China Bayles' Book of Days

by Susan Wittig Albert

  POTPOURRI FOR SHARING

  sage leaves, fresh or dried

  goldenrod flowers

  dried strawflowers or chrysanthemums

  sunflower seeds

  pumpkin seeds

  squash or melon seeds

  seed pods collected from the garden

  shelled or unshelled nuts

  popped corn

  acorns

  pieces of dried orange and lemon peel

  dried cranberries or other dried berries

  ears of Indian corn

  bits of fern, twigs

  pretty autumn leaves

  Recipe for Goose Stuffing: Take 4 apples, peeled and cored, 4 onions, 4 leaves of sage, and 4 leaves of lemon thyme not broken, and boil them in a stew pan with sufficient water to cover them; when done, pulp them through a sieve, removing the sage and thyme; then add sufficient pulp of mealy potatoes to cause it to be sufficiently dry without sticking to the hand; add pepper and salt, and stuff the bird

  —MRS. BEETON’S BOOK OF HOUSEHOLD MANAGEMENT, 1861

  NOVEMBER 25

  Today is the beginning of the Celtic Month of Elder, according to some sources.

  If you chop an elder tree or fell it, or if you want blossoms or fruit, you must say “Please, Mother Elder, may I have . . .”

  —ROY VICKERY, OXFORD DICTIONARY OF PLANT-LORE

  Respect Your Elder Mother

  Elder (Sambucus sp.)—a familiar, common shrub, flourishing in ditches and marshy areas—has for centuries been held sacred throughout England. And while it is a valuable plant, using any part of it without asking permission was courting trouble, for the tree was the dwelling of the “Elder Mother” (Elle or Hylde-moer in Scandinavian and Danish myth), who took offense if any of her trees were harmed.

  But the elder must have been generous with her permissions, for everything about this plant, from root to twig-tip, has been put to use. The flowers, roots, leaves, and bark have been brewed, stewed, steeped, pickled, bundled, and minced, serving a wide variety of medicinal purposes. Modern research suggests that elder extract is effective for coughs, colds, and flu. Elder branches (often said to be poisonous) have been used to witch water, and twigs were often hung over the door to keep witches away. A branch buried with a corpse fended off vampires, and a hollowed-out stick could be turned into a Pan pipe.

  The flowers were fermented to make ale, wine, and beer, and were battered and fried as fritters. The berries (often called “the Englishman’s grape”) were turned into sauce, ice cream, jelly, and pie. Here’s a traditional jelly recipe. If you pick the elderberries, be sure to say please first and thank-you afterward. The Elder Mother will appreciate it.

  ELDERBERRY JELLY

  2 quarts elderberries, washed, stems removed

  2 cups water

  1 box pectin

  5 cups sugar

  Bring the berries and water to a boil on a large, nonreactive saucepan. Simmer until berries are soft. Strain through a jelly bag or cheesecloth; for clear jelly, do not squeeze. You should have 3½ cups of juice; if not, pour a little water through the crushed berries. Return 3[h] cups elderberry juice to pan. Add pectin to the juice and bring to a boil. Stir in the sugar and bring to a full rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat, skim and pour into hot sterilized jars. Seal with hot paraffin immediately.

  Elder Vinegar. Put dryed Elder flowers into Stone or double Glass Bottles, fill them up with good Wine Vinegar, and set them up in the sun or by the Fire till their Virtue is extracted.

  —THE RECEIPT BOOK OF JOHN NOTT,

  COOK TO THE DUKE OF BOLTON, 1723

  NOVEMBER 26

  Many of us miss all that is most worth learning in old books through regarding anything in them that is unfamiliar as merely quaint, if not ridiculous. . . . There is only one way of understanding these old writers, and that is to forget ourselves entirely and to try to look at the world of nature as they did. It is not “much learning” that is required, but sympathy and imagination.

  —ELEANOUR SINCLAIR ROHDE, THE OLD ENGLISH HERBALS

  Old Herbals

  I have always been passionate about books. Among my favorites are books about herbs—not the glossy coffee-table books that have flooded the market since the herb “renaissance” began in the late 1980s, but earlier books, which I’ve collected in inexpensive reprints and facsimiles.

