China Bayles' Book of Days (37 page)

SUSAN BELSINGER’S CHOCOLATE PUDDING WITH BAY

2 cups half-and-half
3 large fresh bay leaves or 2 dried bay leaves
3 tablespoons cornstarch
²
/
₃
cup sugar
2 pinches salt
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa
½ cup milk
3 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, cut into
small pieces
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Heat the half-and-half with the bay leaves in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. When the cream starts to bubble around the edges of the pan, remove from heat and cover. Let stand for 30 minutes. Combine the cornstarch, sugar, salt, and cocoa in a bowl and whisk in the milk. Pour the mixture into the warm bay-infused cream and cook over medium heat, stirring as the pudding thickens. When it begins to boil, stir for one more minute, then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chocolate pieces until they are melted. Mix in the vanilla. Remove the bay leaves and pour the pudding into six ramekins or custard cups. Best served at room temperature, Susan says, “so you really taste the flavors.” Garnish with whipped cream if desired.

Read more of Susan’s herbal recipes:

Not Just Desserts: Sweet Herbal Recipes
, by Susan Belsinger, available from
www.susanbelsinger.com
.

JUNE 27

The Theme Garden for June: An Apothecary Garden.

Even the Apothecary Garden, where the plants are grown for their medicinal value rather than their beauty, is pretty at this time of year: the tall stalks of fuzzy-leafed mullein like yellow tapers; the striking blossoms of echinacea, with their drooping purple petals and bright orange centers; and the passionflower, so useful in treating menstrual disorders, clambering happily up its trellis.

—A DILLY OF A DEATH: A CHINA BAYLES MYSTERY

Herbs for Healing

One of the most interesting gardens to design and tend is the apothecary garden, which features the medicinal herbs that were so important to the health and well-being of people in earlier times. Medicinal plants were at the heart of medical practice. This garden reminds us of their valued place in history and may inspire you to further study of these important herbs. And it isn’t all academic, either! An apothecary garden can also provide you with the ingredients for healing tinctures, oils, salves, and lotions that you can craft for yourself and your family.

Your apothecary garden might be in the shape of a circle, divided into pie-shaped wedges, or in a four-square pattern with small blocks devoted to particular plants. You may also want to incorporate some of the important medicinal shrubs (roses and witch hazel, for instance). An armillary—an ancient style of sundial—will give your garden a medieval look. Of course, before you use any plant therapeutically, you’ll want to do your homework. As China always says, she would hate to lose one of her friends due to the uninformed use of herbs!

A SAMPLING OF APOTHECARY HERBS FOR YOUR GARDEN

• Borage (
Borago officinalis
)

• Catnip or Catmint (
Nepeta cataria
)

• Comfrey (
Symphytum officinale
)

• Echinacea (
Echinacea augustifolia
)

• Horehound (
Marrubium vulgare
)

• Horseradish (
Cochlearia amoracia
)

• Lemon Balm (
Melissa officinalis
)

• Mullein (
Verbascum thapsus
)

• Passionflower (
Passiflora incarnata
)

• Pot Marigold (
Calendula officinalis
)

• Periwinkle (
Vinca major
)

• Saint-John’s-wort (
Hypericum perforatum
)

• Valerian (
Valeriana officinalis
)

• Violet (
Viola odorata
)

• Yarrow (
Achillea millefolium
)

For the history of the apothecary garden, read:

History of the English Herb Garden
, by Kay N. Sanecki

For medical uses of herbs, consult:

The Herbal Handbook: A User’s Guide to Medical Herbalism
, by David Hoffmann

JUNE 28

Thou pretty herb of Venus’ tree,
Thy true name it is Yarrow;
Now who my bosom friend must be,
Pray tell thou me tomorrow.
—HALLIWELL’S POPULAR RHYMES

Yarrow, Yea, Yarrow, Nay

Yarrow is so often described as a medicinal herb that its other interesting uses are sometimes overlooked. But it was otherwise in the old days, for yarrow had a reputation as an herb with a dangerously split personality.

BAD YARROW, GOOD YARROW

For reasons that aren’t quite clear, yarrow was one of the herbs thought to be dedicated to the devil, and two of its early names—Devil’s nettle and Devil’s plaything—reflect this demonic affiliation. Witches were thought to employ it for spells, and it was considered dangerous to take the flowers indoors: In some parts of England, it was known as “Mother-die” plant. On the other hand, yarrow was worn as an amulet to protect against harm, strewn across the threshold to warn off evil spirits, and hung over the cradle to guard against witches and fairies that might steal the baby.

But it is in divination that the most interesting uses of yarrow appear. Perhaps because of its ambiguous association with the otherworld, the plant was used to predict the future. In China, the yarrow’s sacred stems were traditionally used to cast the I Ching, the famous oracle. In Europe, yarrow was placed beneath pillows to invite dreams of the future, and particularly of the future spouse. It was often gathered with specific instructions: “If a maiden wants to know who her be goin’ to marry, her must go to the churchyard at midnight and pluck a bit o’ yarra off the grave of a young man.” Young women split yarrow stems lengthwise to find the initials of their future husband; at the wedding, the two chewed the same yarrow leaf, supposed to ensure faithfulness for at least seven years.

