BAKING
BOTANICALS Plants of New England Recipe Book Curated & Illustrated by Hannah Munroe
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Identification • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 7 Beverages • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 13 Solomon's Seal Tea
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Homemade Root Beer
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Goldenrod Tea
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Red Clover Tea
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Sides • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
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Dandelion Greens with a Kick
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Stuffed Milkweed Pods
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Poke Sallet
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Desserts • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
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Wintergreen Ice Cream
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Gin and Bitter Lemon Sorbet
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Identification
Before you can get cooking, its important to get your plants. Here are some basic identifying features for each of the plants listed in this book. Be aware that some plants can be dangerous and make sure have correctly identified the plant before preparing it.
Some Terms to Know chevrons: a figure, pattern, or object having the shape of a V or an inverted V herbaceous: having little or no woody tissue and persisting usually for a single growing season petiole: a slender stem that supports the blade of a foliage leaf rosette: a cluster of leaves in crowded circles or spirals arising from the base of a stem
Cooking Abbreviations teaspoon • • • • • • • • t tablespoon • • • • • T cup • • • • • • • • • • • • c ounce • • • • • • • • • oz
Common Dandelion (pg. 23) Taraxacum officionale Family Asteraceae
rowth Form: Herbaceous plant, G prostrate rosette. eaves: Usually 2-8 in. long with irregular L pointed lobes and deep sinuses. Young leaves tend to be oval-shaped, and do not usually have deep sinuses. Flowers: Solitary, yellow, composite at end of stalk. Fruits: Clustered into whitish, downy seed balls. Stem: Hollow and milky, 2-6 in. tall. Habitat: Disturbed areas, lawns, and roadsides throughout the United States. Season: Harvest the leaves and buds in early spring, the flowers in spring and early summer, and the roots in fall and early spring.
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Common Milkweed (pg. 25)
Ground Juniper (pg. 33)
Growth Form: Herbaceous plant, 3-5 ft. tall
Growth Form: Flattened shrub prostrate to ground. Sometimes upright forming a small tree.
Asclepias syriaca Family Asclepiadaceae
Leaves: 4-8 in. long, opposite, broadly ovate, with pointed tip. Short petiole. Flowers: Small, greenish to purplish to whitish. May-August. Pods: Pointed, light yellow-green, splits to release small round seeds covered with soft hairs. Habitat: Dry soils and open habitat, such as fields and roadsides. Season: Shoots and leaves should be harvested in the spring; buds, flowers and pods in summer. Note: the milky sap is bitter and mildly toxic. These can easily be dispelled by boiling in water. If cold water is used, the bitter taste will be fixed.
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Juniperus communis Family Cupressaceae
Leaves: Needles measuring one half inch. Sharp pointed, hollow, 3-sided, and white above. Found in whorls of 3. No petiole. Fruits: Pea-sized blackish berry growing throughout a branch. Requires 3 growing seasons to mature. Bark: Thin (less than 1/4 in. thick), shaggy, and red- to gray-brown. Habitat: Rocky, poor soil. Season: Summer–Fall.
Pokeweed (pg. 27)
Red Clover (pg. 21)
Growth Form: Large, widely branching, herbaceous plant.
Growth Form: Weed-like short stalked plants. Often dispersed as ground cover.
Flowers: Small, with 5 greenish-white sepals, clustered on a long stalk.
Leaves: Three Leaflets. Marked with pale chevrons.
Fruits: Purple-black, hanging dropping clusters on bright red-pink stem. Maturing in autumn.
Flowers: Purple-Red in rounded heads.
Phytolacca American Family Phytolaccaceae
Stem: Single stemmed, reddish or pinkish, and smooth.
Trifolium pratense Family Fabaceae
Habitat: Fields, roadsides. Across the United States. Season: Harvested April–Sept.
Habitat: Waste places such as old fields, roadsides, from Minnesota to Maine and south to Texas and Florida. Season: Harvest the young leaves and shoots in spring. Note: roots, seeds, and mature stems and leaves are dangerously poisonous. Discard any shoots tinged with red.
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Sassafras (pg. 15)
Sweet Goldenrod (pg. 19)
Growth Form: Tree or shrub.
Growth Form: Herbaceous plant, usually 1.5– 3 ft. tall.
