Massage into affected areas and into swollen, tired feet, especially
during pregnancy.

COSMETIC USES
During my years of lecturing beauty school students, this oil became a
favourite because of its exceptional skin softening properties. A mere
½–1 teaspoon is all that is needed in the bath.

Judas tree bath oil

2 cups fresh Judas tree flowers and buds

½ cup grape seed oil
½ cup good olive oil
2 tablespoons almond oil
20 drops rose essential oil

Simmer all the ingredients except the rose oil together in a double
boiler for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Allow to cool for 10 minutes,
then strain into a glass bowl. Whisk in the rose oil and immediately pour
the bath oil into a sterilised dark glass bottle with a well-fitting lid. Add
½–1 teaspoon to the bath, under hot running water to disperse it. This
oil is excellent for dry skin in winter.
 To make a good body lotion, whisk together two teaspoons of this
oil, a cup of aqueous cream and a cup of distilled water. Pour it into a
jar with a well-fitting lid. Massage gently into dry skin, especially on the
legs and feet.

CULINARY USES
Judas tree pickle
MAKES 2–3 JARS
This old recipe was popular long before commercial pickles became available. Use
them on sandwiches and with cold meats and cheeses.

2 cups water
3 cups brown grape vinegar
2 cups brown sugar
½ cup mixed coriander seeds, peppercorns and caraway seed
2 cups small young cucumbers, thinly sliced
4 cups pickling onions, peeled and sliced in half
2 cups sliced green pepper
2 cups Judas tree flowers

Boil the water, vinegar and sugar together with the spices for 10
minutes. Meanwhile, pack bottles with the vegetables and flowers.
Ensure that the bottles have well-fitting lids. Pour the vinegar and sugar
mixture over the vegetables and flowers until each bottle is full. Seal
immediately while hot. Wipe down the bottles and label. Leave to
mature for at least two weeks.

Judas tree stir-fry

SERVES 4
This makes a delicious quick supper dish. Vegetables in season can be added to ring
the changes.

A little olive oil

2 thinly sliced onions
4 potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cups thinly sliced mushrooms
2 cups Judas tree flowers
Juice of 1 lemon
½ cup chopped chives or spring onions
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
½ cup parsley

Heat the oil in a frying pan or wok and brown the onions lightly. Add all
the other ingredients except the parsley. Stir-fry quickly. Serve piping
hot sprinkled with parsley and decorated with Judas tree flowers.

Judas tree flower and mulberry jelly

SERVES 4–6
The Judas tree flowers when mulberries are ripe, so this makes a delicious springtime
dessert.

1 cup white sugar

2 cups mulberries, stalks removed
2 cups water
1½ tablespoons gelatine mixed into ½ cup warm water
1 cup Judas tree flowers
1 cup cream

Put the sugar, mulberries and water together in a pot and bring to the
boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Allow to cool, then blend in a liquidiser.
Add the dissolved gelatine. Pour into a bowl, add the Judas tree flowers
and stir well. Refrigerate to set. Meanwhile, whisk the cream until it
stands in peaks, and refrigerate. Before serving, spread the cream over
the surface of the jelly and decorate with a sprinkling of Judas tree
flowers.
Korean mint
Agastache rugosa

This free-flowering perennial is native to Korea, parts of China, Laos

and areas of Russia, growing wild on mountain slopes and along
roadsides. Cultivated as a medicinal plant in China, its name, Huo
Xiang, was first mentioned in the ancient Chinese pharmacopoeias
as far back as AD 500. Today it is still used as a warming,
 stimulating herb in Chinese medicine, and scientific studies all over
the East prove it to be quite exceptional for treating viral infections,
ringworm, fungal infections, digestive disorders, morning sickness,
nausea, vomiting and abdominal bloating. It has become a favoured
garden plant and is now grown all over the world.

CULTIVATION
Growing Korean mint is easy as all it needs is full sun, well-dug, well-
composted soil and a deep twice-weekly watering. It is tall and hardy,
growing to about 50 cm in height, with a mass of fragrant mauve
plumes about 2–4 cm long, much loved by bees and butterflies. Cut
back the tall flowering stems when they start to look untidy at the end of
summer but remember that the more you pick the more they grow; I
find that I can pick the long sprays three or four times during the
summer and new fresh stems quickly appear. Propagation is from
rooted cuttings taken from the base of the perennial clump during
autumn. If these are kept warm and protected throughout the winter, by
late spring you will be able to plant out quite a show.

MEDICINAL USES
A lotion made from the leaves and flowers is used in Chinese medicine
to treat ringworm and fungal infections. The Chinese also made a paste
of boiled Korean mint leaves and flowers, mashed with a neutral cream,
such as aqueous cream or petroleum jelly. This was spread on a cloth,
placed over the fungal infection, and held in position with a bandage.
Today Korean mint cream remedies are made for athlete’s foot or any
fungal attack.
A tea made of Korean mint flowers and a leaf or two, is warming
and relaxing and aids the circulation. It has been found to help with
digestive tension, nervousness, anorexia and fear. The tea is
particularly helpful for extreme shock where the person is literally
shaking from head to toe. A few sips of the tea sweetened with honey,
will quickly restore calm and speed up the circulation to remove toxins
from the body. In the case of flu and other viral infections, take Korean
mint tea with 2000 mg of vitamin C at the first sign of aching muscles,
sore throat and fever; this is often so effective that the infection
dwindles to nothing.
Korean mint antifungal lotion

1 cup fresh Korean mint leaves and flowers

1 cup tea tree flowers and sprigs
10 cloves
2 cups water

Boil the fresh leaves and flowers with the cloves for 10 minutes. Leave
the lotion to cool, then strain and dab frequently over the infected area
or use as a wash for athlete’s foot.

Korean mint cream for skin or nail fungus

1 cup fresh Korean mint leaves and flowers

1 cup good aqueous cream
2 teaspoons tea tree essential oil
1 teaspoon lavender essential oil

Simmer the Korean mint and aqueous cream in a double boiler for 20
minutes, stirring frequently. Strain, and discard the mint. Add the tea
tree and lavender oils, and mix thoroughly. Spoon the cream into a
sterilised jar. Massage gently into the fungal infection two or three times
a day.

CULINARY USES
Korean mint party punch
SERVES 12
I make a delicious party punch with Korean mint over the Christmas season when it
grows so prolifically.

Juice of 4 lemons
1 cup honey
2 litres boiling water
2 cups Korean mint leaves and flowers
2 litres mango juice or mango and orange juice mixed

Mix the lemon juice with the honey and set it aside for an hour or two.
Pour the boiling water over the Korean mint leaves and flowers and
allow the mixture to cool, then strain and add the lemon and honey
mixture and the fruit juice. Mix well and chill. Immediately before
serving, add crushed ice and sprinkle with a few Korean mint flowers
and tiny leaves.

COOK’S NOTE
I use Korean mint flowers to decorate many drinks and
dishes, from pasta and desserts, to cakes and even roasts, as
it cleanses the palate so beautifully.

Korean mint and mushroom stir-fry

SERVES 4
The typically liquorice-like taste of the Korean mint makes it a marvellous addition to
celery and mushrooms. This vegetarian dish is so quick and easy to prepare that I
keep a packet of mushrooms in my fridge and celery and Korean mint growing close
to the kitchen door.

2 finely chopped onions

3-5 thinly sliced leeks
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup Korean mint flowers, lightly broken up
1 packet thinly sliced mushrooms
1 head of celery, about 6 stalks, chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
Sea salt and cayenne pepper to taste
1 cup water
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Brown the onions and leeks in the olive oil with the Korean mint
flowers. Add the mushrooms and brown them lightly, then add the
celery, lemon juice, salt and cayenne pepper. Stir-fry gently. Add the
water and let it sizzle quickly, while stir-frying all the time (this makes a
superb sauce). Lastly, add the dash of Worcestershire sauce and the
mozzarella cheese. Serve hot with brown bread and butter, mashed
potatoes or brown rice, and a green salad.

Mutton pot roast with Korean mint

SERVES 6–8
This roast makes an interesting change for Sunday lunch. It needs to be cooked
slowly and succulently in one of those heavy cast iron pots with a good lid.

6–10 mutton chops, as lean as possible Olive oil

4 large onions, thinly sliced
3 large red or green sweet peppers, thinly sliced
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Juice of 2 lemons
6 large potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
6 large carrots, peeled and cut into strips
1 cup Korean mint flowers, stripped off their stalks
A few Korean mint leaves
¾ cup sultanas
2 cups chopped celery
1 litre water
½ cup chopped parsley
4 cups fresh garden peas

Brown the meat on both sides in a little olive oil. Add the onions and
brown. Gradually add all the other ingredients except the parsley and
peas. Adjust the seasoning, cover, and turn down the heat to simmer.
Add water as needed, and taste every now and then. I often add
another dash of lemon juice or more salt and pepper. Simmer gently,
stirring occasionally until the meat is tender and the vegetables cooked.
Boil the peas separately with a sprig of mint. Serve the meat in its big
cast iron pot with the peas and parsley sprinkled over it, together with
brown rice.
Lavender
Lavandula × intermedia ‘Margaret Roberts’

Native mainly to the Mediterranean area and cultivated throughout

the world, lavender was used by the early Romans in their bath
houses, as a strewing herb, and as a beauty aid. There are many
varieties of lavender, all exquisitely scented, but not all edible. The
best variety to use in any number of dishes, cosmetics and beauty
products is the Margaret Roberts lavender. This variety cross-
pollinated in the Herbal Centre gardens and was named by the
nursery industry. Versatile and easy to grow, it adapts to cold
winters and can tolerate a fair amount of frost and intense heat. This
 lavender flowers throughout the year. It has the typical English
lavender look of long stems and whorls of flowers up the stem, and
is delicious in the kitchen, and beautiful as a long-lived cut flower.

CULTIVATION
All lavenders require full sun and deeply dug, well-composted soil in
which to thrive. The Margaret Roberts lavender grows large and needs
about a metre between each row and plant in order for it to produce a
continuous mass of flowers – and the more you pick, the more it
flowers. This variety needs to be watered twice weekly, three times a
week in summer. I replace the bushes every three or four years and am
eternally grateful for this exceptional plant and its continuous flowering.

MEDICINAL USES
Lavender stalks can be burned in the fireplace to disinfect, deodorise
and perfume the room (include a few flowers too), and sprigs of
lavender rubbed onto kitchen counters will discourage flies. Skin
ailments respond beautifully to lavender’s antibacterial properties and
throughout history lavender has been used for its calming and soothing
effect. Lavender helps to ease sore throats, rheumatic aches and
pains, depression, headaches and sleeplessness.
To make lavender tea, pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup fresh
flowers. Allow the tea to stand for five minutes, then strain and sip
slowly. It is excellent for nervous anxiety as well as a wonderful
deodoriser and underarm wash – all that was needed to keep fresh in
medieval times!
Crush fresh lavender flowers, inhale the rich scent, and rub crushed
leaves and flowers on the temples; this will immediately soothe a
pounding headache and relieve dizziness and fainting. Rub fresh
lavender sprigs on children’s pillows to ease restlessness and add a
small bunch of fresh flowers tied in muslin to the bath to help unwind
after a hectic day.
Lavender massage cream is ideal for dry skin, cracked heels,
rheumatic aches and pains, sore tired feet and to calm irritable children.

Lavender massage cream

1 cup fresh Margaret Roberts lavender flowers
1 cup good aqueous cream
1 tablespoon almond oil
10 drops pure lavender essential oil

Simmer the lavender flowers and aqueous cream in a double boiler for
15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain out the flowers and allow the
cream to cool for 10 minutes. Add the almond oil and lavender
essential oil, spoon into a sterilised jar and keep well sealed.

Lavender and oats scrub for dry itchy skin

3 cups lavender flowers, stripped off their stems

4 cups large flake oats 3 cups Epsom salts
2 or 3 squares of fine muslin or cheese cloth (30 × 30 cm) Ribbon

Mix the flowers, oats and Epsom salts together. Spoon about ¾ cup of
the mixture into each muslin square and tie up into a sachet using
ribbon. Store the remaining scrub mixture in a tin with a tight-fitting lid
for future use. To use the scrub-filled sachet, hook it over the hot-water
tap to soak it thoroughly, then lather it up with soft glycerine soap and
rub over the skin, particularly thoroughly over the feet and legs. Hang it
up to dry and repeat the next day. After two applications, discard the
scrub mixture, wash the muslin square, refill it and repeat. It is a real
treat! I make this easy scrub every winter and find it soothing, softening
and comforting for the skin, and I use it lavishly.

CULINARY USES
Cajun potatoes with lavender
SERVES 4
This potato dish makes a delicious accompaniment to fish and chicken dishes. I also
serve it with crusty brown bread and feta cheese. It is satisfying, filling and healthy.

½ cup olive oil

2 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced
6 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
½ cup water
Juice of 2 lemons
1 ½ cups tomato puree
Black pepper and sea salt to taste
2 tablespoons Margaret Roberts lavender flowers
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Heat the olive oil in a large pan and fry the onion until lightly golden.
Add the potatoes and stir-fry. Add the water and all the other
ingredients except the parsley. Cover and simmer for a few minutes,
checking every now and then to see if the potatoes are tender. Stir
gently. Serve piping hot with chicken or fish, sprinkled liberally with
parsley.

Lavender biscuits

MAKES ABOUT 24
These biscuits make an excellent tuckbox filler and keep well in a sealed tin.

4 tablespoons soft butter 4 tablespoons castor sugar

1 cup cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 beaten egg
2 tablespoons fresh lavender flowers, stripped off their stalks

Cream the butter and sugar together until light. Add the flour, baking
powder and beaten egg, and lastly the lavender flowers. Knead to a
smooth consistency, adding a little extra flour if necessary. Pat the
dough out gently on a lightly floured board and cut into shapes. Place
the biscuits on a well-greased baking sheet and bake at 180°C for
about 10 minutes or until the biscuits are lightly golden and firm.
Remove at once and dust with icing sugar.

Lavender cheese squares

SERVES 4
This is one of my favourite recipes for a teatime snack, a lunch dish with soup, or
served as a supper dish with avocado salad.

6 slices brown bread

Butter
2 teaspoons lavender flowers, stripped off their stems and calyxes
½–¾ cup mayonnaise or chutney
1½ cup grated mozzarella cheese
A little chopped parsley
Cayenne pepper

Toast the bread, and butter the slices while still hot. Mix the lavender
flowers into the mayonnaise or chutney and spread onto the toast.
Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese liberally over the slices, sprinkle with
parsley and dust with cayenne pepper. Place under the grill for about
four minutes, or until the cheese starts to bubble. Cut into squares and
serve hot.

COOK’S NOTE
Few people think of cooking with lavender, but just a little gives a
wonderfully fresh taste and enhances flavours so remarkably that
inventing dishes with lavender can become an engrossing hobby!
The flowers can be sprinkled over a fruit salad, and the leaves can
be added to stews and braised meat dishes. Lavender is also an
excellent addition to marinades for game. For best flavour, use
Lavandula × intermedia ‘Margaret Roberts’.
Linseed
Linum usitatissimum • Flax

Linseed is an ancient plant that has been cultivated since at least

5000 BC as a source of flax or linen fibre. At that time flowers and
seeds took second place to the fibre content of the stems, but the
Greeks were well aware of the extraordinary medicinal content of
the plant. Pliny the Elder (AD 23–97) wrote about linseed’s virtues:
 ‘What department is there to be found of active life where linseed is
not employed? And, in what production of the Earth are there
greater marvels to us than this plant?’

CULTIVATION
Linseed is an easy and fast-growing annual that enjoys full sun and
deeply dug, well-composted soil. Sow the seeds by scattering them
over an area, then rake them in and soak the ground with a gentle
spray. Mulch the ground with a light layer of leaves to help keep it moist
until the seedlings are sturdy, and water twice-weekly. In no time you
will be able to pick the small, heavenly blue flowers. You can plant
linseed all year, except in the coldest months.

MEDICINAL USES
Flax is becoming one of the wonder plants of the new century and
medical research is concentrating on this easy-to-grow plant. New
evidence proves that the seeds and flowers contain enzymes that
hugely benefit the whole urinary system, including the kidneys. The
seeds are rich in mucilage and unsaturated fats, and are a world-
renowned remedy for constipation, digestive irritation and digestive
sluggishness.
A poultice of crushed flowers and warmed seeds relieves painful
boils, and crushed flowers moistened with milk have been used as a
soothing poultice for rashes, grazes and sunburn since the Middle
Ages. Flax flower lotion is still used in country districts in Europe today
as a soak for tired aching feet. Gypsies found that placing crushed flax
petals on a spot or pimple helped to soothe inflammation. They dried
the blue flowers for winter use and used them in a tea for chilblains,
chills, circulatory problems, cold feet and for treating coughs, chest
ailments, sinusitis and the aches and pains of rheumatism. To make the
tea, pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup flowers and let it stand for
five minutes. Strain, sweeten with honey if liked, then sip slowly.

Gypsy linseed tea

Take this tea for circulatory problems, chest ailments and rheumatism.
2 tablespoons linseed
2 tablespoons fresh flax flowers (or 1 tablespoon dried flowers)
6 cloves
Rind of half a lemon
1 litre cold water
Juice of 2 lemons
3 tablespoons honey
Pinch or two of cayenne pepper

Place the linseed, flax flowers, cloves and lemon rind in the cold water,
and simmer covered for 15–20 minutes. Strain and add the lemon juice,
honey and cayenne pepper. Take half a cup three or four times during
the day. Warm the tea up each time – but not in a microwave!

Flax flower lotion

3 cups flax flower tops, buds included

2 litres water

Gently simmer the flowering tops in the water for 10 minutes with the lid
on. Set the lotion aside and cool until pleasantly warm before using as
a soak for tired feet, or as a wash over itchy areas. Use also as a spritz
spray for sunburned skin.

CULINARY USES
Flax flower chocolate sauce
SERVES 6–8
This sauce is spectacular over ice-cream, rice pudding or over a plain cake, and is
probably my most talked-about dessert!

250 g plain milk chocolate, broken into pieces

2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons thin cream
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler, stirring occasionally. Add the
butter and beat gently. Add the water, mix well, and remove from the
heat. Finally add the cream, beating all the time. While the sauce is still
warm, pour it over the cake or pudding and immediately press in
several flax flowers that have been pulled gently out of their calyxes.
When they are cool and set, the flowers look like tiny blue cups and no
one ever knows what they are!

Flax flower and potato soup

SERVES 4–6
Filling and sustaining, this is an exceptional soup for supper when you are overtired. It
keeps well in the fridge. Try it warmed or chilled.

1 medium onion, finely chopped

A little olive oil
500 g leeks, sliced and trimmed
1 green pepper, finely chopped
500 g potatoes, peeled and roughly diced
1 litre chicken stock
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon paprika
½ litre milk
150 ml thin cream (optional)
½ cup flax flowers, calyxes removed
Brown the onion in the olive oil; add the leeks and green pepper, and
cook for five minutes, stirring frequently. Add the potatoes and stock.
Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are
cooked. Allow to cool a little. Pour into a liquidiser and blend. Return to
the pan, add the sea salt, pepper, nutmeg, paprika and milk and heat
thoroughly. Finally, stir in the cream if you are serving the soup hot, or
chill the soup before adding the cream and stir in the cream just before
serving. Pour into individual soup bowls and decorate with floating flax
flowers and chopped parsley.

Spaghetti and tomato with linseed

SERVES 4–6
This quick supper dish is dead simple to make. 500 g spaghetti

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped (optional)
A little olive oil
4 large tomatoes, skinned and chopped
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup linseed
6 finely chopped sweet basil leaves
Freshly grated parmesan cheese
½ cup flax flowers

Bring four litres of salted water to the boil, add the spaghetti and boil
rapidly until al dente or just tender. Meanwhile fry the onion and garlic
in a little olive oil, add the tomatoes and stir-fry. Add the sugar, sea salt
and pepper and the linseed, and stir well until the tomatoes have
softened. Remove from the stove and keep hot. Strain the pasta and
return it to the pan with one tablespoon of olive oil mixed in. Add a little
sea salt and black pepper and stir until the pasta is well coated. Add
the tomato sauce, mix in the chopped basil leaves and pour into a deep
bowl. Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese and dot with the flax flowers.
Serve immediately.
Lucerne
Medicago sativa • Alfalfa

Lucerne is one of the oldest of all cultivated plants. The ancient

Arabs called it the ‘father of all foods’, and used it as a feed for their
magnificent horses which were fleet-footed, brave and supple.
Today this long-lived perennial is grown all over the world as fodder
for horses and cattle. It makes a pretty garden subject, too, as its
 mass of mauve-blue flowers attract a host of butterflies in early
summer.

CULTIVATION
Lucerne is very easy to grow and requires little attention. Cut back the
long flower-bearing stems 3–4 times a season to encourage tender
new shoots. Lucerne needs full sun and compost-enriched soil.
Because it is cut so often for baling as cattle food, it needs constant
feeding, so a good dressing of compost two or three times a year is
important. Water twice-weekly in summer and every 10 days in winter.

MEDICINAL USES
Nutritional experts rate lucerne as one of the most important food
supplements known to humankind. It is rich in silica, manganese,
calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, sodium and vitamins A, B, C, E,
K and the rare vitamin U, as well as being the only plant in the world
other than comfrey that contains vitamin B12.
To make lucerne tea, pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup fresh
leaves and flowers and steep for five minutes. Strain and sip slowly.
Sweeten with a touch of honey if desired. The tea is of tremendous
benefit to those under extreme stress or suffering from a loss of energy,
over-exhaustion, anxiety and panic attacks. A cup taken daily for a
week and then on alternate days will do much to relieve modern-day
tensions and ease desperation.
Fresh lucerne leaves, flowers and the tiny, threadlike alfalfa sprouts
in the diet give an immediate energy boost, flushing toxins from the
body and helping to absorb vitamins and minerals. One winter the
Herbal Centre garden staff put this to the test. Half the staff ate a large
daily salad of lucerne sprigs and flowers, dandelion leaves and flowers,
buckwheat leaves and flowers, celery and parsley leaves, land cress,
and a squeeze of lemon juice. They sometimes added nasturtium
leaves and flowers, chopped chives, clover leaves and flowers, and
pansies and borage flowers for variation. Needless to say, not one of
the ‘salad eaters’ got a cold or flu that winter and every one of the ‘non-
salad eaters’ did!
Lucerne is vitally important for convalescents who need easily
assimilated nutrients and it should be added to their daily diet in the
form of teas and soups, with the fresh leaves and flowers added to
salads. Lucerne also has substantial oestrogenic activity, which is good
news for treating menopause symptoms and irregular menstrual cycles.

Lucerne wash for insect bites, stings and inflammation

This soothing wash is vital for people working in gardens, where a bite or sting is an
everyday occurrence.

Lucerne flowering sprigs

Soapwort flowering sprigs
Water

Boil a large pot of lucerne and soapwort flowering sprigs in enough

water to cover, for 30 minutes. Cool for 20 minutes, then strain. Fill
spritz spray bottles with this soothing brew, or soak cloths in it, for
binding over the inflamed areas, and also use it to wash with.

Lucerne energy drink

SERVES 1
This drink is a quick pick-me-up and a boost for the immune system, and can take the
place of a meal when you are very tired.

1 banana, peeled
½ cup lucerne leaves and flowers
1 apple, peeled and cored
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
½ cup stoned dates, cut into pieces
½ cup sultanas, soaked
1 cup fresh fruit juice, e.g. mango, orange or litchi

Whirl all the ingredients in a liquidiser, then sip slowly straight away,
adding a little water if it is too thick.

CULINARY USES
Iced avocado and lucerne soup
SERVES 4
A delicious lunchtime dish, this soup is a quick energiser and easy to make. Prepare it
no more than an hour before serving as the avocados discolour quickly.

2 ripe avocados
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
2 sticks celery, finely chopped, leaves included
Juice of 1 lemon
2 cups plain Bulgarian yoghurt
½ cup lucerne flowers and a few leaves, finely chopped
1½ cups good chicken stock
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped

Peel and cut up the avocados, add the lemon juice, sea salt and
pepper, and mash finely. Add the rest of the ingredients except the
parsley, whipping smoothly until they are well blended. Chill in the
refrigerator, resting the bowl on a bed of ice. Serve the soup chilled in
individual bowls, sprinkled with parsley and decorated with lucerne
flowers. This soup is particularly good served with salty biscuits.

Lucerne flower and vegetable tempura

SERVES 4
These Japanese-inspired fritters make an unusual snack and are quick and easy to
make.

Batter
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup flour
1 extra-large egg
½–⅓ cup warm water

Vegetables and flowers

2 carrots, peeled and cut into strips
1 large onion, sliced and rings separated
1 cup mangetout peas, topped and tailed
2 cups lucerne flowers, stems still attached
2 cups sliced button mushrooms

Sweet ginger sauce

2 tablespoons clear honey
1 tablespoon hot water
¼ cup finely grated fresh ginger
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons red wine

To make the batter, mix the salt and cayenne pepper into the flour,
break the egg into it and mix again. Add the warm water and mix to a
light batter, adding a little extra water if necessary. Have a large flat pan
ready with hot sunflower oil.
Dip each vegetable and flower individually into the batter and then
place in the pan. Do four or five pieces at a time. Fry until crisp and
golden, remove with a slotted spoon, and drain on kitchen towel.
To make the hot ginger sauce, dissolve the honey in the hot water.
Place all the ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake well. Pour the
sauce into a bowl and serve as a dip with the hot tempura.

COOK’S NOTE
Pick lucerne leaves and add to salads just before serving so
that they do not wilt (wilting will build up flatulence!). Grow
alfalfa sprouts too, as lucerne seed is one of the quickest and
most delicious of the sprouting seeds to cultivate.
Marigold
Tagetes patula • T. erecta

CULTIVATION
Propagate from seed, as marigold is a summer annual. Sow in spring
where it is to grow, in deeply dug well-composted beds in full sun. Also
sow seeds in trays for pricking out and planting, spaced 30–50 cm
apart depending on size. Water three times per week. Harvest flowers
continuously as the more you pick the more they produce. Marigolds
are an asset next to anything – they literally fight off insect attack, offer
shade and often support. Even delicate plants thrive near them. They
are exceptionally useful in treating nematodes, white fly, red spider,
mildew and even the resistant mealie bugs.
I have grown my best tomatoes with tall marigolds, and spread the
seed thickly between rows of raspberries and fruit trees, keeping the
soil moist and well composted for weeks on end. Cut marigold plants
make a superb ‘straw’ for strawberries and no crickets, slugs, snails or
beetles will venture near them, and by growing small marigold plants
between strawberries you will have a bumper crop of perfect fruit. Try
plantings between rows of beetroot, green peppers, bush beans and
cherry tomatoes.

The ‘Mary-gold’ was named in honour of the Virgin Mary as from a

distance it was mistaken for Calendula officinalis (p. 42), and thus
the brightly coloured ‘Mary-gold’ became ‘marigold’. In Europe the
name refers to calendula, while in Africa it refers to the strong-
smelling spectacular African marigold, Tagetes erecta, and also the
French marigold, T. patula! Such confusion – and all because of the
beautiful bright orange colour!
The French marigold, T. patula, is native to Mexico, not France.
It was brought into Spain as a strong insect repellent to save grain
in the early 16th century when trade in plants became the craze.
From there it entered the trade routes as an insect repellent. The
African marigold, T. erecta, also derives from Mexico, and was
misnamed like its close cousin.
By the end of the 16th century India was one of the favoured
traders of the African marigold. Indian people threaded the orange
flowers into garlands used during celebrations and religious
ceremonies. Today modern cultivars grace most summer gardens in
South Africa; they are also planted between summer vegetables
and under fruit trees and vines as effective insect repellents.

MEDICINAL USES
Used for centuries as a safe medicine, the brilliant petals of the
marigold make an excellent tea that is a safe diuretic, flushing toxins
from the kidneys and bladder and easing water retention and swollen
feet. To make the tea, pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup fresh
petals and a piece of leaf. Let the tea stand for five minutes, stir once or
twice, and strain. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and a touch of honey if
desired. The Mexicans and Spaniards add half a teaspoon of aniseed
and two cloves, lightly crushed, as a daily tea for indigestion, colic,
flatulence and heartburn.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, hot marigold tea with aniseed was
served as an after-dinner drink at inns, and dried marigold petals were
sprinkled over rich indigestible dishes. Later the Spaniards served hot
marigold teas made with a dash of brandy or whisky as a nightcap to
aid sleep.
Marigold baths were used to relieve rheumatism and the aches of
old age, and compresses of warmed petals wrung out in hot cloths
were used over arthritic and rheumatic joints. Whole plants were laid on
mattresses covered with a blanket to relieve aching backs.
The Mexicans still use hot compresses of marigold petals on horses
with sore legs or backs, and drenches were once made to rid livestock
of ticks, fleas and lice.

Marigold bath for rheumatism

14 large marigold flowers and a few leaves
5 litres of water

Boil the marigold in the water for 20 minutes. Add the brew to a bath of
warm water to ease rheumatism and the aches and stiffness of old age.

CULINARY USES
Marigold mixed spice
¾ cup dried marigold petals
½ cup crushed coriander seed
½ cup fennel seed
½ cup dried oreganum
¾ cup dried thyme
½ cup celery seed
1 cup coarse sea salt
½ cup black peppercorns

Mix the ingredients together thoroughly and spoon into a pepper

grinder. Grind slowly and taste as you go. This spice is a taste
sensation, delicious on fish with a squeeze of lemon juice and some
grated lemon zest. It is also perfect with chicken, hardboiled eggs and
mayonnaise, and with cheese and newly baked brown bread it
becomes the Mexicans’ favourite lunch!

COOK’S NOTE
Dried marigold petals can be used in soups, stews, sauces
and with mixed spices. To dry them, spread the petals, split
from their calyxes, on sheets of brown paper in the shade.
Turn them daily. Once dry, store them in glass jars with well-
fitting lids.

Marigold and mango stir-fry

SERVES 4–6
This is a quick Mexican supper dish that everyone loves; it can be varied using
whatever vegetables you have in the kitchen. Add a little chilli if you are a chilli-lover.

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 onions, finely chopped
¾ cup marigold petals
2 large sweet potatoes, coarsely grated
1 yellow pepper, finely chopped
2 or 3 young and tender green mealies, cut off the cob
1 brinjal, cut into cubes, skin included
2 large mangoes, peeled and sliced
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oreganum
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon paprika

Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot and fry the onions until
golden brown. Add the marigold petals and stir-fry quickly. Now add all
the other ingredients, one at a time. Stir-fry gently as each ingredient
goes in. Check that the mixture is not too dry and have a small jug of
water nearby. Turn the heat down, cover the pot, check there is enough
water and cook until everything is soft and tender. The mango cooks
down to a sauce and the secret is to never let it dry out. Serve hot and
fragrant with rice or millet.

OTHER USES
Marigold flea-repelling lotion for dogs
Boiling water
1 large bucketful roughly chopped marigold flowers with stems and
leaves
Chopped khakibos leaves, stems and flowers (if available)

Pour enough boiling water over the marigolds and khakibos to

completely submerge the plants, and leave covered to draw overnight.
The next morning strain, wring a cloth out in this strong brew and wipe
over the dogs to get rid of fleas. Place marigold sprigs in the dogs’
beds, with khakibos under the pillow – the fleas will flee and the itching
and scratching should come to an end!
Milk thistle
Silybum marianum

CULTIVATION
Remove the seeds carefully from the dry ripe seed heads, and sow in
individual seed trays filled with fine compost. Germination is quick and
reliable and the tiny seedlings can be pricked out and transplanted
gently into individual bags filled with rich moist compost as soon as
they are big enough to handle. Keep the bags in light shade and check
daily to keep them moist.
Prepare beds in full sun using deeply dug richly composted soil.
Plant the seedlings 1 m apart as the flowering heads will reach 1.5 m in
height and the plants need space. Run a hose into the bed in a gentle
trickle so that the water reaches the roots. Twice-weekly is often
enough, but check in hot weather.
Milk thistle is a robust annual, sometimes a biennial. Seedlings
appear in spring, so be on the lookout for them as they can be
transplanted only when they are very small and young. Once you have
grown milk thistle you will always have it!

Milk thistle has been used for literally thousands of years. Although
its ancient uses were recorded in the early herbals and
pharmacopoeias, it was only in the 1970s that German researchers
discovered the exceptional flavolignans, collectively known as
silymarin, that protect the liver so effectively by rejecting toxins and
blocking their entry through cell membranes. When the liver is under
stress, be it through excessive intake of alcohol, coal-tar drugs such
as painkillers (codein, aspirin), chemotherapy, or antibiotics, milk
thistle comes to the rescue.
Milk thistle was recorded as a vegetable in its native Europe and
Asia, and was cultivated in fields around the Mediterranean. The
flowers were picked young and de-thorned, and became a valuable
addition to soups and stews. Monks used the pink thistle tufts on the
tops of the flowers to make a medicinal tea taken to restore internal
health, to ease nausea and biliousness and to lift depression
associated with liver damage. In 1597 The Herball of General
Historic of Plants recorded milk thistle as the treatment for
‘melancholy diseases’.
Today hepatitis is a common ailment and milk thistle has
become a valuable treatment under medical supervision. Cirrhosis
of the liver is also common now, often due to alcohol and drug
abuse, and the fields of milk thistle grown in many countries are
gaining in size as the pharmaceutical industry expands. Over-the-
counter milk thistle formulations in capsule and tablet form are
readily available in pharmacies today.
MEDICINAL USES
Milk thistle scavenges free radicals and boosts protein synthesis in the
liver to repair damaged cells, especially after drinking. It is literally the
best cure for a hangover and a 500 mg capsule bought from the
chemist taken three times during the day after over-indulgence will help
to repair and detoxify the overloaded liver. However, excessive drinking
is dangerous and the liver can become so damaged that nothing can
save it.
Milk thistle counters the absorption of toxic substances such as
paraffin, and even inhaled poisons like insect sprays; however the
correct dose must be administered immediately by a doctor. It will
speed up recovery following chemotherapy and help to limit the liver
damage and side-effects of chemotherapy once the cycle is complete
and the patient is undergoing rest and recovery.
A cup of milk thistle tea once or twice daily will help to restore the
liver to health. To make the tea, pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup
fresh sliced flowers, with the spines removed. Allow the tea to stand for
five minutes, stir well, strain, and sip slowly. Milk thistle seeds can be
removed from the dried flower heads and stored in sealed glass jars. A
teaspoonful or two of the seeds added to cleansing teas with fennel
flowers, aniseed and coriander seed, or even simply with a squeeze of
fresh lemon juice and a little honey will help to keep the arteries clear of
cholesterol and the liver free of fatty build up from rich food.
Milk thistle is used in homeopathic medications to treat the liver, gall
bladder, gall stones and depression, and is considered one of the most
important remedies of the 21st century!

Milk thistle flower drink

This drink is used for easing depression, cleansing the liver, and after chemotherapy.

4–6 milk thistle flowers, roughly cut

1 litre unsweetened grape or apple juice
1 teaspoon aniseeds
1 teaspoon linseeds, lightly crushed
10 lucerne flowers and buds
Ice and iced water
Simmer milk thistle flowers and fruit juice with the lid on for 20 minutes.
Add the aniseeds, linseeds, and lucerne flowers and buds. Leave it
covered and allow it to cool. Strain, discard the flowers and seeds, add
a little iced water and serve with crushed ice. Sip slowly. Make it fresh
daily; it is literally an investment in health. Add carrot juice with
pineapple for a change.

CULINARY USES
Milk thistle vegetable soup
SERVES 4–6
I found this age-old recipe in an old herbal and often make it in winter when the new
milk thistle plants appear. It is delicious and a tonic for the liver.

½ cup olive oil

4 onions, finely chopped
3 cups fresh celery, leaves included, finely chopped
1 small-medium-sized cabbage, thinly sliced
3–4 cups milk thistle leaves and young flowers, prickles cut off, and
finely chopped
3–4 cups spinach leaves
½ cup fresh flowering thyme sprigs, finely chopped
¾ cup pearl barley
2 litres good chicken stock
Sea salt and red cayenne pepper to taste
Juice of 2 lemons

Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Brown the onions; add the
chopped celery and stir-fry. Next add the shredded cabbage and stir-
fry, followed by all the remaining ingredients except the salt, red pepper
and lemon juice. Simmer the soup for 40 minutes or until the barley is
tender. Add a little water if it is too thick and finally add the lemon juice,
salt and red pepper to taste. Serve it in big bowls with freshly baked
brown bread. I try to make this soup often as it is so important to keep
the liver clear of toxins; on the days that I make it I also drink milk
thistle tea with slices of lemon (see medicinal section).

COOK’S NOTE
When the flower heads are young and tender, snip off the
thorns and boil the flowers as you would globe artichokes.
Serve them with butter, salt and black pepper and lemon juice.
Add fresh chopped milk thistle leaves to tomato sauces,
tomato bredies and mutton stews that include carrots,
tomatoes and sweet potatoes. Thinly sliced leaves, with their
spiny edges cut away, can be steamed into a delicious
‘spinach’ served with a rich cheesy white sauce as a popular
‘peasant food’. Be creative as the leaves and flowers are rich
in vitamins and minerals the body needs.
Mint
Mentha species

Garden mint

The Mentha genus comprises an incredibly rich diversity of species

that originated in Europe and now occur worldwide. I have chosen
just a few of my favourites to write about here, all with edible
 flowers, and all differing slightly in taste. Apple mint, Mentha
suaveolens, is perfect for mint sauce and is more tasty, I find, than
most other mints; black peppermint, M. piperita ‘Nigra’, has a strong
peppermint flavour and is excellent for stimulating the brain; eau de
cologne mint, M. piperita var. citrata, as its name suggests, smells
and tastes of eau de cologne and is best with fruit salads and
desserts; spearmint or garden mint, M. spicata, is most delicious
with ice-cream; and chocolate mint, M. spicata var. piperita, has
delectable chocolate overtones.

CULTIVATION
All mints need moist, rich soil and do best in partial shade in damp
areas, but will also flourish in full sun as long as their roots are in water
or very moist soil. Propagation is by means of roots pulled off the
mother plant and planted immediately into wet soil. The mints
constantly seek new ground, so it is a good idea to edge the bed with
plastic or plant the mint in tubs to prevent them from spreading
uncontrollably. Provide a rich dressing of compost twice a year to
prevent the mint bed from becoming depleted.

MEDICINAL USES
All the edible mints are anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antibacterial,
antispasmodic, antiflatulent and effective stimulants. A mint tea, made
by standing a thumb-length sprig in a cup of boiling water for five
minutes, eases digestion and provides relief from abdominal discomfort
and stomach upsets. During exam time a cup of peppermint tea works
wonders to help concentration and ease nervous energy. During
menopause, peppermint flower tea will relieve hot flushes and help
ease digestive problems, take away a bloated feeling and help
heartburn and a rapidly beating heart. Peppermint tea will also relieve
cold and flu symptoms. Chew a sprig of any mint and the flower to
sweeten the breath, and use the mint tea as a gargle and mouthwash
to clear mouth and gum infections.
Mint lotion will soothe itchy, inflamed areas, mosquito bites and
rashes, and if added to the bath it will soothe sunburn, windburn and
chapped winter skin.
Mint lotion
Use this lotion for itchy, sunburned and chapped skin.

