By Kelsey
This week I would like to highlight an herb that is, for the first time (despite Sarah’s and my efforts for the last few years), successfully growing in the herb garden: Mullein aka Verbascum thapsus! Mullein is a biennial plant and a member of the plant family Scrophulariaceae, or Figwort family.
It’s an impressive and unique looking plant, with its hairy leaves in a rosette and a very tall stem (1-2 m) with a dense spike of yellow flowers at the end. The underside of the leaves reveal veins arranged in a pattern reminiscent of the bronchi of the lungs.
In addition to its bold stature in the garden, mullein is something of a medicinal miracle. Gentle yet effective, it is an important plant to keep in mind as fire season is in full swing and many days our skies are obscured by smoke. Mullein has an affinity for the respiratory system and is indicated for all manner of respiratory conditions: it can help soothe a sore throat, calm a dry cough, and bring moisture and coolness to inflamed mucous membranes. Breathing smoke dries out the mucous membranes of the respiratory system and a tea of mullein leaves and/or flowers can help support the body in healing from this type of environmental stress.
Mullein leaves may be harvested any time of year, and the flowers should be picked when the morning dew has dried but before it is hot. When using mullein leaf for tea, it is important to strain it very well, or else the hairs will catch you in the throat! Perhaps this is a doctrine of signatures effect—the plant showing you exactly where it is working.
This Week’s Pick List:
Eggs
Red Gold New Potatoes
Ailsa Craig and Red Long of Tropea Onions
Evergreen Hardy Scallions
Yaya Carrots
Rhonda Beets
Pink Beauty Radish
Diamond, Money Maker, and Beatrice Eggplant
Solstice Broccoli and/or Song Cauliflower (depending on harvest)
Taiwan Flat and Caraflex Cabbage
Emiko Napa Cabbage
Dark Star, Yellowfin, and Cocozelle Summer Squash
Silver Slicer, Sweet Marketmore, Salt and Pepper, and Addis Pickle Cucumbers
Sweet peppers
Tomatoes
Bastan Poblano Peppers
Jalapeno, Serrano, Rodeo, Aji Crystal, and Wenk’s Yellow Hot Peppers
Old Growth Palm Kale
Champion Collards
Ruby Red Chard
Regiment Spinach
Parsley, Basil, and Cilantro
Head Lettuce
Melons and watermelons
Albion Strawberries
Pick your own: padron and shishito peppers, okra, cherry tomatoes and tomatillos, jade and dragon langerie beans. Along with the flowers, there are shiso, purple and thai basil in the annual field.
Saltonstall Olive Oil (Please bring your own jars!)
Revolution Bread
Beet and Barley Salad With Date-Citrus Vinaigrette, from nytimes.com
2 medium beets, scrubbed
½ cup pearl barley
Coarse kosher salt
1 lemon
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons date honey (also labeled date syrup)
Freshly ground black pepper
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 handfuls of mixed slightly bitter lettuce, like chicory, arugula, romaine, Swiss chard or beet leaves, roughly torn
1 cup fresh mixed herbs, like mint, thyme, oregano, parsley, hyssop, lovage and cilantro
1 to 2 Persian cucumbers, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch dice
2 large shallots or 1/2 red onion, diced in 1/2-inch pieces (see Tip)
5 dried figs or 4 fresh figs, quartered
1 cup white or red grapes, or a combination, halved
1 cup mixed pitted olives, halved
½ cup pomegranate seeds
½ cup crumbled feta
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place beets in a baking dish with a 1/2 inch of water. Cover and bake until tender when pierced with a fork, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. When cool enough to handle, peel the beets and cut into bite-size pieces.
While the beets are roasting, make the barley: Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add the barley and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes, or until al dente.
While the barley is cooking, make the salad dressing: Squeeze the juice from the lemon (about 2 tablespoons) into a small bowl. Add the garlic and date honey, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the olive oil and set aside.
When the barley is cooked, drain, rinse and drain again. Taste, adding more salt, if necessary, and let cool completely.
When ready to serve, use your hands to gently mix the lettuce and herbs in a large salad bowl and scatter on the barley, beets, celery, cucumbers, shallots, figs and grapes. Top with the olives, pomegranate seeds and feta, and sprinkle on the dressing. Mix at the table and serve immediately.
If you’d like to mellow out the bite of raw shallot, you can soak it in cold water for about 10 minutes, then drain.