Sassafras albidum Family Lauraceae
Leaves: 3– 5 in. long, 1.5– 4 in. wide. Ovate and not toothed with 2, 3, or no lobes. Reddish petioles. Flowers: Tiny, 0.4 in., yellow-greenish, appearing in early spring. Fruits: Oval blue-black berries in red cup, one-seeded. Bark: Brown and reddish or grayish, becoming furrowed. Habitat: Forests and thickets in uplands and valleys. Season: Roots can be harvested throughout the year. Leaves should be gathered in spring and early summer. Note: Sassafras contains a chemical that causes cancer when used for medicinal purposes. 10
Solidago odora Family Asteraceae
Leaves: ~3– 4 in. long, slender, smooth, parallel-veined. They show tiny transparent dots well held up to bright light. Flowers: Small yellow-rayed blossoms, arranged in plume-like one-sided inflorescence. Blooms July– October. Habitat: Dry open areas, such as roadsides, dry woods, and pine barrens. Its northern border is Missouri, Ohio, New York, and New Hampshire and then south to Florida and Texas. Season: Leaves and flowers can be harvested summer to early autumn.
Solomon’s Seal (pg. 13)
Wintergreen (pg. 29)
Growth Form: Herbaceous plant with stout rootstock, and flowers and berries along underside of stem.
Growth Form: Low growing plant. Spreads with shoots underground.
Polygonatum biflorum Family Liliaceae
Leaves: Parallel-veined leaves. Arranged alternately on a single stem. Flowers: Greenish yellow. Hang off underside of stem. Flower April–June. Fruits: Hang-off underside of stem. Come in pairs. Bluish-Black. Habitat: Woods and thickets. Great Lakes region to as far south as Connecticut. Season: Shoots available in the spring. Rootstocks can be harvested year-round.
Gaultheria procumbens Family Ericaceae
Leaves: Small, dark-green, oval shaped. Slightly toothed edges. Flowers: Small, egg-shaped. Hang underneath leaves. Fruits: Small red berry. Flavor of wintergreen (minty). Habitat: Woods, clearings, poor waste soil. Canada and Northern US south to mountains of Georgia. Season: Year-Round.
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Solomon’s Seal Polygonatum biflorum Family Liliaceae
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SOLOMON’S SEAL TEA Ready in 20m | Serves 1
Ingredients
Directions
1/2 t or less of loose Solomon’s Seal root
1. T o make 1 cup of hot tea: place 1/2 t of chopped/ground root in an empty cup. Boil tea water, wait a minute or two before pouring it into your cup. You don’t need a tea ball or strainer because the root simply sinks to the bottom and swells up. You can chew on the swollen root bits— it won’t hurt you. Cover and steep for 7-10 minutes You can drink two or three cups a day, as needed, but you may find that one cup per day is enough. Never drink more than three cups in a day.
Honey, to sweeten (or use sugar)
2. In the event that you find, as others have, that you are too busy to drink more than one cup a day but would like to increase your tea intake, here is a suggestion. When you are experiencing a serious condition, for example deep chest congestion or a chronic cough, taking the tea two or even three times a day would definitely be recommended. You can brew three or four cups at a time, put it in bottle and sip it throughout the day. That way you may make faster improvement. It’s no harder to brew three cups than to brew one cup. Re-warm as needed, but do not bring to a boil.
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Sassafras Sassafras albidum Family Lauraceae
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HOMEMADE ROOT BEER RECIPE Ready in 40m | Makes 2.5 Quarts
Ingredients
Directions
30-40 inches worth of 1/4-inch thick Sassafras roots (enough to fill one cup when
1. S crub the roots clean of any dirt. 2. Strain through cheesecloth or a fine Cut the roots into 1/2-inch long mesh sieve lined with a paper towel. pieces. (The roots can be tough, if Rinse out the pot. Return the liquid you have a pair of pruning shears, to the pot. Add the sugar, heat until they work great to cut the roots.) If just a simmer and the sugar has you have a few green stems, you can dissolved. Remove from the heat include them too, but you should and let cool. have mostly roots. Cut up as much 3. To assemble the root beer, fill a glass as you need to fill one cup. Put the with ice cubes, add the syrup and roots into a small pot and cover with soda water in a 1:2 ratio, so 1/3 cup 4 cups of water. Add the cloves, anise of syrup to 2/3 cups of soda water. seeds, allspice berries, and cinnamon Add more soda water if you want it stick. Bring to a boil, reduce to a more diluted, add more syrup if you simmer, and simmer for 25 minutes. want it stronger. Add the molasses and simmer for 5 Add a drop or two of mint extract to the minutes more. Remove from heat.