3 cups mint flowers and leaves (especially peppermint and spearmint)

3 litres water

Boil the mint flowers and leaves in the water for 10 minutes. Allow the
lotion to cool, then strain and pour into a spritz bottle and spray the
area or dab on with cotton wool pads soaked in the brew. Alternatively,
add to the bath for a relaxing soak.

Mint footbath
3 litres mint lotion
3–4 drops peppermint essential oil

Make the mint lotion as per the recipe above. Add the peppermint
essential oil and soak the feet for 10 minutes. This will soothe tired feet
beautifully. It can also be used as a spritz spray to repel mosquitoes.
Spearmint

Mint digestive tea

This tea is great for colic, flatulence and bloating.

1 cup mint flowers and sprigs

½ tablespoon aniseed flowers and seeds
½ tablespoon caraway flowers and seeds
½ tablespoon fennel flowers and seeds
1 litre water

Simmer the ingredients together for 20 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes,

then strain. Sweeten with a touch of honey and sip slowly. Keep excess
in the fridge and warm a cup as and when needed.

CULINARY USES
Chocolate mint mousse
SERVES 4
Use the leaves and flowers of chocolate mint (M. spicata var. piperita) in this recipe.

250 g plain dark chocolate, broken into little pieces

1 tablespoon finely chopped chocolate mint leaves and flowers
4 eggs, separated
1 cup cream, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon good filter coffee
½ cup thick cream, whipped for decoration
Chocolate mint flowers for decoration

Break up the chocolate and melt it with the mint leaves and flowers in a
double boiler. Beat the egg whites into soft peaks. Beat the egg yolks
and stir carefully into the melted chocolate. Add the cream and stir well.
Add the dissolved coffee. Finally, fold in the egg whites. Spoon into
pretty dishes, decorate with the whipped cream and sprinkle with
chocolate mint flowers. Serve chilled.

Watermelon and mint dessert

SERVES 6–8
This is one of my favourite summer desserts. It is so easy to prepare and makes a
refreshing end to a dinner party on a hot summer’s night.

1 medium-sized watermelon
½ –1 cup white or castor sugar
¾ cup chopped spearmint leaves and flowers

Cut the watermelon in half, with a zigzag edge. Scoop out the flesh in
neat balls using a melon baller and remove the pips where possible.
Keep chilled until ready to serve.
Meanwhile mix the sugar with the chopped spearmint leaves and
flowers (pull the flowers off their stems and break them into tiny
pieces). When you are ready to serve, layer the watermelon balls with
the mint and sugar mixture in one half of the watermelon shell. Pile the
watermelon balls high and end with a layer of sugar and mint. Decorate
with sprays of mint leaves and flowers.
Mint and mushroom supper dish
SERVES 4
This satisfying vegetarian dish is easy to prepare.

4 cups button mushrooms

4 medium onions, peeled and sliced
4 large tomatoes, peeled and sliced
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
½ cup finely broken-up mint flowers and chopped leaves
1 cup good vegetable stock
2 cups fresh wholewheat breadcrumbs
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
Mint flowers for decoration

Arrange the mushrooms in an ovenproof baking dish, cutting the larger

ones in half if they are too big. Top with onion rings and tomatoes,
sprinkle with salt and pepper and the mint flowers and leaves. Add the
stock. Mix the breadcrumbs and mozzarella cheese together and
sprinkle over the dish. Bake at 180°C for about 20 minutes or until the
onions and mushrooms are tender and the topping lightly browned.
Decorate with mint flowers and serve piping hot with brown rice.
Moringa
Moringa oleifera • Drumstick tree

This small, dainty, shrub-like tree with its creamy white, sweetly
scented flowers and light green, fern-like foliage is attractive enough
to be a focal point in a tropical or subtropical garden. It is native to
India, where it has long been cherished and respected not only for
its dainty appearance, but also for its importance as a nourishing
staple food. In many Indian households moringa is on the daily
menu in one form or another: the leaves are cooked with tomato
and onions as spinach; the pods are used in traditional sauces and
 chutneys, soups and stews; and the flowers are used in stir-fries
and puddings. All parts of the tree are rich in protein, vitamins and
minerals, including calcium, phosphorus, vitamin C, iron and folic
acid, as well as beta-carotene, which is essential for healthy vision.

CULTIVATION
The moringa needs full sun and does well even in a neglected corner,
pushing up its pretty fragile branches against all odds. I planted a
specimen in a deep, well-composted hole and it grew 4 m in height in
one year!
Propagation of the moringa is by seed. Once the pod ripens, it splits
to reveal about 10 winged seeds. Rub the seeds on a stone to weaken
the casings and plant the seeds in individual bags in moist sand.
Germination takes about two months. The moringa has a long tap root
and the seedlings do not like to be disturbed once established, so when
planting them out into their final positions in full sun, be very careful
how you slit the bag and lower the plants into the hole. Make a big
‘dam’ around the sapling and flood it with water once or twice a week
until it is well established. Thereafter a weekly watering will ensure an
abundant crop of leaves and flowers. The moringa can grow 3 m in a
year.

MEDICINAL USES
Medicinal uses of the leaves and flowers have been well recorded in
India’s pharmacopoeias. They stabilise blood pressure, purify the
blood, and build strong bones and teeth due to their high calcium
content. The juice of the leaves followed by coconut water is an
acknowledged remedy for dysentery and diarrhoea, and the leaves
added to carrot juice makes an effective diuretic.
The roots are used as a heart medicine and to bring down fever; oil
from the seeds is used for gout and rheumatism; the gum from the
trunk helps with dental caries and gum ailments; a poultice of leaves
soothes glandular swellings and headaches; leaves and flowers help
prevent infections of all kinds, especially throat, chest and skin
infections; and the juice of the leaves will clear blackheads and
pimples. What a plant!
 To clear river water of organic pollution, add 1 cup dried powdered
moringa seeds to one bucket of river water.

Moringa flower tea

This excellent brew is useful for treating chest and mouth infections and can be used
as a wash for skin.

1 cup moringa flowers and buds

1 moringa leaf, well pressed down
4½ cups water

Simmer all the ingredients for 20 minutes with the lid on, stirring
frequently, crushing the flowers. Strain. Drink a cup with a little honey
and a good squeeze of lemon juice for a sore throat, gum infection,
mouth ulcer, bleeding gums, a cough and phlegm on the chest. Warm
up a cup of this excellent brew at a time and drink the litre during the
day. For rashes, itchy inflamed insect bites, infected scratches, grazes
and cuts, use the tea as a wash, lotion or spritz spray. The tea can also
be used in a poultice. Soak a pad of cotton wool in the brew and bind it
in place with a crêpe bandage. Refresh the poultice three times a day,
using a freshly soaked pad.

CULINARY USES
Moringa health salad
SERVES 4
This basic salad can be varied with vegetables in season. The mung beans and
alfalfa sprouts are an excellent addition.

2 cups moringa leaves and flowers, stripped off their stems

1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped green pepper
1 cup chopped peeled cucumber
2 cups watercress leaves
1 cup cooked fresh asparagus spears
2 cups diced pineapple
1 cup diced mangetout or sugar snap peas
2 cups butter lettuce or kale leaves
Mung beans (optional)
Alfalfa sprouts (optional)

Mix all the ingredients together lightly. Serve with lemon juice and
sprinkle with finely chopped parsley. Decorate with moringa flowers.

Chickpea and moringa flower supper dish

SERVES 4
This traditional moringa recipe was given to me by an Indian homeopathic doctor who
believes that we should be enjoying this magical tree in some form at least twice a
week.

2 cups chickpeas
2 bay leaves
1 large onion, finely chopped
Olive oil
2 tomatoes, skinned and chopped
2 cups moringa flowers and leaves
2 teaspoons fresh origanum
1–2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons runny honey
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons good fruit chutney

Soak the chickpeas overnight. In the morning place them in fresh water
with the bay leaves and boil until tender. Discard the bay leaves and
drain. Meanwhile, fry the onion in a little olive oil. Add the tomatoes and
stir-fry quickly. Add the moringa flowers and leaves, origanum and
freshly grated ginger. Mix the soy sauce, runny honey, lemon juice and
chutney together, and stir this into the simmering tomato mixture.
Finally, add the chickpeas and stir well so that they are coated with the
fragrant mixture. Serve hot with crusty brown bread and decorate with
fresh moringa flowers.

Moringa flower fruit dessert

SERVES 4
This recipe is especially loved by children, and is a nourishing standby for those who
have no appetite. Add or substitute the fruit with fruit in season, such as peaches,
nectarines, mangoes, litchis or grapes.

1½ cups sago
2 cups milk
¾ cup honey
1 stick cinnamon
2 apples, peeled and grated
2 pears, peeled and grated
2 bananas, thinly sliced
1 cup moringa flowers, removed from their stalks

Simmer the sago in a double boiler with the milk, honey and cinnamon
for about an hour, or until tender. Add more milk if necessary.
Meanwhile, prepare the fruit and keep it covered so that it does not
discolour. As soon as the sago is tender and transparent, remove the
cinnamon stick and fold in the fruit and moringa flowers. Serve hot with
plain yoghurt or a little cream, decorated with moringa flowers.
Mullein
Verbascum thapsus • Verbascum • Aaron’s rod • Our
Lady’s taper

Native to Europe, this beautiful tall biennial once enjoyed pride of

place in many gardens but in modern times it has sadly been all but
forgotten. In its first year it forms a large rosette of huge, soft,
downy, grey-green leaves; in medieval times people suffering from
 cold feet were advised to line their slippers with these furry leaves
on winter nights! In the second year a tall spire of brilliant yellow
flowers is produced, and a mass of tight buds. The spire can reach
well over 1 m in height and makes mullein an eye-catching border
plant. The flowers appear all summer long until finally the spike
dries off, scattering a multitude of seeds. In days gone by the tall
flowering spike was dried, dipped in tallow and burned as a taper,
usually in funeral processions, but also on feast days and in
religious ceremonies.

CULTIVATION
Mullein requires full sun and is unfussy as to soil type. Although it
prefers well-drained, compost-rich soil, it will grow easily in the most
inhospitable places and needs no attention whatsoever other than a
good weekly watering. Transplant the seedlings when they are still
small but just big enough to handle as they have a long tap root that
does not like to be disturbed. Both flowers and leaves can be dried for
winter use, although I find that the plant survives the frost and strong
cold winds well.

MEDICINAL USES
Since the first century AD, mullein has been used as an expectorant to
treat coughs and pleurisy. A syrup made from honey and mullein was
used to treat chest conditions, coughs, bronchitis, pneumonia and
chronic catarrh, and it was added to fruit dishes for children suffering
from colds. A poultice of warmed leaves was used to ease muscular
aches and rheumatic pains, and an ointment made with leaves and lard
was found to be excellent for haemorrhoids and varicose veins.
Modern science has proved that this easy-to- grow plant is indeed
amazingly beneficial for a wide variety of illnesses, including respiratory
ailments, hay fever, sinusitis, feverish chills (it promotes sweating),
eczema and earache. Mullein can be taken as a tea for all these
ailments, once or twice a day. To make the tea, pour a cup of boiling
water over ¼ cup fresh leaves and a couple of flowers. Allow the tea to
infuse for five minutes, and then strain. It is also useful as an antiseptic
wash for wounds and infected grazes and scratches.
Mullein cough syrup
1 cup mullein flowers and a few small leaves taken off the flowering
spike
3 cups water
Rind of half a lemon
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons honey

Simmer the flowers and leaves in the water with the lemon rind for 15
minutes with the lid on. Strain, and discard the leaves, rind and flowers.
Add the lemon juice and honey. Mix well. Drink ½–¾ cup at intervals
through the day (about five times a day), and make fresh batches of the
syrup frequently.

CULINARY USES
Strawberry and mullein mousse
SERVES 4–6
This delectable dessert is perfect for a summer lunch.

3 cups hulled, sliced strawberries

½–¾ cup castor sugar
2 eggs
¾ cup castor sugar
1 tablespoon gelatine
½ cup warm water
1 cup fresh cream, whipped
1 cup mullein flowers, pulled from their calyxes

Sprinkle the strawberries with ½–¾ cup castor sugar and leave them to
stand for two hours. Beat the eggs with ¾ cup castor sugar until
creamy. Dissolve the gelatine in the warm water and stir into the egg
and sugar mixture. Fold in the whipped cream. Gently add the
strawberries, and lastly the mullein flowers. Pour into a glass dish and
set in the fridge, or pour into individual glass dishes. Serve decorated
with a few fresh strawberries and mullein flowers.
Stuffed marrow with mullein flowers
SERVES 4–6
1 large green marrow
6 potatoes, peeled and halved
3 onions, peeled and halved

Stuffing
2 onions, chopped
450 g topside mince
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, finely grated
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 cup mullein flowers
½ cup raisins
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
1 green pepper, finely chopped
½ cup parsley
A little sunflower oil

Peel the marrow with a potato peeler if the skin is tough. Cut off the
ends and remove the seeds. Peel and halve the potatoes and onions.
To make the stuffing, sauté the onions, add the mince, and brown
lightly. Add the breadcrumbs and the rest of the ingredients. Add a little
water and simmer until done. Spoon the mixture into the marrow and
use toothpicks to hold the ends in place. Place on a baking tray. Tuck
the potatoes and onions around it. Dribble with a little oil and bake at
200°C for about 30 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked. Serve
with brown rice and peas and decorate with fresh mullein flowers.

Mullein and carrot lunch dish

SERVES 4
I make this recipe every summer and it always draws compliments.

8–10 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced lengthways

1 large onion, finely chopped
A little olive oil
2 cups thinly sliced mushrooms
1 cup milk
2 cups cooked butter beans
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup honey
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
1 cup mullein flowers
½ cup parsley

Croutons
4 slices wholewheat bread
½ cup butter or sunflower oil

Cook the carrots in salted water until tender, then drain. Meanwhile, fry
the onion in a little olive oil, add the mushrooms and milk, and simmer
gently. Add the butter beans, sugar and honey and stir in the drained
carrots. Add the salt and pepper and stir gently so as not to break up
the carrots. Finally, add the mullein flowers and spoon into a serving
dish.
To make the croutons, cut the wholewheat bread into small squares
and fry them in a little butter or sunflower oil in a flat pan, turning them
frequently. Drain them on absorbent paper. Add the hot croutons to the
carrot dish and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with a green salad.
Mustard
Brassica alba • B. nigra

Black and white mustard crops have been grown since medieval
times and mustard is still cultivated around the world for use
medicinally and as a condiment. From its native Middle East and
Mediterranean areas, its popularity spread through India, China and
Burma across to America. Mustard is rich in minerals, including high
 levels of phosphorus as well as calcium, iron, potassium, and
vitamins A, B and C. Today mustard is being researched for its
ability to boost the immune system.

CULTIVATION
Mustard is such an easy crop to grow that it seems a pity so few
gardeners consider it. A fast-growing annual, it needs full sun and
fertile soil, rich in humus. As a child I grew mustard and cress on wet
cotton wool and it was a wonderfully rewarding experience, one that
modern children seem to hardly know. Keep sowing new rows of
mustard so that you can reap the seeds and use the new flowers and
leaves at the same time. The plant can literally be eaten when only 1
cm high, and as a garden subject its bright yellow flowers will bring you
pleasure and good health, and butterflies too!

MEDICINAL USES
Mustard seeds, leaves and flowers are a marvellous circulatory
stimulant and a noteworthy alkaline food. Mustard greens (the flowers
and young tender seeds included) compare very favourably with other
leafy green vegetables, with the added advantage that they do not have
a high oxalic acid content, which robs the body of nutrients. Mustard’s
alkaline nature aids digestion, and it is both a good antispasmodic herb
and a diuretic. It has been used for centuries to treat bronchitis and
pleurisy; it is believed to have antiseptic properties; and it helps to
relieve arthritis, rheumatism and urinary tract ailments. The old-
fashioned mustard foot bath recommended in our grandmothers’ day at
the first sign of a feverish cold or flu is really effective.
Fresh mustard leaves and flowers in a daily salad make an
excellent tonic, but for treating constipation, bronchitis and pneumonia
there is no better medicine than a mustard soup. The flowers and
leaves can also be used to make a superb immune-building drink.

Mustard foot bath

4 tablespoons mustard seeds and flowers
2 litres hot water
Crush the seeds and flowers and mix into the hot water. Soak the feet
for 10 minutes. In addition to aching feet, this bath helps with fatigue,
coughs and colds.

Mustard tonic soup

Take this soup when suffering from urinary tract infections, bronchitis or pneumonia.

2 cups mustard flowers and leaves

1 cup chopped celery
½ cup parsley
1 cup beetroot leaves
1 litre water

Simmer the mustard, celery, parsley and beetroot leaves in the water
for 10 minutes. Liquidise and season with lemon juice only. Take about
a cupful, hot, twice a day. It is a comforting tonic and helps to get rid of
phlegm.

Immune-building mustard drink

1 cup mustard flowers and leaves
½ cup parsley
1 carrot
1 apple
1 cup grape juice

Blend the ingredients together in a liquidiser until smooth, and drink

twice a day.

CULINARY USES
Homemade mustard
MAKES 1–2 BOTTLES
Use this mustard as a spread on sandwiches, or serve it as a delicious condiment
with cold meat or warm chicken, fish and meat. It makes a superb gift too.
2 tablespoons whole mustard seeds
4 tablespoons honey
1 cup white grape vinegar
2 tablespoons dry mustard powder (or crush your own seeds in a food
processor)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh mustard flowers
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon

Soak the whole mustard seed with the honey and vinegar overnight.
The next morning add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Spoon
into a glass jar with a well-fitting lid and keep refrigerated.

Mustard flower pickle

MAKES ABOUT 4 BOTTLES
Keep this delicious pickle for at least three weeks before eating. Serve it with cold
meats, salads, sandwiches and pasta. The vegetables can be varied according to
what is in season.

4 cups cucumber, peeled and thickly sliced

2 cups cauliflower florets
4 cups small pickling onions
4 cups green peppers, cut into strips
1 cup red peppers, cut into strips
2 cups mustard flowers
2 tablespoons mustard seeds
2 cups brown sugar
4 cups brown grape vinegar
1 tablespoon sea salt

Wash the vegetables thoroughly in salted water and pack them

attractively into glass jars with the mustard flowers. Boil the mustard
seed with the sugar, vinegar and salt for 15 minutes with the lid on.
Pour the hot mixture over the vegetables until the bottle is full. Seal
immediately and store in a dark cupboard.

Mustard flower vegetable curry

SERVES 6
This is a warming, substantial dish that can be easily varied according to what is in
season.

2 cups sliced onions

½ cup olive oil
2 cups peeled, diced potato
1½ cups peeled, sliced carrots
2 cups chopped tomatoes
2 cups cauliflower florets
2 cups sliced green beans
1 litre good vegetable stock
½ cup grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons ground coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon turmeric
½ cup pecan nuts
½ cup seedless raisins
1 cup mustard flowers
½ cup desiccated coconut
½ cup honey
Sea salt to taste

Brown the onions in the oil in a large pot. Add all the vegetables and
stir-fry briefly. Add the stock and simmer. Mix the spices with a little
water. Add the spice mixture, nuts, raisins, mustard flowers, coconut,
honey and salt. Simmer with the lid on until the vegetables are tender.
Serve decorated with fresh mustard flowers and brown rice.
Myrtle
Myrtus communis

In ancient times myrtle was dedicated to Venus, the Roman

goddess of love, and it was carried in bridal bouquets to symbolise
love and constancy. Myrtle is native to the warmer, temperate
climates of southern Europe, and has been used for over 2 000
years as a flavouring, a perfume, a cosmetic and a medicine. The
 more one grows myrtle the more impressed one becomes, as the
entire plant is usable. In Chile, myrtle seeds and dried flower buds
are used to make a type of coffee, and the flowers are used in
pickles. The aromatic leaves and stems are important ingredients in
potpourris, as well as being a good insecticide.

CULTIVATION
Myrtle is easily cultivated, but slow-growing. It grows 1–3 m in height,
and with its evergreen, glossy leaves, it can be placed in an eye-
catching position in the garden as it never has an off period. It makes a
superb, tough hedge and takes clipping and pruning beautifully. It
needs full sun, well-composted soil and a deep weekly watering to do
really well. Propagation is by means of cuttings, which root easily.

MEDICINAL USES
Myrtle buds and flowers have been found to contain quite high
quantities of vitamin C, malic and citric acid and an array of minerals.
Both leaves and flowers are astringent and antiseptic. The leaves have
a marvellous skin-cleansing action and can be made into a lotion that
soothes skin rashes, oiliness and problem skins. The same lotion
makes an excellent wash for infected bites as it is both antiseptic and
astringent. Recent research has revealed that myrtle contains a
substance that has a substantial antibiotic action, which explains why it
is so quick to clear up infection and why it is effective in treating acne.
Taken as a tea, it helps to relieve urinary tract disorders. To make the
tea, pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup of flowers. Let it stand for
five minutes, then strain and sip slowly, with a touch of honey if desired.
A poultice of flowering sprigs soaked in hot water and bound over a
sprain or bruise as hot as is comfortable, will immediately disperse the
haematoma and lessen the tension and swelling over the sprain. For
many years I made a beautiful myrtle vinegar that I found to be helpful
for sprains and bruises in my physiotherapy practice.

Myrtle antiseptic lotion

Use this lotion for rashes, problem skin and infected bites.

2 cups myrtle flowering sprigs

2 litres water

Boil the flowering sprigs in the water for 10 minutes. Cool and strain.
Use on cotton wool pads as a toner for oily spotty skin, as a spray to
keep the skin moist, or as a wash on infected bites.

Myrtle vinegar for sprains and bruises

Myrtle flowering sprigs
White grape vinegar

Fill a bottle with myrtle flowering sprigs and top it up with white grape
vinegar. Stand the bottle in the sun for 10 days. During that time strain
out the old sprigs and replace with new ones twice so that the minerals
and vitamins in the myrtle leach into the vinegar. Finally, rebottle and
press one myrtle sprig into the bottle for identification. Add the vinegar
to the bath or use on a warmed cloth over bruises and sprains to ease
the pain.

Myrtle flower massage cream

Use this wonderful cream for bruises, sprains, aching legs and feet. I make it for
cyclists – it is excellent for cramps and strained ligaments.

2 cups flowering myrtle sprigs

1 cup good aqueous cream
1 tablespoon almond oil
1 tablespoon flax seed oil
2 teaspoons vitamin E oil

Simmer the sprigs and aqueous cream together in a double boiler for
20 minutes. Strain into a glass bowl and add the oils. Mix well and
spoon into a sterilised glass jar with a well-fitting lid. Massage in very
lightly and gently. Cover the area with a small towel soaked in myrtle
brew. To make the brew, fill a pot with myrtle sprigs and flowering
sprigs, add enough water to cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain.
Soak the towel in the brew as hot as can be tolerated and cover with
another thick towel to retain the heat.
CULINARY USES
Myrtle pepper
MAKES 2 BOTTLES
This deliciously spicy pepper is very easy to prepare and makes a super gift for the
keen cook.

1 cup dried myrtle flowers

1 cup dried myrtle flower buds
½ cup coriander seeds
½ cup peppercorns
½ cup dried paprika pieces or ¼ cup powdered paprika
½ cup powdered nutmeg
½ cup dried thyme

Mix the ingredients together and store in a screw-top jar. Shake the
pepper thoroughly, and spoon small quantities into a grinder. Leave a
little space at the top of the grinder so that the mixture can be shaken
every now and then. Grind onto savoury dishes such as pasta, egg,
cheese and potato dishes.

Myrtle and cheese spread

SERVES 6
Use this tasty spread as a sandwich filling or on toast as a supper dish, or serve on
crackers as a snack.

2 cups finely grated cheddar cheese

1 cup smooth cottage cheese
2 teaspoons mustard powder
1 cup mayonnaise
½ cup myrtle flowers, calyxes removed
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped capers or nasturtium seeds
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon
Juice of 1 lemon
Mix the ingredients together well, making sure that everything is
blended thoroughly. Spread on toast, top with tomato slices and place
under the grill until it bubbles.

Apple and myrtle stir-fry dessert

SERVES 4
This quick dessert is so appreciated that I often make double the quantity. It is ready
in five minutes, so the secret is to have all the ingredients ready before you start.

1 tablespoon butter
5 apples, peeled and coarsely grated
½–¾ cup sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
½ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup crystallised ginger, cut into small, thin pieces
½ cup chopped pecan nuts
½ cup myrtle flowers, calyxes removed
½ cup apple juice

Heat the butter in a pan or wok, and add the apple. Stir-fry quickly, then
add the sugar and mix well. Next add the lemon juice and all the other
ingredients and stir well. Should it become too dry, add a dash more
apple juice. Serve piping hot with whipped cream.
Nasturtium
Tropaeolum majus

The nasturtium originated in South America, particularly Bolivia and

Peru, and is now a familiar summer annual all over the world. It was
introduced to Spain in the 16th century and was recorded by a well-
known herbalist, Gerard, in London in the 1590s. With its pleasant
peppery taste it has become a favourite herb and today nasturtium
 seeds are marketed worldwide and beautiful cultivars abound, from
the more compact bush nasturtiums to double-flowered ones, in a
breathtaking array of colours. The bright orange sprawling
nasturtium that we all grew up with is happily still around, but the
colours of the latest cultivated varieties now include brilliant yellow,
cream, wine red and every combination and shade in between.
This season I was delighted to count 21 different colours and
combinations along my pergola walk, all of which were self-sown
from a single packet of seeds sown two summers previously!

CULTIVATION
Growing nasturtiums is child’s play – indeed they are a rewarding crop
for children to grow! Merely loosen a bit of soil in full sun and press the
big seeds into it, keep the soil moist, and within a few days the
succulent little seedlings will appear. They thrive in literally any soil,
although if the soil is too rich you will have masses of leaves at the
expense of flowers. In a protected area nasturtiums are biennial, but as
they seed themselves with such ease, I pull out the old plants and let
the new young ones take over.

MEDICINAL USES
All parts of the nasturtium plant may be used. As a child I was taught to
eat a nasturtium leaf at the first sign of a sore throat, another leaf an
hour later, and a third leaf an hour after that. Only years later did I learn
that nasturtiums are high in vitamin C and that they contain a natural
antibiotic. They are still used today in South America as a treatment for
bladder and kidney ailments, for coughs, colds and flu, and for sore
throats and bronchitis. These flowers contain a variety of vitamins and
minerals and have been used through the centuries to treat scurvy and
blood disorders.

COSMETIC USES
In ancient South America, the nasturtium was used as a hair-growth
stimulant. Medical science has now proved that the juice from the
flowers and buds stimulates the tiny capillaries of the scalp!
Nasturtium, nettle and rosemary hair tonic
This useful tonic can be used to promote hair growth and treat itching scalp and
dandruff.

1 cup nasturtium flowers and stems

1 cup nettle tops
1 cup rosemary sprigs
2 litres water

Boil the herbs in the water for 20 minutes. Cool and strain. Massage
the brew into just-shampooed hair, working it well into the scalp. Rinse
off with water mixed with a dash of apple cider vinegar. Make it fresh
each time. The hair tonic can also be combed into the hair.

CULINARY USES
Nasturtium salad vinegar

MAKES 1 BOTTLE
This is a delicious, easily made salad dressing with an almost addictive bite. It can
also be used in stir-fries, and the pickled flowers are delicious too. Some cooks make
the vinegar in a wide-mouthed jar packed with nasturtium flowers so that the flowers
can be fished out easily to flavour soups, sauces, stews and gravies. Nasturtium
vinegar in a decorative bottle with a personalised label makes a wonderful gift.

Several nasturtium flowers and buds

Nasturtium leaves
10 nasturtium seeds
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
2 tablespoons runny honey
Brown grape vinegar

Pack the nasturtium flowers and buds and a leaf or two into an
attractive 750 ml bottle. Add the nasturtium seeds, sesame seeds and
mustard seeds. Dribble in the honey and finally top with good-quality
brown grape vinegar. Shake gently, store out of the sun, and leave to
mature for about one month before using. Give the bottle a gentle
shake daily in order to disperse the ingredients. It will keep for several
years in a cool place.

Nasturtium cheese dip

SERVES 6
This is a lovely spread or dip served with crudités, savoury biscuits, toast or crisps,
and it gives cold meat and chicken a gourmet touch.

1 cup finely grated Gouda cheese

1 cup cream cheese
½ cup white wine
½ cup finely chopped celery
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
½ cup finely chopped green pepper
¾ cup finely chopped nasturtium flowers and leaves
Juice of 1 lemon

Mix all the ingredients together and pile into a bowl. Stand the bowl on
a large glass plate and surround with the toast, crisps or crackers and
decorate with nasturtium flowers.

COOK’S NOTE
Ripe nasturtium seeds packed into small bottles of vinegar
make a superb substitute for capers, and they give a delicious
bite when sliced finely into stir-fries. Note that capers are not
nasturtium seeds but are the flower buds of an unrelated
 shrub, Capparis spinosa, which grows in the Mediterranean
region.

Grilled aubergine salad with eggs and nasturtium

flowers
SERVES 6
This deliciously sustaining Greek-style lunch or supper dish makes an easy meal
when you have guests, served simply with baked or boiled potatoes or crusty bread.

2 medium-sized aubergines, stalks removed and sliced thinly

lengthways
½ cup olive oil
2 green peppers, thinly sliced lengthways
6 hard-boiled eggs, shelled
Sea salt and black pepper
8 anchovy fillets, chopped
Lemon juice
1 large avocado, peeled and diced
1 cup nasturtium flowers
8 spring onions, split in half lengthways
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
½ cup finely chopped parsley

Brush the aubergines with a little olive oil and place them under the grill
for about 10 minutes (check!). Add the green peppers and dry-grill
them, turning them until they are charred all over. Slice the hard-boiled
eggs in half and sprinkle them with crushed sea salt, black pepper and
the chopped anchovy fillets. Place the peppers in a plastic bag to
sweat, and when they are cool, remove the skins. Squeeze a little
lemon juice over the avocado to prevent it from turning brown. Arrange
all the ingredients on a large platter and tuck in the nasturtium flowers
and spring onions. Drizzle with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
For an alternative dressing, combine two tablespoons of olive oil,
the juice of one lemon, two tablespoons of honey and one tablespoon
of chopped pickled nasturtium seeds in a screw-top jar. Shake well and
pour over the salad just before serving.
Orange blossom
Citrus species

Citrus trees have been in cultivation since the first centuries of

civilisation. Originally from China and southeast Asia, the earliest
species moved westwards via the trade routes to India, then Arabia
and finally to the Mediterranean. Roman records from Palestine in
the first century mention citrus, and from then on citrus trees were
 cultivated in Italy and the rest of the Roman world. In 1002, citrus
trees were established in Seville in Spain, and the famous Seville
orange, valued for its bitter taste in marmalade, is still cultivated
today. Lemons were cultivated in Egypt by the 10th century and
from then on citrus trees were established in warmer regions around
the world.

CULTIVATION
Any number of cultivated varieties of citrus are now available to
gardeners worldwide, from tiny kumquats, calamondins and chinottos,
which do exceptionally well in tubs and make enchanting patio plants,
to tangerines, limes, rough-skinned lemons, ruby grapefruit and blood
oranges. They are evergreen, easy to care for and incredibly rewarding
to grow. A deep watering twice-weekly is imperative, and it is important
to apply a good dressing of compost every four months and to check
for pests and leaf curl.

MEDICINAL USES
All citrus fruits are high in vitamin C, and particularly lemons are
excellent for treating excess acidity in the body. Citrus fruit ease
constipation, clear catarrh and blocked noses, and their high vitamin C
and beta-carotene content makes them vitally important for our daily
health. Calcium, phosphorus and magnesium are present in the fruit,
and to some extent in the flowers.
Orange blossom has been found to be sedative, antispasmodic, and
an excellent remedy for depression, anxiety, nervous debility, grief, fear
and insomnia. A tea made from fresh orange blossom will aid sleep and
act as a natural tranquilliser. To make orange blossom tea, pour a cup
of boiling water over one tablespoon of fresh flowers, or half a
tablespoon of dried flowers. Let the tea stand for 3–5 minutes, then
strain, sweeten with a touch of honey if desired, and sip it slowly for any
of the above ailments and for poor circulation, as a natural blood
cleanser, for premenstrual tension, fatigue, palpitations and stress.

COSMETIC USES
Orange blossom is astringent and contains a skin-softening oil that is
effective in refining coarse, oily skin. It can be made into a tonic lotion
to clear oily skin and to brighten tired skin, and it can be dabbed onto
spots, rough areas and open sores.

Orange blossom tonic lotion for oily skin

1 cup orange blossoms
4 orange leaves
1½ litres water
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Simmer the orange blossoms and leaves in the water for 15 minutes, in
a pot with a well-fitting lid. Set the lotion aside to cool, then strain. Add
the apple cider vinegar and pour into a sterilised bottle and cork well.
Shake for one minute. Use as a skin tonic to clear oily skin and dab it
frequently onto spots, rough areas and open sores.

CULINARY USES
Iced tea with orange blossom sugar
SERVES 4–6
Served in tall frosted glasses on a summer afternoon.

1 litre boiling water

1 teabag
1 tablespoon orange flowers
1 litre iced water
Juice of 1 lemon
Orange blossom sugar to taste (see recipe)
1 lemon or orange, thinly sliced

Pour the boiling water over the teabag and leave the brew to stand for
three minutes. Remove the teabag and allow the tea to cool. Float the
orange blossom in the iced water. Add the iced water and lemon juice
to the tea and sweeten to taste with orange blossom sugar. Pour into a
glass jug, and float the lemon or orange slices on top plus several fresh
orange blossoms. Serve chilled with a little crushed ice. Individual
flowers can be frozen into ice cubes and served with the iced tea.

Orange blossom sugar

In days gone by this wonderful old-fashioned sugar with its lingering, haunting scent
and taste would have been kept in a silver sugar casket and used with iced tea,
jasmine tea, or in eggnogs, custards or cream.

1 kg white sugar
1 cup orange or lemon blossom
1 whole nutmeg, cracked with a mallet or using a pestle and mortar
1 stick cinnamon
1 tablespoon roughly crushed allspice berries (pimento)

Mix all the ingredients together and store in a large, sealed screw-top
glass jar. Shake daily.

Orange blossom fairy butter

Fairy butter dates back to 1736, when it was highly fashionable to use it to ice buns
and cakes. This modern version of the recipe can be used as a cake filling or icing on
top of a plain sponge cake. I have used it to ice a wedding cake (orange blossom is a
traditional wedding flower) and found it to be superb.

2 eggs
2 cups icing sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Dash of brandy or your favourite liqueur
½–¾ cup orange blossom, calyxes removed, petals finely chopped
Fresh orange blossom, for decoration

Whisk the eggs well with the icing sugar until creamy. Add the lemon
juice. Beat well. Add the vanilla essence, and a dash of brandy or
liqueur, and beat thoroughly. Lastly, fold the orange blossoms in lightly.
Spread the icing onto the cake and decorate with fresh orange
blossom.

Orange blossom sago pudding

SERVES 4
This is one of those absolutely delicious old-fashioned puddings that is perfect for a
springtime Sunday lunch.

1 cup sago
2 cups hot water
3½ cups milk
¾ cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick
½ cup orange blossom, removed from their calyxes
250 ml cream, whipped
Ground cinnamon

Soak the sago in the hot water for an hour, then strain. In a double
boiler, heat the milk, sago, sugar and cinnamon stick, and simmer on a
low heat for about 2½ hours, or until the sago is swollen, transparent
and tender. When you are ready to serve, remove the cinnamon stick
and stir the orange blossoms in lightly. Spoon into individual dishes,
smother with whipped cream and dust with ground cinnamon. Decorate
with orange blossoms.
Pansy & viola
Viola lutea • V. tricolor

Viola

‘Pansies with their happy faces, grow with joy in sunny places.’ No
garden is complete without an edging or planting of pansies and
violas. The exquisite garden pansy (Viola × wittrockiana) hybrids
available today probably derived from Viola tricolor, V. lutea and
 possibly V. altaica. The beautiful markings of these three original
pansies were so admired by gardeners and botanists during the
19th century that pansy societies were founded to hybridise and
improve the species. The array of species available today is
breathtaking in its variety of colours and markings, and there is a
huge selection of seed available. The tiny heartsease, V. tricolor,
the forerunner to the viola and pansy hybrids we know today,
originated in Europe and Asia, but has now spread all over the
world. Violas, or ‘little pansies’, as they are often known, are an
enchanting small-flowering variety and were originally hybridised by
James Grive in 1863 from show pansies crossed with V. cornuta,
which come from the Pyrenees, and V. lutea.

CULTIVATION
Pansies require little attention other than well-dug, compost-rich soil, a
twice-weekly watering and frequent dead-heading to ensure a longer
flowering period. Plant in early winter as the pansy is a cold-weather
annual.

MEDICINAL USES
The tiny heartsease has been used in herbalism for matters of the
heart, hence its name; it is also used to treat high blood pressure,
indigestion, and skin ailments such as eczema, rashes and
inflammation. It can also be used to treat coughs and colds, stiff, sore
joints, gout and rheumatoid arthritis. To ease rheumatism and aches
and pains, add a strong infusion to the bath.
A tea made from flowering V. tricolor sprigs and one or two garden
pansies can be used as a treatment for high blood pressure. Add ¼ cup
flowers to a cup of boiling water; leave the tea to stand for five minutes,
then strain. Take one or two cups daily until the blood pressure
normalises, thereafter have one cup on alternate days or twice-weekly.

CAUTION: Do not take pansies and violas medicinally for prolonged

periods, as this can cause nausea and vomiting. Always allow an 8–
10-day break after using these flowers for two weeks.

Viola bath infusion for arthritis

4 cups V. tricolor flowering sprigs and pansies
2 litres water

Boil the flowering sprigs and pansies in the water for 10 minutes. Cool
for five minutes, strain and add to the bath. This infusion will help to
ease aches and pains. Do this two or three times a week; it is infinitely
soothing. Also take a cup of tea made from V. tricolor.

Viola skin cream for eczema, rashes and inflammation

1 cup V. tricolor flowering sprigs
1 cup aqueous cream
2 teaspoons vitamin E oil

Pound the flowering sprigs to a paste, mash in the aqueous cream until
it is fully incorporated, then warm in a double boiler for 15 minutes,
stirring frequently. Strain through a fine sieve and mix in the vitamin E
oil. Spoon into a sterilised screw-top bottle. Keep in the fridge and
apply frequently.

CULINARY USES
Strawberry and pansy granita
SERVES 6–8
This dessert must be made the day before so that it can freeze well.

2 kg ripe strawberries, hulled

300 g castor sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
250 ml thick cream
125 ml sweet sherry
Fresh pansy flowers

Liquidise the strawberries with the sugar and lemon juice. Place in a
measuring jug and top up with water to 1.5 litres. Taste and add more
sugar if necessary. Pour into a shallow tray and freeze. Take the tray
out every 30–40 minutes and break up the ice crystals with a fork. Do
this four or five times or until you have a tray of strawberry ice crystals.
 The following day, whisk the cream before serving the dessert. Pile
the strawberry crystals into individual bowls, push a pansy or two down
the side, dribble with sherry, top with whipped cream and decorate with
pansies. Serve immediately.

Almond pansy macaroons

MAKES ABOUT 18
These are simple to make and delicious served with ice-cream, custard, as a tea
biscuit or with after-dinner coffee.

