Druids Blog & Articles

Clearly Cool Coriander!

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 18:39:28 +1000

This is the first time, and I’m sure it wont be the last time, that I sit here in the dim light of the cabin, laptop on my tray table, looking out across the top of the moonlit clouds at 30something thousand feet as I fly to Melbourne. A town with such history, and such a diverse range of people – I believe all people are all things. I look across at the man 2 seats over, engrossed in the TV in the back of the headrest, blissfully unaware of the people around him, their stories, their lives, hopes and fears – until they reach out and connect!

I received a beautiful email from a reader about a parent and a child’s love of herbs, and Rita, in the Druids Garden this month is your favourite herb;

Chinese Parsley, Coriandrum Sativum or the herb otherwise known as Coriander.

Coriander was found in King Tutankhamen’s Tomb which is odd as it isn’t normally grown there indicating that the Egyptians thought it valuable enough to cultivate it! It was mentioned in the Bible, and is native to east and southern Europe although it spread through the world quite fast – for such an old herb! The Chinese used the seeds and boiled roots over 5000 years ago as flavouring.

Historically Coriander was used to kill and expel worms from the body, and prevent vomiting but it’s the the medicinal benefits of Coriander that are astounding. The most amazing is assisting the body of clearing lead, mercury and aluminium. You would be surprised at what contains heavy metals that we absorb, from cooking implements to antiperspirants, and even the humble packet of chips! But fear not! Coriander is here.

So here is what you do. Make sure you have ample fresh Coriander. Start taking 1 to 2 grams per day and bump it up to 3 to 6 grams over a few weeks. While you’re doing this keep drinking 2L of water a day and take some lipoic acid and chlorella supplements. Stick to a high fibre diet with raw or unprocessed foods and you will be feeling great!

The theory is that the metals are bound to the fibre and expelled from the body. There is research to suggest that it works over a period of 1 to 2 months.

A most versatile and useful herb in the kitchen too – not to mention one of the first ever used there!! Spicy food too hot? Add Coriander to not only add a third dimension to flavour but also to cool it down! With Coriander you can use the entire herb, you can use the seeds, the leaves and the roots – which happens to be where I think the best flavour comes from! You can also chew on the seeds to sweeten the breath and aid in digestion too!

Coriander likes well drained soils and has a tendency to topple over in the wind so it like to be sheltered!! It’s an annual and only propagates from seed. Without ample water Coriander will go to seed quite quickly, especially if the ambient temperature is high!

Love it or hate it. Coriander is here to stay!!

Ben Sorensen /|\

BASIL!!! (in faulty towers style!)

Sat, 3 Oct 2009 21:06:50 +1000

Firstly I must thank all the amazing publications round Australia and New Zealand for their support of Druids Garden and the amazing readers I have had the pleasure of meeting – both in person and via email. It’s those experiences that both awaken and humble me. Please visit www.DruidsGardenOnline.com read the articles and most of all email me your thoughts and questions. I always love hearing from readers.

One of my favourite things to do on a weekend is to simply sit at a street side café and people watch while enjoying the outdoors, the ambiance, the coffee and most of all the food!! It was from this experience (and the most amazing Bruschetta) that reminded me of the simple culinary pleasures, of basic wholesome flavours, appreciating the simple things in life that are often overlooked - and it was all prompted by this months herb!

In my Druids Garden this month we see a herb with more varieties than you can poke a stick at and a member of the large Mint family!!

It’s Basil or more specifically Sweet Basil or St Josephs Wort or Ocimum basilicum if you want to sound impressive!

Basil has been cultivated for the last 5,000 years in the tropical regions surrounding Asia, but is actually native to Iran, and India! It was always a popular herb with many quirky customs surrounding it, it was said in Europe that if touched by someone “impure of heart” Basil would wilt. In Greece, basil translated as “the kingly herb” \and for best results should be sown while shouting and swearing! Other customs were based around love, in India, when a woman was ready for a lover she would place a basil plant on her balcony!

Among its many uses, basil has long been associated calmness, and in India was traditionally used to aid in the treatment of Asthma and Diabetes too. Recent studies have confirmed compounds found in Basil oil have some anti-cancer properties, potent antioxidants, anti-viral and anti-microbial properties. If you feel that un-mistakable throb of a bad headache on the way – fear not! Reach for the basil, crush the leaves and rub on your temples for relief! Why not make a strong brew of basil tea to calm the nerves, cleanse the kidneys, bladder, spleen, liver and blood! Make a stronger brew and it doubles as a fantastic hair conditioner and scalp treatment!