you chop them into 1/2-inch pieces)
4 c water 2 cloves 1/2 t anise seeds (can sub fennel) 4 allspice berries 1-inch of stick cinnamon 1/4 c molasses 1 c sugar 2 quarts soda water
sassafras syrup, which adds a nice note.
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GOLDENROD TEA Ready in 30m | Serves 1
Ingredients
Directions
2 T fresh Goldenrod
1. Harvest the plant when some of the flowers are open but not all. This is called “the beginning of the flowering period”. It’s not necessary, but offers the medicine a fuller range of healing properties. If using fresh, just hold the stem with the flowers pointing into a bowl and clip the flowers and leaves into the bowl. Compost the stems. If you want to dry some Goldenrod to enjoy tea throughout the coming fall & winter, just hang up a bunch in a cool, dry spot. I wait until the leaves are ‘crispy’. When the plant material is dry, I store it in a large jar in a dark cupboard. I don’t chop it up, but try to keep the leaves & flowers intact as much as possible.
(or 1 T of dried Goldenrod)
1 c boiling water Honey, to sweeten (or use sugar)
2. Inspect flowers and leaves and make sure there are no bugs. Also make sure the flowers have not been sprayed. 3. Chop the leaves and flowers then add freshly boiled water Drink warm or at room temperature, whatever you prefer. Note: For therapeutic effects, take 3 cups per day. Drink up to 5 cups per day in ‘acute’ situations. 18
Common Goldenrod Taraxacum officionale Family Asteraceae
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Red Clover Trifolium pratense Family Fabaceae
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Ready in 15m | Serves 4
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RED CLOVER TEA
Ingredients
Directions
1 c red clover blossoms
1. I nspect flowers and make sure there are no bugs. Also make sure the flowers have not been sprayed.
2 T mint (spearmint or peppermint)
4 c water Honey, to sweeten
2. Bring the water to a boil. Remove from heat. Add clover blossoms and mint. Steep about 10 minutes. Strain. Add honey or sugar to taste. Enjoy! Optional: Air dry red clover every year and keep in plastic sealed bags. Make iced tea with it using 6 cups water and 2 decaf tea bags, adding the mint and red clover.
(or use sugar)
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DANDELION GREENS WITH A KICK Ready in 35m | Serves 2
Ingredients 2 t salt 1 lb. dandelion greens, torn into 4-inch pieces 2 T olive oil 1 T butter 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
Directions 1/4 t red pepper flakes
1. Soak dandelion greens in a large bowl of cold water with 1 t salt for 10 minutes. Drain.
2 minced cloves garlic
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1 t salt. Cook greens until tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water until chilled.
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 T grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
3. Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir onion and red pepper flakes until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic until garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds more. Increase heat to medium-high and add dandelion greens. Continue to cook and stir until liquid is evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper. 4. Sprinkle greens with Parmesan cheese to serve.
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Common Dandelion Taraxacum officionale Family Asteraceae
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Common Milkweed Asclepias syriaca Family Asclepiadaceae
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STUFFED MILKWEED PODS Ready in 45 min | Serves 5
Ingredients
Directions
4 oz cream cheese
1. Heat oven to 375°F.
1 T diced red onion
2. P lace the softened cream cheese in a bowl and mix in the diced onion, jalapeño, bacon, salt and pepper. Remove the immature seeds and silk from the boiled milkweed pods, and spoon in about 2 t of cream cheese filling until the pod is full.
2 slices of cooked bacon 1 small jalapeño chopped fine Salt and pepper 20 milkweed pods, boiled and split
3. Roll the exposed seam of cream cheese in bread crumbs and place seam side up on a baking sheet covered with a sheet of parchment paper. 4. Bake the stuffed pods for 15-20 minutes. Serve warm.