4 tablespoons castor sugar

4 tablespoons ground almonds
2 egg whites, stiffly beaten
1–2 drops vanilla essence
Fresh pansy flowers

Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper and paint it with a little
sunflower oil. Mix the sugar and almonds together and fold into the egg
whites with the vanilla essence. Drop small spoonfuls onto the greased
paper, well apart. Bake for 10–12 minutes at 180°C until faintly golden
brown. Cool for a few minutes, then lift off with a spatula and cool on a
wire rack. Store in an airtight tin.

COOK’S NOTE
When you are ready to serve the macaroons, mix a little icing
sugar with water, and paint the mixture on the backs of fresh
pansy flowers. Press the pansies onto each macaroon and
arrange the macaroons attractively on a glass plate,
decorated with more pansy flowers.
Pansy

Pansy and asparagus cheese bake

SERVES 6–8
I make this dish in spring when fresh asparagus and pansies are both at their best.

750 g fresh green asparagus spears

2 cups milk
2 eggs, well beaten
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup grated Gouda cheese
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 cup brown breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon mealie-meal
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon butter
10 heartsease flowers or other violas

Cut the asparagus spears into 2-cm lengths and cook them in boiling
salted water. When just tender, drain and arrange in a glass baking
dish. Whisk the milk into the eggs, followed by the flour, sweet-milk
cheese, and the salt and pepper. Finally, whisk in the chopped onion.
Mix the brown breadcrumbs, mealie-meal and Parmesan cheese
together. Pour the egg mixture over the asparagus and top with the
breadcrumb and parmesan mixture. Dot with butter and bake at 180°C
for about 20 minutes or until the egg mixture is set and the cheese
topping starts to brown. Decorate with violas just before serving.
Pea
Pisum sativum • Garden pea

CULTIVATION
Sow the seeds 30–50 cm apart in deeply dug richly composted soil in
full sun and in a wide furrow so that a hosepipe can be inserted at one
end. Sow in March or early April and set a trellis, fence or lattice for
them to climb onto as they are essentially climbers. Watch over the
young pea shoots as birds, cutworms, monkeys and squirrels love
them! I cover them with leaves to camouflage them and crisscross
sticks over the area. Give them a long slow twice-weekly watering; as
the days shorten, once-weekly is usually sufficient. For the winter
plantings I have successfully grown peas next to carrots, turnips,
radishes and lettuce.
To sprout peas, soak a cupful in a bowl of warm water and leave
overnight. The next morning spread the peas in a shallow dish lined
with wet cotton wool. Keep the peas moist by spritz-spraying them
frequently, and allow them to grow in good light. I place the tray in
sunlight for a short while every now and then to keep them mildew free.
When the sprouts are 3–4 cm high pull them up and eat them fresh and
succulent with salads and stir-fries.

The pea is a robust and rewarding crop, perhaps as old as wheat

and barley, and has been eaten as a green vegetable for over 7000
years! It originated in the Mediterranean basin as both a food and a
medicine.
Ancient pharmacopoeias show that peas were recorded in Swiss
Bronze Age burial sites around 5000 BC, and the ancient Greeks
and Romans used peas in great quantities in soups and gruels and
as trade. Herbal records indicate that peas were used as a winter
medicine for respiratory ailments, and that trade in pea greens for
medicinal purposes surpassed trade in pea greens as a food!
In the Middle Ages monks grew peas in their cloister gardens
and made hot pea soups for coughs and colds and to treat the
many ailments that benefitted from them. In 1602 dried peas were
taken to America on the Mayflower and soon became a lucrative
trade. A little later, a French gardener developed the first tender-
podded climbing pea, and this became a favourite gourmet food in
the court of Louis XIV. Today peas are grown commercially in the
cool temperate regions of the world, not as greens or edible flowers,
but as ripe pods, and about 20 million tons are grown and
distributed per annum.
Personally I have focused on growing the old antique or heritage
varieties of pea. I use the whole plant, including the succulent
flowers, which are mostly white but also palest pink. These old-
 fashioned garden peas are, I believe, the healthiest peas of all!
However get to know all cultivated varieties – sugar snaps, petit
pois and mangetout included – as peas are a health food everyone
can relish!

MEDICINAL USES
Green peas and their flowers are rich in protein, phosphorus, zinc,
manganese, potassium, magnesium, vitamins B, C and K, folic acid
and amino acids. The whole pea plant should be eaten at least three
times a week during the winter months to act as an invigorating tonic, to
fight infections and boost the immune system.
Peas, flowers and leafy sprigs have long been a respected folk
remedy for detoxifying the liver, and clearing digestive ailments,
bloating and cramps. To make a soothing hot tea, pour a cup of boiling
water over half a cup of pea flowers and one teaspoon of caraway
seeds. Leave the tea to stand for five minutes. Stir it well and sip
slowly, chewing the seeds and eating the flowers for full benefit. This
acts as a tonic for the whole system, and taken after a heavy rich meal,
it will quickly relieve indigestion. Pea flowers and mint also make an
excellent digestive tea – pour a cup of boiling water over half a cup of
mint sprigs mixed with pea flowers. Let the tea stand for five minutes,
strain and sip slowly.
In Asia young tender pea shoots, known as tou mio, are stir-fried
with other vegetables, adding an enormous number of vitamins,
minerals and amino acids to the diet.

Pea flower tonic soup for the digestive system

SERVES 4
For irritable bowel syndrome, indigestion, bloating cramps, this easy-to-make mild
soup will become a panacea.

4 cups flowering tips of the pea vine, flowers, leaves, tendrils

2 cups chopped fennel leaves, stems, flowers
2 cups chopped celery
2 teaspoons aniseeds
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
2 litres chicken stock
Juice of 1 lemon
½ cup chopped parsley
Sea salt to taste

Boil up everything together in a heavy-bottomed pan. Cook for about 40

minutes, then liquidise. Serve hot.

CULINARY USES
Pea flower soup
SERVES 4-6
This soup takes some beating on a cold winter’s day!

½ cup olive oil

6 leeks, carefully cleaned and thinly sliced
2–3 large potatoes, peeled and coarsely grated
8–10 cups finely chopped pea tendrils, leafy sprigs and flowers
1 teaspoon crushed cumin seed
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
2 litres strong chicken stock
Juice of 1 lemon

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Fry the leeks with the grated
potatoes for a few minutes, stirring frequently. Add the pea shoots and
flowers and the cumin seed, sea salt and pepper, and lastly the chicken
stock. Simmer the soup until tender. Add the lemon juice and taste; a
little more salt or lemon juice may be needed. For a smooth soup, use
a stick blender and whirl to a smooth consistency. Serve piping hot
decorated with fresh pea flowers, a grinding of black pepper and
homemade brown bread.

Pea flower relish

2 × 500 g JARS
This relish is delicious served with chops, sausages or baked potatoes, or even with
cheese on bread rolls, and it keeps well in the fridge.
4 cups pea flowers and a few tendrils
2 onions, sliced into rings
12 radishes, topped and tailed and quartered (add more if there is
space)

Sauce
1 cup dark grape vinegar
¾ cup honey
¼ cup hot water
2 teaspoons mustard powder
2 teaspoons coriander seeds, lightly crushed

Pack the jars with layers of pea flowers, onion rings and radishes.
Simmer the sauce ingredients together for 10 minutes, and pour the hot
sauce over the bottled ingredients. Seal and label the jars – do not
open them before the relish has matured for two weeks!

COOK’S NOTE
The more you pick pea flowers the more they grow, plus they
are one of the best winter salad ingredients. I find that butter
lettuce, pea flowers and tendrils, thinly sliced radishes, and a
big squeeze of fresh lemon juice makes a most satisfying
winter salad. Served with hardboiled eggs, homemade
mayonnaise, and homemade brown bread, this is a meal fit for
a king!
Peach blossom
Prunus persica

Three hundred years before Christ, the Greek philosopher

Theophrastus wrote about the peach, naming it perske after Persia,
which he thought to be its country of origin, and Dioscorides
mentioned the peach in the first century. It is in fact native to China,
where a huge number of cultivated varieties exist today. It took
 many centuries for the peach to reach Europe, and in 1629 the first
peach trees were sent to America where they flourished, and from
there they spread rapidly around the world.

CULTIVATION
It is important to choose a variety of peach that will do well in your area
as there are a vast number of cultivated varieties available today. I tend
to choose the earliest of fruiting peaches as this eliminates the need to
spray. Tansy planted under the trees will help to prevent insect attack.
Peach trees need rich, well-composted soil in full sun and can be
pruned into attractive small trees that are perfect even in a small
garden. Peaches fruit on young shoots, so pruning is not difficult.
Merely shaping the tree in its first few years will ensure a practical,
attractive shape in years to come.
I am saddened by the decline in popularity of peach, plum, fig and
apricot trees compared with a mere 50 years ago, when every garden
had at least one or two kinds of fruit tree. Their brief early spring
flowering is a delight to the eye, and the first sign that spring is on the
way.

MEDICINAL USES
Organically grown peaches are a superb health food. Rich in vitamins A
and C and beta-carotene, the fruit (and to a lesser extent the blossom)
is alkaline in the body and helps to eliminate toxins. It is important that
peaches are eaten fresh, as the sugar and sulphur content in tinned
and dried fruit are best avoided, and they should be unsprayed and
organically grown. Easily digestible, they are particularly important for
the elderly and they combine beautifully with other fruits. In 17th
century Italy peach blossom was made into a poultice for bruises,
rashes, eczema, grazes and stings.
Tea made from the leaves or blossoms is a marvellous detoxifier for
the kidneys, and the significant calcium, phosphorus and iron content
has a tonic action on the blood. Even today in rural areas around the
world peach blossom tea (and peach leaf tea when the leaves appear
in early summer), is made to ease kidney ailments and urinary tract
infections and to clear the body of toxins, especially after a debilitating
illness. To make the tea, pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup fresh or
dried blossom. Allow the tea to stand for five minutes, then strain.
Sweeten with honey if liked or add a slice of lemon, and in the case of
an aching kidney area, add a few thin slices of fresh ginger.

CAUTION: Do not use the ornamental flowering peach – only the

blossom of the fruit-bearing peach is used medicinally.

Peach blossom vinegar for wasp stings

I have made this remedy every spring for many years, especially when my children
were little. If it is applied immediately after the sting, there will be very little swelling.
The secret is to keep applying the vinegar-soaked cloth to the stung area.

1 bottle clear grape vinegar

1 cup peach blossoms, calyx and petals

Press the peach blossoms, calyx and petals into the vinegar. Cork it
securely and give it a daily shake. After two weeks it will be potent. I
leave the blossoms in the vinegar and with time they become almost
translucent. When stung by a wasp, quickly soak a paper towel or a
wad of cotton wool in the vinegar and apply it to the area. Frequently
resoak the poultice in the peach blossom vinegar. Also suck two Nat
Mur tissue salt tablets every 10 minutes for an hour.

CULINARY USES
Springtime peach blossom sundae
SERVES 1
Treat yourself to this exquisite dessert as soon as the blossoms appear, as they are
present so briefly. This springtime sundae is so visually lovely that it is almost a
shame to eat it!

2 scoops vanilla ice-cream

1 banana
1 tablespoon chopped pecan nuts
Glacé cherries
Cinnamon
½ cup fresh peach blossom petals
Place the ice-cream in a pretty glass bowl. Slice a banana in half
lengthways and place the halves on either side of the ice-cream to form
a little boat. Sprinkle with the nuts and dot with cherries. Dust with
cinnamon and sprinkle liberally with the peach blossom petals. Add
strawberries or mulberries and whipped cream for variation.

Peach blossom spring fruit salad

SERVES 4
During winter we tend to yearn for a refreshing fruit salad. This one is made from the
first spring fruits.

4 pears, peeled and diced

2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced and sprinkled with honey
2 cups mulberries, stalks removed and sprinkled with honey
2 apples, peeled and finely grated
2 bananas, peeled and thinly sliced
1 small pineapple, finely grated
½ cup pear juice
1 cup cream
¾ cup peach blossom petals

Mix the fruits and juice together. Whip the cream, place the fruit salad in
individual glass dishes, add a good dollop of cream, and sprinkle
lavishly with peach blossom petals.

Grilled mushrooms with peach blossom

SERVES 4
This is a quick-and-easy supper dish. Ring the changes with different sauces such as
fresh tomato sauce, green pepper and onion sauce, or cheese sauce. The peach
blossom gives a light and delicate taste to the otherwise fairly strong flavours.

8 large brown mushrooms

Butter
Juice of 1 lemon
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
Olive oil
2 cups peeled, diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oreganum
1 cup chopped celery
Sea salt and pepper to taste
¾ cup peach blossom petals
Chopped parsley

Place the mushrooms stalk side up on a flat baking dish and dot with
butter. Squeeze the lemon juice over them. Place under the grill for
about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Brown the onion in a
little olive oil, add the tomatoes and simmer until tender. Stir in the
honey. Add the oreganum, celery and seasoning and stir for a minute
or two. Pour the sauce over the mushrooms, and sprinkle with the
peach blossom petals and a little chopped parsley. Serve with brown
rice.
Pineapple sage
Salvia elegans • S. rutilans

The sages are a huge family comprising hundreds of species, some

of which are annual, some biennial and some perennial (pineapple
sage is perennial). It is a deliciously scented and flavoured sub-
shrub, originating in Mexico and other parts of South America. In
ancient times pineapple sage was used in sacrificial ceremonies as
 a gift to the gods. The stems were rubbed onto floors and pillars to
impart their exotic fragrance, and bunches of pineapple sage were
burned on ceremonial fires to ward off evil spirits. Water flavoured
with pineapple sage flowers was drunk at ceremonies to cleanse the
body before imbibing potent drinks made from prickly pears and
other fermented fruits, and it was also taken afterwards to help
relieve hangovers.

CULTIVATION
Pineapple sage can reach 1 m in height in favourable conditions. It is
frost-tender and sun-loving, and forms a striking feature in the garden
with its abundant multi-stemmed growth. A twice-yearly dressing of
compost and a deep weekly watering is all it requires. In late winter cut
back all the flowering stems to ground level to encourage tender new
shoots. The strong, unmistakable pineapple scent is attractive to
butterflies, and just one blazing bush will draw a host of multi-coloured
butterflies to the garden. To propagate pineapple sage, dig out small
tufts of rooted new shoots with a sharp spade and transplant
immediately into well-dug, well-composted soil 1 m apart in full sun. Do
not let the new little clumps dry out, and mulch the ground around them
with dry leaves to protect them against changes of temperature.

MEDICINAL USES
Pineapple sage is a member of the great Laminaceae family; like Salvia
officinalis, it has antibiotic properties, and a tea made from the flowers
and a few leaves is an effective treatment for chesty coughs, colds and
blocked noses. Infuse ¼ cup of fresh flowers and leaves in a cup of
boiling water and allow the tea to stand for five minutes, then strain and
sweeten with honey. When lemon juice is added to the tea it makes an
effective gargle; this was once popular with chanters and singers in
religious ceremonies, who believed that it strengthened the voice.
A poultice of crushed flowers will quickly soothe bee stings and
mosquito bites.

Pineapple sage nose cream

For a painful, red nose, raw from endless blowing during a cold or flu, this is a gently
soothing cream that will quickly repair all the redness.

1 cup aqueous cream

½ cup pineapple sage flowering sprigs
½ cup thyme flowering sprigs
½ cup comfrey leaves and flowers, finely chopped
2 teaspoons vitamin E oil
1 teaspoon tea tree oil
1 teaspoon eucalyptus oil

Simmer the aqueous cream, pineapple sage sprigs, thyme sprigs and
comfrey in a double boiler for 20 minutes. Take it off the heat and allow
to stand for 10 minutes. Strain and then add the three oils. Spoon into a
sterilised jar. Apply frequently to the nose and also a little around each
nostril. This cream is antiseptic, antiviral and antibacterial. Treasure it!

COSMETIC USES
A bundle of flowering sprigs tied in a piece of muslin and tossed under
the hot water tap in the bath will soften and soothe sunburned and
wind-chapped skin. The crushed flowers were once used as a cosmetic
by country girls who rubbed them on their cheeks to create a blush.
Mashed into a little boiling water and left to stand until pleasantly warm,
the flowers were also rubbed into the nails to strengthen them and
colour them lightly.

CULINARY USES
Pineapple sage and grapefruit health
breakfast
SERVES 1

1 large ruby grapefruit

1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger root
2 tablespoons soft brown caramel sugar
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon pineapple sage flowers

Carefully cut and scoop segments out of the grapefruit, place in a bowl
and add the sesame seeds, ginger root, sugar and nutmeg. Mix
everything together well before adding the flowers. Mix lightly. Spoon
into a glass bowl and serve chilled, decorated with a few fresh flowers.

COOK’S NOTE
Because of their distinctive pineapple taste, pineapple sage
flowers can be added to drinks, fruit salads and desserts, and
their bright red colour lends an exotic look to any dish. To
make an easy dessert for a hot summer Sunday lunch, scoop
balls of vanilla ice cream into a dish and cover with finely
chopped fresh pineapple, sprinkled with lots of pineapple
sage flowers.

Couscous and pineapple sage

SERVES 4
Couscous is an ancient grain devised by the Berbers of North Africa from millet, and
later from wheat. The national dish of Morocco, it is full of vitamins and minerals.
Couscous is available in most supermarkets, and like rice, is superb served with
meat, stews and spicy relishes.

2 cups couscous, the instant, commercial kind

½ cup pineapple sage flowers
1 cup finely chopped or grated fresh pineapple
½ cup finely chopped parsley
Juice of 1 lemon
½ tablespoon finely crushed coriander seeds

Cook the couscous according to the directions on the box. I usually

soak the grains for five minutes in warm water and then steam them in
a steamer, separating the grains with a fork. When fluffy and tender,
serve on a flat warm dish, and at the last minute sprinkle with the
flowers, pineapple, parsley, lemon juice and coriander seeds. Serve hot
with a rich meat or chicken stew.
Pineapple sage and fresh pineapple drink
SERVES 4
This is a delicious drink for hot summer days. Ring the changes with litchi, apple or
mango juice. If using mango juice, add the flesh of one peeled ripe mango to the
pineapple puree.

1 large, very sweet pineapple or 2 small ones

½ cup fresh mint leaves
3 cups plain white grape juice
Honey to sweeten
Pineapple sage flowers for decoration

Peel, chop and liquidise the pineapple. Add the mint leaves and grape
juice and whirl until smooth. Chill until ready to serve. Just before
serving, taste for sweetness. If necessary, add a little honey and whirl
again. Pour into tall glasses and sprinkle with pineapple sage flowers.
Plum blossom
Prunus domestica

The plum originated in western Asia and the Caucasus and can be
dated back about 2 000 years. It was first naturalised in Greece and
subsequently throughout the temperate regions of the world, and by
the 15th century plums were grown widely in France and Italy. They
were a staple fruit crop in Britain up until the Second World War,
when their popularity waned unaccountably and plum orchards gave
way to other more important food crops. From then on plums were
found mostly in cottage gardens and old farmyards, and sadly many
of the early cultivated varieties were lost for all time.

CULTIVATION
Plums favour a heavier, moister soil than most fruit trees, but bear well
in most positions, requiring little attention other than good, rich soil in
full sun, a dressing of compost twice a year, a deep weekly watering,
and a winter pruning that shapes the tree. In colder areas plums do well
trained or espaliered in a fan shape against a wall, and can be pruned
vigorously early on, as the branches often sag under the weight of the
fruit. Plant tansy underneath plum trees to keep fruit flies at bay.
 Plant a plum tree near the house to enjoy its fragrance and beauty
all year. Today nurseries offer self-pollinating varieties and all plums
make a charming tree, with exquisite white blossoms in spring, and fruit
and shade in summer. Judicious propagation has resulted in about 1
500 varieties, including prunes, and commercial plum orchards are in
vogue once again.

MEDICINAL USES
All varieties of plum are rich in minerals and vitamins, but need to have
ripened fully before eating to prevent acidity. They are high in
phosphorus, calcium and vitamins A and C. Fresh plums have a
laxative effect, and dried prunes are an even more potent natural
laxative. In ancient Greek medicine, plum blossoms were used to treat
bleeding gums and mouth ulcers, and to tighten loose teeth.
Mixed together with sage leaves and flowers, plum blossoms were
used in plum wine or plum brandy as a mouthwash to soothe a sore
throat and mouth ailments and to sweeten bad breath. As plums and
sage both flower in spring, it is easy to see why they were combined in
this way. Plum trees flower prolifically in spring for a brief period; during
this time every year I make plum blossom vinegar, which has similar
benefits in the mouth and throat.

Plum blossom vinegar

This vinegar makes a soothing gargle for treating oral infections and sore throats.

1 cup plum blossoms, fully opened, calyxes included

3 cups apple cider vinegar

Pick the blossoms when they are fully open and push them into a bottle
containing the apple cider vinegar. Give the mixture a daily shake. Do
this for about 10 days, then strain. Discard the old blossoms and
replace with a cup of fresh flowers. Leave them in the bottle for 10 days
and then strain. Use one tablespoon of the vinegar in a glass of water
as a rinse, or gargle to clear mouth infections and sore throats.

Greek plum blossom and sage mouthwash

This recipe was recorded by the ancient Greeks and is useful for treating ulcers,
bleeding gums and halitosis.

1 bottle good brandy

1 cup plum blossoms
1 cup sage leaves and flowers
4 tablespoons honey

Warm two cups of the brandy with the plum blossoms, sage flowers
and leaves and the honey in a double boiler for 20 minutes, stirring
gently now and then. Allow it to cool for 10 minutes, then strain and add
to the bottle of brandy, first pouring out some of the remaining brandy.
Carefully insert the blossoms and sage, top up the bottle with brandy
and cork. To use the mouthwash, dilute one tablespoon of the mixture
with half a cup of hot water and swish around the mouth, a few sips at a
time. Keep it in the mouth as long as possible, then swallow or spit it
out.

CULINARY USES
Plum blossom and pumpkin supper dish
SERVES 4
This delicious and comforting supper was made in the old days on the farm in the
early spring, when the nights were still chilly. The last of the winter-stored pumpkins
would have been used to make this deliciously sustaining dish with the first spring
plum blossom.

4 cups peeled, diced pumpkin

1 tablespoon butter
½ cup soft brown caramel sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
½–¾ cup plum blossom
½ cup seedless raisins or sultanas, soaked for 20 minutes in hot water
½ cup sesame seeds
½ cup sunflower seeds
1 teaspoon mustard powder
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Cook the pumpkin in salted water until tender. Drain, and mash in the
butter, sugar and cinnamon. Stir-fry the onion and celery in the oil until
they just start to brown. Add the plum blossom, drained raisins, sesame
seeds and sunflower seeds. Season with mustard powder, salt and
pepper. Finally, add the pumpkin and stir-fry until everything is
thoroughly mixed. Spoon the mixture into a serving dish, sprinkle with
the grated cheese, and place briefly under the grill until the cheese is
melted. Serve piping hot.

Chinese plum blossom tea

SERVES 1
Plum blossom tea has almond overtones and was considered a great delicacy in 16th
century China. The buds were picked in spring and dried and stored in caddies for the
winter months. However, fresh blossoms are far nicer. Remember that the Chinese
tea ceremony is unhurried and peaceful, which is how this delicious tea will be of
most benefit.

1 cup boiling water

1 tablespoon fresh plum blossom
1 small sprig spearmint (or any other mint)

Pour the boiling water over the plum blossom and sprigs of mint. Allow
the tea to draw for five minutes. Strain, sweeten with honey and sip
slowly. This is an excellent after-dinner drink too, and can be added
cold to jellies and jams.

Plum blossom and celery cheese platter

SERVES 4
This is delicious as a light lunch, or served in the traditional way at the end of a meal.
You can combine any of your favourite cheeses, moistened if necessary with a little
cream or milk to obtain a smooth consistency.

½ cup mashed feta cheese

½ cup cream cheese
½ cup soft goat’s milk cheese
6 long celery sticks, washed and cut into 10 cm lengths
Sea salt and paprika to taste
½ cup plum blossoms

Mix the cheeses together in a food processor to form a smooth paste.

Mound the cheese neatly in the hollow of each celery stick, and
sprinkle with sea salt, paprika and plum blossoms. Serve on a bed of
lettuce together with savoury biscuits.
Plumbago
Plumbago auriculata • Cape leadwort • Cape forget-
me-not

This pretty, blue-flowered, scrambling shrub is indigenous to South

Africa and has become a treasured hothouse plant all over the
world, beloved because of its long flowering period and the sky-blue
clusters of flowers it produces so lavishly. In its wild state it grows in
 great swathes on banks and hillsides, clothed in magnificent blue in
summer. However, it is enormously obliging and can be trained up
trellises, espaliered on a wall or fence, or clipped into a pretty
hedge, requiring little more than the occasional pruning and clipping
back of spent flowers. A strong individual stem can be staked and
side bits constantly pruned to form a beautiful blue topiary ball. It
takes three years to reach perfection with regular attention, but the
result is well worth the wait.

CULTIVATION
Propagation is by means of rooted pieces dug off from the mother
plant. New plants should be planted in a sunny position and will tolerate
even poor, dry soil, making plumbago a valuable garden plant for dry
regions where water is in scarce supply. A newer cultivated variety of
plumbago called ‘Royal Cape’ is available at many nurseries, and is
being marketed as far afield as England, America and Australia. This
variety is particularly suitable for large tubs and can be trained into a
small topiary ball; it is especially attractive on account of its
astonishingly brilliant blue flowers.

MEDICINAL USES
Plumbago flowers can be used to make a wonderfully soothing cream
for sunburn, burns, spots and rashes. To heal a bruise, place fresh
crushed flowers over the affected area, cover the flowers with the
soothing cream and bind in place with a cloth. Relax for 10 minutes.
You will be amazed at the efficacy of this old-fashioned folk treatment!
A crushed flower or two placed over a slow-to-heal scratch will quickly
soothe and heal it. Hold in place with a small plaster.

Healing plumbago skin cream

Use this cream to treat burns, spots, rashes and bruises.

1 cup crushed plumbago flowers

1 cup aqueous cream
4 teaspoons vitamin E oil
Mix the crushed flowers in the aqueous cream, then simmer in a double
boiler with the lid on for 25 minutes, stirring well. Strain the cream
through a fine sieve while it is still hot. As it cools, mix in the vitamin E
oil. Pour into sterilised jars and keep in the fridge.

COSMETIC USES
Plumbago flowers make a soothing lotion that beats the heat, refreshes
and revitalises hot greasy skin, refines large pores, and cleanses away
perspiration and grime, and soothes rashes and pimples, clearing away
the infection and redness.

Plumbago lotion
For sunburn, blemishes, rashes, pimples and red spots, plumbago lotion is quickly
soothing and healing. Use the flowers with oats and warm water to wash greasy
problem skin.

2 cups plumbago flowering heads

2 litres water
4 tablespoons rosewater

Boil the flowering heads in the water for 10 minutes. Cool, then strain
and add the rosewater. Moisten pads of cotton wool with the fragrant
lotion and wipe the face, or pour into a spritz bottle and spray the face,
neck and arms to clear away grime and perspiration and to cool down.
The lotion can also be applied to scratches, rashes and greasy skin,
after the face has been washed well. It also acts as a refreshing ‘air
conditioner’, especially if used on a long summer journey.

Crush half a cupful of plumbago flowers and use the pulp on

acne spots and rashes as a gentle cleanser and scrub. Crush
a further handful of flowers and continue to cleanse the face
gently. The pulped flowers will help heal a rash as well. Apply
two or three times a day.
CULINARY USES
Plumbago fruit jelly
SERVES 6
This lovely recipe comes from a farm in the hot, mountainous region of the Eastern
Cape. It is a real winner on a summer’s day.

2 tablespoons sugar
4 cups peeled, sliced peaches or nectarines
4 cups peeled, sliced prickly pears
2 tablespoons gelatine, dissolved in 1 cup warm water
2 cups peach or orange juice or water
1 cup plumbago flowers, pulled out of their sticky calyxes

Sprinkle the sugar over the peaches and arrange all the fruit in a glass
bowl. Mix the dissolved gelatine and the fruit juice together. Tuck the
plumbago flowers in between the fruit and gently pour the gelatine and
juice mixture over the fruit. Chill. When set, serve with thick farm cream
and decorate with plumbago flowers.
Plumbago and beetroot salad
SERVES 6–8
This is a traditional salad with a difference. It keeps beautifully bottled or in the fridge
for up to two months and goes particularly well with a braai or barbecue.

10–12 well-scrubbed, medium-sized beetroots, unpeeled

1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon whole cloves
2 bay leaves
½ tablespoon allspice berries
1 crushed nutmeg
1 cup brown grape vinegar
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup water
½ cup plumbago flowers, pulled out of their sticky calyxes

Boil the beetroots until they are tender. Meanwhile, tie all the spices in
a square of muslin and boil with the vinegar, sugar and water with the
lid on for 10 minutes. Slide the skins off the beetroot and grate them
coarsely. Spoon the grated beetroot into jars or a bowl, and sprinkle
with the plumbago flowers. Remove the spices and pour the hot
vinegar mixture over the salad. Serve it either hot or cold as a salad or
relish. Decorate with more fresh plumbago flowers.

Lamb and potato pot roast with plumbago

SERVES 4–6

½ cup sunflower oil

8 lamb loin chops, trimmed of excess fat
2 large onions, peeled and sliced
6 potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 cup plumbago flowers, pulled out of their sticky calyxes
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lemon

Heat the oil in a heavy cast iron pot, and brown the chops. Add the
onions and potatoes and stir-fry. When they are browned, add the
plumbago flowers and just enough water to make a gravy. Season with
salt and pepper and add the lemon juice. Stir frequently to prevent
sticking and add a little more water when necessary. Turn down the
heat, cover and simmer until the potatoes are tender. Serve piping hot
with brown rice and vegetables, decorated with plumbago flowers.
Poppy
Papaver rhoeas • Field poppy • Flanders poppy

The bright red field poppy, Papaver rhoeas, has grown prolifically
across Europe, Asia and the Mediterranean region for thousands of
years, where it has been used as both food and medicine, and as a
symbol. In the Victorian language of flowers the poppy signifies
consolation. In Britain at the end of the First World War the field or
 Flanders poppy became the flower of remembrance for those killed
at Flanders, the red petals symbolising the red of their blood. The
Shirley poppy (P. rhoeas ‘Shirley’) is descended from the field poppy
and is available in a wide range of colours that are breathtaking in
spring. The opium poppy is quite different from the field poppy and
comes in many forms, from plants with fringed petals to double- and
single-flowered ones with a startling array of petal shapes and
colours. Growth of the opium poppy is strictly controlled due to its
potent narcotic effects. It is the source of the powerful painkillers
codeine and morphine, and morphine’s derivative, heroin.
Collect field poppy seed heads for dried flower arrangements
and use the petals lavishly to decorate salads and fruit salads.

CULTIVATION
Sprinkle the tiny poppy seeds over moist, well-dug, well-composted soil
in full sun in early autumn. Cover lightly with a scattering of small
leaves to retain the moisture and keep lightly watered daily until they
establish and become robust. Thereafter water twice-weekly.

MEDICINAL USES
Field poppy seeds sprinkled out of their ripe capsules were once
believed to give energy and foresight and were treasured and stored for
use throughout the year. Wet petals placed over a pimple or insect bite
and left there to dry will soothe and take away the hot inflammation,
and poppy petals steeped in vinegar make a soothing addition to the
bath and will ease itches and rashes.
Poppy petal tea loosens excess mucous during coughs and colds
and has remained a loved country recipe for centuries. To make the
tea, steep petals from three poppies in a cup of boiling water for five
minutes. Strain, and add a touch of honey or a squeeze of lemon juice.
‘Syrup of poppies’ is an ancient remedy for irritable, paroxysmal and
persistent coughs, as well as for insomnia and anxiety. I make it with
elderflowers and chamomile for extra benefit.

CAUTION: The red field poppy is safe, but do not eat or use the
opium poppy medicinally. All parts of it are dangerous except for the
fully ripe seeds.
Poppy cough syrup
3 cups poppy petals
2 cups elderflowers, stalks discarded
2 cups chamomile flowers
2 cups raw honey
2 cups water

Simmer the ingredients in a double boiler on low heat for 20 minutes,

stirring frequently to keep the flowers submerged. Let the syrup stand
for 10 minutes (keep it covered). Strain the syrup through a fine
strainer, pour into well-corked bottles and store in the fridge. Take a
dessertspoonful in a little hot water and sip slowly – children love it! It is
safe, soothing and wonderfully effective.

Poppy petal bath vinegar

This vinegar will soothe rashes and itches.

Poppy petals
1 bottle white grape vinegar

Push as many poppy petals as possible into the bottle of vinegar. The
petals will colour the vinegar pink and then deep red as the vinegar
blanches them. Keep the bottle in a warm place out of direct sunlight
for 10 days. Give the vinegar a daily shake, then strain, discard the old
petals, rebottle, add 4 or 5 fresh petals for identification, and cork well.
Use half a cup in the bath, or soak a pad of cotton wool in the vinegar
and dab over itchy areas.

CULINARY USES
Poppy petal muffins
MAKES 12 LARGE MUFFINS
Quick and simply delicious, these muffins are a treat for Sunday breakfast or a
teatime snack.
½ cup sugar
5 tablespoons butter
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons water
2 cups cake flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs
¾ cup milk
¾ cup plain yoghurt
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
½ cup chopped fresh poppy petals

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Simmer the sugar, butter, lemon zest and
water in a small saucepan for two minutes, stirring until the sugar
dissolves. Mix the flour and baking powder together. In a separate
bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and yoghurt until creamy. Add the lemon
zest and sugar mixture and whisk thoroughly. Add the flour mixture,
poppy seeds and poppy petals. Stir well. Spoon into well-greased
muffin pans, but do not fill them quite to the top as the muffins will rise.
Bake for 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of a
muffin comes out clean. Remove from the pan and split the muffins
open while still slightly warm, spread with butter and strawberry jam
and top with a little whipped cream and a poppy petal. Serve
immediately.

Poppy brandy
MAKES 750 ML
This potent brandy is based on a medieval recipe and can be served as a liqueur, on
ice-cream, or on a sponge cake with cream. It makes a special gift. It is also delicious
made with rum instead of brandy.

½ cup seedless raisins

1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon aniseed
2 tablespoons thinly sliced ginger
1 cup dark treacle sugar
1 bottle good brandy
1 cup lightly packed poppy petals and a few stamens

Pack the raisins into an empty bottle, followed by the spices and sugar.
Add about two cups of brandy and shake well. Leave the mixture to
stand for two hours, shaking every now and then until the sugar has
completely dissolved. Add the poppy petals and stamens and the rest
of the brandy. Shake well. Store the bottle in a dark cupboard for a
month, giving it a shake every now and then. Resist tasting it before it
is ready! Strain and pour into an attractive bottle. Discard the spices
and petals.

Red salad with poppy vinaigrette

SERVES 6
A spectacular red salad, this recipe is unusual and very festive.

4 large tomatoes, sliced

2 sweet red peppers, diced
2 cups sliced strawberries
2 cups thinly sliced radishes
1 cup poppy petals

Poppy seed vinaigrette

3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
¾ cup olive oil
½ cup brown grape vinegar
2 teaspoons mustard powder
½ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons orange juice

Arrange the salad ingredients in a flat glass dish. To make the

vinaigrette, place all the dressing ingredients in a screw-top bottle, seal
well and shake. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad just before serving.
Prickly pear
Opuntia ficus-indica • Cactus pear

The rather prehistoric-looking prickly pear, or ‘cactus pear’ as it is

also known, is native to Mexico and parts of North and South
America, and has become naturalised in most hot dry countries
around the world. It even flourishes in the great beds of volcanic
lava near Sicily and in the coastal areas of the Mediterranean. The
 exotic, egg-shaped flowers emerge along the rims of the leaves in
midsummer, their frill of bright petals topping a large, juicy, swollen
calyx filled with pulp. All parts of this extraordinary plant are edible,
but all are covered in tiny thorns, so careful handling is essential.

CULTIVATION
The prickly pear is easily propagated: merely chop off a leaf and push
the stem end into loose, moist soil. If it is kept watered, it will sprout
strong roots and continue to multiply by bearing more and more thick
fleshy leaves. It thrives in heat and drought and withstands extreme
conditions, seemingly unaffected by wind, hail and storms. Watch out
for the brilliant red cochineal bug that was introduced to control the
spread of the cactus. Brush the tiny white flecks off with a coarse-
bristled brush at the first sign. Other than this pest, nothing will cause
this remarkable plant to falter in its steady growth.

MEDICINAL USES
Crushed prickly pear petals can be used on insect bites to reduce the
swelling and itch. Medical tests have found the petals and calyx to be
rich in flavonoids, mucilage, fruit acids and sugars, as well as high
quantities of vitamin C. The whole flower is astringent, and in Mexico
the peeled, sliced fruit is used to reduce the pain and redness of
scratches, grazes and infected wounds. The astringency stops the
bleeding and tightens the surrounding tissue. The inner skin peeled
from the ripening fruit (thorns removed carefully), makes a comforting
dressing for wounds, burns, rashes and bites.
Because the whole flower has this remarkable astringent action, it is
used in several countries to soothe and heal the gastrointestinal tract,
and in cases of diarrhoea, colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, gastric
ulcers, colic, heartburn and flatulence. In many rural areas the whole
ripe fruit, which is the entire flower, is preserved in a syrup of honey
and vinegar for the winter months (remove the thorns beforehand). In
America the fruit is eaten fresh throughout the season (usually four
months long) to treat an enlarged prostate gland, an effective folk
remedy that has often astonished doctors. The elongated ‘stem leaves’
from which the other leaves grow can be used to make a splint for
broken bones. Scrape off the thorns and split the stem leaf in half.
Nestle the limb in it and bind in place.
A couple of leaves that have been gashed or scraped to release
their oily juices can be tossed into a stagnant pool to get rid of mosquito
larvae.
The flower petals soon drop off, leaving the swollen calyx or ‘fruit’.
This is the medicinal part, and I learned from the neighbouring farmers
to make poultices using the ripe warmed fruit for bleeding or
suppurating wounds.

Prickly pear wound poultice

This prickly pear poultice has been used to ease and soothe many an infected graze.

Prickly pears
Prickly pear flower petals
Boiling water

Peel the prickly pears carefully and mash the ripe pulp with a few flower
petals in a flat dish.
Pour over enough boiling water to cover it and mash again. Take a
spoonful or two of the pulp and gently massage it onto the graze,
wearing latex gloves. Do this until all the warmed pulp is used up and is
packed up over the wound. Cover with a warm wet cloth and bind in
place. Leave it on for as long as it is comfortable and repeat for another
day or two. The astringent properties of the swollen calyx of this thorny
flower are amazing, and I have used this easy poultice to treat many
injured farm animals.

Prickly pear syrup for gastric ulcers, diarrhoea and

prostate ailments
10 ripe prickly pears
500 g honey
750 ml apple cider vinegar

Carefully peel the prickly pears, discarding the thorny skin. Slice them
and pack into sterilised glass jars. Warm the honey and vinegar briefly,
until the honey melts into the vinegar. Immediately pour this potent
mixture over the sliced fruit, covering it completely. Seal immediately,
label and store in a cool dark place. When needed, remove some of the
fruit and leave it to drain. Eat one tablespoon daily to treat the prostate
and gastric ulcers.
In some areas, the whole fruit (without the thorns) is bottled with the
vinegar and honey. When needed, the thick outer skin is discarded and
the fruit rinsed off before being eaten. This is done so that the sensitive
digestive system can process the peeled fruit without the effects of the
vinegar and honey.