  There’s plenty to enjoy in these little volumes. In my facsimile edition of the 1833 American Frugal Housewife, for example, Mrs. Child tells us that “a poultice made of ginger or of common chickweed, that grows about one’s door in the country, has given great relief to the toothache,” and that “plantain leaves laid upon a wound are cooling and healing.” A century later, Helen Morgenthau Fox (in Gardening with Herbs for Flavor and Fragrance, 1933) prints an “old” recipe for “Marigold Custard” that I’ve never seen anywhere else. (I’ll include it in tomorrow’s entry.) Eleanour Sinclair Rohde (The Old English Herbals, 1922) offers a careful review of all the important herbals from the eighth to the seventeenth century, and Rosetta Clarkson’s Green Enchantment (1940) tells intriguing stories about early garden tools and flowers in herbal medicines. Fascinating, every page.

  • Old Time Gardens, by Alice Morse Earle, 1901, reprinted 2005

  • The Book of Herbs, by Lady Rosalind Northcote, 1903, reprinted 1971

  • Old English Herbals, by Eleanour Sinclair Rohde, 1922, reprinted 1971

  • The Herb Garden, by Frances Bardswell, 1930, reprinted 1986

  • A Modern Herbal, by Maud Grieve, 1931, reprinted 1971

  • Gardening with Herbs for Flavor and Fragrance, by Helen Morgenthau Fox, 1934, reprinted 1970

  • Herbs and the Earth, by Henry Beston, 1935, reprinted 1973, 1990

  • Rose Recipes from Olden Times, by Eleanour Sinclair Rohde, 1939

  • Magic Gardens, by Rosetta E. Clarkson, 1939, reprinted 1992

  The young gardener will have leisure during the long evenings . . . to improve himself by reading. . . . [T]he young man who does not occupy every moment of his spare time in improving himself, has no chance whatever of getting a good situation as head gardener.

  —JOHN CLAUDIUS LOUDON, 1842

  NOVEMBER 27

  Waxwings are amiable, egalitarian birds with pleasant table manners, never bickering over dessert like aggressive jays and testy titmice. You’ll sometimes see ten or fifteen of them sitting shoulder-to-shoulder on a branch, ceremoniously passing a juniper berry from one polite beak to another until one of the birds decides it has his name on it. If the berry makes it to the last bird, back up the row it goes again.

  —BLEEDING HEARTS: A CHINA BAYLES MYSTERY

  Piney, Pungent, Plentiful

  Here at Meadow Knoll, the juniper branches are weighed down with ripe berries and feasting birds: the here-for-the-winter cedar waxwings, dapper birds with neat black masks and tails that look as if they’ve been dipped in yellow paint. They’re in cahoots with the blackbirds and robins, and they’re gobbling the silvery-blue berries as fast as they can. If I don’t hurry, I won’t get my share.

  Maybe you’ve never used juniper berries in cooking, but if you’ve ever had a gin and tonic, you’ve tasted their clean, pine-flavored pungency. And you’ve seen the shrub everywhere, for Juniperus communis, originally a native of Europe, is now as common as . . . well, weeds. Ours (we have Ashe junipers) grow as tall as 20 feet. The yellow pollen puffing from the male trees in late December is an astonishing sight—and sheer misery for those with allergies.

  If juniper is a new herb for you, try the dried culinary berries that come from Macedonia and Albania. (You may have to find a mail order source.) Juniper is often associated with wild game cooking, but it’s good with beef, pork, sauerkraut, and other strong-flavored vegetables. The berries are often used in marinades and sauces that feature red wine, garlic, rosemary, thyme, or bay. You’ll need only three or four, lightly crushed.

  Juniper has long been used for medicinal purposes. The
volatile oils aid digestion and reduce gas, although they may be dangerous for pregnant women and people with kidney ailments. Externally, juniper has been used in liniments and poultices to ease pain in the joints or muscles, or in a stimulating bath.