But perhaps the oddest divining charm of all derives from yarrow’s use as a snuff to stop nosebleeds (which it might indeed do, given its astringent properties). Here’s the charm, from England’s East Anglia region, to be chanted while you tickle your nose with yarrow leaves:

Yarroway, yarroway, bear a white blow
If my love love me, my nose will bleed now.

Get out that hanky and give it a try!

Read more about the folklore of herbs:

Hedgemaids and Fairy Candles: The Lives and Lore of North American Wildflowers
, by Jack Sanders

Oxford Dictionary of Plant-Lore
, by Roy Vickery

Hemp-seed I sow, Hemp-seed I hoe,
He that is my true love will come after me and mow.
—TRADITIONAL SONG

JUNE 29

Today is the Anglican feast day of St. Peter the Apostle. In some churches in the north of England, the day is still celebrated with the Rushbearing Ceremony.

Rushes then were very necessary, not only for warmth to the feet of the worshipper, and thus we find that in olden time, as for example in the Norwich Cathedral, the rush that was sought after was the sweet-scented flag,
Acorus calamus
, which, when bruised, emits the fragrance of the myrtle flower.

—CANON H.D. RAWNSLEY, 1902

Strewing Herbs

With all due respect to Canon Rawnsley (one of the founders of England’s National Trust), rushes were part of the problem, for the soft-stemmed plants decayed readily and (especially in dining halls) harbored bones, food scraps, insects, and general refuse. When the floor was strewn with herbs, however, the situation was much more hygienic, as a visitor to England remarked: “Their chambers and parlours strawed over with swete herbes,” he wrote, “refreshed me.”

In the sixteenth century, herbs were grown specifically for strewing. In
Five Hundred Points of Good Husbandry
, Thomas Tusser lists 21 strewing herbs, including basil, balm, fennel, germander, and lavender. At the coronation of King James II in 1685, the Royal Herb Strewer strewed six bushels of herbs in the cathedral aisle, to be trodden on by the king. And as late as the end of the nineteenth century, pews in some English churches were strewn with herbs: costmary, mint, meadowsweet, rue, and sage. Spices were used where they could be afforded.

While you may not be eager to toss herbs on your floors, there are other pleasant ways to use these aromatic plants.

• In a coffee grinder or spice mill, grind cloves, cinnamon, other sweet-smelling spices, and dried rosemary. Mix with baking soda in equal parts (1 cup soda to 1 cup herbs). Sprinkle on your carpet, leave for an hour, then vacuum. (Test an area first, to be sure the material won’t stain and that your vacuum will pick it up.)

• Fill sachets and place them in your drawers and cupboards, or under the cushions or pillows on your sofa. Check often for mildew.

• Make potpourri from your garden and place bowls of it throughout your home.

• Hang bundles of aromatic herbs in your cupboards, closets, and attic. Renew as necessary.

Read more about strewing herbs:

Magic Gardens: A Modern Chronicle of Herbs and Savory Seeds
, by Rosetta E. Clarkson

While wormwood hath seed, get a handful or twain
To save against March, to make fleas to refrain
Where chamber is swept, and wormwood is strown
No flea, for his life, dare abide to be known.
—THOMAS TUSSER, 1573

JUNE 30

Sleep: the golden chain that ties health and our bodies together.

—THOMAS DEKKER (1572-1632)

Sweet Snoozes

Sometimes, if you’ve been busy all day, your body may be tired but your mind can’t seem to shut down. You toss and turn and can’t fall asleep, or you fall asleep but are wakeful—which makes the next day that much more stressful, which makes it harder to fall asleep the next night, which . . . Well, you get the picture. A third of American adults have trouble sleeping. If you’re one of them, try the natural sleep remedy of herbs.

HERBAL SLEEPY-TIME TEAS

• Chamomile (
Chamaemelum nobile
) is a relaxing herb that eases digestion and relieves spasms. It is a gentle sedative that is good for anxiety, especially when it is caused by losing one’s way in Mr. McGregor’s garden. To make the tea, steep one teaspoon of dried chamomile flowers in one cup boiling water for 4-5 minutes. It can be mixed with other sedative herbs.

• Valerian (
Valeriana officinalis
) is relaxing and sleep-inducing, calms digestion, and reduces blood pressure. Long used in folk medicine, clinical studies have validated valerian as a sedative. It can be used without fear of loss of performance the next day. Best taken as a tincture or a tea. Make the tea in the morning—2 teaspoons of valerian root to 2 cups of warm water—and let it steep until evening. Strain, warm, and add honey. Drink 1 cup after dinner and 1 cup before going to bed. Important note: don’t confuse valerian with the drug Valium.

• Lemon balm (
Melissa officinalis
) tea is relaxing and sleep-inducing. Steep 2 fresh leaves (or 1 teaspoon of dried leaves) in 1 cup of boiling water for ten minutes. Sip slowly just before bed. Lemon balm can also be mixed with chamomile.

• Lavender (
Lavendula angustifolia
) essential oil has been clinically demonstrated to ease tension and slow beta waves in the brain, suggesting drowsiness. Drink a cup of lavender tea (Steep 1 teaspoon flowers in 1 cup boiling water for 5 minutes.) Use it in a bath before bedtime, and put a few drops on your pillow. Try it in conjunction with one of the other herbal relaxants.

Read more about herbs that help you sleep:

Sleep and Relaxation: A Natural and Herbal Approach
, Story Country Wisdom Bulletin A-201, by Barbara L. Heller