CULINARY USES
Prickly pear summer dessert
SERVES 6
This deliciously succulent fruit makes a party dessert that gets everyone talking!

20 multi-coloured prickly pears (golden yellow, light green and ruby red)
Whipped cream
Icing sugar

Peel the prickly pears and chill them for at least an hour. Slice them into
1-cm-thick rounds and arrange the slices on a glass dish. Dot with little
blobs of whipped cream and dust with icing sugar. Serve chilled, and
listen to the compliments!

Prickly pear salad

SERVES 4–6

1 butter lettuce
1 cup good mayonnaise
8 prickly pears, peeled and sliced into 1-cm-thick rounds
1 small pineapple, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cups green melon, scooped into balls
1 cup chopped celery
½ cup chopped basil
½ cup chopped parsley
Sea salt, paprika and black pepper to taste

Place the butter lettuce leaves neatly in a flat glass dish, starting at the
edge. Spread a little mayonnaise on each leaf with a spoon. Arrange
the prickly pear and pineapple slices over the lettuce. Add the melon
balls and the celery pieces and spread evenly. Finally, sprinkle the
chopped basil, parsley, sea salt, paprika and black pepper over the
salad. Serve chilled.

Prickly pear breakfast dish

SERVES 1
Loved by children, this cool, refreshing breakfast dish is energising and enjoyable. To
ring the changes, slice half a banana with the prickly pear, or add a whole banana if
you are hungry!

2 or 3 prickly pears, peeled and sliced

1 cup plain yoghurt
2 tablespoons sultanas, soaked in hot water for 1 hour beforehand
1 tablespoon chopped pecan nuts
⅔ cup cornflakes
Honey to sweeten

Place the prickly pear slices in a porridge bowl. Add the yoghurt and
sprinkle with the sultanas, pecan nuts and cornflakes to add crunch.
Dribble with honey and stir carefully. Enjoy this breakfast outside in the
garden!
Pumpkin, squash & marrow flowers
Cucurbita species

All species of pumpkin, marrow and squash are vigorous, easy-to-

grow, rambling vines. An enormous number of cross-bred and
closely related species have been grown for millennia in Africa, the
Americas and parts of Asia. They appeared in Europe only in the
16th century, and it was here that the huge variety we know today
 developed. Marrows and courgettes have more French, English and
Italian origins, while the tougher, larger pumpkins were grown more
widely in the Americas and Africa. Fields of mealies interplanted
with pumpkins are a familiar sight in Africa, particularly the huge, flat
boerpampoen that so resiliently withstands the rigours of the African
climate and has always been a standby in times of food scarcity.
All Cucurbita species flower prolifically, and all the flowers are
edible. The tender tips of the vines can also be eaten. They are
delicious steamed or stir-fried, and along with the flowers, were
considered survival foods and were believed to impart strength and
fleetness of foot.

CULTIVATION
All species of Cucurbita are annual. Seed should be sown after the last
frosts have passed, and all need full sun and well-composted soil.
Space them 50 cm apart and water often until the plants are well
established. Thereafter they need very little attention apart from a
twice-weekly watering. They can be left to trail, or they can be trained
over fences and arches. For me no summer is complete without a few
vines somewhere in the vegetable garden or even in the back border.

MEDICINAL USES
Hulled pumpkin seeds liquefied with a little milk were traditionally used
to treat worm infestations in both humans and animals and this remedy
is still used today by rural communities around the world.
The pumpkin, and to a large extent the flowers, are rich in vitamins
A, B and C, phosphorus and calcium, and also contain carbohydrate
and protein. Pumpkin is an alkaline food rich in beta-carotene, and the
highly nutritious inner kernels of the pips are good for the bladder and
kidneys and for prostate problems.
External application of hot pumpkin over a boil or abscess was an
ancient method of bringing a boil to a head, although one should take
care that it is not too hot. I have used pumpkin many times on the farm
over suppurating wounds, for animals as well, and I am always amazed
at its healing qualities. Rural people spread mashed pumpkin over
grazes and scrapes, held in place with a pumpkin flower that has been
split open, and bind this in place with a crêpe bandage. The leaves are
not used as they irritate the skin with their prickly texture.

CULINARY USES
Pumpkin flower soup
SERVES 4–6
This treasured standby provides a boost of energy and ensures a storehouse of
health.

A little olive oil

2 cups chopped onion
2 cups chopped celery
6 cups peeled, diced pumpkin
6–10 pumpkin flowers, roughly chopped
½ cup honey
Sea salt and cayenne pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lemon
2 cups lucerne leaves and flowers (optional)
1 litre chicken or vegetable stock or water
½ cup parsley

Place a little oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot and sauté the onions
until transparent. Add the celery and stir-fry for a minute or two. Add the
pumpkin, stir-fry for two minutes and then add all the remaining
ingredients except for the parsley. (If you are living on a farm, lucerne
leaves and flowers may be added for extra energy if you have them
available.) Add the chicken or vegetable stock or water. Stir well. Cover
and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the pumpkin and celery are
tender. Blend in a liquidiser if you prefer, or serve the soup as it is with
a sprinkling of parsley and hot crusty bread.

Stuffed squash flower salad

SERVES 4–6
This is a most acceptable salad for a summer lunch and so quick to prepare. Use any
variety of squash or pumpkin flower.
12–14 squash or pumpkin flowers

Stuffing
1 tin tuna, drained and mashed
½ cup good-quality mayonnaise
Juice of 1 lemon
¼ cup finely chopped chives
¼ cup finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
½ cup smooth cream cheese
½ cup finely chopped green pepper
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Mash the stuffing ingredients together well. Spoon the mixture carefully
into the squash or pumpkin flowers. Arrange the stuffed flowers on a
bed of butter lettuce on a large platter, stalks facing inwards. Place
slices of avocado (drizzled with lemon juice to prevent them from
turning brown) and whole radishes in-between the flowers. Serve with
brown bread and butter.

Baked pumpkin with stuffed pumpkin flowers

SERVES 4–6
This hearty vegetarian dish is deliciously sustaining when one is overtired.

12 pumpkin flowers
1 cup finely mashed feta cheese
1 cup finely grated cheddar cheese
Sea salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon
A little yoghurt
A little olive oil
2 large onions, thinly sliced into rings
2 cups sliced mushrooms
6–8 thin, peeled pumpkin slices
A little brown sugar
Butter
2 cups chicken stock
Stuff the pumpkin flowers with the feta cheese, cheddar cheese, sea
salt, black pepper, thyme and tarragon, moistened with a little yoghurt.
Pour the olive oil into a large baking pan. Place the stuffed pumpkin
flowers in the pan. Lay the onion rings, mushrooms and pumpkin
pieces on top of the pumpkin flowers. Sprinkle with a little brown sugar
and dot with butter. Carefully pour the chicken stock into the pan (pour
it down the side of the pan) and roast gently for about 30 minutes at
180°C until the pumpkin is tender and starting to brown. Check that it
does not dry out, and add more water if necessary. Serve at the table
directly from the pan. The juices will have mingled deliciously with the
pumpkin flowers under all the vegetables. Serve with brown rice.
Red hibiscus
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis

Red hibiscus is one of the most loved flowers from the world’s
tropical and subtropical regions, and it is the most widely cultivated
of the species. It has become virtually a symbol of exotic places like
Malaysia, Jamaica and Hawaii.
 This striking flower plays a role in many ceremonies and rituals.
In Hindu ceremonies it is sacred to Ganesh, the elephant-headed
deity, and even in the smallest shrines, a bright red hibiscus flower
can usually be found tucked in next to the statue.
There are around 220 species of hibiscus, but only H. rosa-
sinensis is used medicinally, in ceremonies and in rites. Also known
as ‘The Rose of China’ and as japakusuma in Sanskrit, it has
ancient beginnings in Ayurvedic medicine. Today it is grown
commercially in India and it is being researched in that country as
an emmenagogue (a herb that stimulates the menstrual flow).
Hawaiians use the flowers to make ‘leis’ or garlands for
ceremonies, banquets and religious parades. Visitors love being
decorated in this way and often take the dried flowers home as a
memento.

CULTIVATION
Easy and uncomplicated to grow, red hibiscus is a favourite old-
fashioned plant. It has been used as a shrub, clipped and trained as a
hedging plant, or left unrestrained for its constant flowers. It is also
grown commercially in rows for its tough fibre-rich stems, its fresh
green leaves and its startling red flowers.
Red hibiscus needs a deeply dug hole filled with compost, in full
sun, and thrives with a long slow twice-weekly watering (once a week in
winter). Soil must be well drained and the shrubs planted 2–3 m apart.
The Hawaiians plait the branches together to make a boundary fence
as the shrubs grow – they can reach 4–5 m in height if left unchecked!
The plants are evergreen and demand little attention, but long branches
can be pruned and they can be cut back to give shape. Use the long
supple branches as support canes for other plants – they last well,
stripped of their leaves. Flowers can be picked daily and used fresh.
One thing to watch out for is insect invasion. CMR beetles, scarab
beetles and rose beetles all love the vibrant red of the petals. Drop the
beetles into a bright yellow bucket (the beetles are attracted by the
colour) half filled with water to which a tablespoon of liquid paraffin has
been added. This will quickly and painlessly close the insects’ breathing
holes.
 Today hibiscus hybrids are available in exquisite colours worldwide
and nurserymen are constantly looking for new beauties, but it is only
the old-fashioned red hibiscus that can be used in food and medicinally.

MEDICINAL USES
In tropical countries use of the red hibiscus stretches back to ancient
times and it features in their pharmacopoeias in many well-known and
loved salves, lotions and ointments. It is a valuable astringent cooling
herb that soothes irritated tissues and eases minor burns, sunburn and
rough red areas on the skin.
In Ayurvedic medicine the red hibiscus remains important in the
treatment of menstruation and in bringing on temporary sterilisation in
women, and Ayurvedic physicians use it in contraception, which is
proving important, particularly in India today. Red hibiscus root is
showing promising results in the treatment of venereal diseases, and
further research is being done into its role in birth control, as a safe
diuretic and to lower fevers.
A tea made from red hibiscus flowers has long been popular in
treating cystitis, and it also acts as a digestive and stimulates kidney
function to flush out toxins. To make a tonic tea for all the above
ailments, pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup fresh hibiscus petals
with two leaves and a calyx. Let the tea stand for five minutes, stirring
frequently. Strain it and sip slowly. The tea can be taken cold
throughout the day for cystitis. It also supplies additional vitamins.

COSMETIC USES
The fresh juice rubbed into the nails acts as a tonic and heals rough
cuticles, and crushed flowers and leaves are used in lotions, creams
and shampoos. Through the centuries, both the Chinese and Indians
have used the fresh flowers, calyxes and stamens of the red hibiscus
boiled with oil as a treatment for their beautiful shiny black hair. This
famous herbal oil and hair conditioner is still sold in India under the
brand name Jabakusum. It is particularly effective against dandruff,
which could be the reason for its perennial popularity.

Red hibiscus flower oil for dry skin

This effective and gentle oil can be used on all skin types and has stood the test of
time.

½ cup almond oil

½ cup grape seed oil
6 fresh red hibiscus flowers, chopped roughly, stamens included and
calyxes removed
1 tablespoon castor oil

Simmer the ingredients together in a double boiler for 15 minutes,

stirring frequently.
Allow to cool and then strain. Pour the oil into a sterilised bottle with
a well-fitting lid, and label. Use a little to treat dry skin on the neck. The
oil can also be massaged into the backs of the hands, the elbows and
any rough chafed places, and it will moisturise and repair damaged
cuticles and cracked nails.

Not only is the red hibiscus flower used for hair growth but
also for treating cystitis, cramps, fevers, coughs and herpes.
In China, the juice is a valuable ingredient in mascara and
shoe-blacking mixtures. The flowers are rolled up, steamed
and used in the cooking of exotic dishes and for colouring
foods naturally. It is no wonder there are forests of hibiscus in
tropical Asia.

CULINARY USES
Red hibiscus cool drink
SERVES 4–6

6–8 fresh hibiscus flowers, with their calyxes

6 leaves
1 litre water
1 cinnamon stick
1 litre pure unsweetened apple juice

Simmer the hibiscus flowers and leaves in the water with the cinnamon
stick for 20 minutes. Keep the lid on. Allow the brew to cool, then strain
and chill. Add the apple juice and crushed ice, and serve. This is an
excellent mild diuretic and keeps the kidneys and bladder toned.

Red hibiscus jelly

SERVES 4–6

6 hibiscus flowers, with their calyxes removed

3 cups water
4 teaspoons gelatine, mixed in a little water
1½ cups grape juice
2 cups fruit
Hibiscus petals for decoration

Boil the hibiscus flowers in the water for 10 minutes. Strain and add the
gelatine mixed in a little water, plus the grape juice. Arrange any fruit of
your choice – sliced peaches, de-seeded grapes, strawberries, litchis,
mango squares or mixed fruit – in a glass bowl and sprinkle with a little
sugar, if desired. Pour the hibiscus tea and gelatine mixture gently over
the fruit, tuck in fresh hibiscus petals, and chill. Serve with whipped
cream or plain yoghurt.

COOK’S NOTE
Fresh red hibiscus flowers can be cooked or steamed to
colour foods a beautiful rich red, and they are a favourite in
jellies, jams and syrups. Cook them with pears, apples or
peaches – they will colour the fruit beautifully.
Rocket
Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa • Rock salad • Roquette

Cultivated since the Middle Ages, rocket has recently undergone a

huge revival in popularity. It is native to the Mediterranean area and
was first prized by the Romans, who chewed the seeds and used
the pungent-tasting leaves lavishly in their banquets, believing that
the hot, biting taste would give them vigour and energy.
 Fascinatingly, rocket seeds excavated from Roman courtyard
gardens have germinated after centuries of lying dormant. Rocket is
still a tremendously popular herb in Italy, and it is perhaps the
Italians with their culinary flair who in recent times have
reintroduced it to the rest of the world.

CULTIVATION
Rocket is a fast-growing annual; once you have it in the garden it will
reseed itself vigorously, often two or three times during the summer. It
demands little attention, growing quickly and easily and thriving in well-
composted soil in full sun, but it also does well in rocky places with poor
soil and scant moisture.

MEDICINAL USES
Rocket seeds have been used through the centuries to treat bruises
and sprains. A bandage was warmed (dipped in hot water and wrung
out) and folded, and crushed seeds were spread inside it and held
against the skin, without the seeds contacting the skin. Crushed petals
were used to treat skin blemishes. The petals were pounded into a soft
pulp and spread over the affected area, with the squeezed juice
covering the blemish completely.
Some ancient herbals record that rocket was eaten in Elizabethan
times prior to a whipping, to alleviate the pain. Given rocket’s very high
vitamin and mineral content, including potassium and silica, it is
possible that there are some painkilling components in the leaves,
although scientific research has yet to verify this.
In medieval times rocket flowers and green seeds were crushed
with honey and taken a little at a time as a cough syrup. In some
ancient herbal recipes, sage and parsley were included in the pungent
remedy.
Medieval monks were not allowed to grow rocket in the cloister
gardens as the herb was considered to be a dangerous aphrodisiac!
Today it is no longer regarded as a sexual stimulant, but rocket is
nevertheless considered to be an invigorating tonic herb in Europe and
doctors still prescribe it for those who are overtired and anxious. To
make rocket tea, pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup rocket flowers
and ¼ cup fresh parsley. Allow the tea to stand for five minutes, then
strain and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper and sip slowly.

Rocket cough remedy

This old-fashioned recipe has its roots with the monks, who made it secretly to ease
the persistent coughs of the villagers. As the monks were not allowed to grow rocket,
the villagers brought it to them to mix with honey and, if they were lucky, a little
powdered clove. It began as a listed remedy in the monks’ pharmacopoeias for
coughs.

1 cup rocket flowers and leaves, chopped

½ cup honey
½ teaspoon powdered clove

Mix rocket flowers, leaves, honey and clove. Crush and pound to a
paste. Take one teaspoonful at a time. Chew the mixture well and wash
it down with half a glass of water.

CULINARY USES
Rocket and chicken liver pâté
SERVES 4–6
Served on buttered toast, this delicious Mediterranean dish is one of the best pâtés I
know and it is easy to make.

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
350 g chicken livers
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
½–¾ cup thinly sliced, stoned olives
2 tablespoons medium-dry sherry
½ cup rocket flowers

Place the butter in a large pan and fry the onions until they just start to
brown. Trim the chicken livers and chop them up. Add to the onion and
butter and fry gently. Add the sea salt, black pepper and lemon juice
and stir well. Finally, add the thyme, olives and sherry and stir until
everything is thoroughly mixed. Spoon into a glass dish and sprinkle
the rocket flowers over the top. Chill and serve with toast or savoury
biscuits.

Mushroom and rocket soup

SERVES 6
Rich and tasty, this sustaining soup is a meal in itself.

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons sunflower oil
250 g large brown mushrooms, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
1 cup finely chopped fresh celery
1½ litres good beef or chicken stock
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
1 litre milk
½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1 cup rocket flowers

Sauté the onion in the oil until it starts to brown. Add the mushrooms,
thyme and celery and stir-fry for a few minutes. Add the stock and
seasoning. Simmer for about six minutes. Add the milk and simmer
gently for another six minutes. Serve in big bowls with croutons, and
sprinkle with parsley and rocket flowers. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon
juice if desired, and place a lemon wedge on the edge of each soup
bowl.

Potato and ham frittata with rocket

SERVES 6
Potato and ham has to be one of the most delicious combinations there is! Every
Christmas I cook a leg of pickled pork, which my family finds more delicious than
ham, and I make this light, old-fashioned dish with the leftovers.

6 large potatoes, peeled

3 tablespoons olive oil
1½ cups chopped onions
300 g thinly sliced cooked ham, cut into neat squares
½ cup milk
Salt and pepper
Small knob butter
3 eggs, beaten with 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
½ cup grated Gouda cheese
½ cup rocket flowers

Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender. Heat the oil in a frying pan
and sauté the onions until lightly browned. Add the ham and stir-fry
briefly. Set aside. Mash the potatoes with the milk, a little salt and
pepper and a small knob of butter. Lay the onions and ham in a baking
dish. Spread the potatoes on top of them and pour the egg and parsley
mixture over the top, making holes in the potato layer so that the sauce
can penetrate. Sprinkle with cheese and bake at 180°C for about 10
minutes or until the eggs are set. Sprinkle the rocket flowers over the
frittata just before serving. Serve with a green salad.

Rocket leaves are picked before the flowering head appears.

The flowers are considered a gourmet treat, as they are so
rich in flavour, as are the green seeds. Ripe rocket seeds are
pressed for oil and sold in the most selective delicatessens as
a sublimely flavourful oil, which is so concentrated that a mere
touch is required to turn an entire dish into something
exquisite.
Rose-scented pelargonium
Pelargonium graveolens

The great Pelargonium genus originated in South Africa, and all

species are wonderfully fragrant. They were introduced to England
in the mid-17th century and from there spread throughout Europe.
The scent of the leaves ranges from rose, peppermint, pine and
spice, to nutmeg, citrus, chocolate and apple; lightly crushing a leaf
 will release the glorious fragrance. Today pelargoniums are
widespread throughout the world and are valued as both pot and
bedding plants.

CULTIVATION
Growing scented geraniums is easy. Cuttings broken off and rooted in
wet sand strike remarkably easily and this can be done at any time of
the year, except during the coldest months. Plant them in a sunny
position with a little compost in the early stages and keep them
protected until they are sturdy. They require no more than a weekly
watering once established. Cut the plants back at the end of the
growing season to prevent them from becoming straggly and untidy,
and make a mass of cuttings for new plants with the clippings.

MEDICINAL USES
Rose-scented pelargonium is primarily a relaxant. Both the leaves and
flowers retain a beautiful, calming fragrance that helps relax muscles
and nerves, reduces tension and restores circulation. It is used to break
down intense areas of spasm where knotty tight muscles cause pain,
cramps and spasms.
The leaves and flowers are antidepressant, antiseptic, anti-
inflammatory, diuretic, fungicidal and deodorising. As an antidepressant
and a mild and safe diuretic, the rose-scented pelargonium has been
listed in pharmacopoeias through the centuries as a valuable treatment
for haemorrhoids, for excessive blood loss during menstruation and as
a stimulant to the adrenal cortex.
In my earlier work as a physiotherapist, I made a wonderful
massage cream for aching muscles, stiff necks and arthritic aches and
pains using rose-scented pelargonium, and to this day I make sure I am
never without a jar or two.
Its precious oils are used for premenstrual tension, neuralgia, acne,
bruises, broken veins and oedema, poor circulation, especially to the
legs, and to restore elasticity to mature skin.
The tiny, exquisitely marked flowers have the same taste and
fragrance as the leaves and can be made into soothing, calming teas
and drinks that help to lessen the onslaught of face-paced modern life.
Rose-scented pelargonium tea can be made by pouring a cup of boiling
water over ¼ cup fresh leaves and flowers. Allow the tea to steep for
five minutes, then strain and sip it slowly; it will calm and relax you. This
tea will soothe and ease a sore throat during a bout of tonsillitis. The
tea is much loved by children!

Rose-scented pelargonium massage cream

This cream for sore muscles and arthritic aches is the one I used when I worked for
many years as a physiotherapist. I usually make it in spring and early summer, when
the flowers are abundant.

1 cup rose-scented pelargonium leaves and flowers

1 cup boiling water
1 cinnamon stick
6 crushed cardamom pods
6 crushed cloves
2 teaspoons aniseed
1 tablespoon almond oil
1 teaspoon vitamin E oil
6 drops rose-geranium essential oil

Combine the rose-scented pelargonium leaves and flowers with the

boiling water, cinnamon stick, crushed cardamom pods and cloves and
the aniseed in a double boiler. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring
frequently. Allow the cream to cool for 10 minutes and then strain.
Discard the flowers, leaves and spices, and add the almond oil, vitamin
E oil and rose-geranium essential oil. Mix well and pour into sterilised
screw-top jars. Use this cream generously and frequently.

Rose-scented pelargonium oil for aching muscles

1 cup rose-scented pelargonium flowers
1 cup rose-scented pelargonium leaves
1 cup grapeseed oil

Simmer the flowers, leaves and oil in a double boiler for 30 minutes,
constantly pressing and stirring. Strain, discarding the flowers and
leaves. Pour the oil into a dark glass bottle with a good screw-top lid.
Use the oil warmed up to massage over aching muscles.
COSMETIC USES
To make a rose-scented pelargonium wash for oily and problem skins,
tie a big handful of rose-scented pelargonium leaves and flowers in a
bunch using an elastic band. Pour two litres of boiling water over it, and
holding the bunch by its stems, swish it around in the water for a few
minutes. Leave the bunch in the water until the water has cooled to a
pleasantly warm temperature. After cleaning the face with a good cold
cream, wash the face with this scented lotion as a final rinse.

CULINARY USES
Rose-scented pelargonium mousse
SERVES 6–8
This luxurious dessert is unforgettable – I make it for Christmas lunch as it goes
beautifully with Christmas pudding.

2 tablespoons gelatine
6 tablespoons hot water
8 rose-scented pelargonium leaves
2 large eggs, separated
4 tablespoons castor sugar
200 ml cream cheese
200 ml plain Greek yoghurt
½ cup rose-scented pelargonium flowers
200 ml cream, whipped

Dissolve the gelatine in a little of the hot water and pour the rest of the
water over the scented pelargonium leaves, and leave to cool. Whisk
the egg whites until they are stiff. Whip the egg yolks with the castor
sugar until light and creamy; add the gelatine and then the cream
cheese. Whisk well, then add the yoghurt and the water from the
soaked leaves. Fold in the scented pelargonium flowers, whipped
cream and the egg whites. Pour into a glass bowl and refrigerate until
set. Decorate with scented pelargonium leaves and flowers.
Rose-scented pelargonium filo baskets
SERVES 6
Use whatever fruit is in season to make this elegant dessert.

3 sheets filo pastry

1 tablespoon melted butter
1½ cups thinly sliced strawberries, raspberries or peaches, sprinkled
with sugar
1 cup plain Greek yoghurt
½ cup whipped cream
1 cup rose-scented pelargonium flowers
Icing sugar

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Cut the sheets of pastry into squares
measuring about 10 cm (one sheet divides into six). Brush each square
with a pastry brush dipped in melted butter. Arrange a single square at
a time in a patty pan, layering them in threes to form a little basket.
Bake for six minutes or until they turn golden brown, then turn them out
and cool very carefully as they are fragile. Once cool, mix the fruit
mixture into the yoghurt and spoon into the basket. Top with whipped
cream, sprinkle with scented pelargonium flowers and dust with icing
sugar. Serve on glass plates.
Rose
Rosa species

Roses date back thousands of years and are without doubt the most
loved of all flowers worldwide. Through the centuries they have
been revered for both their fragrance and their medicinal and
cosmetic properties.
The ancient Greeks and Romans used rose petals and hips in
cooking, and preserved the petals in vinegar. The Romans used
roses for ceremonial purposes and built the first hot houses to
 ensure blooms all year round, controlling the temperature with pipes
of hot water.

CULTIVATION
There is a rose for every type of garden and for every gardener’s taste.
However, my favourites are the old-fashioned roses, such as the
exquisite, fragrant, shell-pink ‘Margaret Roberts’ rose (see photograph).
Roses require very little; all they need is a large, deep hole in full sun,
filled with compost and a sprinkling of moisture-absorbent crystals to
keep the plant from drying out. They require a deep, twice-weekly
watering, and must be fed with an organic fertiliser two or three times a
year, and a good mulch of compost during the winter. Pruning is
essential in midwinter, and deadheading will ensure masses of blooms.

MEDICINAL USES
Rose petal tea has a calming, tranquillising effect. To make the tea,
pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup fresh, unsprayed rose petals.
Leave the tea to stand for five minutes, then strain and sweeten with a
touch of honey if desired.
Rosewater dates back to AD 980–1037, when the Arab physician
Avicenna used it to treat skin ailments and mixed it with honey for use
as a cough syrup. Rosewater may be splashed on the outside of the
eyes in cases of conjunctivitis. It has an antiseptic and soothing quality
and can be used even on sensitive skins.
Rosa gallica, which is native to the Middle East, was used in the
Middle Ages as a treatment for depression and anxiety and to aid
circulation. Modern medical research has proven these properties and
nowadays the precious rose oil, known as attar of roses, is used in
aromatherapy to treat these same ailments.
Rose hips form once the petals have fallen and the swollen calyxes
ripen; they can be used in cough mixtures, syrups, jellies and jams.
Their high vitamin C content and fruit acids, as well as beta-carotene,
pectin and tannin content boost the body’s immune system and make
an excellent tonic that will give energy and vitality and strengthen artery
walls, thus aiding circulation.
Rose petal night cap
This drink will help you unwind after a rough day.

¼ cup fresh rose petals

1 cup boiling water
Honey
2 teaspoons sweet sherry

Pour water over the rose petals. Allow to stand for five minutes. Strain
it, add a little honey and the sweet sherry.

Rosewater for skin ailments

Use this lotion for dry, cracked skin, eczema, rashes, sunburn, grazes and itchy, dry
areas.

6 cups rose petals

A small twist of lemon rind
4 cloves
1 litre water

Boil the rose petals, lemon rind and cloves gently in the water for 15
minutes, with the lid on. Remove from the heat, strain and pour into
glass bottles with screw tops. Use either sprayed onto the area with a
spritz spray bottle, or apply it with a pad of cotton wool, wiping it onto
the face after washing. It is especially effective for oily acne and spotty
teenage skin. Use this rosewater twice daily, morning and evening, for
quick results.

Rosehip cough treatment and winter tonic

This delicious, health-giving syrup will boost the immune system and soothe a cough.
Keep it in the fridge in hot weather.

2 cups ripe rosehips, trimmed of stamens and stalks and finely

chopped
2 cups brown treacle sugar
1½ cups water
1 cinnamon stick
Simmer the ingredients together in a covered pot for about 20 minutes.
Pour into hot sterilised jars and seal well. Take two teaspoons at a time,
chew well, and follow up with a little hot rose petal tea.

CULINARY USES
Rose petal syrup

SERVES 4–6
Serve on ice-cream, rice or sago puddings. It can also be added to drinks or served
with chilled water and ice, in a 1:3 ratio.

4 cups red and pink rose petals

2½ cups water
1 cup honey
1 cinnamon stick

Simmer the petals in the water and honey with the cinnamon stick for
15 minutes. Allow the syrup to cool, then strain. To give extra
sweetness, simmer with half a cup of stevia flowers.
Rose petal cream jelly
SERVES 6
This is a lovely dessert for a summer party and so easy to make.

3 tablespoons gelatine
1 litre red grape juice
½ cup white sugar
1 cup red wine
2 cups fruit, e.g. strawberries, sliced peaches, youngberries or mixed
fruit
1 cup mixed rose petals
1 cup cream, beaten
Icing sugar

Dissolve the gelatine in a little warm water. Add it to the grape juice,
sugar and red wine. Pour into a pretty glass bowl or tall individual
glasses and gently lower in the fruit and rose petals. Place in the fridge
until set. Just before serving, spoon the cream on top, and make a
delicate pattern with more fresh rose petals. Dust liberally with icing
sugar.

Rose punch
SERVES 8–10
This light and refreshing punch looks magnificent served in a glass punch bowl with
whole roses set into a big block of ice or rosebuds set in individual ice cubes to keep
it beautifully chilled.

2 litres white wine, chilled

4 tablespoons Kirsch
1 cup rose petal syrup (see recipe alongside)
1 litre water
Juice of 2 lemons

Mix the ingredients together gently and serve in a glass punch bowl
with frozen roses (see below).

FROZEN ROSES FOR PARTY PUNCH

The day before the party, choose perfectly formed pink
rosebuds that are just opening, and trim the stalks. (I find
the old-fashioned ‘Margaret Roberts’ rose perfect here as
it keeps its shape and it is tender and sweet to the taste.)
Select a bowl that holds about two cups of water and fill
the bowl with the rosebuds. Add the iced water and freeze
overnight, keeping the bowl in the freezer until you are
ready to serve the punch. Just before serving the punch,
dip the bowl in hot water, then turn it upside down to
release the block of ice. Slide it into the punch.
Alternatively, freeze rosebuds in individual ice cubes.
Roselle
Hibiscus sabdariffa • Rosella • Indian sorrel •
Jamaican sorrel • Florida cranberry • Oseille rouge

Roselle is a spectacular annual that reaches about 2 m in height,

with pretty, pale cream flowers typical of hibiscus. Native to India
and southeast Asia, it is said that it was taken to Africa and the
West Indies by slaves. The earliest recording of the plant was by the
Flemish botanist M. de l’Obel, in 1576, and the edibility of the leaves
 and flowers was documented in Java around 1682. It is used
primarily as a food colouring and flavouring, and has been grown
sporadically as a commercial crop in various parts of the world.

CULTIVATION
Roselle is a quick, prolific annual that will do well in just about any soil
as long as it is well dug and richly composted; it also needs full sun and
twice-weekly watering. I sow seeds in autumn and keep them protected
for planting out in spring (roselle is very frost-tender), and then sow
again in October for a late summer crop. Roselle is a rewarding plant to
grow as all parts are edible.

MEDICINAL USES
Roselle has a high vitamin C, iron and potassium content, and contains
numerous amino acids. It is good for coughs, colds and sore throats,
and the seeds can be roasted to make a coffee. It is a good diuretic, it
stimulates the digestive processes and is antispasmodic and
antibacterial. Roselle is a good tonic, building blood and boosting the
immune system. It can also be made into a gargle for sore and strained
throats.
One of my favourite teas is the sour-tasting astringent, energising
bright red health tea made from the brilliant calyxes of the roselle (fresh
or dried calyxes can be used). The tea helps to soothe colds, clear sore
throats and coughs, open the nose, and clear up mucous. It is
astringent and so full of vitamin C that it helps to clear skin conditions
like acne. The tea is particularly refreshing and can be used as a base
for healthy cool drinks.

Roselle gargle for sore and strained throats

½ cup roselle flowers and calyxes

1 litre water
½ cup sage leaves
Juice and rind of 2 lemons
Boil the roselle flowers and calyxes in the water with the sage leaves
and the lemon juice and rind. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, with the lid
on. Cool and strain. Use as a gargle and also sip and swallow a little
frequently. Sweeten the gargle with honey if desired.

Roselle health tea to clear colds and acne

MAKES 2 LITRES
Hibiscus sabdariffa is the species used in commercial hibiscus tea, not the bright-
flowered species commonly grown in the garden. Hot roselle tea taken with honey is
also an excellent remedy for a hangover.
1 cup fresh or dried roselle calyxes
2 litres water

Break away the five-pointed calyxes from their marble-sized seed

capsules, and use only those bright red pieces in the tea. Boil the
calyxes in the water for 20 minutes, then set the tea aside and let it
steep. When pleasantly hot, discard the calyxes, sweeten with honey
and stir with a cinnamon stick. Sip a cupful slowly. Cool the rest of the
tea and let it chill. Mix in equal quantities of grape or litchi juice to make
an energising cold drink. Add sliced strawberries and mint leaves and a
dash of good red wine for a party punch, and as a bonus you will feel
no alcohol build up!

COSMETIC USES
A strong lotion of roselle flowers and calyxes is wonderfully astringent.
The lotion is excellent for cleansing oily problem skin and can be
dabbed onto blemishes and inflamed spots.

Roselle scrub
½ cup roselle lotion (see below)
½ cup hot water
½ cup large flake oats

Pour the lotion and water over the oats. Allow to swell and soften for a
few minutes. Use as a scrub for problem skin.

Roselle lotion
Use this lotion for problem skin, blemishes and inflamed spots. The witch hazel can
be purchased at your local pharmacy.

3 cups roselle flowers and calyxes

2 litres water
10 cloves
1 stick cinnamon
3 tablespoons witch hazel
Simmer the roselle flowers and calyxes in the water with the cloves and
cinnamon for 20 minutes, with the lid on. Leave to cool. Strain, and add
the witch hazel. Pour into a sterilised screw-top bottle and shake well.
Use on a pad of cotton wool as a cleansing lotion after washing the
face, morning and evening, for oily problem skin, acne and pimples.
Also drink a cup of roselle tea to keep the skin unblemished. It is an
excellent cleanser.

CULINARY USES
Roselle jelly
SERVES 4–6
This jelly is delicious with ice-cream, pancakes, waffles and rice puddings, or with
cold meat and chicken.

1 kg fresh calyxes and flower petals broken off their seed capsules
1 litre water
2 cups honey
1 cup stevia flowers
4 tablespoons gelatine

Boil the ingredients together briskly for about 40 minutes, stirring well.
Strain. Add the gelatine mixed into a little warm water and stir well.
Pour into shallow bowls and allow to set in the fridge.

Roselle salad
SERVES 4–6
Roselle’s high vitamin C, iron, calcium and potassium content makes this salad a
superb health builder. It may be served as an accompaniment to a meal or as a
substantial meal in itself, with brown bread.

4 cups watercress
1 cup roselle leaves, torn up
2 cups roselle flowers and calyxes broken off their seed capsules
2 cups finely chopped sweet peppers
2 cups chopped celery leaves and stalks
1 cup chopped button mushrooms
2 cups cooked chickpeas
½ cup finely chopped parsley
1 cup chopped onions (optional)
½ cup olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon

Mix the salad ingredients together and dress with the olive oil and
lemon juice.
Rosemary
Rosmarinus officinalis

One of the world’s best-loved herbs, rosemary gets its name from
the Latin rosmaris, meaning ‘dew of the sea’. It is native to southern
Europe, particularly the Mediterranean area, and has been used by
 cooks and apothecaries for centuries. Rosemary is traditionally a
symbol of fidelity between lovers, as well a symbol of remembrance.
It is carried in bridal bouquets and used in wedding arrangements
and wreaths, and given to friends to strengthen friendship and
commitment.

CULTIVATION
Rosemary is a dense, woody prolific shrub that reaches about 1 m in
height and spread. All it requires is a well-dug, richly composted hole in
full sun and a deep weekly watering. Propagation is by means of
cuttings at any time of the year. Take slips about 7 cm long, strip off the
lower leaves, and root the sprigs in wet sand. Once they have rooted,
plant the new plants 1 m apart. Other than occasional clipping into
shape, rosemary needs no attention.

MEDICINAL USES
Rosemary stimulates the circulation and eases aching rheumatic joints
and stiff muscles. It is antiseptic, antispasmodic, antibacterial and a
remarkable restorative herb, aiding recovery from long-term stress and
chronic illness. It is also energising and uplifting, and is associated with
raising low blood pressure and lowering and levelling high blood
pressure. It is helpful for depression, headaches and premenstrual
tension, and is also an excellent anti-inflammatory.
Rosemary tea is excellent as an antiseptic gargle and a mouthwash.
It tightens the gums and clears halitosis and any mouth infections.
Sipped in small amounts, rosemary tea eases flatulence, and
stimulates the smooth muscles of the digestive tract and gall bladder,
thus increasing the flow of bile. To make rosemary tea, steep one
thumb-length sprig of fresh rosemary flowers and leaves in a cup of
boiling water. Let the tea stand for five minutes, then strain and sip
slowly.

COSMETIC USES
Rosemary is useful as an astringent, tonic herb and scalp treatment –
one of its astonishing benefits is that it stimulates hair growth, even
after chemotherapy. It can also be made into an effective lotion for acne
and problem skin.

Rosemary lotion for acne

1 cup fresh flowering rosemary sprigs
1½ litres water

Boil the flowering rosemary sprigs in the water for 15 minutes, with the
lid on. Cool, strain and apply on soaked cotton wool pads after washing
the face.

Rosemary hair restorer

3 cups rosemary leaves and flowers
2 litres water

Boil the rosemary leaves and flowers in the water for 15–20 minutes
with the lid on, giving the brew an occasional stir. Cool, strain and store
in the fridge. Use as a rinse after shampooing, and massage into the
scalp daily with pads of cotton wool soaked in the lotion.

CULINARY USES
Lamb chops with rosemary
SERVES 4
This is my favourite meat dish! The chops must be well browned and slightly crisp.

Sunflower oil
8 lamb loin chops
2 large onions, sliced into rings
6 large potatoes, peeled and sliced
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lemon
2 thumb-length sprigs fresh rosemary
A little water
1 tablespoon rosemary flowers
Put a little sunflower oil into a cast iron pot and brown the chops until
they are almost cooked through, moving them frequently. Add the
onions and potatoes, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and stir-fry until the
vegetables start to brown. Add the lemon juice, rosemary sprigs and a
little water to make a rich gravy. Simmer with the lid on for about 25
minutes, until the potatoes are cooked. Taste and adjust the seasoning
if necessary and sprinkle with rosemary flowers. Serve in the pot, with
brown rice and vegetables.

COOK’S NOTE
Rosemary is a superb herb in cooking, particularly in lamb
and pork dishes as it helps to break down fats, and the
flowers add a subtle taste to sweet or savoury dishes.
However, rosemary has a strong flavour, and should be used
sparingly.

Grilled rosemary sosaties

SERVES 4–6
The home-made rosemary skewers used in this recipe impart their delicious fragrance
and flavour to the sosaties. The fruit can be varied according to what is in season.