  And if you’re troubled by witches, juniper is just what the doctor ordered. Witches were said to be offended by the pungent scent, and the plant was burned as an incense in exorcisms. Wear a sprig around your neck to ward off the attacks of wild animals and snakes. And plant a juniper beside your front door. One legend says that a witch cannot pass it until he or she has counted every twig.

  Excuse me. If I don’t get outside with my basket, the birds will beat me to the last of the juniper berries.

  NOVEMBER 28

  Today is National French Toast Day.

  Savory French Toast

  French toast isn’t just for breakfast, you know. Here is a savory herbal treat that’s perfect for a Sunday brunch, especially when the tomatoes are served on an arugula bed, and the plate is accompanied by a bowl of hot soup.

  SAVORY FRENCH TOAST & HAM WITH BROILED TOMATOES

  4 eggs, beaten

  ¼ cup milk

  1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

  2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion tops

  1 tablespoon minced parsley

  1 teaspoon prepared horseradish sauce or

  grated horseradish

  2 teaspoons prepared mustard

  4 teaspoons butter

  8 slices bread

  4 thin slices ham

  In a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, Swiss cheese, onions, parsley, horseradish, and mustard. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Dip slices of bread into the egg mixture, then place them in the skillet. Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned on both sides. Remove bread from skillet. Layer 4 slices with ham; cover with remaining four bread slices. Return sandwiches to skillet; cook until bread has browned. Serve hot, with broiled ripe tomatoes. Makes 4 sandwiches.

  To broil tomatoes: Slice 4 medium-ripe tomatoes in half. In a pie plate, mix 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar. Marinate the tomatoes cut side down for 10 minutes. Place cut side up on foil-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons dried basil and 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan. Broil for 5-7 minutes, until cheese is brown.

  Clear moon, frost soon.

  A curdly sky

  Will not leave the earth long dry.

  —TRADITIONAL WEATHER LORE

  NOVEMBER 29

  He that is merry of heart hath a continual feast.

  —PROVERBS 15:15

  Herbs for a Healthy Heart

  Cardiac health—in a broader sense, the health of the entire circulatory system—ought to be at the top of everyone’s list of health concerns. You no doubt already understand the importance of a low-fat diet, weight control, exercise, hypertension management, and you don’t smoke. But herbs can be an important part of an overall holistic program of cardiovascular health, as well—especially if you grow them yourself and enjoy the beneficial exercise of gardening. Here are just a few of the herbs that have been recommended for circulatory health, along with a list of resources for you to explore. (As with any medication, consult your physician before using herbs therapeutically.)

  • Garlic has been demonstrated to lower cholesterol, reduce blood pressure, and help prevent blood clots.

  • Hawthorn helps to dilate coronary blood vessels, thereby improving the flow of blood to the heart. The leaves, flowers, and berries contain antioxidants and flavonoids that seem to strengthen the heart muscle, reduce blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, and lower high blood pressure.

  • Ginger, traditionally used as a digestive aid, helps to control several key risk factors for circulatory disease: cholesterol, blood pressure, plaque build-up, and blood clotting.

  • Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) is widely used in Oriental medicine to treat many heart and circulatory diseases. Plant chemicals improve arterial blood flow, reduce the risk of clotting, and enhance recovery from stroke.

  • Turmeric (Curcuma longa) stimulates the production of bile, thereby lowering serum cholesterol levels. A powerful antioxidant, it may inhibit the formation of blood clots that can lead to heart attack.

  Hawthorn Berry Syrup. Cover the freshly gathered fruit with water and boil until the fruit is soft. Strain off the juice and return the pulp to the kettle and make a second extraction. For every 2 cups of juice, add 1 cup sugar. Boil until thick and syrupy. Pour into sterilized bottles. Refrigerate and use within two weeks.

  More Reading:

  Healthy Heart: Strengthen Your Cardiovascular System Naturally, by David Hoffman

  NOVEMBER 30

  Herb Garden Olive Oil

  This is the time of year I always make herbed oils for gifts. I’m always careful, because several years ago, herbed oils were incriminated in at least one (and possibly more) cases of deadly botulism. If you follow some commonsense rules as you make these oils for friends or for yourself, you won’t stir up any trouble. Be scrupulously clean, sterilize the bottles, and store your oil in the fridge.