Basic basil.. the herbal building block, basic yet essential – especially if your making a traditional margarita pizza!!! A good friend sent me an sms with the ingredients – try it and remember the pleasure of simple cooking and flavours!! It’s easy! Get your pizza base then ad, tomato paste, basil and cheese (I do normally cheat and add sliced home grown tomatoes as well) place in the oven till all yummy and golden brown! Then DEVOUR with some good organic red wine!!

Interestingly enough, Basil’s super partner in the kitchen is also its best partner in the garden too. Basil is a perfect companion plant for Tomatoes warding off flying insects, including fruit fly, while making fruit bigger and more flavoursome. But it clashes when planted near Rue.

Being a Mediterranean herb, Basil loves rich free draining soils with plenty of sun – particularly in cooler climates! Unless you plan on collecting seed, best to pinch off the flower shoots which encourages the plant to produce more usable leaves. For all you purists out there, Basil can be grown from a cutting which ensures integrity of variety as they can cross pollinate if planted close together.

More than just a witty Faulty towers line, Basil is an essential herb for any garden – why not experience it today!

Ben Sorensen /|\

PARSLEY Please.....

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 21:00:12 +1000

The past month I seem to have been drawn to markets. I’m pretty sure it’s not been for the vibe or the food – but the hunt for unique things!! And boy did I find them…

I stumbled across a little stall with all these old out of print books, and a HEAP of them were on herbs! Needless to say I bought them all. It was interesting to sit down and see how our view on herbs has changed over the last 40 years. So with all that in mind I bring you my offering from the Druids Garden.

Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)

Don’t be fooled by its seeming commonality, it is a magical and useful herb – this one even surprised me! The more research I did, the more I loved it, so much so I have just put in another 200 Parsley seeds!!

Its botanical name (Petroselinum) heralds from Greek and has a mythological story behind it! Now “Petros” is Greek for rock – which is fitting for this Mediterranean plant, who is usually found growing near or around the rocks! Now for the story! Stubborn, bickering and quarrelsome twins, Peter and Selie, had been fighting all day and were noticed by a kind spirit who became tired of trying to change their ways, so united them into Peterselie, now Petroselinum – a plant showing all the qualities they lacked!

Parsley has had a whole massive string of odd weird customs and beliefs – my favourite from the middle ages is as a hair growth tonic with southernwood and barberry. Not sure if it worked, but they kept on trying for a century or 3.

The most interesting medicinal benefit was for sick goldfish! Add a handful of parsley in the water and watch them improve (Needless to say I haven’t tested this one!!) But as far as people go, Parsley infused as a tea in very good for all types of kidney problems, and is a great diuretic. It’s also super for healthy blood – being full of easily absorbable iron, manganese and copper not to mention the abundant amounts of vitamin C! So eat parsley to ward off colds, and also freshen your breath, and yes it even works on garlic breath too!!

Now here is my favourite, and simple recipe for Parsley butter. YUM! Top idea to get the kids involved in this one. Pick, wash and finely chop about a tablespoon of parsley, add a table spoon of fresh lemon juice, and a little ground sea salt. Add all these ingredients as you whip 100g of softened butter with a spoon, put in fridge overnight and enjoy! It’s great on everything from toast, to fish, even veggies, and is the perfect fancy addition to any dinner party!!

Parsley is hardy, and simply loves rich fertile soils, a sunny spot, and lots of water! However on the down side can suffer from root rot, and will tell you through yellow leaves if it’s lacking in water or nutrients. It is a companion plant for roses, onions and tomatoes too.

Who would have thought that the garnish we rarely eat could be so good for us and useful!! Discover the wonders of Parsley for yourself!

Ben Sorensen /|\

Love goes where my, ROSEMARY grows....

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 20:44:41 +1000

What an exciting time it’s been since my last column! It’s always interesting to see what the universe brings into your life, and a NEW website is what it brought for me! Finally we have the new look, very functional “Ben Sorensen’s Druids Garden” website – check it out at www.DruidsGardenOnline.com and feel free to let me know what you think!

Let’s talk about a common and versatile herb this time – ROSEMARY (Rosmarinus officinalis)

Originally noted as a gift from Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty, brides used to wear it in wreaths as a symbol of their fidelity, however the real kick starter to the romantic legend of Rosemary came direct from the 14th century when at the age of 72 Queen Elizabeth of Hungary mixed it with lavender in a potion which enhanced her health and beauty so much it captured the attention of a 26 year old King of Poland who requester her hand in marriage.

Realistically, it’s a Mediterranean herb that grows just about everywhere! In early European medicine it was used internally as a tonic and as a calmative to treat flatulence, in India and China it was used to traditionally attack headaches and in the middle ages a sprig was placed under the pillow to ward off bad dreams!