12 rosemary branches, about 25 cm long, leaves stripped, and

sharpened at one end
24 pickling onions, peeled
24 chunks aubergine
24 thick wedges green pepper
24 wedges yellow peaches, mangoes or apples
24 blocks mozzarella cheese
24 wedges tomato
24 button mushrooms

Marinade
2 cups good tomato sauce
½ cup vinegar
½ cup rosemary flowers
½ cup honey
1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Thread each rosemary skewer with alternating chunks of vegetable,

fruit and cheese. For example, start off with an onion, follow by
aubergine, green pepper, peach, cheese, tomato and mushroom, then
repeat until the skewer is full. Whisk the marinade ingredients well and
lay the sosaties in the marinade, turning them to coat them evenly.
Place the sosaties under a hot grill; turn them so that they cook evenly.
Sprinkle with rosemary flowers and serve with baked potatoes.

Tiramisu with rosemary

SERVES 6
This is a delicious variation of this famous Italian dessert.

1 cup strong black filter coffee

2 tablespoons brandy
175 g sponge fingers
1 cup plain Bulgarian yoghurt
1 cup cream cheese
4 tablespoons honey
3 egg whites, well beaten
2 tablespoons rosemary flowers, pulled from their calyxes
3 tablespoons grated milk chocolate

Mix the coffee and brandy together in a flat bowl. Briefly dip half the
sponge fingers into the mixture and line the bottom of a glass bowl with
them. Mix the yoghurt, cream cheese and the honey and beat lightly
until smooth. Fold in the beaten egg whites and rosemary flowers.
Spoon this mixture over the sponge fingers. Briefly dip the remaining
sponge fingers into the coffee and brandy and lay them neatly on top of
the cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle with the grated chocolate and fresh
rosemary flowers. Cover and chill before serving.
Sacred basil
Ocimum sanctum • O. tenuiflorum • Tulsi

CULTIVATION
Sow the seed in trays in a mixture of sand and light compost, using
just enough soil to cover the seed. Place the tray in a larger tray so
that the seed tray can stand in water; the seed is very fine and easily
disturbed so it is better not to water from above. The seed must
never dry out. When the little seedlings have reached the four-leaf
stage they are usually big enough to handle. Prick them out for
planting into large compost-filled bags. Keep them shaded and
protected, and move them into the sun for longer periods each day.
 Plant out in full sun in richly composted soil about 1 m apart as
sacred basil easily grows up to 1 m in height and width. Water plants
2–3 times a week depending on the weather. Sacred basil is frost-
tender, so cover it with a frost-protective covering as soon as the
weather gets cold, opening it up to the sunshine during the day and
covering it at night.
The tender young flowering heads are prolific and are used in
medications and foods, but always see to it that there are enough of
the drying brown flowering spikes for seeds, and look out for tiny
new sacred basil plants in spring.They transplant easily when they
are about 6 cm high and have a long tap root so be careful to dig
deep and replant immediately into big compost-filled bags or into a
deep moist compost-filled hole in full sun. Keep the transplanted
sacred basil well watered until it establishes.

Sacred basil is a sanctified herb in India and one of the world’s

precious herbs. It is native to India and parts of Asia, where it is
planted around shrines, holy places, places of celebration and
religious festivals, in front of homes and in courtyards. Its fragrant
presence deters flies and mosquitoes, it keeps the atmosphere
pure, supplies oxygen, and is said to bring peace, prosperity and
health to the household.
Known as ‘tulsi’ in Sanskrit, the herb is listed in the ancient
medical texts and pharmacopoeias as a medicine to treat
coughs, colds and flu. It is an excellent expectorant and was also
used as a poultice to draw infection from wounds, and as an
antiseptic wash. Brazil’s records dating back 5 000 years show
that a lotion or tea made from sacred basil was used to treat
internal organs and was also applied externally, for example on
haemorrhoids.
Dried tulsi leaves, kept in oils and vinegars, found their place
in many cultures for the snowbound winter months, and the
apothecaries maintained a constant supply of the oils and
vinegars, often prepared by medicine men in distant villages.
Sacred basil seeds were sold for a good price on the
marketplace, still in their papery flower husks, and were a valued
item for travellers as the seeds could be shaken out of the husks
 and kept for planting, and a tea could be made from the dry
flowers for what was then known as ‘consumption’ (tuberculosis).
Trade in fresh flowering spikes was equally important for those
going on sea voyages as it was used to treat illness on the ships.
Tulsi is a perennial plant, and is very different in growth,
appearance and taste to sweet basil. It has a rich clove-like taste,
makes an exceptional tea, and is very valuable medicinally.

MEDICINAL USES
Sacred basil tea is wonderfully soothing for coughs, colds, flu,
bronchitis, thick nasal discharge, a blocked nose and sore blocked
ears. It also eases disorders of the urinary system and rectum,
repairs and strengthens the liver, and relieves congestion around the
heart, restoring good, vibrant circulation to the body. It flushes out
toxins, revitalising the skin and giving it a glow.
A cup of tulsi tea will ease anxiety, release tension, reduce a
fever, treat colic, ease a headache, expel parasites, act as a diuretic,
ease postpartum distress and encourage milk production in nursing
mothers. I encourage its use as a gentle, easy-to-take tea for all who
feel life is too stressful, with too much to cope with.To make the tea,
pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup fresh tulsi flowering sprigs; let
the tea stand for five minutes, strain and sip slowly. Sweeten with a
touch of honey if desired.
A lotion of the cooled tea can be used for washing, dabbing or
spritz-spraying onto oily problem skin as it is an excellent detoxifier
and cleanser. Sacred basil is used in India both as a tea and as a
wash to treat and prevent malaria, and chewing the fresh leaves is
also a part of the treatment.Three cups of tulsi tea are taken daily to
treat malaria.Try poultices of warmed leafy flowering sprigs over
inflamed aching joints, and make sacred basil cream as a soothing
massage application for stiff sore muscles, aching legs and feet.

Sacred basil massage cream for sore muscles and

aching legs
1 cup good aqueous cream
1 cup fresh flowering sacred basil sprigs
1 teaspoon oil of cloves
2 teaspoons vitamin E oil
2 tablespoons almond oil

Simmer the aqueous cream and sacred basil together in a double

boiler for 30 minutes, stirring frequently, mashing and pressing the
plant into the oil. Cool and strain the mixture. Add the oils, whisk
them in thoroughly, and store the cream in a screw-top glass jar. Use
it warmed (stand the jar in hot water) as a gentle soothing massage
cream on everyone in the family, including grandparents!

Sacred basil oil

I was given this very precious remedy by an Indian doctor

to provide comfort when facing problems, grief, change and
loss. It is rich and smooth and needs to be applied warm to
the feet in slow and gentle movements. It is safe and
comforting for children, the elderly, and those who are
highly stressed.

1 cup tulsi flowering heads

A handful of tulsi leaves
1 cup almond oil

In a double boiler, warm the flowering heads and leaves in the

almond oil for 30 minutes, crushing and pressing the flowering
sprays and leaves all the time. It is traditional to say prayers into the
mixture as you work. Leave it to cool for 15 minutes, strain through
fine cheesecloth or muslin and pour into a dark glass bottle. Apply
warm to the feet – spread a towel and ensure the ‘patient’ is sitting
comfortably. Massage gently for 15–20 minutes.
CULINARY USES
Sacred basil rub
This rub adds a fascinating bouquet of flavours to fish or chicken breasts and is
easy to make.

½ cup young sacred basil flowering heads, dried and crumbled

½ cup cumin seeds, lightly crushed
½ cup crushed coriander seeds
½ cup finely grated fresh ginger
¼ cup finely grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon salt
½–1 teaspoon red pepper

Mix the sacred basil, cumin, coriander, ginger and lemon rind
together well. Add the salt and red pepper (adjust the red pepper
depending on how hot you like it). Mix the ingredients fresh every
time, and rub into chicken or fish that has been rubbed with fresh
lemon juice. Leave covered to marinade for at least three hours in
the fridge. Place under the grill and turn frequently until tender and
well cooked, or fry in a pan with a little olive oil, turning until it is
cooked.

COOK’S NOTE
Crush dried sacred basil flowers, cumin seeds and
coriander seeds together and store in a screw-top jar near
the stove for quick flavouring.

Sacred basil cool drink

MAKES 2 LITRES
This healthy and deliciously clove-scented cool drink is loved by children.

1 litre boiling water

1 cup fresh sacred basil flowering sprigs
1 litre pure unsweetened fruit juice (pomegranate is particularly
delicious)

Pour the boiling water over the sacred basil and allow the tea to
brew for five minutes. Strain and cool. Mix with the fruit juice, and
serve chilled, with ice.
Safflower
Carthamus tinctorius

Safflower is an ancient crop plant that, curiously, cannot be fully

traced back in nature. It is thought to have been one of the first
crops grown in ancient Syria, Turkey, Israel, Jordan and Persia,
and seeds were found in Egyptian tombs from 3500 BC.
The plant was grown for its bright orange, yellow and red
thistle-like flowers, rich in the pigment carthamin, and was made
into the first dyes used to colour flax cloth and later cotton. A
lucrative trade developed in the flowers as the colours were
highly prized, and safflowers were used to dye the saffron-yellow
robes of eastern monks. The bright petals of the flowers replaced
the very expensive saffron styles previously used in dyeing, and
to an extent, they replaced saffron in the flavouring of food and
drinks too.
Safflower seed oil was cold pressed, and as it became known
further afield, trade in the seed spread to India, and from there to
 China where it became known as fan hong hua, to Germany
where it became known as Fäbersaflor, and to Spain where it
became known as cártamo. Its valuable attributes were listed in
the pharmacopoeias of different countries. Each nation
developed its own treasured recipes, used in religious
ceremonies and celebrations and handed down from generation
to generation.

CULTIVATION
The safflower is very easy to grow. Originally I imported seed from
Israel and began by sprouting it; then I planted out a few tentative
rows. Virtually every seed germinated and a waist-high crop of bright
flowers developed! Full sun and deeply dug, richly composted soil
are required, and a slow gentle watering 2–3 times a week. Protect
the furrow with a layer of dried leaves to keep seedlings cool and
shaded. Safflower is a quick and easy annual and can be grown two
or even three times during our long summers.
Reap the flowers when fully opened and dry on sheets of brown
paper in the shade for three days (the ink print on newspaper could
contaminate the soft petals). Wear good gloves as the bracts and
calyxes are prickly, and pull out the tuft of flower petals and store
them in a wide-mouth glass jar with a screw-top lid. To collect the
seeds, allow a row or two of safflowers to mature and when the
plants start to dry, cut off the flowering heads. Spread them on a
clean wooden table and crush gently with a wooden mallet to release
the seeds. I use a spatula to separate the seeds from the prickly
bracts, and seal the collected seeds in a glass jar with a screw-top
lid for re-sowing and sprouting.
Safflowers are a good companion to mealies and beans on
trellises, and under-planting with celery and coriander ensures a
good crop all round.

MEDICINAL USES
Safflower has become a valuable medication: as a sprouted seed, as
tender micro-seedlings, and as a tea made from the flowers. It is
used for treating coronary artery disease, as a circulatory stimulant,
for reducing fevers, lowering cholesterol levels, relieving pain, and
for repairing and stimulating the uterus. Safflower tea is also helpful
in cases of jaundice, measles, menopause and menstrual problems.
To make the tea, pour a cup of boiling water over one tablespoon of
fresh flowers or dried petals. Let the tea draw for 5–7 minutes, stir
frequently, then strain and sip slowly. The tea can be taken twice a
day.
Cold-pressed safflower oil is used in salads and cooking; it is
valuable in cases of high cholesterol, and supports the heart and
circulation.
Safflower is also used to colour oils and massage creams as it
has pain-relieving properties. It reduces swelling and inflammation,
eases and dissolves bruises, sprains and strains, and as a pain-
relieving massage cream it is superb for sports injuries.

Safflower seed poultice

This is an excellent treatment for sprains and bruises.

1 cup safflower seeds

½ cup boiling water

Soak the seeds in the boiling water for 15 minutes. Drain and turn
out onto a towel. Fold the edges in to keep the seeds together and
apply to the affected area. Bind it in place and cover with a hot-water
bottle and a blanket. Relax for 15 minutes.

WARNING: Do not use safflower in any form (not even the oil or
sprouts) during pregnancy as it is a strong uterine stimulant.

Safflower massage cream

Use this cream for pain relief, and to heal wounds and scars.

1 cup good aqueous cream

1 cup safflower seeds, crushed well
½ cup fresh or dried safflower petals
½ cup almond oil
2 teaspoons vitamin E oil
Simmer the aqueous cream, safflower seeds and petals and the
almond oil together in a double boiler. Keep stirring and pressing the
seeds and petals and simmer for 30 minutes. Let the mixture stand,
covered, to cool for 30 minutes. Strain and add the vitamin E oil.
Spoon the cream into sterilised glass jars with well-fitting lids. Warm
the jar in a basin of hot water for 15 minutes before using the cream
to massage painful areas. The cream can also be massaged gently
over scar tissue and slow-healing wounds, grazes or scratches.

CULINARY USES
Dried safflower spicy mix
This mix makes a lovely gift for a cook. The safflower petals give a rich colour and
enhance the tastes of all the other ingredients.

1 cup dried safflower petals

½ cup crushed coriander seed
½ cup cumin seed
½ cup grated ginger (dried) or 1 tablespoon ginger powder
1–2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, or 1–2 teaspoons crushed chillies
½ cup sesame seed
½ cup chopped pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon turmeric

Shake the ingredients together vigorously in a big screw-top glass

jar. Use 1–2 teaspoons of the mix in soups, stews, curries, stir-fries
or as a rub over meat, chicken and fish before grilling. Use it as a
delicious marinade (1 or 2 tablespoons of the spicy mix in half a cup
of olive oil) before grilling thin slices of beef or chicken – it gives a
gourmet taste!

NOTE: I do not add salt to the mixture, but for a marinade add 1–2
teaspoons should you like the seasoning all in one.

Safflower oil 1
This oil (and the one below) is ideal for salads and as a basting sauce over brown
mushrooms, garlic, sausages, potatoes and leeks cut lengthways and roasted.

1 bottle good olive oil

2–3 tablespoons safflower seeds, lightly crushed
1 tablespoon safflower petals

Add the safflower seeds and petals to the bottle of olive oil. Stand
the bottle in a large jug of hot water to warm the oil, and give it a
frequent shake.

Safflower oil 2
2 cups good sunflower oil
2 tablespoons lightly crushed safflower seeds
1 tablespoon safflower petals

Pour the sunflower oil and safflower seeds and petals into a double
boiler. Simmer for 30–40 minutes, stirring frequently with a stainless
steel spoon. Strain, bottle and label the oil.

COOK’S NOTE
Try using safflower petals to colour cheese sauces, white
sauces and liqueurs. Sprinkle in about two teaspoons of
fresh and dried petals. Add more for a brighter colour.
Sage
Salvia officinalis

The genus name Salvia derives from the Latin salvare, meaning
‘to cure’. The herb is native to the Mediterranean region and its
medicinal and culinary properties have been respected for many
centuries. The Romans considered sage to be a sacred herb,
 and gathered it with reverence and ceremony. The Chinese also
valued sage highly, and Dutch merchants in the 17th century
recorded that the Chinese would trade three chests of China tea
for one chest of sage leaves!

CULTIVATION
Sage takes fairly easily from mature cuttings but does not like wet
feet, so once your cuttings have rooted in moist sand, plant them out
in individual pots in a well-drained mixture of compost and sand to
strengthen. Plant them out 50 cm apart in the garden in a well-
drained position in full sun. Water only once-weekly as sage will not
thrive during long periods of rain or under a watering system. It
needs no attention except for the odd trim of spent flowers or untidy
growth. Replace the plants every three or four years. Sage does well
in large pots, but make sure that these are well drained.

MEDICINAL USES
An ancient remedy for a sore throat was a gargle made from sage
leaves and flowers, and sage was mixed with honey and lemon juice
as a remedy for coughs and chest ailments.
Sage has been found to contain oestrogen, and as such it is used
to treat irregular menstruation and the symptoms of menopause,
including hot flushes and lowered oestrogen levels.
Sage also has some antibiotic properties, which is probably why
it is so effective in clearing a sore throat and excess mucous from
the nose, throat and chest. It was traditionally used as an asthma
remedy, and with its excellent digestive and calming action, it
immediately soothes spasm and anxiety. It is a nerve tonic, and its
natural astringency helps to relieve diarrhoea, abdominal cramps
and colic. Sage should be taken as a tea for all these ailments. To
make a standard brew, pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup fresh
flowers and leaves. Allow the tea to stand for five minutes, then
strain and add a touch of honey to sweeten and a squeeze of fresh
lemon juice. The usual dose during infections is one cup three times
a day. As a general tonic take one cup daily, but take a break of 4–5
days every 10 days.
 CAUTION: Sage is best avoided during pregnancy and should not
be taken by epileptics.

Sage cough remedy

1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves and a few flowers
1 tablespoon runny honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons fresh ginger root (optional)

Chop the fresh sage leaves and flowers very finely. Mix in the honey
and lemon juice, and in the case of a runny nose, grate in two
teaspoons of fresh ginger root. Mix well. Take one teaspoonful at a
time frequently during the day.

Sage gargle for sore throats, mouth ulcers and

bleeding gums
½ cup sage flowers and leaves
Rind of ½ a lemon
1 cup water

Simmer the flowers, leaves, lemon rind and water for 10 minutes.
Leave it to stand and cool for 10 minutes. Strain. Take a mouthful,
swill it in the mouth as long as possible, then spit out. Repeat at least
four times daily.

CULINARY USES
Sage flowers and bacon crisp
SERVES 4
This easy topping gives a gourmet flavour to scrambled or poached eggs. It can
also be eaten on toast and in cheese sandwiches.

500 g rindless lean bacon

1 cup sage leaves and flowers
Coarsely ground black pepper
1 tablespoon parsley

Chop the bacon roughly into 2-cm pieces. In a large frying pan, fry
the bacon in its own fat, turning frequently. Add the whole sage
leaves and flowers. Stir-fry briskly until the bacon browns. Season
with pepper, then lift the crisply fried leaves and flowers and the
bacon and drain on crumpled paper towel for a few seconds. Place
in a bowl. Mix with the parsley and sprinkle over scrambled or
poached eggs. Decorate with fresh sage flowers.

Sage flower eggnog

SERVES 1
This refreshing ‘quick fix’ is excellent for all age groups, particularly students
during exam time, as it energises and revitalises.

1 egg
1 glass milk
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon finely grated nutmeg
1 banana
2 teaspoons sage leaves and flowers

Blend the ingredients together in a liquidiser until frothy. Pour

immediately into a glass and sip slowly.

Sage and pumpkin soup

SERVES 6–8
This is real comfort food and it is a health booster too.

3 finely chopped onions

2 tablespoons olive oil
8 cups peeled and diced pumpkin
2 tablespoons grated ginger root
1 small chilli, finely chopped, or 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
¼–½ cup chopped sage leaves and flowers
½ cup brown sugar
2½ litres chicken stock
Sea salt to taste
½ cup parsley

Sauté the onions in the oil until they start to brown, then add all the
other ingredients except for the parsley. Simmer gently and add
more water if necessary. Test if the pumpkin is tender after 20
minutes. Whirl the soup in a liquidiser until smooth. Reheat if
necessary. Serve in hot bowls with crusty brown bread and sprinkle
the parsley over the top. Decorate with a few sage flowers.

Sage cool drink

This recipe was used in the 1800s to counter old-age forgetfulness.

½ cup sage flowers

½ cup sage leaves
1 teaspoon aniseed
2 cups boiling water
Squeeze of lemon juice
1 or 2 teaspoons honey

Pour the boiling water over the flowers, leaves and seeds and stir for
five minutes. Strain and allow to cool. Add the lemon juice, honey
and an ice cube or two. Mix well and sip while chewing eight
almonds.

COOK’S NOTE
Cooking with sage is a real art. As it is so pungent, it is
best to use the leaves together with the flowers (which are
less pungent), but remember that a little goes a long way.
Sage is the herb traditionally added to poultry stuffing as it
helps to break down fat and gives a fresh taste to the dish.
It is excellent with eggs, cheese and vegetables. When
cooking with the flowers, strip them from their calyxes and
eat only the tender petals.
Snapdragon
Antirrhinum majus

The snapdragon is indigenous to Europe and has been a much-

loved garden plant since before the Middle Ages, when it was
considered an antidote to witchcraft. From the 15th century it was
cultivated in Russia for the oil found in the seeds, which is said to
be as pure and healthy as virgin olive oil. Much folklore surrounds
the flowers, which open obligingly when lightly squeezed to look
just like a dragon’s mouth. This little mouth acts as an insect trap,
which closes once the insect has entered, trapping it inside. For
this reason snapdragons were once planted alongside grains and
vegetables as protection for the crops.

CULTIVATION
It is best to sow the seed in autumn for a spring and early summer
show. Treat the snapdragon as an annual, and sow the seed in a
different area each year. Plant out the thumb-length seedlings in
well-composted soil in full sun 20 cm apart and keep them moist until
well established. Each flowering spike reaches 50 cm in height and
mass plantings give a magnificent show. Snapdragons do not like
hot weather and flower briefly in spring. However, they dry well and
can be stored in a screw-top jar.

MEDICINAL USES
A cream made from snapdragon leaves and flowers will soothe hot,
irritated rashes and sunburn, while snapdragon lotion is excellent at
the end of a day outdoors when sunburn and windburn have taken
their toll.
Snapdragon is remarkably effective for all types of inflammation,
and crushed warmed snapdragon flowers mixed in a little almond oil
will soothe aching sprains, strains, throbbing haemorrhoids, skin
rashes and redness. Warm cotton cloths by wrapping them around a
hot-water bottle, then spread the mixture on the cloths and place
over an aching back or stiff shoulder or neck. Place the hot-water
bottle against the area and relax for 15 minutes. This will bring quick
relief and soothe away anxiety and discomfort.
In past years a gargle for mouth ulcers was made from the
flowers and a few leaves, and concert and opera singers once
considered snapdragon tea to be the most effective remedy for an
aching, tired, strained throat. Perhaps snapdragon’s mucilage,
pectin, gallic acid and resin content accounts for its soothing
antiinflammatory action. To make the tea, pour one cup of boiling
water over ¼ cup fresh flowers and a few leaves, and leave to stand
for 5–6 minutes. Strain, sweeten with a touch of honey, sip slowly,
gargle a little, and swallow.

Snapdragon cream
Use this cream for rashes and sunburn, to soothe itching, redness and dry skin,
and for cracked heels, nails and fingers.
1 cup chopped snapdragon leaves and flowers
1 cup good aqueous cream
2 teaspoons vitamin E oil

Simmer the snapdragon leaves and flowers in the aqueous cream in

a double boiler for 20 minutes. Strain the mixture, stir in the vitamin
E and almond oils and store in a sterilised jar. The cream will soothe
hot, irritated areas and cracked heels, but it must be rubbed in well
twice daily. At one time snapdragon cream was sold as a gardener’s
hand cream, depicting the flower on the lid. It was probably one of
the first commercial hand creams.

Snapdragon lotion
This lotion is soothing for sun- and wind-burned skin, and dry, flaking skin on the
nose and lips. Use it liberally. The lotion can be made using dried flowers. Dry
some flowers for summer use, as it is a winter annual.

3 cups snapdragon flowers and leaves

2 litres water

Boil the snapdragon flowers and leaves in the water for 15 minutes.
Strain and add the lotion to a warm bath or dab onto the area to calm
the skin.

CULINARY USES
Spring pasta with snapdragons
SERVES 4
Snapdragons have a bland taste, which makes them perfect for both sweet and
savoury dishes. Here they are combined with spring and early summer ingredients
to make an unforgettable dish.

250 g angel hair pasta or spaghetti

3 cups mangetout peas
2 cups finely chopped onions
½ cup olive oil
2 cups thinly sliced brown mushrooms
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup mixed-colour snapdragon flowers, removed from their calyxes
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
¾ cup parmesan cheese
½ cup chopped parsley

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until tender. Drop in the peas
and cook for one minute. Drain. Fry the onions in the olive oil until
they are transparent. Add the mushrooms, celery, snapdragon
flowers and the seasoning. Stir-fry briefly until just tender. Add the
stir-fry and vinegar to the drained pasta and peas. Spoon into a
serving dish, sprinkle with the finely grated parmesan cheese and
the chopped parsley. Decorate with a few fresh snapdragon flowers
and serve hot.

Pan-fried mutton and snapdragons

SERVES 4
Hearty and appetising, this unusual dish is always a winner.

4 lean mutton loin chops, about 200 g each

3 tablespoons sunflower oil
2 onions cut into thin rings
1 tablespoon green peppercorns, soaked for about 1 hour in 1
tablespoon white grape vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 1 lemon and a little grated lemon zest
6–8 early peaches, peeled and stoned
1 litre strong chicken stock
1 cup snapdragon flowers, calyxes removed

Fry the chops in the oil until brown. Add the onions and fry until they
start to brown. Add the peppercorns and vinegar, sea salt, pepper,
the lemon juice and zest, peaches and the stock. Gently simmer with
the lid on for 10 minutes or until the meat is tender. Finally, add the
snapdragon flowers and mix in well. Serve with brown rice and
salad, decorated with snapdragon flowers.
Mulberry and snapdragon dessert
SERVES 4
This is a real spring dessert and can be served in attractive glass dishes as a party
piece.

4 cups mulberries, stems removed

1 cup water
2 cups sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup snapdragon flowers, calyxes removed
1½ cups whipped cream
½ cup chopped pecan nuts
½ cup desiccated coconut
A few mint leaves

Simmer the mulberries in the water with the sugar and cinnamon
stick for exactly four minutes, no longer. Stir gently. Cool. Remove
the cinnamon stick and spoon the mulberries into a glass bowl. Tuck
the snapdragon flowers deeply into the syrup so that they soak it up,
and dot with small spoonfuls of the whipped cream. Sprinkle the
pecan nuts and coconut over the dessert and decorate with a few
fresh snapdragon flowers and mint leaves. Serve chilled.
St John’s wort
Hypericum perforatum

Much has been written about this ancient and revered plant, and
research is still being conducted into its remarkable medicinal
properties. In ancient times it was believed to have magical
properties, and it was universally known as ‘the Grace of God’.
 The crusaders took it on their journeys, along with yarrow and
borage, as a pain reliever and styptic (substance that stops
bleeding), and modern research has found these ancient uses to
be medically sound.

CULTIVATION
Growing this unobtrusive, tiny-leafed perennial groundcover is not
easy. It prefers the cool, damp meadows of its native Europe and
Britain but will do fairly well even in poor sandy soil to which a little
compost has been added, and with afternoon shade. Once it is
established and with a twice-weekly watering, it will send up 45-cm
tall heads of tiny, yellow flowers. It is these bright flowering heads
that are used medicinally. Propagate St John’s wort by digging off a
small piece with a sharp spade and replant it immediately in a well-
dug and lightly composted spot in full sun. Keep it moist for a week
or two until it is well established and then water twice-weekly.

MEDICINAL USES
Hypericum perforatum is not to be confused with the other
hypericums, including our own indigenous H. revolutum, which are
unsafe to use medicinally. Dubbed ‘Nature’s Prozac’, owing to its
antidepressant properties, H. perforatum has also been found to be
beneficial for menopause symptoms, liver and gall bladder ailments,
anxiety, back pain, cold sores, chickenpox, shingles, neuralgia, stiff
aching joints and muscles, lack of vitality, stress and insomnia. Its
antiviral properties have been found to be so remarkable that it is
being researched as a possible treatment for AIDS.
Both external and internal application of St John’s wort is
effective. A tea made from the flowering tops is the easiest way to
take it. Pour one cup of boiling water over ¼ cup fresh flowers and
buds. Leave the tea to stand for five minutes, then strain, sweeten
with honey if desired, and add a squeeze of lemon juice. Use this tea
for any of the ailments listed above and add one tablespoon of sage
leaves and flowers for coughs, colds and menopausal symptoms.
An effective massage cream can be made to treat rashes,
grazes, insect bites, cold sores, minor burns, cramp, neuralgia,
aching muscles, sciatica and backache.

CAUTION: Taking St John’s wort for some time may cause

dermatitis in people with sensitive skin once the skin is exposed to
the sun.

St John’s wort massage cream

Use this cream for arthritic pains and aching muscles, as well as cold sores.

1 cup St John’s wort flowering tops

1 cup aqueous cream
2 teaspoons vitamin E oil

Simmer the flowering tops and aqueous cream in a double boiler for
20 minutes, then strain. Add the vitamin E oil, mix well, and pour into
sterilised jars with well-fitting lids. Store any excess cream in the
fridge and rub frequently onto the affected area.

St John’s wort healing oil

This oil can be dabbed on frequently for shingles, fever blisters, neuralgia, blisters
and corns on the feet. This cream has many uses and is literally worth its weight in
gold.

2 cups St John’s wort flowering tops

1 cup grapeseed oil
1 cup olive oil

In a double boiler gently simmer the flowering tops and oils. Stir
frequently. Allow to cool completely. Strain through muslin. Bottle in a
dark glass bottle with a screw-top lid. In Europe, St John’s wort oil is
made on the midsummer solstice, 21 June. Bottles of olive oil,
sunflower oil, almond oil, grapeseed oil, in which fresh St John’s wort
flowers are steeped, are left in the sun for four days. The oil turns
ruby-red and is known as ‘Turkey red oil’. Once strained, it is kept
well sealed and used lavishly until the following summer solstice.
CULINARY USES
Beetroot and St John’s wort health salad
SERVES 4
This is a real health-booster salad. The yellow petals brighten up the dish – and
one’s mood as well!

4 well-washed fresh beetroots

2 peeled apples
Juice of 1 lemon
Black pepper and coriander seeds in a pepper grinder
½ cup finely chopped parsley
½ cup St John’s wort flowers

Grate the beetroots and apples. Mix well and spoon into a bowl.
Pour the lemon juice over the mixture. Grind the pepper and
coriander seeds over the salad and sprinkle with parsley and the St
John’s wort flowers.

Potato and St John’s wort bake

SERVES 4

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (optional)

8 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced very thinly
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
2–4 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup St John’s wort flowers, petals pulled out of their calyxes
4 tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup milk
1 cup cream

Grease a baking dish well and scatter the garlic over the base of the
dish. Lay the potatoes in overlapping layers, and season with the
sea salt, black pepper, nutmeg and a light sprinkling of the St John’s
wort petals. Dot with the soft butter. Whisk the milk and cream
together and pour over the potato mixture. Bake uncovered at 180°C
until the potatoes are tender and the top layer is golden and crisp,
about 1½ hours.

Stuffed avocadoes with St John’s wort

SERVES 4
These avocadoes make a tasty and interesting starter.

2 large avocadoes, cut in half and the stone removed Lemon juice
1 tin sardines, drained and mashed
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 cup St John’s wort flowers, calyxes removed
Sea salt and black pepper

Scoop the avocado flesh out carefully so as not to damage the skins.
Mash the pulp and sprinkle with lemon juice so that it does not turn
brown. Mix in the sardines, onion, St John’s wort flowers and the salt
and pepper. Spoon into the empty skins, sprinkle with more lemon
juice and serve on a bed of lettuce. Sprinkle with St John’s wort
flowers.
Stevia
Stevia rebaudiana

Stevia is exciting to grow – no plant offers the powerful

sweetness of stevia and no plant produces a safe diabetic sugar
substitute the way stevia does.
 In my early trials of stevia I used only the fresh and dried
leaves, but more recent experiments have shown that stevia
flower syrup is nothing short of fabulous! I learned from Brazilian
visitors to the Herbal Centre gardens that they preserve stevia
flowers in honey as a winter medication.
Stevia’s early beginnings were in Brazil and Paraguay where
it is known as caa’he or ‘sweet leaf’, and ancient pharmacopoeias
list it as a treatment for lowering blood sugar levels and as a
contraceptive!
In 1887, stevia was recorded scientifically by two French
chemists who isolated a glucoside present in the leaves, which
they named ‘steviocide’. The name remains in use today. They
found stevia to be 300 times sweeter than sugar, and as it is a
natural sweetener and safe for diabetics, tremendous interest
developed in this unusual plant. By 1970 the Japanese had
developed an extraction technique that removed the chlorophyll
and the slight bitterness from the leaf, resulting in a fine white
powder, now utilised in the food industry worldwide.
I do not use stevia powder as it is chemically processed and
contains possible anticaking agents and whitening agents. I
prefer to use it naturally – both the leaves (fresh and dried), and
more recently the tiny white flower clusters.

CULTIVATION
Stevia needs full sun and is a clump-forming perennial that becomes
dormant in winter, sometimes dying down to almost nothing. Do not
disturb it but cover it in the winter months with a protective cushion of
dried leaves and prunings and some rough compost. Give it a slow
once-weekly watering in winter and a good slow soak three times a
week in summer.
Plant stevia in a deeply dug richly composted hole and flood with
water. Space holes 1 m apart. To propagate in spring and early
summer, gently dig out rooted tufts from the outside edges of the
clump and immediately replant into richly composted holes. Keep it
moist until it re-roots.
 Sow seeds in seed trays covered lightly in moist soil (I use a
sieve and sprinkle just enough soil to cover the seeds). Stand the
seed tray in a big tray of water so that it is kept damp from below; in
that way the fragile seed is not disturbed. It must not dry out, even
for a short while.
Prick out the seedlings when they are big enough to handle and
plant into composted and soil-filled bags. Keep them moist and
shaded, gradually moving them out into the sun. Select their final
place in the garden carefully as stevia can be quite spindly. I
interplant it with other annuals in the kitchen garden and am often
surprised by its self-sown seedlings, which I leave to grow wherever
they are.

MEDICINAL USES
Stevia has been listed as a treatment for high blood pressure, high
sugar levels and high blood cholesterol. However, discuss this with
your doctor and do not exchange your present medications for stevia
as it is still being fully researched.
What is known clearly is that stevia is an effective treatment for
the gums and for tooth decay and plaque, and it is used in
commercial toothpastes and mouthwashes.
A tea of stevia flowers and buds will soothe sore throats, bleeding
gums and mouth ulcers, tighten the gums and clear fever blisters. To
make the tea, pour one cup of boiling water over ¼ cup of flowers,
let it stand for five minutes and then strain and sip slowly. Stevia
cream soothes cracked sore lips and dry skin around the lips and
nose. It also helps to heal fever blisters, and it will stop any cracking
and bleeding while the blisters heal.

Stevia flower gargle

This gargle is useful for treating mouth ulcers. It is very effective when made fresh
and used three times daily.

1 cup boiling water

½ cup stevia flowers, buds and leaves
¼ teaspoon powdered clove
Pour the boiling water over the flowers, buds and leaves. Leave to
cool for 10 minutes. Press the leaves and flowers well into the water.
Strain. Add the powdered clove and stir in well. Swirl the liquid in the
mouth.

Stevia flower cream for fever blisters and cracked

lips

1 cup good aqueous cream

1 cup chopped stevia buds, flowers and few stems
2 teaspoons vitamin E oil
2 teaspoons grapeseed oil

Simmer the aqueous cream and stevia in a double boiler for 30

minutes, stirring frequently. Cool, strain through a fine sieve, and stir
in the vitamin E oil and grapeseed oil. Spoon into a sterilised jar with
a well-fitting lid and use liberally and frequently on the area. I tried
this cream on a blister on my foot and found it excellent too.

CULINARY USES
Stevia flower lemonade
This is a perfect sugar-free summer drink!

Juice of 10 lemons
2 cups stevia flowering sprigs
1 litre water

Pour the lemon juice into a large jug, and set aside. Boil the stevia in
the water for 20 minutes. Let it cool (covered). Add two cups of the
strained stevia tea to the lemon juice. If more sweetness is needed,
add a cupful at a time. When the syrup is pleasantly sweet, pour it
into a glass bottle and store it in the fridge. To serve, pour ¼ glass of
the lemon syrup, top up with crushed ice and water, and taste. Add
more syrup if needed until you get it perfect!

COOK’S NOTE
Fresh stevia leaves and flowers are delicious in drinks,
desserts, cheese cakes and syrups, either finely chopped
fresh, or dried, or made into a syrup by simmering one cup
of fresh flowers and buds in half a litre of cold water for 20
minutes. Let the syrup stand and cool, keeping it covered.
Store it in a well-corked glass bottle in the fridge. Use as a
sweetener in drinks and desserts – taste as you go, a little
goes a long way!

Stevia flower rice pudding

SERVES 4–6
For a rich and creamy comfort food, this easy dessert has to be it!

4 cups milk
2 cups Basmati rice
½ cup finely chopped stevia flowers and buds
¾ cup sultanas, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes
1 cup thin cream

Gently simmer the milk, rice and stevia on low heat in a heavy-
bottomed pot, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. Once it starts
to thicken, add the sultanas and stir thoroughly. Now add the cream
a little at a time, or serve the cream at the table, poured over the
pudding. Serve with strawberries, raspberries or sliced peaches for a
celebration lunch or dinner. The secret lies in the long slow cooking
that thickens the milk and softens the rice.

COOK’S NOTE:
In order to replace sugar in your favourite recipes, start by
halving the sugar and replacing it with finely chopped
stevia flowers, buds and some leaves. For example, when
cooking apricots, replace one cup of sugar with half a cup
of stevia, simmer together and taste. Keep notes, and
adjust!
Strawberry flowers
Fragaria vesca • Fragaria species

The strawberry is unlike any other fruit in that the seeds are on
the outside, and the fleshy fruit is actually the receptacle or pod.
It is indigenous to Europe and America, and cultivation began in
the early 14th century, using fraises du bois, literally ‘strawberries
 of the forest’, as the mother stock. The largest fruiting plants were
kept from these original crops, selected on the basis of flavour
and sweetness. There are now literally hundreds of cultivated
varieties of strawberry, particular to each country and therefore
suitable for all climates. Many modern strawberries are based on
Fragaria chiloensis and F. virginiana, which are indigenous to
America. The exquisite ‘Pink Panda’ is a hybrid with bright pink
flowers.

CULTIVATION
Growing strawberries is easy. All varieties require rich, well-
composted soil, full sun, a deep twice-weekly watering, and a straw
mulch once the fruits start to form. Pine needles and pine bark make
a superb mulch, and the strong scent of the pine needles is a natural
insect repellent. Set plants 40 cm apart and replace the mother plant
every alternate year with new young runners.

MEDICINAL USES
A tea made from strawberry leaves and flowers is considered to be
beneficial to the liver, kidneys and bladder, and in America it is often
prescribed for cystitis, and for mouth ulcers and gingivitis. In the
past, strawberry tea was used to treat typhoid, and today this same
standard brew is used in the treatment of diarrhoea, gastric ailments
and jaundice. To make the standard brew, boil one cup of boiling
water over ¼ cup fresh strawberry leaves and a few flowers. Leave
the tea to stand for five minutes, then strain and sip slowly.
The fruit of the strawberry is exceptionally rich in vitamins A, C
and K, as well as folic acid, beta-carotene and potassium, and to a
certain extent so are the leaves, flowers and root. The strawberry
has been used medicinally since ancient times, particularly for
treating diabetes, cancer and uricaemia, and modern science has
found that all parts of the strawberry plant have antiviral and
antibacterial properties. Fresh fruits rubbed on the teeth are said to
whiten them and clear any gum infections.
Strawberry tonic wine
MAKES 1 BOTTLE
This one of the most loved tonic wines from the 17th century. It is believed to ease
all stomach ailments, fevers and coughs, to comfort the liver and to make the heart
merry!