  This is my favorite recipe. As with vinegar, you can experiment with flavors until you find what suits you.

  HERBED OLIVE OIL

  6 sprigs fresh rosemary, 3 inches long,

  or 1 tablespoon dried

  3 sprigs fresh thyme, 1 teaspoon dried

  3 fresh sprigs oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried

  2 large bay leaves

  8 whole black peppercorns

  3 cloves garlic, cut in eighths

  1 quart extra-virgin olive oil

  Wash the herbs and pat dry with a paper towel. Place in a sterilized 1-quart jar. Add olive oil, being sure to cover the herbs, pushing them down, if necessary. Cover and refrigerate for 10 days. (It coagulates when cold.) Taste. If more flavor is desired, continue to taste every 2 days. When you like the flavor, bring to room temperature and strain into a clean bottle. Refrigerate. To give, rebottle in a pretty bottle with a raffia tie. Label with this instruction: Store in refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before use.

  If you have parsnips but no sugar, don’t lose heart! Make Parsnip-Cakes!

  Parsnip-Cakes. Scrape some Parsnip-Roots, and slice them thin, dry them in an Oven and beat them to Powder; mix them with an equal quantity of Flour, and make them up with Cream and Spices powder’d; then mould them into Cakes, and bake them in a gentle Oven.—N.B. The Sweetness of the Parsnip Powder answers the want of sugar.

  —R. BRADLEY, THE COUNTRY HOUSEWIFE AND

  LADY’S DIRECTOR, 1732

  Read more about olives:

  Olives : The Life and Lore of a Noble Fruit, by Mort Rosenblum

  DECEMBER 1

  Come along inside . . . We’ll see if tea and buns can make the world a better place.

  —KENNETH GRAHAME, WIND IN THE WILLOWS

  A Cup of Comfort

  Got the winter sniffles? A comforting cup of herbal tea may put you on the road to recovery a little faster. Here are some herbal remedies for what ails you.

  GINGER AND LEMON TEA FOR COLDS AND FLU

  1½ cups water

  ½ cup lemon juice

  4 slices fresh gingerroot, about ¼-inch thick

  ¼ teaspoon cayenne

  1 tablespoon honey

  Bring water to a boil in a nonreactive pan. Bruise the slices of gingerroot and drop them into the boiling water. Reduce heat and simmer about five minutes. Remove from heat, strain into a cup. Add lemon juice, honey, and cayenne. Stir and sip.

  THYME, SAGE, AND PEPPERMINT TEA FOR COUGHS AND FEVER

  1 teaspoon dried thyme

  1 teaspoon dried sage

  1 teaspoon dried peppermint

  1 cup boiling water

  Place the herbs in a tea ball or strainer in a cup. Pour the boiling water over them, cover and steep 8-10 minutes. Sweeten with honey. Sip while warm, up to two cups a day, for 3-4 days.

  LAVENDER, RO
SEMARY, THYME TEA FOR HEADACHES

  ½ teaspoon dried lavender flowers

  ½ teaspoon rosemary, bruised

  ½ teaspoon thyme

  1 cup boiling water

  Place the herbs in a tea ball or strainer in a cup. Pour the boiling water over them, cover and steep for 8-10 minutes. Sweeten with honey. Sip while warm.

  Learn more about making herbal tea:

  A Cozy Book of Herbal Teas: Recipes, Remedies, and Folk Wisdom, by Mindy Toomay

  There are no flowers that never fade,

  yet here are the chrysanthemums

  blooming in winter.

  —YUAN HUNG-TAO, 1568-1610

  DECEMBER 2

  “I’m afraid we need to talk to you about a rather difficult subject,” I said, when Hazel Pennyroyal answered Ruby’s knock. “It has to do with your brother’s will.”

  Hazel opened the door wider. “The best place for difficult conversations is the kitchen. Anyway, I’m making soap and it needs stirring. Come on.”