Bread crumbs
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POKE SALLET
Ready in 5 hours | Serves 4
Ingredients
Directions
Pokeweed leaves
1. Remove pokeweed leaves from plant I recommend wearing gloves at the beginning of the cooking process. You want to start by removing all the leaves from the plant. This is the part you will eat. Dispose of the rest of the plant in a safe manner.
Bacon fat, enough to coat pan Crushed bacon, to taste Salt & pepper, to taste
2. W ash the leaves in cool water. Then place the leaves in a pot of water, and bring them to a rolling boil for 20 minutes. Next pour the leaves into a sieve. Rinse the leaves with cool water. Repeat the above boiling and rinsing process at least one more time. Personally, like most people I know that prepare poke sallet, I only do the boiling and rinse twice, but many recipes recommend boiling and rinsing 3 times. 3. Y ou are likely safe to dispose of your gloves after the first boiling and rinsing process. The thinking behind this is that you probably are no longer at risk of contact poisoning after the first boil/rinse, and continuing to wear the same pair of gloves might cause toxins to be put back into the sallet that you have worked so hard to extract. If you are very cautious, one might use a new pair
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Pokeweed Phytolacca American Family Phytolaccaceae
of gloves for each handling of the pokeweed leaves throughout the boil/rinse process. That being said, many people who have prepared poke sallet throughout their lives have never used gloves at all with no perceivable consequence. 4. You definitely want to wash your boiling pot out after each boiling cleanse as not to put any toxins back in the pokeweed leaves that you have taken out. The same goes for your sieve. Clean it before each new rinse. Bring leaves to rolling boil in large pot for 20 minutes. . After you have properly detoxified the leaves, you are 5 going to pan-fry them for a couple of minutes in bacon grease. Last, you add a bit of crumbled bacon and salt and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy.
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WINTERGREEN ICE CREAM
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Wintergreen Gaultheria procumbens Family Ericaceae 30
Ingredients
Directions
2 c heavy cream
1. S ave about 1/4 c of the milk back to dissolve ice cream base. Stir the ice cream base until it the corn starch in later. Heat the rest of the gets back to the steaming point, then stir it milk, the cream, sugar and wintergreen to the constantly for 8– 10 minutes. steaming point, about 160°F. Turn off the heat, 4. Turn off the heat and cool the mixture. Fill a cover the pot and let steep for at least 2 hours. large bowl with ice and then nestle a smaller To steep, let the mixture cool on the stove, then bowl inside the larger bowl. Pour the ice cream pour it into a lidded container and refrigerate. base into the smaller bowl, then stir frequently 2. The cooked wintergreen berries soften, have to cool it rapidly. Then, add the wintergreen an innocuous texture and add a little color extract, if you’re using it. When the ice cream to the ice cream, but you can strain them out base is cool, put it in a ice cream maker and if you want. follow its directions.
2 c whole milk 3/4 c sugar 2 oz of chopped wintergreen berries 1/2 t wintergreen extract (optional) 3 T maple syrup 3 T corn starch 4 oz of semisweet chocolate, chopped fine and kept cold
3. P our the mixture back into a pot. Turn the 5. As soon as the ice cream is made, gently fold heat on medium to heat it up again slowly. in the chocolate chips. Either serve at once or While it is heating, whisk the corn starch with allow to harden in the freezer. The longer you the remaining milk until dissolved. Stir the store this ice cream, the harder it will get. cornstarch mixture and maple syrup into the
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GIN AND BITTER LEMON SORBET Ready in 1 day | Serves 4
Ingredients
Directions
5/8 c sugar
1. Place the sugar, juniper berries and bitter lemon in a pan, bring up to a simmer and simmer gently for five minutes then remove from the heat and leave to cool. Stir in the lemon juice and gin and refrigerate until cold.
30 juniper berries, bruised 1½ c carbonated bitter lemon 1/2 c fresh lemon juice (about 2 large lemons)
1/3 c gin 1 egg white
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2. G ently whisk the egg white in a large jug until just frothy then pass the lemon mixture through a sieve into the jug and whisk to combine. Churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions; it will not freeze as firmly as usual due to the gin but should reach at least a thick slushy texture. 3. Transfer to a freezer-proof container and freeze overnight, it will remain a soft-serve consistency but will become firmer (unless you don’t have a very powerful freezer in which case you may need to use less gin).
Ground Juniper Juniperus communis Family Cupressaceae
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