1 cup strawberry fruits

1 bottle good red wine
2 cinnamon sticks
3 tablespoons honey
½ cup strawberry flowers
½ cup strawberry leaves

Choose small strawberries or, if using larger fruits, cut them in

quarters. Remove some of the wine and press all the additional
ingredients into the bottle. Cork well and shake. Leave the mixture to
stand for at least one week before opening. Strain out half a small
glass of wine and sip slowly.

COSMETIC USES
Strawberry flower and fruit extracts are used in oils and creams in
the cosmetic industry, and a beautiful astringent face mask can be
made inexpensively at home. Strawberry tea will help to clear the
skin. Use the tea as a lotion and splash onto the face after the
strawberry face mask has been rinsed off in tepid water, and make
an extra cup of tea to drink – it is pleasant and easily digested. The
roots, buds, flowers and leaves all contain tannins (which act as
toners) and, if heated with creams or oils, are exceptional for
wrinkles and dry, ageing skin.

Strawberry face mask

Use this mask for blackheads, rashes, pimples, spots and dry, rough areas.

1 cup strawberry fruit and flowers

Crush the fruit and flowers together and apply them directly to the
face (wash the fruit and flowers beforehand). Lie still for 15 minutes
and let the fragrant pulp do its work, clearing oiliness and
blackheads, healing pimples, closing and refining the pores, and
soothing rashes. Wash off the mask with mild soap and rinse with
water. For best results, finish by rubbing calendula cream into the
skin.

Strawberry oil for ageing skin

2 cups finely chopped fresh strawberry roots, young buds and leaves
1 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons vitamin E oil

In a double boiler, simmer the roots, buds and leaves in the olive oil
for 30 minutes, stirring and pressing frequently. Cool the mixture,
then strain it through muslin and add the vitamin E oil. Store it in a
dark glass bottle with a good screw top. Use nightly by massaging
the fragrant oil deeply into the skin.

CULINARY USES
Strawberry punch
SERVES 8
Try this recipe for a party drink that is delicious and healthy.

2 cups thinly sliced strawberries

1½ cups sugar
Juice of 6 lemons
2 teaspoons lemon zest, finely grated
2 tablespoons finely grated ginger
1½ litres water
1 cup strawberry flowers
1 litre rosé wine (optional)

Mash the strawberries with half the sugar and leave the mixture to
stand for about two hours. Squeeze the lemons, dissolve the rest of
the sugar in the juice, add the lemon zest and ginger, and set aside
for about two hours. Mix everything together, pour into a jug, and
float the flowers on top. As an optional extra, add one litre of rosé
wine. Serve chilled.

Strawberry flower pashka

SERVES 6–8
This traditional Russian Easter cake or dessert is made in a cheese cloth-lined
terracotta flower pot. The secret is the hole at the base of the pot as it allows the
cottage cheese to drain beautifully.

350 g (about 1½ cups) cottage cheese

3 tablespoons runny honey
1 teaspoons rosewater or vanilla essence
1 cup plain Bulgarian yoghurt
¾ cup sultanas, soaked beforehand in hot water, then drained
1 cup fresh fruit, peeled and chopped finely – peaches, mangoes,
nectarines, pears, strawberries
¾ cup strawberry flowers (‘Pink Panda’ is pretty but any strawberry
flowers will do)

Tip the cottage cheese into a sieve and rub it through. Mix the honey
and rosewater or vanilla into the yoghurt, stir until smooth, and add
to the cheese. Add the sultanas and chopped fruit to the mixture.
Line a new 12 cm unglazed clay flower pot with a square of fine
muslin or cheese cloth. Spoon the cheese mixture into it, fold the
corners of the cloth over, and put a weight on top. Stand the pot over
a bowl so that it can drain. Leave overnight in the fridge, or
preferably for a day and a night. Open the corners of the cloth, invert
the pot on a pretty plate, decorate with the strawberry flowers, and if
desired, add slices of fresh fruit. Dust with icing sugar and serve as a
dessert with coffee.
Sunflower
Helianthus annuus

The stately sunflower has been a valuable crop since ancient

times, and was first cultivated in South America, particularly Peru,
some 3 000 years ago. It is native to South and North America
and possibly Mexico, and in ancient Peru it was an emblem of the
 Inca sun god. In the 16th century, explorers introduced the
sunflower to Spain, having brought it over from North America.
Sunflowers are a fast-maturing crop and fields of sunflowers
are a breathtaking sight in summer, turning their glorious heads
to face the sun as it moves from east to west. Bees love
sunflowers because of their nectar and pollen and the seeds are
favoured by many seed-eating birds.

CULTIVATION
Sunflowers are an easy-to-grow annual and growing them is very
rewarding. In spring, dig over a patch of soil in full sun, add plenty of
compost, and water it well. Press the large seeds singly into the
moist soil, 20–30 cm apart and about 3 cm deep. Keep the soil moist
with a light mulch of dry leaves, and do not allow it to dry out.

MEDICINAL USES
Sunflower oil is one of the most versatile of all cooking oils, and is
mild, bland, and rich in linoleic, oleic and palmitic acids; it is also high
in vitamins A, D and E. Like all oils rich in linoleic acid, particularly
borage and evening primrose oil, it inhibits the dangerous build-up of
cholesterol deposits.
The young flowering buds are highly nutritious and were a
favourite food of the Incas. The buds, as well as the maturing flower
petals, contain traces of zinc, beta-carotene, vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6
and E, magnesium, manganese and chromium. The seeds are a
superb health food, containing the same vitamins as the buds and
petals, as well as calcium, potassium, phosphorus and iron in
abundance. Hulled sunflower seeds are said to be diuretic and
expectorant. A handful can be eaten once or twice a day and they
are delicious raw or roasted in home-made muesli.
The unhulled seeds can also be boiled and taken as a tea: Add
two tablespoons of unhulled seeds to two cups of water and simmer
for 20 minutes, then cool the tea and strain.Take half a cup twice a
day.
 Sunflower oil, seeds and young flowers are believed to help in
the formation of healthy tissue, and to boost the immune system and
keep the joints supple. Interestingly, all parts of the sunflower are
being tested for the ability to regenerate tissue in the kidneys after
infectious kidney diseases and kidney stones. The leaves are being
tested in the treatment of malaria, and can be used to make a tea.
Pour two cups of boiling water over half a cup of chopped fresh
leaves. Leave the tea to draw for five minutes, then strain and sip it
warm or cold throughout the day.

Sunflower cough remedy

This remedy is very useful for coughs, flu and bronchitis.

½ cup fresh sunflower petals

½ cup dehusked sunflower seeds
Juice of ½ lemon
2 teaspoons honey
½ cup hot water

Liquidise everything for two minutes. Spoon out into a glass jar with
a well-fitting lid. Take one teaspoon at a time with a little sunflower
tea. This is an excellent treatment for clearing mucous.

CULINARY USES
Sunflower buds with mustard sauce
SERVES 4–6
Served with a salad and cold meats, this is an unusual and delicious dish.

12–14 small flower buds, about 6 cm in diameter

2 teaspoons salt

Mustard sauce
1 tablespoon cornflour
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons mustard powder
½ cup brown sugar
3 eggs, well beaten
½ cup brown grape vinegar
1 cup milk

Place the flower buds in a pot, cover with water, add the salt and
bring to the boil. Simmer for about six minutes. Strain through a
colander and repeat the process with fresh water. Boil for a further
six or seven minutes or until tender. Strain, arrange in a glass dish
and keep them warm while you prepare the mustard sauce.
Mix the cornflour, salt, mustard powder and sugar, and add to the
beaten eggs. Whisk the mixture until creamy. Add the vinegar
gradually. Warm the sauce gently on the stove on a low heat.
Gradually add the milk, beating constantly, whisking while it thickens.
Remove the sauce from the stove as soon as it bubbles and pour it
over the cooked sunflower buds. Serve piping hot with rice.

Marinated sunflower bud parcels

SERVES 4–6
These sunflower parcels can be grilled on the coals of a fire or under the oven grill,
and served directly from the foil.

10–12 sunflower buds, about 6 cm in diameter

Mild fruit chutney
Fresh lemon juice
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Feta cheese, cubed

Parboil the buds for about 10 minutes in salted water. Remove from
the water and rinse under a cold tap. Lay them face down in a dish
and spoon the chutney over them. Leave them to marinate for about
two hours, turning them over from time to time. Place each sunflower
bud separately on a square of aluminium foil, squeeze some lemon
juice over it, place three or four thin onion slices around it, sprinkle
with salt and pepper, add a dash of olive oil and a few cubes of feta
cheese, and carefully dot with the chutney marinade. Wrap the
parcels neatly and place on the coals of the fire or under the oven
grill for 20 minutes. Serve in the foil parcel.

Beetroot and sunflower petal salad

SERVES 6
The striking, contrasting colours in this salad give new life to an old favourite. I
grow white sunflower seeds for this salad, as young, soft seeds make a delicious
addition sautéed with the onions.

3 medium-sized onions, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons olive oil
12 small young beetroot, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup water
1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
1 cup sunflower petals
Chopped parsley

Sauté the onion rings in the oil, then add the beetroot. Stir-fry briefly
and add half a cup of water. Mix the flour with the honey, lemon
juice, salt and pepper, and stir into the onions and beetroot. Add
another half cup of water and the sunflower petals. Turn down the
heat and cover the pot. Simmer gently for about 15 minutes, then
remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool. Sprinkle with a
little chopped parsley. Serve as a salad with cold chicken.
Thyme
Thymus vulgaris • T. × citriodorus

Creeping thyme
 Thyme is one of the world’s favourite culinary herbs and is so
common that one hardly stops to think of its amazing medicinal
properties. Thymus vulgaris is known as common thyme. The
cultivated variety T. × citriodorus is called lemon thyme, and T.
serpyllum, which is native to southern Europe, is known as
mother-of-thyme. Thyme is a member of the Laminaceae family,
which cross-pollinates easily, so there are literally hundreds of
varieties of thyme. All seem to have similar properties and have
been used medicinally by many cultures through the centuries.
The Egyptians used thyme oil for embalming, and the ancient
Greeks and Romans used it in their baths and as incense in their
churches.

CULTIVATION
Generally, all thymes are easy to grow.They all need full sun and are
not fussy about soil type, but they flourish in well-drained, sandy soil
with a good bit of compost dug in.They love hot, dry conditions and
demand little except a good weekly watering and occasional cutting
back.
Propagation is by means of small, rooted sprigs taken from the
mother plant every two or three years.These should be kept
protected in moist, shaded, well-composted bags until they are
strong enough to take full sun, and subsequently planted out in the
garden.

MEDICINAL USES
Thyme is a superb antiseptic and tonic herb, and a pleasant-tasting
infusion of lemon thyme with a slice of lemon and a teaspoon of
honey is a comforting treatment for a sore throat, cough and chest
cold. Added to your daily food, thyme acts as a good digestive,
boosts the immune system to fight colds and flu, and helps build up
energy and vitality. In days gone by, savoury teas of thyme, red
pepper and lemon juice were drunk to ward off colds and to keep
warm and fit during the long cold winters. A few carrots, a stick of
celery and chopped onions were added to make a nourishing soup
to clear chest infections, backache, coughs and bronchitis, and
thyme is still used in this way today.
All the thymes are superb for treating fungal infections, whooping
cough, pneumonia, asthma and hay fever (especially in children),
and worms in children and animals. They can be used as an
expectorant to clear mucous from the body, and for soothing
muscular aches and pains. A lotion of the cooled standard tea will
soothe insect bites and stings, hot sore eczema areas, and will help
with ringworm, athlete’s foot, thrush, scabies and lice infestation. It is
rich in thymol, which is a most effective antifungal, and this together
with several flavonoids will relieve rheumatism and muscle spasms
such as stiff neck and cramps. All the thymes taken as a tea will
impart a feeling of vitality and relieve muscular and mental
tiredness.The standard brew is a cup of boiling water poured over ¼
cup fresh thyme sprigs (flowering sprigs included). Allow the tea to
infuse for five minutes, then strain and sip slowly.

Thyme flower lotion for aching muscles, leg cramps

and rheumatism
2 cups thyme sprigs with flowers
½ cup grapeseed oil
½ cup good acqueous cream
1 teaspoon vitamin E oil
½ teaspoon rose geranium essential oil

In a double boiler, simmer the thyme, grapeseed oil and acqueous

cream for 20 minutes. Strain it and add the vitamin E and rose
geranium essential oils. Mix thoroughly. Spoon into a glass jar with a
well-fitting lid. To use it, warm the lotion by standing the jar in hot
water, then massage it into the affected area. Cover the skin with a
towel and hot-water bottle and relax for 20 minutes. This wonderful
lotion becomes quite a panacea.

CULINARY USES
Thyme immune-boosting soup
SERVES 6–8
This is a recipe from my grandmother’s day – a true comfort soup that no one ever
tires of.

3 cups roughly chopped onion

A little olive oil
2 cups finely grated potato
1½ litres good chicken stock
1 cup pearl barley, soaked overnight
2 cups finely grated carrot
2 cups finely chopped celery, leaves included
1 small red chilli, finely chopped and seeds removed (or 1 teaspoon
cayenne pepper)
Juice of 2 lemons
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
½ cup fresh thyme leaves and flowers
Sea salt to taste

Fry the onions in the oil until they start to brown, add the grated
potatoes and stir-fry until they start to turn golden. Add all the other
ingredients and simmer with the lid on until everything is tender and
the soup is tasty. Serve steaming hot with crusty brown bread.

Thyme flower savoury fish

SERVES 4
Lemon thyme is the most delicious of the thymes for this recipe.

2 beaten eggs
2 teaspoons paprika
4–6 deboned skinned fish fillets
1 cup flour seasoned with salt and black pepper
Olive oil and butter, 3 tablespoons of each
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons fresh thyme flowers and leaves, stripped off their
stalks
Lemon wedges for serving

Whisk the eggs with the paprika until frothy. Pour into a flat dish, lay
the fish in it, and spoon the remaining egg mixture over the fillets.
Spread the seasoned flour in a flat dish and roll the egg-basted fish
in the flour, coating the fish evenly. Meanwhile, heat the oil and
butter in a large frying pan and place the fish gently in the pan. Fry
until golden, using a spatula to turn the fish over carefully and fry on
the other side. Drain on crumpled kitchen paper towel and place on a
serving dish. Keep warm until ready to serve. Sprinkle with lemon
juice and thyme flowers. Serve with mashed potato or baked potato
and extra lemon wedges.

Thyme salt
A cannister of thyme salt is so useful to have at hand while cooking – it gives
added zest and flavour and takes some beating!

2 cups coarse sea salt

¾ cup fresh thyme leaves and flowers
1 tablespoon coriander seeds, crushed
1 tablespoon black peppercorns, crushed
1 tablespoon mustard powder or seeds
1 tablespoon paprika

Mix the ingredients together well, and store in an airtight screw-top

jar. Have a mortar and pestle next to the stove, or keep a large
pepper grinder nearby. Grind the mixture before adding to food while
cooking, or have it in a small grinder at the table.

COOK’S NOTE
Thyme salt is perfect for all savoury dishes: meat, eggs,
pastas, casseroles, soups, sauces, etc. In the case of fish
and cheese dishes, replace the fresh garden thyme with
lemon thyme leaves and flowers and include one
tablespoon of sesame seeds and two teaspoons of lemon
zest. All the other ingredients remain the same.
Greek thyme
Tuberose
Polianthes tuberosa
 The tuberose is not commonly grown, and is an old-world
bulbous plant with an exceptional fragrance. In the late 17th and
early 18th centuries the first bulbs were taken from Central
America to Morocco, and from there to Egypt and France, where
they are still cultivated for their glorious, rich and hugely
expensive oil. Pure absolute extract of tuberose is the most
expensive natural flower oil in the world, worth its weight in gold.
The oil is used to create exquisite perfumes, mainly in France.
One flowering head of tall, creamy white, lily-like flowers will
scent an entire room with its haunting fragrance for a week.

CULTIVATION
Growing tuberose is easy, as the bulb is perennial. It needs well-dug,
well-composted soil in full sun and the bulbs should be spaced 20
cm apart. A single stem, 40–50 cm tall, rises through the slender tuft
of pale green leaves, topped with a mass of buds and flowers. The
buds are the palest shade of pink, and the flowers creamy white.
Divide the clump every two years once it has flowered and replant
the little corms or bulbs in new ground. The cycle usually takes two
years and the bulbs can be planted in succession.

MEDICINAL USES
Centuries ago the tuberose was used in China to calm stomach
disorders caused by anxiety. Around the 12th century, flower teas
were introduced to soothe overexcited children, and to help relieve
nausea, vomiting and fevers. A single flower added to a cup of green
tea immediately imparts its rich oils and fragrance, calming and
settling a wildly beating, anxious heart. Taken as an after-dinner tea,
it will ease digestion and make even the most stressful day dissolve
into restful calm – an ancient Chinese secret!
Recently, tuberose oil has been used with astonishing results as
a treatment for stress, hypersensitivity, anger, hostility, resentment,
disorientation, emotional conflict and confusion. It is becoming an
important healing oil, promoting emotional stability and counteracting
drug and alcohol addiction, burnout and anxiety. Research is being
done into the benefits of tuberose in harmonising the emotions in
terminally ill people, particularly those with AIDS and cancer.

COSMETIC USES
In Egypt, a lotion was made from the beautiful flowers to treat acne,
oily skin and enlarged pores.The lotion can be made at home, as
well as an easy-to-make tuberose cream for dry, brittle nails.
Massage the cream into the nails and cuticles frequently – it will do
wonders.

Tuberose lotion
Use this lotion for acne and problem skin, torn cuticles, split and dry, brittle nails.

2 cups boiling water

1 cup tuberose flowers and buds, finely chopped
1 teaspoon vitamin E oil

Pour the boiling water over the flowers and buds, and leave the
mixture to stand until cool. Strain, add the oil and mix well. Apply the
lotion with cotton wool discs, or spray it as a mist using a bottle with
a spray mechanism. Alternatively, pour a little into a small bowl, dip
the fingertips into it, massaging it well into the nails and torn cuticles.
Do this for at least five minutes to get the benefit of the lotion.

Tuberose cream for brittle nails

1 cup chopped tuberose flowers
1 cup good aqueous cream
2 teaspoons vitamin E oil

Simmer the chopped flowers in the aqueous cream for 20 minutes,

then strain and add the vitamin E oil. Mix well, store in a sterilised jar,
and apply frequently, working the cream into the nails and cuticles.
CULINARY USES
Tuberose vegetable soup
SERVES 6
This soup is adapted from an old Chinese recipe. It is light and refreshing, perfect
as a starter to be followed by a rich meal.

2 cups finely chopped onions

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups thinly sliced mushrooms
2 cups chopped green peppers
4 cups diced celery stalks
2 litres chicken stock
1 cup cooked brown rice
2 tablespoons pure soy sauce, with no added MSG
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
1 cup tuberose flowers, lightly sliced
Nutmeg

Fry the onions in the olive oil, add the mushrooms and brown lightly.
Add the green peppers and celery and stir-fry for three minutes. Add
all the other ingredients and simmer gently for about 15 minutes.
Serve hot in bowls with a fresh tuberose flower floating on top. Dust
with nutmeg.

Tuberose and pineapple cordial

SERVES 6–8
Offer this cordial as a treat and on special occasions – it will be long remembered!

2 well-ripened pineapples, peeled and chopped

2 litres white grape juice
2 teaspoons ground ginger
½ cup runny honey
10–15 fresh tuberose flowers
Whirl the pineapples, a little of the grape juice, the ground ginger and
the honey in a liquidiser until smooth. Mix in the rest of the grape
juice. Toss in the flowers (the Chinese chop them up, I like them kept
whole in all their beauty), and refrigerate for at least two hours before
serving. Taste for sweetness, and add more honey if needed. Serve
in wine glasses and tuck a tuberose flower into each glass.

Tuberose fridge cake

SERVES 6–8
Serve this fridge cake as a dessert with ice-cream or custard, or as a teatime treat.
It is quick, easy, nourishing and delicious, and keeps well in the fridge.

4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground pimento (allspice)
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 tablespoons treacle or honey
3 tablespoons sherry
5 tablespoons sultanas, soaked for an hour in hot water
225 g digestive biscuits, coarsely crushed
4 tablespoons chopped glacé cherries
4 tablespoons candied peel
4 tablespoons chopped pecan nuts
3 tablespoons chopped tuberose flowers

Melt the butter with the spices in a double boiler. Add the treacle or
honey and the sherry and mix well. Drain the sultanas and mix with
the remaining ingredients. Combine with the butter, honey and
sherry mixture. Stir thoroughly. Line a loaf tin with greaseproof paper.
Press the mixture down firmly into the tin, cover with more
greaseproof paper, and weight it down. Chill for at least two hours.
Turn the fridge cake out onto a flat plate, slice thinly, and decorate
with tuberose flowers.
Tulip
Tulipa species

The tulip is a popular cool-weather bulb indigenous to Persia.

The name derives from the Turkish word tulipan or turband,
indicating its turban shape, while its Latin name is Tulipa
gesneriana. The bulbs have been in cultivation for over 1 000
 years, and have long been a symbol of perfect love. Tulips grew
wild along the Bosphorus and young men supposedly gathered
them to send as a symbol of love to girls in the harems beyond
the palace gates, which is probably how the symbolism
originated. In 1556, tulip bulbs were taken to Vienna and from
there to France and finally Holland, the country with which tulips
have become synonymous.
Cooking with tulips dates back to the end of the 16th century,
when the unopened buds were cooked with peas or finely cut
green beans. The petals were also sugared and eaten with syrup
as a dessert. Owing to the increase in exotic vegetables on offer
in the world’s marketplaces today, this charming practice has
largely died out.

CULTIVATION
Tulips can be used to great effect in the spring garden, particularly
when massed in areas of a single colour. The bulbs should be
planted in late autumn when the soil has cooled down, spaced 15 cm
apart in full sun, in well-dug, richly composted soil with a cooling
mulch of rotted leaves. Give them a deep twice-weekly watering to
ensure uniform growth. The bulbs will take about 9–10 weeks to
flower. Modern bulbs are cold-treated and seldom excel after their
first year of blooming, which means that new bulbs should be
planted every year. Some tulip experts shade their bulbs in autumn
between 11h00 and 15h00 to keep them cool. Tulips need cold to
flower, so only plant them in cold areas where it freezes most nights.

MEDICINAL USES
There are only a few references to tulip poultices in the ancient
herbals – perhaps the flowers were so expensive even then that they
were not often crushed for medicinal purposes! However, in the case
of burns, skin rashes, insect bites and bee stings, a soothing poultice
of the petals was often used.
In the 17th century young girls crushed red tulip petals and
rubbed them into their cheeks so that the petals would impart their
colour, and the juice would help to clear up any spots. Tulip petals
greatly soothe cuts, grazes, corns, callouses, scratches and infected
insect bites.
Given that tulip growers in Holland still use crushed petals and
the juice from the base of the flower to soothe scratches and rough
skin on work-worn hands, it seems surprising that a hand and nail
cream containing tulip extract has not yet been formulated by an
enterprising grower.

Tulip poultice for burns and insect bites

4 tulip flowers
Hot water
Castor oil

Warm the flowers in hot water and break off the petals. While still
hot, roll the petals in a warm, wet towel to soften them, then unroll
and place the crushed petals over the affected area. Hold the petals
in place with the hot towel for 10 minutes. Some recipes suggest
smoothing a little castor oil onto the burn or insect bite before placing
the petals over the area.

Tulip skin cream

Apply this cream on corns, scratches, grazes and chafed, raw skin.

1 cup good acqueous cream

½ cup olive oil
4 tulip flowers, finely chopped
2 teaspoons vitamin E oil
Few drops rose essential oil

Simmer the acqueous cream, olive oil and tulip petals together in a
double boiler for 20 minutes. Strain through muslin. Add the vitamin
E oil and rose essential oil and mix well. Spoon into a sterilised glass
jar with a well-fitting lid.
CULINARY USES
Three bean salad with tulips
SERVES 6
Perfect for a vegetarian meal, this salad keeps well in the fridge.

1 cup large white butter beans

1 cup haricot beans
2 cups green beans, finely sliced lengthways
Petals of 3 or 4 tulips

Dressing
½ cup runny honey
½ cup good olive oil
½ cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 teaspoons mustard powder
½ cup finely chopped onions
A little garlic (optional)
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 tablespoon crushed coriander seed
1 tablespoon crushed sesame seed

Soak the butter beans and haricot beans overnight. The next day,
boil them until they are tender. Boil the green beans until tender but
still fairly crisp. Allow all the beans to cool.
Shake the dressing ingredients together vigorously in a jar with a
tight-fitting lid. Pour the dressing over the salad and fold in well.
Place the petals of three or four tulips around the dish, filling them
with a little of the bean salad, and grind black pepper over
everything. Serve with crusty bread.

Tulip syrup
SERVES 6
This unusual recipe dates from the 17th century and is delicious spooned over rice
or sago pudding, and custard or cream desserts. It keeps well in the fridge.
2 cups white sugar
3 cups water
6 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
Juice of 2 lemons
Petals from 8 tulips, cut into thin strips (reds and pinks are prettiest)

Place all the ingredients except the tulip petals in a pot and simmer
gently for about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow the syrup to
cool for 10 minutes, remove the cinnamon stick and cloves, and stir
in the tulip petal strips. Refrigerate when cool.

Tulips stuffed with chicken mayonnaise

SERVES 4–6
This is the perfect recipe for a luncheon party to celebrate the arrival of spring!

1 medium-sized cold roast chicken

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
¾ cup finely chopped celery
½ cup finely chopped green pepper
½ cup finely chopped spring onion
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
1 cup good mayonnaise
12 tulips

Slice the chicken from the bone and chop finely. Mix all the
ingredients together, except for the tulips. Remove the stamens and
pistils from the tulips, leaving a little bit of stalk attached. Stuff the
flowers with the chicken mayonnaise mixture. Arrange the flowers
neatly in a circle on a bed of butter lettuce and pile any leftover
chicken mayonnaise in the centre. Dust with black pepper and serve
chilled.
Turmeric
Curcuma domestica

Turmeric grows in seclusion in light shade under the protection of

its large smooth leaves where no one ever looks. It is a unique
plant with a brilliant yellow root and exquisite flower of pale bracts
that opens at ground level where you least expect it.
Over the years I have been so intrigued by this secretive plant
that I set out to grow, draw and photograph it, and to share its
beauty. I have also researched old herbals to ascertain its uses
 and found it to be one of the rare botanical treasures dating back
to ancient times.
Turmeric belongs to the ginger family, Zingiberaceae, and is
native to Asia. Due to its beginnings along the trade routes, it is
often commonly known as ‘Indian saffron’. In ancient Chinese
pharmacopoeias, turmeric is listed as being a treatment for sores,
bruises, ringworm, chest pains, colic, indigestion, menstrual
problems and toothache. In those days the root, leaves and
flowers were all included in remedies.
Today we know turmeric only as a bright yellow root,
conveniently powdered for use in stews, curries and as a popular
spice mixture. India, Jamaica, Haiti and Indonesia are the main
producers of turmeric. Turmeric oil is still distilled in Europe and
the USA, while the flower oils are made in Malaysia and
Indonesia in small amounts and can very rarely be found in the
market places.

CULTIVATION
Turmeric is a true exotic from the tropical parts of the world. It needs
light shade or partial shade and deeply dug richly composted moist
soil to flourish. Water it three times a week, but only every 10 days in
winter when it becomes dormant. Cover the area with raked leaves
once the long leaves of the plant have died down. Do not cut the
dried leaves away; leave them to disintegrate of their own accord.
Keep the area well mulched and water with a gentle soaking
spray once spring arrives. Also add a layer of good moist compost
over the area. Do not dig it in or you will destroy the tender rhizomes
just below the surface; set a gentle soft spray over the area for about
an hour or so. By mid- to late spring tightly curled leaf tips will appear
like little spears through the soft soil and will quickly unfold.
Look out for ‘turmeric tubers’ or rhizomes at Asian stores and
plant these in moist compost-filled bags until they sprout. Do not let
them dry out but also do not overwater or the tubers will rot.

MEDICINAL USES
In ancient herbal texts and pharmacopoeias, turmeric flower oil has
been recorded as a massage treatment for anorexia (or emaciation
as it was then recorded), for liver congestion, arthritis and sore stiff
swollen joints, for poor circulation, rheumatism and muscular aches
and pains and to restore a feeling of wellbeing.
Interestingly, the distilled oil from the boiled, cleaned and
sundried rhizome was used as an insect repellent, as an analgesic
oil for arthritic joints, as a laxative massaged over the abdomen, as
an antibacterial agent over infected wounds, and as a liver stimulant
over a sluggish liver.
Today the precious distilled essential oil of both the flower and
the root is only sold to qualified aromatherapists or masseuses. Its
actions are analgesic, diuretic, laxative, anti-arthritic, anti-
inflammatory and bactericidal and it is a rubefacient and stimulant.
In Ayurvedic medicine, turmeric roots and flowers were made into
a liqueur with honey and alcohol as a treatment for respiratory
infections and gastric ailments. Today tender leaves and crushed
flowers are still used as a warm poultice over aching joints. In India,
turmeric oil is used to treat several skin ailments, and it is an
ingredient in Indian cosmetics and skin cleansers.
The Sri Lankans have made turmeric into a valuable crop that is
processed into medications for indigestion and for liver and stomach
complaints. They also boil a little piece of flower or root in milk with
honey as a tea for colds and flu.

COSMETIC USES
Turmeric flower massage oil for dry skin
1 turmeric flower and its stem, finely sliced
1 cup almond oil
20 drops vitamin E oil
10 drops rose essential oil

Watch for a flower to appear at the base of the plant. When the
flower is mature and fully open, cut it off with sharp secateurs and
wash it carefully. Place it on a sterilised chopping board (sterilise the
board with boiling water) and slice the flower and stem finely. Place
the slices in a double boiler with the almond oil. Stir gently and
continuously with a stainless steel spoon (a silver spoon was used in
old recipes!) for 15 minutes, submerging the bracts under the oil.
Remove from the heat and let the oil stand to cool (keep it covered).
When it is lukewarm pour through a strainer, discard the bracts and
pour the oil into a sterilised jar with a good screw top. Add the
vitamin E oil and rose essential oil. Tighten the lid, shake well, and
label the jar. Use as a massage oil over dry skin areas, especially on
the neck and chest and over the cheekbones, avoiding the eye area.

NOTE: Always test a little of any massage oil on the inside of the
wrist before using it. Allow it to saturate the area for at least 5–10
minutes. If there is any redness, wash off immediately with warm
soapy water and avoid use.

CULINARY USES
Turmeric flower stir-fry
SERVES 4–6

3 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup finely chopped onions
1 cup young fresh turmeric flowers and roots, finely chopped
1 cup lentils
1 cup rice

Heat the oil in a pan and stir-fry the onion, turmeric flowers and root.
Cook the lentils and rice in separate pots, then drain and mix. Mix
the stir-fry mixture into the lentils and rice. Serve with cold meats and
salads or as an accompaniment to chicken stew.

Turmeric flower chicken salad

SERVES 6
This is a delicious cold salad for a hot day and is made festive by the flowers and
the beautiful presentation.
1 butter lettuce
4 cups cubes of bread
Olive oil
Sea salt and pepper
2 cups chopped onions
2 cups pineapple pieces, cut into cubes
2 cups chopped green peppers
4 cups cubed, cooked chicken breasts, cooled
2 cups green rocket leaves, chopped
1 turmeric flower, chopped into bracts
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Place the lettuce leaves on a large platter. Sprinkle salt and pepper
on the bread cubes and fry lightly in olive oil. Fry the chopped onions
and mix with the bread cubes.
Mix the onions, bread, pineapple pieces, green pepper, chicken
and rocket together and spoon into the lettuce leaves. Lightly fry the
chopped turmeric flower in olive oil. Sprinkle the fried flowers and
chopped parsley over the filled lettuce leaves. Pour the salad
dressing over it and serve at once, decorated with other flowers,
such as day lilies, gardenias and borage. Serve with naan bread.

Dressing
½ cup lemon juice
½ cup honey
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
½ cup olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Shake the ingredients together in a screw-top jar.

COOK’S NOTE
Peel turmeric root the way you would peel ginger, with a
sharp knife on a chopping board, and remember that it will
stain everything – including your hands! Once peeled, you
can grate, chop, slice or grind it to a paste with other
spices as an appetising addition to stews, lentil dishes,
bean dishes and curries, the way you would use fresh
ginger. It will add colour and flavour to the dish, and
increase your gastric juices, thus making it an excellent
therapeutic treatment for gastric disorders.
Violet
Viola odorata

The sweet violet is an ancient plant that has been grown and
loved all over the world. It is native to Britain and widespread
throughout Europe and Asia, and records of sweet violet from the
first century AD in Turkey, Syria and Persia suggest that it is
 native to these areas as well. The violet was a favourite flower in
ancient Greece and became the symbol of Athens. It was also
the flower of Aphrodite, goddess of love, and the flower of her
son Priapus, the god of gardens and male procreative power.
Homer relates how the Greeks drank violet tea to ‘temper their
anger’, and how they made crowns and garlands of violets to
save them from drunkenness, and added the flowers to wine to
give an extra bouquet.

CULTIVATION
Growing violets is rewarding, as they demand little and give so much
in return. They thrive in cool, partially shady positions in rich, well-
composted, moist soil. The clump spreads by runners, which can be
separated from the mother plant and planted elsewhere, 30 cm
apart. Keep them moist and shaded until they establish. They reach
a height of no more than 10 cm and so make a lovely border or
groundcover. The flowers are at their best at the end of winter and
early spring, and the more you pick the more they bloom. Water
them deeply twice a week and give them an occasional spade of
compost.

MEDICINAL USES
Violets were used medicinally by the ancient Greeks and Romans,
and later in the 15th and 16th centuries violet syrup was prescribed
for coughs, colds, pneumonia and bronchitis. A tea of violet flowers
and leaves will soothe a headache and help one unwind after a
demanding day, and it was popular as an after-dinner tea in the 18th
and 19th centuries. Violets have a relaxing and calming effect on the
nervous system and violet tea helps to expel mucous from the nose,
chest and lungs, clear mouth and throat infections, open blocked
sinuses and alleviate whooping cough and postnasal drip. To make
violet tea, pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup flowers and leaves.
Allow the tea to stand for five minutes, then strain and sweeten with
honey if desired. A strong tea can also be used as a wash for
eczema and rashes.
 Violet flowers and leaves can be chewed to relieve a headache –
chew five flowers or leaves initially and another three an hour later.
Violets also have a gentle laxative effect, and bruised violet leaves
make a soothing poultice for skin infections and inflammation. In
Africa, violets are used as a cancer remedy, and crushed leaves are
used as a poultice for skin cancer and growths. This remedy has
also been used in Europe since the 12th century!

CAUTION: Do not confuse this violet with the African violet pot
plant, which is poisonous.

Violet, brandy and honey cough remedy

1 cup violet flowers

1½ cups brandy
1 cup honey

Submerge the violet flowers in the brandy in a double boiler. Add the
honey and simmer for 20 minutes, covered with a lid. Pour the liquid
into a sterilised bottle with a well-fitting lid. Take one or two
teaspoons with a cup of violet tea at least twice a day to ease
coughs and clear a postnasal drip.

Violet syrup
This delightfully calming and soothing syrup is an old-fashioned remedy for winter
coughs and colds. It is delicious in hot water to soothe a chill, and equally delicious
in iced water to cool you down on a hot afternoon. It is also good over ice-cream
and oat porridge.

4 cups violet flowers, cut off their stems

4 cups white sugar
1 cup runny honey
Juice of 4 lemons
1 tablespoon thin ginger slices
2 star anise
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
Simmer the ingredients together gently in a saucepan with a tight-
fitting lid for 15 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool, then strain and
pour the syrup carefully into a sterilised glass bottle. Cork well and
allow the syrup to stand for three or four days before using. Pour
about two tablespoons into a glass of water, stir well, float a violet
flower or two on top, and sip slowly. Feel the tension drain away!

CULINARY USES
Chocolate and violet cheese cake
SERVES 6–8
Unforgettable and unusual, this dessert or tea-time treat is a no-fail favourite.

250 g ricotta cheese

250 g smooth cream cheese
6 tablespoons castor sugar
2 eggs, beaten until creamy
½ cup violet flowers, cut off their stems
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ cup warm water
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Beat the two cheeses together well. Whisk the sugar into the beaten
eggs and fold into the cheese mixture with the violets. Dissolve the
cocoa and ground ginger in the warm water and add to the mixture
with the vanilla. Pour into an ovenproof glass dish and stand the dish
in a pan of water. Bake at 180°C for 30–40 minutes or until the
cheese cake is firm and lightly brown. Remove and cool. Serve
covered with whipped cream and fresh and crystallised violets.

Violet liqueur
MAKES 750 ML
As a young mother I had a thriving little business making this delicious and
unusual liqueur from rows of violets I grew in our farm garden. People came from
far and wide to buy it and violet jam each spring. It is delicious served over ice-
cream or cream cakes and it makes a wonderful gift for a special person.

750 ml good vodka

100 violet flowers, picked off their stalks
1 stick cinnamon
6 allspice berries (pimento)
250 g white sugar or 1½ cups honey
Small piece fresh ginger root

Mix the ingredients together and pour into a large, sterilised glass jar
with a well-fitting lid. Shake it well and leave in a dark cupboard for
two weeks, giving it a daily shake for a minute. Strain first through a
muslin cloth, then through a coffee filter. Pour into an attractive glass
decanter, add a few fresh violets, and serve just a little at a time in a
tiny liqueur glass with a splash of thin fresh cream.

Sugared violets
MAKES 50–60 VIOLETS
This much-loved old-fashioned recipe is enjoying a resurgence of popularity. Enjoy
them on their own as a delicacy or use to garnish cakes and desserts.

50–60 violets
2 egg whites
Castor sugar

Lightly whisk the egg whites. Holding each violet by its stalk, dip it
into the egg whites and then into a small bowl of castor sugar, lightly
sprinkling the violet with the sugar (use a small tea strainer) on every
side. Lay each flower on a sheet of greaseproof paper in a warm
room. Turn daily. When thoroughly dry, snip off the stem and pack
the fragile sugared violets into a tin with layers of greaseproof paper.
Waterblommetjie
Aponogeton distachyos • Cape pond weed

The waterblommetjie, or Cape pond weed, is part of a small

genus of monocotyledonous water plants and is one of South
Africa’s most famous edible plants. Its spectacular free-flowering,
forked inflorescences in late winter through to midsummer look
 like masses of white blossoms scattered over the surface of the
water, keeping bees and dragonflies busy. The entire plant is high
in vitamins and minerals and the early Cape settlers were taught
by the indigenous KhoiKhoi to use the plant both medicinally and
as a nutritious food. Thanks to enterprising Boland farmers, fresh
waterblommetjies are now available not only in other provinces,
but all over the world. Because they are so tough and adaptable,
they are hardy enough to grow in the warmer parts of Europe and
the British Isles, where they are fast becoming a popular pond
plant.