Rosemary is quite high in Calcium, Iron and B6 – but not high enough to replace your supplements however it may help you remember to take them!

History tells us that this herb has always been associated with memory and later the brain. In a study done, work spaces pumped full of the rosemary scent showed slower recall, but improved memory.

More recently a collaborative group from the Burnham Institute for Medical Research in La Jolla, California and in Japan, report that Rosemary contains carnosic acid (CA) which fights off free radical damage in the brain. Now this “carnosic acid” might not sound so impressive, until you understand the damage these pesky free radicals can do to the brain – for example they are major contributors to Alzheimer’s, Strokes, and contribute to the effects of ageing on the brain.

As a member of the mint family, it has a very versatile flavour that goes with just about everything – so don’t be afraid to experiment! My favourite is lamb. When cooking, just use the leaves – but save the woody stems for the BBQ! Place the used stems (and leaves too if you want) on top of the coals to add a super Rosemary smoky flavour to your meat!

Rosemary is a top herb for the beginner gardener! It’s quite easy to grow, pest resistant and rather difficult to kill accidentally! It likes a good sunny position, being Mediterranean, and likes well drained soil. Rosemary in pots can run the risk of looking a bit stringy – so just keep it well used/trimmed and it will look amazing all year round!

It’s not to keen on frost and being water logged, and if Rosemary could choose its perfect soil type it would go nuts over neutral to alkaline soils!

Can’t get enough? Rosemary can even be propagated from cuttings too! Simply take a cutting, strip off a few of the leaves on the bottom, and plant directly into soil!

With so many uses and being so easy to grow, why not get out in the garden with the kids and enjoy the wonders of Rosemary together!!

Ben Sorensen /|\

Tip Top TURMERIC......

Wed, 1 Jul 2009 18:28:35 +1000

This edition of Druids Garden sees a member of the ginger family, quite commonly used, and even one of the cheaper spices as our subject.

Of course it’s Turmeric (Curcuma longa)

This plant has so many benefits and uses. During my research I even found it used in leading radiator anti-leak sealant! How versatile!

Originating from India over 2000 years ago, it was first used only as a dye until its versatility was unleashed as a spice and for use in early cosmetics! It was as early as 1280 when even Marco Polo was writing of it as “having the properties of saffron, yet it is not really saffron” It was also mixed with water and fashioned into a cone shape for use in Pujas (a religious ritual in the Hindu faith) as a form of the elephant God Ganesha.

Interestingly enough, I even found Turmeric listed in Susruta's Ayurvedic "Compendium," a volume dated 250 BC, where turmeric is listed as a cure for food poisoning.

Medicinally, When taken orally (Mainly through mixing in meals) Turmeric has some fascinating benefits! There has been much research on Turmeric and as always there is some conflicting results, however most of the research seems to favour it’s anti cancer properties, prevention of Alzheimer’s, and benefits for liver disorders. Its said that just a teaspoon a day can greatly reduce your risk of getting Alzheimer’s, and help your liver too! These benefits come from stuff called curcumin found in turmeric. It’s also great at promoting general “well-being” due to it being an antioxidant.
My favourite use for Turmeric is actually in the first aid kit! Its perfect for cuts and abrasions, not only does the powdered root stop the bleeding but its anti-bacterial and anti inflammatory properties protect and promote speedy wound healing with minimal scaring.

As for the culinary experience, South Asian and Middle Eastern cooking tend to favour Turmeric heavily, although it is traditionally used in south Africa to give boiled white rice a golden colour. It’s mildly aromatic with hints of orange and ginger and has a somewhat bitter and pungent flavour. Sometimes its used as a saffron substitute although I don’t recommend it – nothing beats the real thing!!
One of the easiest ways to spice up your vegetables is to melt some butter, and mix with some powered turmeric root to add a flavoursome change to boring veggies. Because I’m a nutty fan of Turmeric I also mix it through my mash potato and sometimes add it to my salt and pepper blend in my shaker (Pepper also aids in the absorption of Turmeric). It just ads an extra dimension to less interesting meals.

As for gardening, I have nothing other than anecdotal evidence (And my grandparents say so) that turmeric deters ants.

Turmeric is a low growing tropical herbaceous plant, which forms many long thin rhizomes, used to produce spice and dye. It’s a perennial and only grows in temperatures over 18 degrees and has similar growing properties to ginger.

What an amazing herb Turmeric is, with hundreds more uses that those in this article – so play and experiment with this magical spice!

Ben Sorensen /|\