The Sage Page
Making the world a little greener with our spare thyme.
The Cumberland Herb Association
August 2013
NEW WEEKDAY!!! Wednesday, August 24 at 7:00 p.m. will be our next meeting at the Miniature Cottage located at 410 E. Iris near 100 Oaks in Nashville. We will be discussing ideas for our garden theme for the 2014 Nashville Lawn And Garden Show.
The “Days of Wine and Roses” is believed to be the show’s overall theme. All those attending Wednesday’s meeting will receive a copy of instructions for using plants as fabric dye by a botanist from the Botanical Society of America.
Thyme to start talking about next year’s show.
CHA Newsletter Editor -Michelle Murakami 445-8749 (kitvroom@yahoo.com) If you have any information to include in the newsletter, please contact the editor by the first week of the month
HERB OF THE MONTH
Horehound
(Marrubium vulgare)
Though closely resembling the mint plant, Horehound is in the same Lamiaceae family and Lamiales order, but for anyone who has had a Horehound lozenge, that’s pretty much where the similarity ends. Horehound is a remedy for respiratory ailments, digestion problems including loss of appetite, indigestion, bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation, and liver and gallbladder complaints. It is also used for lung and breathing problems including cough, whooping cough, asthma, tuberculosis, bronchitis, and swollen breathing passages.. In agriculture, it as a remedy for expelling worms in farm animals. For example, a 2011 study concluded that the essential oil contains potent antimicrobial and anticancer properties, while a 2012 study found marrubiin, one of the primary active compounds found in horehound, to possess antidiabetic (significantly lowered the blood glucose), antiatherogenic and anti-inflammatory properties. Bonus benefit is its proven pain relieving properties. It is also used as a natural grasshopper repellent in agriculture. It can be an invasive plant in the garden, so it’s best in the garden as a potted herb. The entire plant can be used medicinally. Use it
Holy Basil - Photo by: Michelle
fresh, dried, powdered, in capsules, as an extract, or as a pressed juice. When harvesting horehound, cut the plant when the buds of the flower appear. Immediately chop the horehound and then seal it in jars as soon as it has dried. Horehound can be made into candies, syrups, teas, and used as a flavoring. If taking blood pressure medications, avoid this herb. Wikipedia.com, naturalremedies.org & webmd.com
Page 2
Giant Zucchini Bake Created by: Michelle
INGREDIENTS: 1 giant zucchini (slice lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices) 3 or four tomatoes (sliced) Hand full of fresh basil leaves chopped pinch of rosemary pinch of thyme 3 Tbs.Virgin Olive Oil 2 Tbs. Grape Seed Oil 2 or 3 Fresh Garlic Cloves (chopped) Asiago cheese (sliced into 1/8 inch slices) About 4 inches of Salami (remove casing and chop into small 1/4 inch squares) Black Pepper Oregano
zucchini. Sprinkle the salami on top. Sprinkle on some oregano and black pepper.
(salt not necessary due to the salty cheese and salami)
3. Bake for 15 minutes.
INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Heat oven to 350 2. Drizzle olive oil into pan & use spatula to cover bottom. Add tomatoes covering bottom of pan. Add basil, rosemary and thyme over the tomatoes. Lay the slices of zucchini in the pan in a single layer. Add Asiago cheese layered over the
pic by Michelle
Horehound Beer
INGREDIENTS: 900g horehound leaves 240g ginger 120g coriander seed 2 kg malt extract 1kg sugar 20l of unchlorinated water Yeast INSTRUCTIONS:
Boil the horehound, ginger and coriander seeds in half the water for 15 minutes then add the malt extract and stir till dissolved. Strain and pour onto the sugar and saccharine. Add the remaining water then continue as with the basic extract brewing recipe. (see: http://www. celtnet.org.uk/recipes/brewing/fetch-recipe.php?rid=basicextract-brewing )
Page 3
Horehound Candy
1. First make an intense infusion of the horehound by boiling a cup of the leaves with water for at least ten minutes. Then steep it more for five more minutes and after that strain it.
2. Use a cup of infusion and add two cups of sugar. Put sugar in a pan and stir it with a teaspoon of tartar. Put the infusion and mix it until you dissolve the sugar. Use one cup of horehound infusion to two cups of white sugar. Cook it in lower heat and make sure it reaches 290 degrees
Fahrenheit. You can check this accurately by using a thermometer for candy makers. Another way to check is by dropping the finished infusion in colder water until you notice that it will be hard and become glossy. 3. Put the finished product in a plate with butter and mold them to smaller balls when it becomes a little harder. When it has cooled start breaking them apart into different segments and put them in the fridge.
Horehound Cough Syrup
INGREDIENTS: 1/4 to 1/2 cup dried horehound leaves and/or flowers 1 cup water 2 cups honey 1 tablespoon lemon juice or cider vinegar (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS: Boil horehound in the water for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow it to sit for 5 more minutes. Strain out the horehound using cheesecloth or a very fine strainer (remove all particles left in the syrup). Add honey and lemon and stir until it is combined. Pour into a glass jar and cover. Use one tablespoon as needed.
Blushing Mary Cocktail INGREDIENTS: 1.5 oz. vodka or tequila 4 cherry tomatoes, halved 1 mild or hot pepper, sliced 2 dashes Worchestershire sauce 2 to 3 leaves of basil, parsley, cilantro or dill 4 oz. tonic water Celery Bitters Cracked black pepper (optional) Garnish with any or all of these: slice of pepper, cherry tomato, herb leaf, celery stick, olive.
(herbatorium.com)
(natural health magazine Aug. 2013)
INSTRUCTIONS: Combine first 5 ingredients in cocktail shaker. Use a muddler to crush the veggies and herbs. Shake well over ice and strain into glass with ice. Add tonic water & stir. Add dash of celery bitters, crack a bit of pepper & add garnish.
“Horehound sticks are meant to be shared with friends, don’t you think?’ She was dead wrong about that: Horehound sticks were meant to be gobbled down in solitary gluttony, and preferably in a locked room, but I didn’t dare say so.” By: Alan Bradley Excerpt from: The Weed That Strings the Hangman’s Bag