CULTIVATION
The tuberous rootstock settles easily into mud or a large compost-
filled tub. The slender, oval leaves are about 2 cm long and often
mottled with dark speckles, and the long flowering stalk with its
forked cluster of succulent scales and white petals emerges from
between the leaves.
Propagation is by division of the rootstock, as well as self-
seeding seeds. Slice off a piece that has an eye on it and press it
firmly into rich compost mixed with a little sand in a large plastic tub
about 40 cm deep. Soak it well and when it has stood for an hour or
two to settle, lower it slowly and gently into the pond, deep enough to
cover it with about 30 cm of water. It is surprisingly tolerant, but it
does need full sun and still water. It can remain there for 2–3 years,
after which it needs to be lifted, the old soil and compost replaced
and the waterblommetjie plants divided again. The plant easily seeds
itself, and threadlike, baby seedlings can be found in the ponds,
drifting, awaiting a suitable soft spot.

MEDICINAL USES
The KhoiKhoi used the high juice content of the stems to treat burns,
sunburn and rashes. Children growing up in the Cape near dams
filled with waterblommetjies used crushed stems and flowers and
squeezed the juice onto minor cuts, grazes, insect stings, mosquito
bites and itchy areas. Leaves and flowers were used as a poultice,
first warmed and washed in hot water and then held in place with a
crêpe bandage on sprains or strains, bruised or inflamed areas and
rheumatic joints.
In cases of pimples and acne, crush the flower petals, apply to
the area with a little stem juice, and leave to dry on the skin. Repeat
whenever necessary.

Soothing waterblommetjie gel for burns and sunburn

Waterblommetjie stems, leaves and flowers

Crush and mash the stems, leaves and flowers to a pulp and spread
this over the area to form a protective covering. Leave it on for as
long as possible and repeat frequently until the pain and redness
subside. The same method can be used for grazes, sores and
infected bites. Often a washed arum lily leaf was cut and bound over
the waterblommetjie pulp to hold it in place.

CULINARY USES
Traditional Cape waterblommetjie bredie
SERVES 6–8
A Cape farmer’s wife taught me this recipe when I was 22 years old, and I have
loved it ever since!

1 kg waterblommetjies
1–2 kg lamb loin chops, rib or leg trimmed of fat
¾ cup runny honey
3 large onions, chopped
2–4 tablespoons fat or cooking oil
2–3 cups water
1–2 cups fresh sorrel leaves or Cape sorrel (Oxalis pes-caprae)
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
4 large potatoes, peeled and diced
4 carrots, peeled and diced (optional)
1 cup chopped celery stalks (optional)
1 cup white wine

Soak the waterblommetjies in water to release any grit that may

have lodged between the petals and scales of the flower. Brush the
lamb with honey. Place the oil or fat in a heavy-based saucepan and
brown the onions and then the lamb, turning them often. Add all the
other ingredients except the wine, lower the heat, cover and simmer
gently until the meat is tender. Stir every now and then, taking care
not to break up the potatoes. Add more water if necessary, and add
the wine last. Serve piping hot on a bed of rice.

Waterblommetjie stir-fry
SERVES 4
Quick and easy, this is an ideal supper dish.

2 cups waterblommetjies, well washed

2 cups chopped onion
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups finely chopped lean bacon
2 cups thinly sliced brown mushrooms
2 cups grated potato
Juice of 1 lemon
½ cup parsley
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
1–3 teaspoons grated fresh ginger root
2 teaspoons fresh marjoram
Dash of balsamic vinegar

Soak the waterblommetjies to release any grit. Sauté the onions in

the oil until they become transparent, then add the bacon and
mushrooms. As they start to brown, add the potato, then the
waterblommetjies and lemon juice. Add the parsley, seasoning,
ginger, marjoram and lastly the balsamic vinegar. Serve piping hot
with crusty brown bread or brown rice and a salad.

Waterblommetjie soup
SERVES 6–8
This soup varies from area to area in the Cape and all sorts of vegetables can be
added.

2 large onions, finely chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups finely chopped celery
2 cups finely grated carrots
6 cups waterblommetjies, well washed
3 cups peeled and diced tomatoes
4 potatoes, peeled and finely grated
½ cup honey
1 litre chicken stock
Juice of 1 lemon
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
1 litre milk

Sauté the onion in the oil. Add the celery and carrots and stir-fry until
the onions are golden and the carrots and celery start to turn light
brown. Add all the ingredients except for the milk. Simmer until
tender, adding a little extra chicken stock if necessary. Stir every now
and then. Add the milk just before serving and serve piping hot with
crusty brown bread.

I once tasted a waterblommetjie dessert and found it simply

delicious. I was told several cupfuls of boiled
waterblommetjie were fried in a little butter, then laid in a
dish. Mashed bananas with fresh grated ginger and grated
guavas were mixed in, and it was topped with a dribble of
honey and whipped cream. It is a great party dish,
especially if sprinkled with grated dark chocolate and
chopped pecan nuts.
Water lily
Nymphaea alba

The exquisite water lily is an ancient healing plant and has often
been woven into legend and fairy tales. Although most herbals
 describe the white water lily, Nymphaea alba, the other colours
(red, pink, yellow and the exquisite blue Nymphaea caerulea from
Africa) are to a large extent also used medicinally and in cooking.
The scientific name Nymphaea is believed to have derived from
the virgins in Greek mythology, with whom the water lily was
associated. The plant was a symbol of purity, chastity and
coldness, and in ancient Greece it was believed to have anti-
aphrodisiac qualities. Modern research has actually proved the
opposite to be true!
In the Middle Ages the water lily symbolised the priesthood,
and young virgins had a water lily painted on their doors. The
lily’s manner of rising unblemished, pristine and beautiful from the
mud and slime of lakes, still mountain pools and dry water
courses after the first rains has symbolised regeneration since
the earliest times, as well as immortality, resurrection and life
after death.

CULTIVATION
Growing water lilies is very rewarding and can become an
engrossing hobby. The rhizome should be planted firmly in a 30–40-
cm plastic pot with a good mixture of compost and sand, covered
with pebbles. Once the rhizome has been watered and soaked well,
the pot can be lowered into a still-water pond in full sun. Divide the
clump every three years by cutting off the new little rhizomes neatly,
and replanting them in fresh soil and compost.

MEDICINAL USES
The white water lily was used medicinally by monks in Britain from
the 12th century, and in the 17th century the herbalist Culpeper
described it as being ‘good for agues’, and recorded that a ‘syrup of
flowers produces rest and settles the brain of frantic persons, the
juice from the crushed petals and leaves takes away sunburn and
freckles, from the face’. He also noted that the ‘oil from the flowers
cools hot tumours, eases pains and helps sores’. Interestingly, the
leaves and petals have been proved to do just that!
 Chemical compounds in the flower and rhizome have been found
to have tranquillising properties, and the stem, juice and leaves are
excellent for treating burns, sunburn, eczema and rashes and even
freckles, as noted by Culpeper.

Water lily cream for rashes, sunburn and freckles

4 water lily flowers

1 small water lily stem with 4 leaves, chopped finely
1½ cups aqueous cream
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon castor oil
3 teaspoons vitamin E oil

In a double boiler, simmer all the ingredients, except the vitamin E

oil, together for 30 minutes, stirring and pressing the water lily parts
to extract all the juices. Strain using a fine strainer. Add the vitamin E
oil and whisk in well. Pour into a sterilised jar with a well-fitting lid
and label clearly. Apply lightly and gently to sunburned areas and to
freckles and spots.
For freckles: Include Tissue Salt No. 5 Kali Sulph – 10 tablets
dissolved in a tablespoon of water and added to the cream – and
also suck two tablets three times a day to lighten freckles.

Water lily massage oil

For aches and pains in the back, shoulders, joints and feet. Exquisitely soothing,
this old-fashioned remedy is still made today and remains a fabulous aromatic
relaxing oil for pain and exhaustion.

4 water lilies
4 water lily leaves, finely chopped
1½ cups olive oil
½ teaspoon rose essential oil
2 teaspoons vitamin E oil
10 drops neroli essential oil
In a double boiler simmer the water lilies and leaves with the olive oil
for 30 minutes. Stir frequently, pressing the petals and leaves well to
release their moisture. Strain through a muslin cloth. Add the rose,
vitamin E and neroli oils. Mix well and pour into a dark bottle with a
screw-top lid and store in a dark cupboard. Before using the oil,
warm it by standing the bottle in hot water.

CULINARY USES
Water lily salad
SERVES 4
Multi-coloured water lily petals look festive in a salad and have a pleasant, crisp
texture.

1 pineapple, thinly sliced

1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
1 apple, peeled and finely grated
1 medium-sized raw beetroot, finely grated
1 green pepper, diced
Petals from 2 or 3 water lilies, pulled from their calyxes
Juice of 2 oranges
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons chopped pecan nuts
2 teaspoons crushed coriander seed
Sea salt and paprika to taste

Arrange the sliced pineapple and cucumber in a flat glass dish. Mix
the grated apple and beetroot together and pile in the centre.
Sprinkle with the diced green pepper. Arrange the water lily petals
around the beetroot and apple to create a flower-like circle. Mix the
orange juice with the honey and pour over the salad. Sprinkle with
the pecan nuts, coriander, salt and paprika. Serve chilled.

COOK’S NOTE
 In the 16th and 17th centuries the French used the
rootstock of both the white and yellow water lily for beer-
making. Today the rhizomes are still eaten for their starch
content in many parts of the world, and the flowers grace
many a salad in gourmet cuisine the world over.

Water lily and apple dessert

SERVES 4

6 apples peeled, cored and diced

1 cup water lily petals, pulled off their calyxes
¾ cup sugar
1½–2 cups water
½ cup sultanas
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon crushed cardamom seeds, removed from their pods
1 cup whipped cream
½ cup chopped pecan nuts

Quickly cook the apples and water lily petals with the sugar and
water, sultanas, cinnamon and crushed cardamom. Mash well or put
through a blender. Spoon into individual bowls, pile a mound of
cream on top and sprinkle with the chopped pecan nuts. Spike with
five or six fresh-water lily petals and dust with more cinnamon. Serve
either warm or chilled.

Watermelon balls with ricotta and water lily

SERVES 6
This is such a pretty starter for a Christmas dinner that your guests cannot fail to
be impressed! Choose three or four differentcoloured water lilies and strip the
petals off their calyxes.

Half a watermelon
250 g ricotta cheese
4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
1½ cups fresh multi-coloured water lily petals
1½ cups litchi juice
2 teaspoons ground ginger or 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

Scoop out neat balls from the watermelon half and arrange them in
individual glass dishes. Using a teaspoon, scoop out small amounts
of ricotta cheese and drop them over the watermelon balls. Sprinkle
with chopped mint. Tuck the water lily petals all around the edges,
drizzle with a little litchi juice and finally sprinkle with ginger. Serve
chilled.
Wild garlic
Tulbaghia violacea

Who would have thought that South Africa’s wild garlic, a

member of the Tulbaghia genus, would become so popular
overseas? Today it is planted out in some of the most fascinating
gardens in the world. It is known there as ‘society garlic’ and the
leaves, stems and flowers are used to flavour and decorate
dishes in expensive restaurants and hotels. It fetches high prices
 as a culinary herb in market places and as a plant in garden
centres in the USA, Britain and Australia.
Wild garlic has been around forever in South African gardens,
with the plants arranged close together in banks and borders to
discourage snakes, as they dislike the smell of it. In South Africa
it has been used for centuries as a food flavouring, and as a
medication that lowers fevers and has antiseptic and expectorant
properties. The leaves have also been used for centuries in the
treatment of throat cancer.
A larger species, known as T. simmleri, has a larger, taller
flowering head and is loved by landscapers. It is planted as a
road island feature and along embankments where it flowers
continuously, needing little attention.
Another rare favourite is the browny orange-flowered T.
alliacea, which was a respected fever herb in the Cape and a
long-recorded medication for fits, paralysis and joint aches. It was
also used as a purgative. Decades ago a Zulu farmworker
showed me how to make a delicious and traditional Zulu relish to
keep all sorts of health problems at bay (see recipe on facing
page).
In 2009, quite by chance, I came across a new cultivated
variety, T. simmleri ‘Alba’. It has pure white flowers, and its
upright compact appearance lends itself to path borders, parterre
plantings, and mandala designs with white stones.
The genus Tulbaghia is named after Ryk Tulbagh (1699–
1771), who was Governor of the Cape of Good Hope. In his
home town, Tulbagh, the plantings of tulbaghia were breathtaking
when I was a child, lining streets, walkways and garden paths.

CULTIVATION
Few plants are as undemanding and rewarding to grow as wild
garlic! Small clumps of juicy stems can be levered off the side of the
main clump, and should be planted in wellcomposted soil, 30 cm
apart in full sun.This species will survive in heat, drought and bitter
cold.
MEDICINAL USES
Wild garlic leaves, flowers and bulblets are all used fresh, either raw
in salads or made into a tea with lemon juice. Known as isihaqa in
Zulu, wild garlic is taken traditionally as a crushed pulp, or boiled in
water with salt and taken as a gruel or thin soup three times a day
for fever, colds, coughs, sore throats, asthma and tuberculosis. In
cases of asthma and tuberculosis, chopped leaves and bulblets can
also be eaten with every meal, and wild garlic tea can be taken
between meals to ease chest tightness and coughing.To make the
tea, pour a cup of boiling water over ¼ cup fresh chopped leaves,
stems and flowers. Let the tea stand for five minutes, strain, add a
squeeze of lemon juice and sip slowly. This tea is also given for fits,
with a little sipped every hour.
Poultices of crushed wild garlic leaves and flowering stems are
still used in country districts to treat rheumatism, paralysis and joint
aches, and some tribes use the fresh bulblets boiled in water as an
enema. Wild garlic is rich in antiseptic properties and it is thought to
have antifungal and antibacterial properties like real garlic.
Bathing with wild garlic extract is an age-old treatment for aching
rheumatism – simply soaking in a bath of wild garlic extract is said to
be good for all the above ailments! The garlic smell is not as pungent
as real garlic, I am told, and it quickly disappears.
Wild garlic leaves have long been used to treat cancer of the
oesophagus, which makes me wonder whether its sulphur-
containing substance, alliin, could be even more valuable than we
know.

NOTE: Another non-edible wild garlic is available in mauve and

rare white, known as ‘Winter Bride’. It is lily-scented, not garlic-
scented, and flowers in winter. These flowers are not edible!

Wild garlic bath infusion

Use this for rheumatic aches, stiff joints, aching back and muscle spasm.

Wild garlic flowers and leaves

Water to cover
Fill a big pot with wild garlic, cover with water, and simmer for 20
minutes. Allow the mixture to cool, strain and add to the bathwater.

CULINARY USES
Zulu wild garlic relish
SERVES 4–6

½ cup olive oil

2 cups chopped onions
2 cups chopped wild garlic bulblets, well cleaned
Crushed coarse sea salt
2 cups chopped fresh wild garlic leaves
1 cup wild garlic flowers
¾ cup mild chopped chillies
Juice of 1 lemon, or ½ cup vinegar
1 cup sultanas, soaked in warm water until plump
1 tablespoon crushed coriander seeds (optional)
2 teaspoons crushed cardamom pods (optional)
1 tablespoon finely grated ginger (optional)
2 tablespoons honey (optional)

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot and fry the onions, then
gradually add the chopped wild garlic bulblets. Stir-fry until lightly
browned, adding a little more oil if needed, and a light sprinkling of
crushed coarse sea salt. Add the garlic leaves and flowers (and
finely chopped stems of the flowers too if desired), and stir-fry. Once
the mixture starts to brown, add about ¾ cup mild chopped chillies
(for those who like it hot, a few finely chopped hot chillies can also
go in). Add the lemon juice or vinegar, stir-frying all the time. This
was how the Zulu recipe ended.
Add the soaked sultanas and stir-fry. Check for taste, add a little
water if needed, and add the coriander, cardamom, ginger and
honey. Mix everything together and serve with fish or sausages or
spread on croissants with cheese.
 COOK’S NOTE
‘Zulu relish’ has become so popular over the years that
visiting chefs and hotel schools have started to grow rows
of wild garlic for its taste and rarity.

Wild garlic salad

SERVES 4–6
This salad can become a masterpiece! Add whatever is in season and be
adventurous.

1 butter lettuce, broken up into separate leaves

1½ cups chopped celery stalks and leaves
1 cup chopped green pepper
1 cup chopped wild garlic bulblets and leaves
1–2 cups cubed peeled cucumber pieces
2 cups cubed avocado, with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice over it
2 cups cubed pineapple pieces
½ cup chopped parsley
2 cups fresh rocket leaves
½ cup wild garlic flowers

Dressing
½ cup olive oil
½ cup honey
½ cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon mustard powder

Build up the salad layer by layer so as not to crush anything. Mix the
dressing ingredients in a glass jar. As you go, add a squeeze of fresh
lemon juice and a drizzle of the dressing between each layer.
Decorate with wild garlic flowers. Serve with cold chicken and crusty
home-baked bread.
Winter savory
Satureja montana

Winter savory is an exceptionally pretty herb, forming a bright

green, perennial groundcover about 14 cm in height, with a
charming cushion-like spread. It makes an ideal path edging,
container plant and focal point for hanging baskets. In spring and
 early summer it is covered with sprays of tiny white flowers that
set bees humming and send butterflies into a frenzy of delight.
The warm sun releases the plant’s strong oils; should you step on
it, you will be instantly refreshed by the scent of the pungent oils
containing precious components like thymol and linalool.

CULTIVATION
Plant rooted cuttings 50 cm apart in full sun in wellcomposted, well-
dug soil. Winter savory is a most successful companion plant to
tomatoes and keeps aphids and whitefly at bay.

MEDICINAL USES
Native to southern Europe and North Africa, winter savory has been
used since ancient times to aid and stimulate digestion and to ease
colic, flatulence and a feeling of fullness. Herbals from the Middle
Ages through to the 18th century show that the monks used it with
honey to make a strong syrup for digestive problems as well as for
coughs, colds and chest ailments, and kept it at hand as a powerful
remedy for these ailments. Modern science has proved those
medieval herbalists to be correct and in recent years doctors at
Montpellier Hospital in France ran a series of tests using winter
savory and lucerne (alfalfa) as a treatment for coughs, bronchitis,
pneumonia, chest infections, asthmatic wheezing and persistent sore
throats, and found winter savory to be a superb antiseptic for
clearing infection, as well as a powerful antibacterial agent.
Modern research has also found that the essential oil extracted
from winter savory is beneficial in treating Candida overgrowth, the
fungus that causes thrush, as well as other fungal infections. A
standard tea of winter savory drunk twice daily (not during
pregnancy) also greatly relieves the condition. To make the tea, pour
a cup of boiling water over half a cup of fresh flowering tops. Leave
the tea to stand for five minutes, then strain, sweeten with honey,
and sip slowly.
Interestingly, the classical Greek physicians Galen and
Dioscorides used winter savory with thyme and classified them as
heating and drying medicines, prescribing them for clearing mucous
from the chest and sinuses. They also considered winter savory to
have aphrodisiac qualities, following on from the ancient Egyptians
who used winter savory in love potions.

Winter savory tea for respiratory ailments

This powerful tea will help to loosen a cough and clear the nose and chest
naturally.

½ cup winter savory fresh flowering tops

¼ cup fresh lucerne leaves and flowers
Honey
Lemon juice

Pour a cup of boiling water over the winter savory and lucerne. Allow
the tea to infuse for five minutes, then sweeten with honey to taste,
and add a squeeze of lemon juice. Take a cup three times a day
during a cold or bronchitis.

CULINARY USES
Butter beans and winter savory
SERVES 6
This is the best bean dish I make – it is tasty, rich in protein and fibre, and keeps
well in the fridge. The winter savoury greatly reduces indigestion and flatulence
from the beans.

400 g large white butter beans

2 sprigs winter savory
2 cups chopped onions
½ cup good olive oil
2 cups chopped celery
1 cup honey
½ cup winter savory flowering sprigs, stripped off their stalks
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Juice of 2 lemons
½ cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup tomato paste
Parsley

Soak the beans and winter savory in warm water overnight. The next
morning discard the water and rinse the beans. Bring to the boil (use
enough cold water to cover them) and tuck in two or three winter
savory sprigs. When the beans are tender, drain, discard the sprigs
and return the beans to the pot to keep warm. In a large pan, fry the
onions in the olive oil until golden brown, add the celery and then
stir-fry all the remaining ingredients, including the beans. Add a little
water to prevent burning, stir frequently, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Serve piping hot sprinkled with parsley and a few winter savory
flowers pulled from their calyxes. This is a sustaining meal when
served with brown bread and a green salad.

Winter savory and cabbage mealie soup

SERVES 6–8
Use fresh mealies in season and ‘samp’ in winter to make this hearty, warming and
delicious soup.

½ cup olive oil

4 finely chopped onions
2 cups chopped brown mushrooms
2 cups finely chopped celery
4 cups green outer cabbage leaves, finely shredded
2 tablespoons winter savory flowering sprigs
2 cups ‘samp’ or ‘stampmielies’, soaked for at least 3 hours in warm
water or 4 cups green mealies cooked and cut off their cobs
Juice of 2 lemons
2 teaspoons crushed coriander seed
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 litres good strong chicken stock
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Pour the oil into a large heavy pot and fry the onions until golden
brown. Add the mushrooms and fry until golden, then add the celery
and finally the cabbage and winter savory sprigs. Stir-fry well. Add all
the other ingredients and simmer gently for about 40 minutes. Serve
the soup in individual bowls and sprinkle a little chopped parsley and
lots of little winter savory flowers pulled from their calyxes over the
top. Serve with brown bread rolls.

Winter savory sauce for pasta

SERVES 4–6
This simple cheese sauce is easy to make and can be served on top of toast,
pasta, cauliflower and cabbage.

1 litre milk
3 tablespoons flour, whisked into 2 eggs
Sea salt, black pepper and paprika to taste
3 teaspoons mustard powder
1 tablespoon winter savory flowers and a few tiny leaves
2 cups finely grated cheddar cheese
1 cup ricotta or smooth cream cheese

Simmer the milk in a heavy saucepan, then add the flour and egg
mixture, whisking all the time. Add the sea salt, black pepper,
paprika and mustard powder and the winter savory. As the sauce
starts to thicken, turn down the heat and briskly stir in the cheddar
cheese and the ricotta or cream cheese. If it gets too thick, add a
little milk and stir to a smooth paste-like consistency. Pour
immediately over the hot pasta and dust with more paprika or serve
over hot buttered toast.
Wisteria
Wisteria sinensis

CULTIVATION
Wisteria is a vigorous deciduous climber, and the sprawling, twisting
vine may be trained into a standard, espaliered across a wall, or
allowed to sprawl with glorious abandon over trellises, pergolas and
down banks. It does need some restraining, however, as it becomes
large and powerful as it ages, but its ability to adapt to temperature
extremes and its vigorous speed of growth has made it a favourite
the world over.
To grow wisteria it is important to obtain a grafted specimen from
a nursery, as roots and cuttings could result in pale or small flowers.
The plant requires a large, deep, richly composted hole and a
position in full sun. Train the tendrils onto supports or twist them
around sticks that can be removed once the stems are thick and
mature. The buds form in midwinter on the attractive bare, grey
branches. Give the vine a good bucket or two of rich compost and a
deep weekly watering, which will ensure a mass of blooms. The
flowers are followed by compound leaves, which provide deep,
dense shade all through the summer.

This elegant vine with its beautiful pendulous, fragrant flowers in

spring has been a popular garden subject in western countries for
a few hundred years. It originated in China, but in 1818 it was
named after an American physician and philosopher, Casper
Wistar, professor of anatomy at the University of Pennsylvania. It
had been cultivated in Britain and then in Switzerland for about
100 years before that. In America it was commonly known as the
‘Carolina kidney bean’. Wisteria floribunda is a smaller, less
showy wisteria from Japan, which is also edible, but it is W.
sinensis that is commonly found in gardens today.
To the Japanese and Chinese, wisteria is a symbol of
friendship and unity within the family, and most Japanese homes
have at least one plant in the garden, even in tiny gardens. In the
past, Japanese emperors and their retinues took flowering
wisteria bonsais on their travels to give to their hosts as a sign of
goodwill and friendship.

MEDICINAL USES
Wisteria flowers contain a sweet, heady nectar, and bees make an
extraordinary honey from wisteria that was used in Europe in the
16th and 17th centuries to alleviate coughs and dry, sore throats.
The honey mixed with crushed wisteria blossoms in spring was
considered to be an energising, resistance-building tonic. The spring
flowers were also used medicinally in a poultice to relieve bruises
and throbbing varicose veins, and bottles of fresh flowers and buds
were topped up with wine vinegar, corked and stored in a dark place
for use when fresh flowers were not available. Cloths soaked in this
mixture were applied to ease several conditions, including pimples
and infected spots.

Wisteria and apple cider vinegar for acne, pimples

and infected skin spots
1 bottle apple cider vinegar
12 wisteria flowering sprays

Almost fill a glass bottle with apple cider vinegar. Push six flowering
sprays into the bottle and top up with vinegar until the bottle is full.
Cork the bottle firmly and place in the sun, turning and shaking it
daily. After 10 days, strain, discarding the flowers. Return the vinegar
to the bottle and press in the remaining flowers. Leave it in the sun
for 10 days, turning and shaking it daily. Finally, strain and return the
vinegar to the bottle, and label. Use the vinegar as a rinse after
washing the face – simply add a dash to the rinsing water. It can also
be dabbed directly onto spots using a cotton wool pad.

CULINARY USES
Wisteria fritters
SERVES 4–6
These fritters have an oriental touch and are particularly beautiful served under a
bower of wisteria for a spring luncheon.

8 flowering wisteria sprays

Batter
2 eggs
¾ cup sugar
1½ cups flour
2–3 cups water
Few drops vanilla essence
1 cup sunflower oil

Whisk the eggs and sugar together. Add the flour and water
alternately, and the vanilla essence. Beat to a thin batter, adding
more water if necessary. Heat the oil in a large pan. Hold the
flowering sprays by their stalks and dip them one by one gently into
the batter. Lower them into the hot oil, being careful not to splash,
and fry for about two minutes or until golden. Drain on crumpled
kitchen paper towel, snip off the stems and serve warm with whipped
cream and a dusting of icing sugar.

Wisteria and watercress spring salad

SERVES 4
Fresh salads are very appealing in spring, and this one especially so. The tonic
effects of the fresh watercress make this an excellent health salad too.

4 cups watercress sprigs

2 cups thinly sliced cucumber
2 large, sweet oranges
2 cups nasturtium flowers and a few leaves
1 cup diced feta cheese
½ cup chopped parsley
½ cup chopped celery leaves
1 cup wisteria flowers, pulled off their stems

Dressing
½ cup balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon mustard powder
Arrange the watercress and cucumber in a salad bowl. Peel each
orange segment and place on top of the watercress and cucumber,
along with the nasturtiums, feta, parsley and celery. Sprinkle with
wisteria flowers. Put the dressing ingredients into a jar, seal and
shake. Pour the dressing over the salad just before serving.

Wisteria country borscht

SERVES 6
This rich red, refreshing beetroot soup is perfect for a warm spring luncheon and
the sweetness of the wisteria makes it special. You can serve it hot without the
yoghurt and with a spoon of sour cream instead, but borscht is traditionally served
chilled.

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 large leek, thinly sliced
A little olive oil
1 large carrot, finely grated
2 sticks celery, finely chopped
6 medium-sized raw beetroot, peeled and grated
2 litres good stock
Sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper
Juice of 2 lemons
½ cup good red wine
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup wisteria flowers, stems removed
250 ml plain Bulgarian yoghurt
½ cup finely chopped parsley

Sauté the onion and leek in the oil. Add the carrot and celery and
stir-fry until they start to brown lightly. Add all the other ingredients
except the wisteria flowers, yoghurt and parsley. Simmer for about
40 minutes with the lid on until all the vegetables are tender. At this
point you can strain and discard the vegetables and serve a clear
soup, or put it through a liquidiser. Chill the soup if desired and serve
with a spoonful or two of yoghurt in each bowl, a grinding of black
pepper and a sprinkling of parsley and wisteria flowers.
Yarrow
Achillea millefolium

Often known as ‘soldier’s wound wort’, yarrow is a remarkable

ancient herb commonly found in waste areas. It originated in
Europe, and as its common name implies, it has traditionally
 been used to staunch bleeding. The ancient Greeks used it to
heal wounds, and during the Trojan War Achilles is said to have
healed the wounds of his warriors by applying crushed yarrow
leaves, hence the genus name Achillea. The crusaders took two
herbs with them on their crusades: borage to give them courage
and yarrow to heal wounds.
Yarrow has always been associated with magic. Yarrow stalks
stripped of their leaves and small branches have been used since
the time of the druids in the centuries before Christ to foretell the
future and divine the weather.

CULTIVATION
Growing yarrow is easy and it is often grown in the garden for its
showy sprays of tiny pink and white flowers, which are long-lasting in
the vase. Clumps should be planted 50 cm apart in a sunny spot and
will thrive in any type of soil. With compost and a twice-weekly
watering, the flowering heads will reach 50 cm in height from the
perennial clump of fine feathery leaves. Yarrow is an excellent plant
doctor, and planted next to rare or ailing plants, it will give them a
health boost and keep aphids away. Just a handful of leaves will
speed the decomposition of a barrow-load of undecayed compost.

MEDICINAL USES
Many hybrids of yarrow are grown for their showiness in the garden,
but these are neither edible nor do they have medicinal properties.
Only Achillea millefolium is edible, but it should not be taken for long
periods as the build-up can cause skin irritation and headaches. It
should not be taken by pregnant women.
Through the centuries yarrow has been used in cosmetics as it is
an exceptional astringent. Yarrow and chamomile are the only two
herbs that contain the rare and exquisite azulene, an organic
compound that is used for its blue colour and healing properties.
Yarrow has a tonic action; it brings down fever, promotes sweating,
relaxes the peripheral blood vessels, and eases premenstrual
tension and bloated painful menstruation, restoring it to normal. It is
a good antiinflammatory, antispasmodic and anti-allergenic.
 In 1597 the herbalist John Gerard noted that chewing the fresh
green leaves was a good remedy for toothache, and modern medical
science continues to prove these ancient remedies substantially
correct and effective. A crushed leaf will stop a nose bleed (place the
leaf in the affected nostril), and a poultice of leaves will stop a cut or
wound from bleeding.

Yarrow flower and borage healing cream

Apply this cream to burns, scratches, grazes, bruises and stiff, sore muscles.

1 cup yarrow flowers and buds

1 cup borage flowers and buds
½ cup calendula petals
2 cups aqueous cream
1 tablespoon of almond oil
2 teaspoons vitamin E oil

In a double boiler, simmer the flower parts, aqueous cream and

almond oil for 30 minutes, pressing and mixing everything
thoroughly. Strain, add the vitamin E oil and mix well. Spoon into
sterilised glass jars with well-fitting lids and label. Use lavishly.

CULINARY USES
Yarrow kedgeree
SERVES 4–6
Tasty and unusual, this dish will become a family favourite.

2 cups cooked brown rice

675 g hake fillets
Sea salt and black pepper
A few lemon slices
1 bay leaf
2 onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons butter
3–4 teaspoons young yarrow flowers and buds, stripped off their
stems
2 teaspoons mild curry powder
2 teaspoons turmeric
1½ cups good strong vegetable stock
½ cup sultanas soaked in hot water for 2 hours
Juice of 1 lemon
½ cup chopped almonds
Finely chopped parsley

Boil the brown rice for about 40 minutes until cooked. Poach the fish
in water with salt and pepper, the lemon slices and bay leaf for about
10–15 minutes or until cooked. Drain well and flake the fish. Fry the
onions in the butter until they start to brown, add the yarrow flowers,
and stir-fry. Add the curry powder, then the turmeric, cooked rice,
stock, sultanas and lemon juice. Add the flaked fish and fork lightly
until it is well mixed. Taste for seasoning. Turn into a serving dish
and sprinkle with the chopped almonds and finely chopped parsley.
Serve hot.

COOK’S NOTE
Yarrow has long been used by the Chinese and Europeans
for culinary purposes. Very young yarrow flowers, buds
and leaves have a pungent taste that is particularly good
with curries and stir-fries.

Yarrow stir-fry
SERVES 4
This is a quick-and-easy supper dish.

Olive oil
2½ cups very thinly sliced lean beef
2 onions, peeled and chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and coarsely grated
½ cup young yarrow flowers and buds, stripped off their stems
1 green pepper, chopped
2 large tomatoes, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons honey
Sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon good curry powder

Heat the olive oil in a large wok or pan and lightly brown the thin
strips of meat. Add the onions and stir-fry until golden. Add the
potatoes and stir-fry until cooked and browned. Toss in the flowers
and stir-fry for a few seconds before adding the remaining
ingredients. Serve piping hot with a salad.

Yarrow and pumpkin bredie

SERVES 6
This old-fashioned, hearty pumpkin stew needs a long cooking time for the
flavours to combine.

1 kg lean stewing lamb

2–3 tablespoons sunflower oil
2 large onions, sliced
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2–3 tablespoons young yarrow flowers and buds stripped off their
stems
3 cups good vegetable stock or water
500 g potatoes, peeled and sliced
1½ kg pumpkin, peeled and diced
2 teaspoons nutmeg
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lemon

Brown the lamb in a little oil in a heavy-based cast iron pot. Add the
onions and sauté until golden. Add the curry, ginger and yarrow
flowers and stir-fry until golden. Add all the remaining ingredients
and cover the pot. Simmer gently for about 1½ hours or until very
tender and full of flavour. Add more stock or water if necessary
during the cooking time, and give the bredie a good stir every now
and then to prevent sticking and burning. Serve with rice or
couscous.
Yucca
Yucca gloriosa

The strange yet appealing yucca is native to the USA, Mexico

and the West Indies and is part of the Agavaceae family, many
species of which have tough, sword-like leaves. The leaves of the
yucca are spiky, stiff and often razor-sharp, rising from the ground
 or from short woody trunks. In midsummer, huge panicles of
exquisite lily-like, white flowers appear, in complete contrast to
the leaves, often up to a metre long. These are so long-lasting
and spectacular in appearance, rich and creamy in texture, and
heady in fragrance, that yuccas have long been cultivated in
gardens and parks around the world as a feature plant.
The yuccas have a remarkable method of pollination. About
an hour after dark on a summer evening, they emit a beautiful
fragrance that attracts the yucca moth. As the moth darts from
flower to flower seeking the fragrance, it burrows against the
crown of elongated stamens in the heart of the flower and so
pollinates the flowers, which then produce juicy round seeds.

CULTIVATION
Yuccas make bold garden sculptures and are perfect for
landscaping, not only because of their unusual appearance, but
because they are so resilient to extremes of weather, including long
periods of drought. Several yucca species are used in landscaping.
Some are smaller in size, but all are edible. Yucca filamentosa, or
Adam’s needle, is virtually stemless, with long, curly threads along
the edges of the spiky leaves.The species most often planted is Y.
gloriosa, or Spanish dagger.
Plant yuccas in full sun, with two or three bucketfuls of
compost.They adapt quickly to any conditions and withstand even
poor soil, but with compost and a deep weekly watering they will
produce several towering flowering heads during summer.

MEDICINAL USES
The seeds, trunk and roots of the yucca contain saponins, and have
been used by American Indians for centuries to make a wound wash
and lotion for rashes, scrapes and burns.The roots and fruits were
also used for washing hair, treating scalp problems such as hair loss,
and soothing insect bites and itchy, raw, sore skin. Crushed and
pounded flower petals have been used to heal sore fingers and
cracked skin in harsh, dry climates, and the petals provide relief
when packed around cracked heels and over grazes and bruises.
Stems and roots boiled in water make a good soapy brew, which
was used to wash clothes.

Soothing yucca wound wash

Use this for rashes, scrapes and burns, as well as acne, problem skin and
sunburn.

2 cups yucca flowers or mature seeds

3 litres water

Gently boil the flowers or seeds in the water for 20 minutes, with the
lid on. Allow the mixture to cool. Strain out the flowers or seeds and
wash or dab the lotion over affected areas. The liquid can also be
poured into a spritz spray bottle and sprayed frequently on the
affected area.

CULINARY USES
Yucca flower soup
SERVES 4
Serve as a soup dusted with paprika, or pour over a bowl of rice and eat as a main
course like the Mexicans do, with garlic and chillies added.

1 cup split peas

½ cup olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
3 cups yucca petals
1 cup chopped green pepper
4–6 large tomatoes, skinned and chopped
3 tablespoons brown sugar
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lemon
Paprika to taste
2 litres good stock

Soak the split peas in boiling water for an hour. Pour the olive oil into
a heavy-bottomed pot and fry the onions until golden. Add the yucca
petals and green pepper and stir-fry until they start to brown. Add all
the remaining ingredients, including the split peas, and simmer
gently for about five minutes.

Stuffed yucca flowers

SERVES 6
Fish or chicken can be used instead of the mince in this exotic and decorative
party dish.

4 cups cooked rice

2 cups chopped onions
½ cup olive oil
500 g lean topside mince
1 cup grated carrots
2 cups skinned, chopped tomatoes
2 teaspoons spicy curry powder
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon red hot chilli (optional)
1 teaspoon chopped garlic (optional)
24 fully open yucca flowers
1 tablespoon brown sugar
½ cup good fruit chutney

Cook the rice. Sauté the onions in the olive oil until golden. Add the
minced meat and fry until brown. Add the carrots, one cup of
tomatoes, curry powder, salt, pepper and lemon juice, and the chilli
and garlic if desired. Add a little water and cook until full of flavour
and well done. Drain the meat mixture over a pot and catch all the
juices. Spoon the meat into the yucca flowers and place them on a
bed of cooked rice in a serving dish. Add the extra cup of tomatoes
to the meat juices in the pan, add the brown sugar and chutney, and
cook for about five minutes, stirring constantly. Adjust the seasoning
and pour the piping hot sauce over the stuffed flowers. Serve hot
with a salad.
 COOK’S NOTE
The yucca is extremely easy to grow and offers such
beauty and abundance in its flowering spike that we should
learn from the West Indians and cook it as they do. It is
superb chopped into stir-fries, casseroles, soups and
pickles.

Yucca and apple crumble

SERVES 6

4–6 apples, peeled, cored and sliced

½ cup sultanas
2 cups yucca petals, broken off the centre
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup water
½ cup butter
1 cup oats
½ cup sesame seeds
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup honey

Boil the apple slices, sultanas and yucca petals with the sugar and
water for about 10 minutes or until tender. In a pan, melt the butter
and stir-fry the oats and sesame seeds with the cinnamon and
honey, turning constantly until they start to turn golden. Spoon the
apples and yucca petals into an ovenproof glass dish and spread the
crumbly oat mixture over the top. Sprinkle with a little cinnamon and
keep the dish hot until you are ready to serve. Serve with a generous
helping of whipped cream, and top with a fresh yucca flower.

COOK’S NOTE
Steep dried yucca flowers in sunflower oil, enough to cover
the flowers, in a glass jar. Use it as an ingredient in stir-
fries or served on home-baked bread the way the Mexicans
did centuries ago – they claimed it gave strength and
fleetness of foot!
 Therapeutic quick reference
The following is a list of ailments and the most effective healing flowers
for each condition. Refer to the individual flower entry for information on
the method of application and possible side-effects.
Always consult your medical practitioner before treating yourself
or your family with home remedies.

