The Green Report by Susun Weed
February, 6, 2012
I love February. Not just because of valentines (especially the chocolate kind), and not just because of my birthday on the 8th, but also because spring begins. The tree buds swell. Green shoots emerge. Spring starts on February 2, that’s Groundhog Day, the Feast of Flames, Bridgette’s Day. Celebrate spring and love. Feel the love of the Earth for you; there in every step. Feel the love of the plants for you; there in every breath.And here’s your top-of-the-month green report:
Look at what I found: snowdrops blooming!
White pine needles, just what we need for Homemade Balsamic Vinegar (see recipe below).
White pine needles are in groups of five
Wild chives, yummy minced into butter, omelets, and salads. They make a fab vinegar.
Wild cresses, in abundance now, so they will be our focus this month.
Barbara’s cress has shiny leaves
Rock cress is tiny
Winter leaves of Queen of the Night, a cress
Look for garlic mustard in protected corners
A couple of words about the photos accompanying these reports. The pictures are taken in my yard a few days before I write the report (and about a week before you read it). They show the plants as they are, right now. You probably can’t use them to identify plants.
It is almost impossible to make a trustworthy identification of a plant from a photo. Instead, join me for a class or two this year. Every class includes time outside identifying plants. Being with the plants allows you to see their true colors, and most importantly, to smell and taste them (these are the most stable characteristics, persisting in all stages of growth and all times of the year).
Homemade Balsamic Vinegar
This easy vinegar is a delicious way to ingest natural vitamin C, trace minerals, and anti-infective, anti-oxidant resins. It may be made any day of the year, including in the middle of the winter.
1. Fill a jar to the very top with needles from your favorite pine tree.
In the Northeast, white pine is the tastiest. In the west, pinon pine tops the list. No pine is poisonous, so feel free to experiment with your local pines. Pines have long, thin needles, not short, flat needles like poisonous yew. If you are uncertain about the pine you have in mind, make a small amount the first time. Some pines are too resinous to make tasty vinegars.
2. Then fill your jar with apple cider vinegar.
3. Put a plastic, glass, cork, or other non-metal lid on the jar.
4. Wait six weeks, then add to salads, soups, beans, anywhere you would use regular balsamic vinegar. If you are particularly impatient you could start using your homemade balsamic vinegar in as little as two weeks. The longer it sits, the better it gets.
From the Wise Woman Herbal Ezine
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Susun Weed, green witch and wise woman, is an extraordinary teacher with a joyous spirit, a powerful presence, and an encyclopedic knowledge of herbs and health. She is the voice of the Wise Woman Way, where common weeds, simple ceremony, and compassionate listening support and nourish health/wholeness/holiness. She has opened hearts to the magic and medicine of the green nations for three decades. Ms. Weed's four herbal medicine books focus on women's health topics including: menopause, childbearing, and breast health. Visit her site www.susunweed.com for information on her workshops, apprenticeships, correspondence courses and more! Browse the publishing site online at wisewomanbookshop.com to learn more about her alternative health books. Venture into the NEW Menopause site www.menopause-metamorphosis.com to learn all about the Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way.
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