Our black currants and raspberries have ripened and are tucked safely into a carboy, fermenting a new batch of wine for the dark days of winter ahead. Black currant, Ribes nigrum, is a musky little berry from the old country, revered for its health-giving properties yet somehow forgotten in today’s gardens. This small bush bears abundant clusters of rich, tart, dark black berries and can be tucked into almost any yard. The berries are used in wines, jams, syrups, and cordials (cassis). Their flavor is deep and mysterious: not for eating out of hand, but sensational in the aforementioned preparations. And if that’s not enough, the leaves can be used as tea. In fact, strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, and huckleberry: all of their leaves make refreshing, nourishing teas. Like the herbalists of days gone by, I am always trying to gather each and every part of a plant that might enrich my life, soothe my pains, and comfort my sorrows. The berries are rich in flavonoids, gamma-linolenic acid, vitamins, and minerals. They strengthen capillaries, soothe throat infections, and ease hypertension. The leaves infused in tea are cooling, astringent, can lower blood pressure, and soothe skin irritations and sore throats. Imagine all that from a few berry bushes in your yard, or community garden! And now, finally, there’s sweet basil, Ocimum basilicum, the champion of the summer sun. No herb loves the hot weather more than this aromatic plant sacred to many traditions around the Sunbelt of our planet. Ocimum sanctum or Holy basil, also called Tulsi basil, has been cherished in the Hindu tradition for eons. It is still planted around holy cities and shrines and used as the passage to Paradise upon death. Another ritual use of basil is the planting of a pot of basil upon someone’s passing that women of the house then worship to honor the one departed. If you can find this basil to grow, by all means, try it; it has a sweet, haunting fragrance unlike that of any other plant I know. Sweet basil, the one of pesto fame, is native to the Near East and was a favorite in ancient Greece. Not all of the ancient herbalists held basil in high regard. Hippocrates used it in his materia medica (official medicine list), but Galen and Dioscorides (two early herbalists in the Western tradition) believed it to be unfit for human consumption. Sounds similar to the herbalists of today, proving that differing opinions about plants and their actions is nothing new. Basil did not reach the northern latitudes until 1387, when it began to appear on plant lists above the warmer regions. For centuries, it was disregarded for cooking in the north, although it was used on the continent more than in England. I imagine that had something to do with the fickle, sun-loving nature of the herb. Basil is a plant of place; if it does not like its place it just dies! It is a member of the mint family, and its aromatic quality induces sweating and is useful in fevers and colds. It aids digestion and, according to medieval physicians, was sure to produce a "cheerful and merry heart." Some folks still believe it to be a sure cure for a hangover, and it was said to stay disaster in many a home when the "good huswife" had knowledge of her herbs! The next time you enjoy a luscious pesto, remember that the Italians regard basil as a love token, but on Crete it signifies "love washed with tears"! That’s how I feel in the years when all of my tender care and careful transplanting, feeding, and dutiful clipping is followed by a cool, wet summer in which no basil worth its salt would ever grow! This year, I am thrilled to have three flats of basil safely protected in the greenhouse. Do what it may outside, we will have pesto this winter! Basil loves sun, water, and food. It is a voracious eater. As an annual in the north, what it needs to grow well is a soil rich in nitrogenous material like manure or compost. The trick to getting abundant harvests is to start pinching the growing tips out early, thereby forcing more tips to be produced on plants with sturdy lower branches. Feed with fish and seaweed fertilizer weekly, and never let the basil bloom until you’ve had enough. Once the plant flowers, the energy shifts from leaf production to seed production, causing a decline in the size and sweet flavor of leaves and a bitter taste. This protects the plants from predators (us!) so it can fulfill its purpose, to reproduce itself. You see, folks, oftentimes gardening is nothing more than sexually frustrating plants to get what we want! Last summer, we blended the best of both worlds and created Raspberry-Blue Basil Balsamic Vinegar. This delicious blend of summer’s bounty can be used in many ways, and is incredibly easy to make.
Raspberry-African Blue Basil Balsamic Vinegar Fill any size jar loosely full of organic raspberries (black currants if you have them) Add basil (any fresh basil will work). You can layer the basil through the berries as you fill the jar if you like. It can be chopped or whole leaves. Pour balsamic vinegar over berries and basil to top of jar and seal with a loose-fitting lid. Leave one inch of headspace for expansion. Let steep six weeks, shaking or stirring occasionally to invigorate flavors. Strain through cheesecloth, then rebottle in ornate glass jars or bottles. Uses: Excellent addition to marinades for barbecuing or roasting meat. Mix with olive oil and marinate vegetables for grilling, then use to baste while cooking. Pour on steamed greens. Use in your favorite oil-and-vinegar salad dressing. Or sweeten with honey to taste and try these additional uses: Use in dressings for fruit salad. Mix with sparkling water and pour over ice with a sprig of fresh basil or mint for a summer refresher. Mix in hot water for tea. Make lots and share some with friends and family!
Here’s hoping that your summer is filled with basil and berries and your cupboards are beginning to bulge with the harvest of the season. Cultivating an environment of wellness is a lot more fun than treating disease. We’ll show you how at our annual Food Camp, a three-day extravaganza devoted to remembering the art and craft of cheese-making, fermenting herbal and fruit beverages (beer, wine, and real soda pop!) and the wonders of sauerkraut and crock pickles like our grandmas used to make. Give us a call for details. Next time, we’ll explore the underworld and roots, the invisible herbs. Until then, gather the herbs of summer while the sun shines for the days of darkness ahead. Look for ripening heads of grain (maybe where they covered bare earth with straw on a construction site) to make a wheat mother dolly to carry the blessings of summer’s bounty through the darkest times. Be well. EagleSong, C.C.H., director of RavenCroft Garden in Monroe, WA, is a nationally recognized herbal educator. She is dedicated to keeping herbal wisdom within reach of all people and connected to the healing wisdom of nature. P.O. Box 229, Startup, WA 98293; (360) 794-2938; <ravencroft@earthlink.net>. |
After the sun’s zenith back in June, things really started to warm up. Berries and those sun-loving Mediterranean herbs kicked into high gear and collected solar energy for months of fine dining and remedial assistance ahead.