A
abscess burdock, crab apple blossom, echinacea, hollyhock, pumpkin
flowers
aching joints ajuga, anise, bergamot, chicory, coriander, cornflower,
dandelion, day lily, fruit sage, sacred basil, St John’s wort, turmeric,
wild garlic
acidity anise, caraway, chamomile, fennel, hollyhock, mint, orange
blossom
acne burdock, calendula, Cape sorrel, coriander, crab apple blossom,
daisy, dandelion, echinacea, fennel, myrtle, roselle, rosemary,
tuberose, waterblommetjie
aids echinacea, St John’s wort
allergic rhinitis echinacea, elder flowers, hollyhock, mullein, sage
anaemia dandelion, Judas tree, lucerne
analgesic anise, Californian poppy, day lily, rosemary, St John’s wort,
turmeric, water lily
angina bulrush, chamomile, hawthorn
anorexia angelica, Korean mint, lucerne, turmeric
anti-allergenic chamomile, echinacea, yarrow
antibacterial calendula, lavender, mint, roselle, rosemary, sage,
strawberry, thyme, turmeric, wild garlic, winter savory
antibiotic burdock, chives, echinacea, myrtle, nasturtium, sage, St
John’s wort
anti-cancer burdock, clover, lucerne, strawberry, violet, water lily
anticoagulant evening primrose, mullein
antifungal burdock, calendula, echinacea, Judas tree, sage, thyme,
winter savory
anti-inflammatory calendula, chamomile, echinacea, fennel,
goldenrod, hyssop, mint, rosemary, rose-scented pelargonium,
turmeric, yarrow
anti-oxidant burdock, calendula, chamomile, goldenrod, hawthorn,
mint, mullein, mustard, myrtle, nasturtium, rosemary, rose-scented
pelargonium, thyme, winter savory
antispasmodic anise, Californian poppy, caraway, chamomile,
coriander, evening primrose, fennel, hawthorn, honeysuckle, hyssop,
mint, mustard, orange blossom, roselle, rosemary, St John’s wort,
yarrow
antiviral calendula, echinacea, hyssop, Korean mint, sage, St John’s
wort, strawberry
anxiety anise, borage, calendula, Californian poppy, carnation, catmint,
chamomile, coriander, evening primrose, gardenia, granadilla,
jasmine, lucerne, orange blossom, rose, sage, snapdragon, St John’s
wort, tuberose
aphrodisiac water lily, winter savory
appetite stimulant caraway, chives
arteriosclerosis buckwheat, hawthorn
arthritis ajuga, buckwheat, burdock, clover, elder flowers, goldenrod,
mustard, rose-scented pelargonium, turmeric
asthma anise, chamomile, echinacea, evening primrose, gardenia,
honeysuckle, hyssop, sage, wild garlic, winter savory
astringent calendula, myrtle, orange blossom, prickly pear, red
hibiscus, roselle, rosemary, sage, St John’s wort, strawberry, yarrow
athlete’s foot sage, thyme

B
backache lucerne, St John’s wort, thyme, wild garlic
bad breath almond blossom, anise, caraway, coriander, fennel, mint,
plum blossom, rosemary
bedwetting Californian poppy, catmint, rose-scented pelargonium
bladder ailments carnation, carpet geranium, chives, cornflower,
echinacea, fig, Judas tree, nasturtium
bladder tonic dandelion, garland chrysanthemum, pumpkin flowers,
strawberry
bleeding calendula, daisy, gardenia, yarrow
blisters banana flower, fruit sage, fuchsia, gladiolus
bloating anise, artichoke, bergamot, caraway, carpet geranium,
chamomile, coriander, fennel, garland chrysanthemum, hawthorn,
Korean mint, mint, pea, yarrow
blocked nose calamint, mint, orange blossom, pineapple sage, roselle,
sacred basil, sage, winter savory
blood pressure evening primrose, hawthorn, moringa
blood pressure, high ajuga, broccoli, chives, gardenia, hawthorn,
pansy and viola, rosemary, stevia
blood pressure, low rosemary
blood sugar levels, regulate artichoke, burdock, rosemary
blood tonic borage, chives, dandelion, evening primrose, garland
chrysanthemum, Judas tree, moringa, nasturtium, orange blossom,
peach blossom, roselle
boils burdock, Cape sorrel, coriander, crab apple blossom, dandelion,
echinacea, hollyhock, linseed, pumpkin flowers
bronchitis ajuga, angelica, anise, bergamot, borage, cauliflower,
clover, echinacea, elder flowers, mullein, mustard, nasturtium, sacred
basil, sage, thyme, violet, winter savory
bruises ajuga, buckwheat, calamint, daisy, day lily, delicious monster,
evening primrose, fruit sage, gardenia, hollyhock, myrtle, peach
blossom, rocket, safflower, waterblommetjie, wisteria
bunions dahlia
burns banana flower, Cape sorrel, feijoa, plumbago, prickly pear, St
John’s wort, tulip, water lily, waterblommetjie, yucca

C
callouses banana flower, fuchsia
calming borage, Californian poppy, chamomile, coriander, fruit sage,
jasmine, Korean mint, lavender, rose-scented pelargonium, sage,
tuberose, violet
catarrh angelica, chamomile, elder flowers, goldenrod, hollyhock,
hyssop, mullein, orange blossom
chest pains anise, chamomile
chicken pox St John’s wort, chamomile
chilblains buckwheat, calendula, echinacea, hawthorn, linseed
chills anise, Korean mint, linseed
cholesterol artichoke, buckwheat, chives, evening primrose, linseed,
milk thistle, safflower, stevia, sunflower
chronic fatigue angelica, buckwheat, mint, rosemary
circulation, aid to burdock, elder flowers, hawthorn, hyssop, Korean
mint, lucerne, rose, rosemary, sacred basil, safflower
circulatory ailments ajuga, angelica, buckwheat, bulrush, calendula,
hawthorn, linseed, fennel, mustard, orange blossom, rose, turmeric
cold sores echinacea, elder flowers, St John’s wort
colds ajuga, anise, bergamot, borage, broccoli, calamint, catmint,
cauliflower, chives, crab apple blossom, daisy, echinacea, elder
flowers, evening primrose, gladiolus, hollyhock, hyssop, lucerne,
mullein, mustard, nasturtium, pansy and viola, pineapple sage,
roselle, sacred basil, sage, St John’s wort, thyme, turmeric, violet,
wild garlic, winter savory
colic angelica, anise, bergamot, calamint, caraway, carpet geranium,
catmint, chamomile, coriander, fennel, fruit sage, hollyhock, marigold,
mint, prickly pear, sacred basil, sage, winter savory
colitis calendula, honeysuckle, prickly pear
conjunctivitis clover, linseed, rose
constipation broccoli, carnation, chicory, dandelion, fig, hyssop,
linseed, mustard, orange blossom, plum blossom, turmeric, violet
corns banana flower, dahlia, dandelion, fuchsia
coughs ajuga, angelica, anise, bergamot, borage, calamint, caraway,
catmint, cauliflower, chives, clover, cornflower, crab apple blossom,
daisy, echinacea, elder flowers, evening primrose, gladiolus,
hollyhock, honeysuckle, linseed, mullein, nasturtium, pansy and
viola, pineapple sage, rose, roselle, sacred basil, sage, St John’s
wort, thyme, violet, wild garlic, winter savory, wisteria
cracked heels elder flowers, lavender, rose-scented pelargonium,
yucca
Crohn’s disease chamomile, mint
cuts and grazes banana flower, bulrush, calendula, Cape sorrel,
dahlia, daisy, fuchsia, gardenia, gladiolus, linseed, peach blossom,
prickly pear, pumpkin flowers, safflower, St John’s wort, tulip,
waterblommetjie, yucca
cystitis angelica, carpet geranium, chicory, gardenia, garland
chrysanthemum, goldenrod, hollyhock, red hibiscus, strawberry

D
dandruff carpet geranium, sage
deodorant artichoke, fruit sage, garland chrysanthemum, lavender,
rosemary, rose-scented pelargonium
depression buckwheat, jasmine, lavender, milk thistle, orange
blossom, rose, rosemary, rose-scented pelargonium, St John’s wort
detoxifying artichoke, burdock, calamint, calendula, chicory,
dandelion, echinacea, fennel, fruit sage, garland chrysanthemum,
Korean mint, lucerne, peach blossom, thyme
diabetes artichoke, strawberry
diarrhoea bulrush, carpet geranium, catmint, crab apple blossom,
daisy, feijoa, gladiolus, goldenrod, hawthorn, hollyhock, moringa,
prickly pear, sage, strawberry
digestive aid angelica, anise, artichoke, bergamot, caraway, chives,
fennel, fruit sage, marigold, mint, mustard, pea, red hibiscus, roselle,
rosemary, sage, thyme, tuberose, winter savory
digestive ailments anise, bergamot, calamint, chamomile, calendula,
coriander, cornflower, evening primrose, fennel, fig, gladiolus,
goldenrod, hollyhock, hyssop, Korean mint, linseed, mint, pea, prickly
pear, sage, strawberry, tuberose, winter savory
disinfectant day lily, sage, thyme
diuretic anise, burdock, caraway, dandelion, fennel, garland
chrysanthemum, goldenrod, hawthorn, Judas tree, marigold,
moringa, mustard, roselle, rose-scented pelargonium, sacred basil,
sunflower, turmeric
diverticulitis hollyhock, mint
dizziness lavender, mint, rosemary
dry skin almond blossom, bergamot, bulrush, calendula, carnation,
carpet geranium, dahlia, delicious monster, elder flowers, fruit sage,
honeysuckle, lavender, mint, sage, tulip, yucca
dysentery crab apple blossom, feijoa, gladiolus, mint, moringa

E
earache echinacea, elder flowers, mullein
eczema borage, burdock, calendula, carnation, chamomile, clover,
elder flowers, evening primrose, honeysuckle, mullein, pansy and
viola, peach blossom, thyme, violet, water lily
energising almond blossom, lucerne, rosemary, St John’s wort, thyme
expectorant angelica, anise, calamint, caraway, fennel, honeysuckle,
hyssop, mullein, sunflower, thyme
eye ailments calendula, chamomile, clover, cornflower, daisy

F
fainting lavender, rosemary, yarrow
fear borage, evening primrose, gardenia, granadilla, Korean mint,
lavender, orange blossom, tuberose
fever angelica, bergamot, borage, calendula, dandelion, elder flowers,
gardenia, hawthorn, Korean mint, moringa, mullein, red hibiscus,
sacred basil, safflower, wild garlic, yarrow
fever blisters echinacea, elder flowers, stevia
flatulence anise, artichoke, bergamot, caraway, carpet geranium,
catmint, coriander, fennel, fruit sage, marigold, mint, prickly pear,
rosemary, winter savory
flu ajuga, angelica, borage, broccoli, calamint, catmint, chives,
cornflower, echinacea, elder flowers, gardenia, Korean mint, lucerne,
mustard, nasturtium, sacred basil, thyme, turmeric, winter savory
freckles elder flowers, fuchsia, water lily
fungicidal echinacea, rosemary, rose-scented pelargonium, Korean
mint, sage, thyme

G
gall bladder ailments artichoke, calendula, chicory, crab apple
blossom, dandelion, milk thistle, mint, rosemary, St John’s wort
gout buckwheat, chicory, clover, daisy, dandelion, moringa, pansy and
viola
gripes anise, caraway, coriander, fennel
gum disease almond blossom, caraway, hollyhock, mint, moringa,
plum blossom, rosemary, sage, stevia, strawberry

H
haemorrhoids buckwheat, calendula, daisy, linseed, mullein,
snapdragon
hair loss banana flower, nasturtium, rosemary, sage, yucca
hayfever chamomile, echinacea, elder flowers, hollyhock, honeysuckle,
mullein, thyme
headache anise, catmint, chicory, gardenia, jasmine, lavender,
moringa, rosemary, sacred basil, violet
heart palpitations anise, catmint, gardenia, hawthorn, mint, orange
blossom, tuberose
heart problems hawthorn, pansy and viola
heart tonic buckwheat, hawthorn, honeysuckle, lucerne, safflower
heartburn anise, caraway, coriander, fennel, marigold, mint, prickly
pear
hiatus hernia chamomile, mint
hives borage, evening primrose
homesickness honeysuckle
hot flushes goldenrod, mint, sage
hyperactivity chamomile, evening primrose, lavender, mint, rose-
scented pelargonium, tuberose
hypochondria dandelion, lucerne

I
immune system booster borage, cauliflower, chives, echinacea, elder
flowers, mustard, pea, rose, roselle, sage, sunflower, thyme
indigestion angelica, anise, artichoke, calamint, caraway, carpet
geranium, catmint, coriander, fennel, marigold, pansy and viola, pea
inflammation angelica, pansy and viola, safflower, sage, snapdragon,
thyme
insect bites almond blossom, borage, calendula, clover, coriander,
crab apple blossom, dahlia, echinacea, feijoa, fruit sage, fuchsia,
gardenia, hollyhock, mint, peach blossom, pineapple sage, poppy,
prickly pear, St John’s wort, thyme, tulip, waterblommetjie, yucca
insomnia Californian poppy, catmint, chamomile, dandelion, granadilla,
lavender, orange blossom, St John’s wort
irregular heartbeat anise, caraway, hawthorn
irritable bowel syndrome chamomile, evening primrose, hollyhock,
prickly pear

K
kidney ailments broccoli, carnation, chives, cornflower, crab apple
blossom, dandelion, echinacea, fennel, goldenrod, nasturtium, peach
blossom, sunflower
kidney stones burdock, clover, fennel, goldenrod, hawthorn, Judas
tree, sunflower
kidney tonic burdock, chicory, fennel, garland chrysanthemum,
linseed, peach blossom, pumpkin flowers, red hibiscus, strawberry

L
lice sage, thyme
liver ailments calendula, caraway, cornflower, dandelion, fennel, pea,
St John’s wort, strawberry, turmeric
liver tonic artichoke, burdock, chicory, gardenia, Judas tree, milk
thistle, sacred basil, strawberry, turmeric

M
malaria hawthorn, sacred basil, sunflower
menopause bulrush, evening primrose, goldenrod, hawthorn, lucerne,
mint, safflower, sage, St John’s wort
menstruation, irregular, bulrush, calendula, carpet geranium,
hawthorn, hollyhock, lucerne, sage
menstruation, painful angelica, anise, bulrush, calendula, caraway,
chamomile, mint, safflower, yarrow
milk production, stimulates anise, carpet geranium, fennel
morning sickness chamomile, Korean mint, mint
mouth infections day lily, mint, plum blossom, rosemary, sage
mouth ulcers almond blossom, elder flowers, plum blossom, sage,
snapdragon, stevia, strawberry
mucous, excessive borage, cornflower, daisy, mullein, sage
multiple sclerosis evening primrose
muscle spasms angelica, burdock, calendula, caraway, jasmine, St
John’s wort, thyme, wild garlic
muscular aches anise, bergamot, catmint, chamomile, day lily, fruit
sage, jasmine, Korean mint, mullein, rose-scented pelargonium,
sacred basil, St John’s wort, thyme

N
nausea anise, artichoke, bergamot, coriander, fruit sage, Korean mint,
mint, tuberose
nervousness calendula, carnation, coriander, evening primrose,
granadilla, Korean mint, mint, rose-scented pelargonium
neuralgia rose-scented pelargonium, St John’s wort
nightmares Californian poppy, mint, rose-scented pelargonium
nose bleed yarrow

O
oestrogenic calendula, hawthorn, lucerne, sage
oily hair banana flower, carpet geranium, rosemary, sage
oily skin bergamot, calendula, Cape sorrel, coriander, fennel, garland
crysanthemum, myrtle, orange blossom, plumbago, roselle, rose-
scented pelargonium, strawberry, tuberose
over-exhaustion chamomile, lavender, lucerne, rose-scented
pelargonium

P
panic attacks Californian poppy, chamomile, evening primrose,
granadilla, lavender, lucerne, mint
peptic ulcer calendula, chamomile, hollyhock, mint, rose-scented
pelargonium
pimples Cape sorrel, dahlia, delicious monster, elder flowers, garland
crysanthemum, linseed, moringa, poppy, strawberry,
waterblommetjie, wisteria
pleurisy angelica, borage, hollyhock, hyssop, mullein, mustard, sage
pneumonia cauliflower, echinacea, mullein, mustard, thyme, violet,
winter savory
postnasal drip chamomile, elder flowers, violet
postnatal depression buckwheat, lucerne, mint
post-viral fatigue syndrome (ME) Californian poppy, echinacea, St
John’s wort
premenstrual tension borage, evening primrose, hawthorn, orange
blossom, rosemary, yarrow
prostate problems dandelion, pumpkin flowers, prickly pear
psoriasis borage, burdock, calendula, carpet geranium, clover, elder
flowers

R
rashes banana flower, borage, burdock, calendula, chamomile, clover,
coriander, dahlia, daisy, feijoa, fruit sage, fuchsia, hollyhock,
honeysuckle, Judas tree, linseed, mint, myrtle, pansy and viola,
 peach blossom, plumbago, poppy, prickly pear, snapdragon, St
John’s wort, strawberry, tulip, violet, water lily, waterblommetjie,
yucca
respiratory ailments bergamot, borage, burdock, calamint, chives,
cornflower, evening primrose, honeysuckle, Judas tree, moringa,
mullein, sage, thyme, turmeric, winter savory
restlessness anise, chamomile, lavender
rheumatism ajuga, angelica, chicory, coriander, cornflower, dandelion,
day lily, honeysuckle, lavender, linseed, marigold, moringa, mullein,
mustard, pansy and viola, rosemary, thyme, turmeric,
waterblommetjie, wild garlic
ringworm Korean mint, thyme

S
scabies elder flowers, thyme
scalp problems banana flower, carpet geranium, rosemary, yucca
sciatica St John’s wort
scurvy Cape sorrel, nasturtium
sedative bergamot, Californian poppy, catmint, chamomile, hawthorn,
jasmine, orange blossom, rose, St John’s wort
shingles chamomile, St John’s wort
shock anise, Korean mint, mint
sinus problems bergamot, calamint, elder flowers, goldenrod, linseed,
mullein, violet, winter savory
skin ailments almond blossom, banana flower, borage, burdock,
calendula, carnation, chicory, dahlia, daisy, delicious monster,
echinacea, elder flowers, evening primrose, feijoa, fennel, fuchsia,
hollyhock, honeysuckle, Judas tree, Korean mint, lavender, mint,
moringa, mullein, myrtle, pansy and viola, plumbago, poppy, prickly
pear, snapdragon, rocket, rose, roselle, rosemary, violet, wisteria,
yucca
sore nipples calendula, chamomile
sore throat ajuga, bergamot, calamint, daisy, echinacea, elder flowers,
fuchsia, Korean mint, lavender, moringa, nasturtium, plum blossom,
roselle, sage, stevia, thyme, wild garlic, winter savory, wisteria
sprains and strains ajuga, burdock, calamint, day lily, delicious
monster, fruit sage, myrtle, rocket, safflower, snapdragon, St John’s
wort, waterblommetjie
stiffness burdock, cornflower, jasmine, pansy and viola, rosemary,
rose-scented pelargonium
stimulating Korean mint, lucerne, mint, rosemary
strained throat anise, chamomile, sage, snapdragon
stress anise, borage, catmint, chamomile, gardenia, hawthorn,
jasmine, Judas tree, lucerne, orange blossom, sacred basil, St
John’s wort, tuberose
sunburn almond blossom, banana flower, bergamot, borage,
calendula, delicious monster, feijoa, fuchsia, honeysuckle, linseed,
mint, pineapple sage, plumbago, red hibiscus, snapdragon, water lily,
waterblommetjie

T
tension anise, catmint, hawthorn, jasmine, Korean mint, lavender,
lucerne, sacred basil
thrush calendula, goldenrod, sage, thyme, winter savory
tight chest angelica, anise, bergamot, borage, calamint, honeysuckle,
Judas tree
tired feet banana flower, dahlia, fruit sage, gladiolus, lavender, linseed,
mint
tonic almond blossom, borage, buckwheat, cornflower, mustard, pea,
sage, St John’s wort, thyme, wisteria, yarrow
tonsillitis echinacea, fuchsia, sage
tooth decay anise, moringa, sage, stevia
toothache anise, Californian poppy, day lily, echinacea, Judas tree,
yarrow
tranquillising lavender, rose-scented pelargonium, water lily
tremors cornflower

U
urinary tract ailments angelica, chicory, chives, fennel, goldenrod,
hyssop, linseed, mustard, myrtle, peach blossom, sacred basil,
strawberry

V
vaginal itching buckwheat, clover, elder flowers
varicose veins buckwheat, daisy, mullein, wisteria
verrucas dandelion
vertigo cornflower, lavender, mint, rosemary
vomiting bergamot, caraway, fennel, Korean mint, tuberose

W
warts dandelion, fig, poppy
weak nails Judas tree, pineapple sage, tuberose
weight loss evening primrose, fennel
whooping cough anise, borage, caraway, clover, mint, thyme, violet
worms pumpkin seeds, thyme
wounds banana flower, bergamot, bulrush, calendula, crab apple
blossom, daisy, evening primrose, mullein, prickly pear, pumpkin
flowers, safflower, turmeric, yarrow, yucca
 Flower index
The index that appeared in the print version of this title was
intentionally removed from the eBook. Please use the search
function on your eReading device to search for terms of interest. For
your reference, the terms that appear in the print index are listed
below.

A
Aaron’s rod
Achillea millefolium
Agastache rugosa
Ajuga
Ajuga reptans
Alfalfa
Allium schoenoprasum
Almond blossom
Alcea rosea
Angelica
Angelica archangelica
Anise
Antirrhinum majus
Aponogeton distachyos
Arctium lappa
Artichoke

B
Banana flower
Bee balm
Bellis perennis
Bergamot
Bergtee
Borage
Borago officinalis
Brassica alba
Brassica nigra
Brassica oleracea
Brassica oleracea var. botrytis
Brazilian guava
Broccoli
Buckwheat
Bulrush
Burdock

C
Cactus pear
Calamint
Calamintha ascendens
Calamintha officinalis
Calendula
Calendula officinalis
Californian poppy
Cape forget-me-not
Cape leadwort
Cape pond weed
Cape sorrel
Caraway
Carnation
Carpet bugle
Carpet geranium
Catmint
Catnip
Cattail
Carthamus tinctorius
Carum carvi
Cauliflower
Centaurea cyanus
Cercis canadensis
Cercis siliquastrum
Ceriman
Chamaemelum nobile
Chamomile
Chicory
Chives
Chop suey greens
Chrysanthemum coronarium
Cichorium intybus
Citrus species
Clove pink
Clover
Coriander
Coriandrum sativum
Cornflower
Crab apple blossom
Crataegus monogyna
Crataegus oxyacantha
Creeping geranium
Cucurbita species
Curcuma domestica
Cynara scolymus

D
Dahlia
Dahlia juarezii
Dahlia rosea
Daisy
Dandelion
Day lily
Delicious monster
Dianthus caryophyllus
Drumstick tree

E
Echinacea
Echinacea purpurea
Edible chrysanthemum
Elder flowers
Emperor’s mint
Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa
Eschscholzia californica
Evening primrose

F
Fagopyrum esculentum
Feijoa
Feijoa sellowiana
Fennel
Ficus carica
Field poppy
Fig
Flanders poppy
Flax
Florida cranberry
Foeniculum vulgare
Fragaria species
Fragaria vesca
Fruit sage
Fuchsia
Fuchsia arborescens
Fuchsia corymbiflora
Fuchsia denticulata
Fuchsia racemosa
Fuchsia species

G
Garden angelica
Garden pea
Gardenia
Gardenia jasminoides
Garland chrysanthemum
Geranium incanum
Giant woolly sage
Gladiolus
Gladiolus hybrids
Globe artichoke
Goldenrod
Granadilla flower

H
Hawthorn
Helianthus annuus
Hemerocallis species
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
Hibiscus sabdariffa
Hollyhock
Honeysuckle
Hypericum perforatum
Hyssop
Hyssopus officinalis

I
Indian sorrel

J
Jamaican sorrel
Jasmine
Jasminum multipartitum
Jasminum officinale
Judas tree

K
Korean mint

L
Lavandula × intermedia ‘Margaret Roberts’
Lavender
Lawn daisy
Linseed
Linum usitatissimum
Lonicera species
Lucerne

M
Malus floribunda
Malus pumila
Marigold
Marrow
Matricaria recutita
Medicago sativa
Mentha species
Micromeria species
Milk thistle
Mint
Monarda didyma
Monstera deliciosa
Moringa
Moringa oleifera
Mullein
Musa species
Mustard
Myrtle
Myrtus communis

N
Nasturtium
Nepeta cataria
Nepeta mussinii
Nymphaea alba

O
Ocimum sanctum
Ocimum tenuiflorum
Oenothera biennis
Opuntia ficus-indica
Orange blossom
Oseille rouge
Oswego tea
Our Lady’s taper
Oxalis pes-caprae

P
Pansy
Papaver rhoeas
Passiflora edulis
Passiflora species
Passion flower
Pea
Peach blossom
Pelargonium graveolens
Pimpinella anisum
Pineapple guava
Pineapple sage
Pisum sativum
Plum blossom
Plumbago
Plumbago auriculata
Polianthes tuberosa
Poppy
Prickly pear
Prunus amygdalus
Prunus domestica
Prunus dulcis
Prunus persica
Pumpkin
Purple cone flower

R
Red bud tree
Red hibiscus
Rock salad
Rocket
Roquette
Rosa species
Rose
Rosella
Roselle
Rosemary
Rose-scented pelargonium
Rosmarinus officinalis

S
Sacred basil
Safflower
Sage
Salvia dorisiana
Salvia elegans
Salvia officinalis
Salvia rutilans
Sambucus nigra
Satureja montana
Silybum marianum
Snapdragon
Solidago canadensis
Solidago virgaurea
Squash
St John’s wort
Stevia
Stevia rebaudiana
Strawberry flowers
Sunflower
Suring
Swiss cheese plant

T
Tagetes erecta
Tagetes patula
Taraxacum officinale
Thyme
Thymus × citriodorus
Thymus vulgaris
Trifolium pratense
Tropaeolum majus
Tuberose
Tulbaghia violacea
Tulip
Tulipa species
Tulsi
Turmeric
Typha latifolia

V
Verbascum
Verbascum thapsus
Viola
Viola lutea
Viola odorata
Viola tricolor
Violet
Vrouetee

W
Water lily
Waterblommetjie
Wild garlic
Wild geranium
Winter savory
Wisteria
Wisteria sinensis
Woodbine

Y
Yarrow
Yucca
Yucca gloriosa
 Recipe index
Beans and legumes:
Butter beans and winter savory
Chickpea and moringa flower supper dish
Gladiolus and bean stew
Lentil and clover risotto

Beauty and health:

See also Teas
Ajuga lotion
Ajuga massage cream
Ajuga orange and ginger syrup
Ajuga ‘syrop’
Angelica poultice
Anise de-stress vinegar
Artichoke liver tonic
Banana flower cream
Bergamot massage cream
Bergamot skin tonic
Borage lotion
Bulrush cream
Burdock healing cream
Burdock vinegar for acne
Calamint steam treatment
Calendula antiseptic cream
Calendula massage oil
Californian poppy muscle-relaxing cream
Californian poppy poultice
Calming granadilla syrup
Cape sorrel poultice
Cape sorrel vinegar
Caraway cream
Carnation cream
Carnation lotion
Carnation tonic wine
Carpet geranium and oats scalp treatment
Carpet geranium lotion
Catmint pillow
Chamomile cough syrup
Chamomile eyewash, douche and gargle
Chicory flower bath
Clover compress
Clover cream
Clover douche
Coriander lotion
Cornflower eye lotion
Cornflower poultice
Crab apple blossom vinegar
Dahlia foot soak
Dahlia petal poultice
Daisy ointment
Daisy wash
Dandelion tonic wine
Day lily mouthwash
Delicious monster spathe poultice
Echinacea healing cream
Elder flower lotion
Elder flower skin cream
Evening primrose lotion
Evening primrose oil
Feijoa lotion
Feijoa skin cream
Fennel facial steam
Fennel flower antacid
Flax flower lotion
Fresh coriander insect repellent
Fruit sage and almond oil rub
Fruit sage poultice
Fuchsia jelly
Gardenia flower wash
Gardenia lotion
Garland chrysanthemum lotion
Gladiolus flower lotion
Goldenrod douche
Greek plum blossom and sage mouthwash
Hawthorn cream
Hollyhock lotion
Honeysuckle cough syrup
Honeysuckle cream
Honeysuckle lotion
Hot granadilla insomnia remedy
Hyssop and fig constipation remedy
Hyssop cough syrup
Jasmine massage oil
Judas tree bath oil
Judas tree flower cream
Korean mint antifungal lotion
Korean mint cream
Lavender and oats scrub
Lavender massage cream
Lucerne wash
Marigold bath
Marigold flea-repelling lotion
Mint footbath
Mint lotion
Mullein cough syrup
Mustard foot bath
Myrtle antiseptic lotion
Myrtle flower massage cream
Myrtle vinegar
Nasturtium, nettle and rosemary hair tonic
Old chive cold remedy
Orange blossom lotion
Peach blossom vinegar
Pineapple sage nose cream
Plum blossom vinegar
Plumbago lotion
Plumbago skin cream
Poppy cough syrup
Poppy petal vinegar
Prickly pear poultice
Prickly pear syrup
Red hibiscus flower oil
Rocket cough remedy
Rose petal night cap
Rose-scented pelargonium massage cream
Rose-scented pelargonium oil
Rosehip cough treatment and winter tonic
Roselle gargle
Roselle lotion
Roselle scrub
Rosemary hair restorer
Rosemary lotion
Rosewater
Sacred basil massage cream
Sacred basil oil
Safflower massage cream
Safflower seed poultice
Sage cough remedy
Sage gargle
Snapdragon cream
Snapdragon lotion
Soothing waterblommetjie gel
Soothing yucca wash
St John’s wort healing oil
St John’s wort massage cream
Stevia flower cream
Stevia flower gargle
Strawberry face mask
Strawberry oil
Sunflower cough remedy
Syrup of figs
Thyme flower lotion
Tuberose cream
Tuberose lotion
Tulip poultice
Tulip skin cream
Turmeric flower massage oil
Viola bath infusion
Viola skin cream
Violet syrup
Violet, brandy and honey cough remedy
Water lily cream
Water lily massage oil
Wild garlic bath infusion
Wisteria and apple cider vinegar
Yarrow flower and borage healing cream

Breakfast dishes:
Buttered banana and feijoa breakfast dish
Pineapple sage and grapefruit health breakfast
Prickly pear breakfast dish

Cakes and biscuits:

Almond blossom chocolate cake
Almond pansy macaroons
Buckwheat cake
Chocolate and violet cheese cake
Crystallised carpet geranium flowers
Lavender biscuits
Orange blossom fairy butter
Passion flower cake topping
Sugared violets
Tuberose fridge cake

Cheese dishes:
Cream cheese and dahlia dip
Myrtle and cheese spread
Nasturtium cheese dip
Plum blossom and celery cheese platter
Watermelon balls with ricotta and water lily

Condiments and preserves:

Angelica and orange marmalade
Brazilian feijoa conserve
Calamint or emperor’s mint conserve
Catmint honey
Catmint spicy rub
Chive blossom vinegar
Daisy honey
Daisy vinegar
Dried safflower spicy mix
Homemade mustard
Lemon and crab apple blossom jelly
Marigold mixed spice
Myrtle pepper
Orange blossom sugar
Quick fig jam
Sacred basil rub
Safflower oil
Sweet angelica spice
Thyme salt

Desserts:
Almond blossom and strawberry ice-cream
Anise apple dessert
Apple and myrtle stir-fry dessert
Bergamot and peach jelly
Bergamot cream
Butterscotch and cornflower sauce
Calendula custard
Californian poppy spring fruit salad
Caraway flower and peach pashka
Chamomile fruit jelly
Chicory and pear dessert
Chocolate mint mousse
Crab apple blossom sponge fingers
Delicious monster and litchi dessert
Echinacea and melon fruit salad
Elder flower and rhubarb dessert
Evening primrose and pear dessert
Feijoa fruit salad
Fig ice-cream
Flax flower chocolate sauce
Fruit sage dessert whip
Fuchsia ice-cream topping
Gardenia and litchi fruit salad
Gardenia chocolate mousse
Garland chrysanthemum and apple dessert
Goldenrod and apple chews
Hawthorn pancakes with lemon curd
Hollyhock summer fruit salad pancake
Honeysuckle fruit salad
Jasmine and strawberry dessert
Judas tree flower and mulberry jelly
Moringa flower fruit dessert
Mulberry and snapdragon dessert
Orange blossom sago pudding
Paradise ice-cream
Passion flower tropical fruit salad
Peach and calamint dessert
Peach blossom spring fruit salad
Plumbago fruit jelly
Poached nectarines and hyssop
Prickly pear summer dessert
Red hibiscus jelly
Rose petal cream jelly
Rose-scented pelargonium filo baskets
Rose-scented pelargonium mousse
Roselle jelly
Springtime peach blossom sundae
Stevia flower rice pudding
Strawberry and banana dessert with cornflowers
Strawberry and mullein mousse
Strawberry and pansy granita
Strawberry flower pashka
Tiramisu with rosemary
Water lily and apple dessert
Watermelon and mint dessert
Yucca crumble

Drinks:
See also Teas
Almond blossom milk energiser
Almond milk
Borage sangria
Burdock bud syrup
Crab apple verjuice
Elder flower lemonade
Fennel hot toddy
Gardenia milkshake
Goldenrod and celery health drink
Hawthorn flower de-stressing drink
Honeysuckle energy drink
Immune booster juice
Immune-building mustard drink
Jasmine cordial
Korean mint party punch
Lucerne energy drink
Mango and calamint smoothie
Mango nectar with carnation petals
Mexican ceriman (delicious monster) drink
Milk thistle flower drink
Passion flower nectar
Pineapple sage and fresh pineapple drink
Poppy brandy
Red hibiscus cool drink
Rose petal syrup
Rose punch
Sacred basil cool drink
Sage cool drink
Sage flower eggnog
Stevia flower lemonade
Strawberry punch
Strawberry tonic wine
Tuberose and pineapple cordial
Tulip syrup
Violet liqueur

Egg dishes:
Calendula omelette
Dandelion flower omelette
Evening primrose stuffed eggs
Potato and ham frittata with rocket

Fish:
Banana blossom paella
Cape sorrel and pickled fish
Caraway fish curry
Echinacea pane bagno
Stuffed gladiolus flowers
Thyme flower savoury fish
Yarrow kedgeree

Meat and chicken:

See also Stir-fries
Banana flower kari-kari
Calendula curry
Chicken and cauliflower ‘hot pot’
Hyssop meal-in-one chicken dish
Lamb and potato pot roast with plumbago
Lamb chops with rosemary
Mutton pot roast with Korean mint
Pan-fried mutton and snapdragons
Roast pork and fruit sage
Rocket and chicken liver pâté
Sage flowers and bacon crisp
Stuffed yucca flowers
Traditional Cape waterblommetjie bredie
Tulips stuffed with chicken mayonnaise
Yarrow and pumpkin bredie

Pasta and grains:

Couscous and pineapple sage
Spaghetti and tomato with linseed
Spring pasta with snapdragons

Pickles:
Carnation pickle
Cauliflower pickle
Judas tree pickle
Mustard flower pickle
Pickled artichokes
Pickled chicory flowers
Pickled daisy buds

Salads:
Anise pasta confetti salad
Beetroot and St John’s wort health salad
Beetroot and sunflower petal salad
Buckwheat flower salad
Caraway egg and potato salad
Chicory and tuna salad
Chive and garlic chive health salad
Cold chicken and fuchsia salad
Cornflower pasta salad
Dandelion and bacon salad
Dandelion and beetroot salad
Fennel flower slimmer’s salad
Fig savoury salad
Golden day lily and yellow peach salad
Green bean and potato salad with coriander flowers
Green hyssop salad
Grilled aubergine salad with eggs and nasturtium flowers
Hollyhock and green bean salad
Hulled buckwheat salad
Moringa health salad
New potato salad with Californian poppies
Plumbago and beetroot salad
Prickly pear salad
Red salad with poppy vinaigrette
Roselle salad
Stuffed squash flower salad
Three bean salad with tulips
Turmeric flower chicken salad
Water lily salad
Wild garlic salad
Wisteria and watercress spring salad
Yellow sorrel salad

Sauces and dressings:

Banana flower and mushroom sauce
Nasturtium salad vinegar
Sorrel salad dressing
Winter savory sauce for pasta

Scones, muffins and bread:

Borage fritters
Elder flower fritters
Evening primrose and onion scones
Garland chrysanthemum croutons
Gladiolus and avocado open sandwich
Hollyhock scones
Honey, fruit and chamomile loaf
Lavender cheese squares
Poppy petal muffins
Sundried tomato and dahlia bread
Wisteria fritters

Soup:
Burdock flower cleansing soup
Fennel flower soup
Flax flower and potato soup
Garland chrysanthemum tonic broth
Goldenrod soup
Hearty borage winter health soup
Iced avocado and lucerne soup
Leek, kale and coriander flower soup
Milk thistle vegetable soup
Monks’ broccoli broth
Mushroom and rocket soup
Mustard tonic soup
Pea flower soup
Pea flower tonic soup
Pumpkin flower soup
Sage and pumpkin soup
Thyme immune-boosting soup
Tuberose vegetable soup
Waterblommetjie soup
Winter savory and cabbage mealie soup
Wisteria country borscht
Yucca flower soup
Stir-fries:
Ajuga and butter bean stir-fry
Buckwheat flower stir-fry
Californian poppy and aubergine stir-fry
Chicken and hawthorn flower stir-fry
Chicory stir-fry
Day lily stir-fry
Garland chrysanthemum stir-fry
Judas tree stir-fry
Korean mint and mushroom stir-fry
Marigold and mango stir-fry
Pear and carpet geranium stir-fry
Red-clover stir-fry
Turmeric flower stir-fry
Waterblommetjie stir-fry
Yarrow stir-fry

Teas:
Anise health tea
Bergamot health tea
Calamint after-dinner tea
Chamomile tea
Chinese plum blossom tea
Cleansing burdock tea
Fragrant carpet geranium tea
Goldenrod health tea
Gypsy linseed tea
Iced tea with orange blossom sugar
Jasmine tea
Mint digestive tea
Moringa flower tea
Roselle health tea
Sage and hawthorn flower tea
Winter savory tea
Vegetables:
See also Stir-fries
American Indian savoury echinacea spread
Artichoke dip
Artichokes with mint and yoghurt
Aubergine and coriander flower lunch dish
Baby carrots with fruit sage and honey
Baked pumpkin with stuffed pumpkin flowers
Bulrush stew
Cajun potatoes with lavender
Cauliflower and clover cheese
Creamed spinach and chive flower supper dish
Fuchsia and potato mash
Grilled mushrooms with peach blossom
Grilled rosemary sosaties
Lucerne flower and vegetable tempura
Marinated sunflower bud parcels
Mexican mealie and chilli dish with dahlia flowers
Mint and mushroom supper dish
Mullein and carrot lunch dish
Mustard flower vegetable curry
Pansy and asparagus cheese bake
Pea flower relish
Plum blossom and pumpkin supper dish
Potato and St John’s wort bake
Roasted okra with bergamot flowers
Steamed broccoli florets and leaves
Steamed day lilies and asparagus
Stuffed avocadoes with St John’s wort
Stuffed marrow with mullein flowers
Sunflower buds with mustard sauce
Zulu wild garlic relish