By Sarah Beth
I hope you’re all enjoying the fresh summer veggies as much as I am! This time of year it seems like my dinners are a plate full of fresh veggies which is a big part of the reason why summer is my favorite season. There is even more to look forward to in the coming weeks and months!
Along with all the wonderful things summer brings we also all know we are anticipating the fire season. Since March of this year I’ve been enrolled at the California School of Herbal Studies in a class titled Body Systems. It’s a mixture of physiology and herbal studies. This past weekend we covered the respiratory system and touched a bit on how to care for our bodies and lungs as we enter fire season. I would love to share some things I learned that might be beneficial to our members as well!
First, stay hydrated and consume demulcent herbs and foods! An excellent way to stay hydrated is with delicious teas. Our Cold Brew tea (containing marshmallow, rose, and chamomile) that Kelsey formulated is a great option or simply make a cold infusion with marshmallow. In the herb circle you can also find violet which is a demulcent herb you can make as a tea as well. Other demulcent herbal friends are cinnamon (if it’s not too warming for you), plantain (which is found as a weed all around here), chia seeds, flax, and licorice.
Second, use herbs (whether in teas, tinctures, infused vinegars and oils) that have an affinity for the lungs such as mullein (which you can find in our herb circle), elecampane, thyme, tulsi, astragalus, and rosemary.
Third, protect your lungs by wearing a mask outdoors when air quality is poor. When outside for prolonged periods I also think it’s a good practice to shower at the end of the day to cleanse your skin. Last year I enjoyed doing herbal steams after showering. With caution, pour boiling water into a pot, add some lung supporting herbs like thyme or rosemary (NOT the essential oils but the actual plant) and breathe in the steam. Covering your head with a towel draped over the bowl helped to capture all the goodness!
This Week’s Pick List:
Eggs
Red Gold New Potatoes
Candy Onions
Alto Leeks (Young and tender!)
Evergreen Hardy Scallions
Yaya Carrots
Rhonda Beets
Pink Beauty Radish
Hakurei Turnips
Solaris Fennel
Gypsy Broccoli
Beatrice, Purple Shine, and Shimoda Eggplant
Dark Star, Yellowfin, and Cocozelle Summer Squash
Mideast Peace, Silver Slicer, Sweet Marketmore, and Addis Pickle Cucumbers
Emiko Napa, Taiwan Flat, and Caraflex Cabbage
Rainbow Lacinato
Champion Collards
Ruby Red Chard
Parsley, Basil, Cilantro, and Dill
Regiment Spinach
Esmee Arugula
Head Lettuce
Albion Strawberries
Saltonstall Olive Oil (Please bring your own jars!)
Revolution Bread
Since we have peaches for sale this week I thought I’d share one of my favorite peach dessert recipes. It’s a peach crisp by Ree Drummond (The Pioneer Woman) but I will just share the link because I love all of her photos and commentary. It includes a maple cream syrup which you can totally skip or substitute in vanilla ice cream.
https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a10230/peach-crisp-wit/