Food From the Garden

Benefits of Borage the Starflower

A plant with a strange-sounding name is Borage also known as Starflower. It is an annual herb that originated in Syria. However, it is found throughout the Mediterranean region as well as Asia Minor, Europe, North Africa, and South America. Even though borage is bristly or hairy all over the stem and leaves these bristles don’t sting.

It has a pleasant smell like fresh cucumbers as well as a cucumber taste. The leaves are great to chop up and put into a salad. Borage has blue flowers and blooms continuously for most of the year but it is the leaves you use for salad. It may be looked at as either a fresh vegetable or a dried herb. The flowers are sometimes used to decorate desserts and they have a sweet honey-like taste.

Borage is commonly used as a vegetable in Germany, the Spanish regions of Aragon and Navarra, in the Greek island of Crete, and in the Italian northern region of Liguria. A well-known German recipe for borage is Green Sauce (Grune Sosse). The recipe comes from Frankfurt. The Frankfurt-style Green Sauce consists of hard-boiled eggs, oil, vinegar, salt, and a large quantity of seven fresh herbs borage, sorrel, cress, chervil, chives, parsley, and salad burnet which are finely chopped. Then put in a bowl and mixed with sour cream and some mayonnaise. Once ready this sauce is served cold with peeled boiled potatoes as a side with meat or fish and may be served as a side dish at a barbeque.

In the Aragon region of Spain, borage is slightly boiled and sautéed with garlic and served with boiled potatoes.

In Italy in Liguria borage is used as a filling for ravioli and pansoti. Originally before mint replaced borage it was used in Pimms (a liqueur) and is used to flavor pickled gherkins in Poland.

Borage also has medicinal qualities. It is known to regulate metabolism and the hormonal system and is a good remedy for PMS and menopause symptoms, such as hot flashes. Borage may alleviate and heal colds, bronchitis, and respiratory infections and in general is used for its anti-inflammatory and balsamic properties.

Delicious Dandelions

When dandelions grow in your garden don’t look at them as weeds look at them as salad. There is nothing like having a delicious dandelion salad. You can use the leaves, stems, and even flowers. I add in crisp bacon or shredded sausage. You can use your imagination. I make up a dressing with lemon juice, oil, and soy sauce or you can even mix the greens up with sour cream.

Dandelions can also be used for their medicinal qualities. They’re used as a liver tonic and diuretic. The dandelion roots have inulin and levulin which are starch-like substances that can help with the balance of blood sugar. Another substance is bitter taraxacin which stimulates digestion. Dandelion roots can be eaten raw or steamed. They can also be used as a coffee substitute by drying, roasting, and grinding them. Dandelion flowers have been used to make dandelion wine. You can also dip the flowers in batter and make dandelion fritters.

The leaves contain potassium, antioxidants, and vitamins A and C. I have also put the greens into a comforting soup with chicken bouillon and small meatballs. The greens are nice and tender just before the flowers come and larger greens are better for cooking. So don’t look upon dandelions as weeds look upon them as food.

You’ll be interested to know that the dandelion is the only flower that represents the three celestial bodies the sun, the moon, and the stars. Its yellow flower reminds one of the sun, the puffball is like the moon, and the seeds which disperse in the wind – the stars.

Just like we do when we go to sleep and close our eyes the dandelion opens up to the sun in the morning and closes up in the evening to go to sleep.

Up until the 1800s people made room in their gardens for dandelions and other so-called “weeds” which actually were very useful such as chamomile (for tea), chickweed, and malva.

The name dandelion derives from the French word “dent de lion” which means lion’s tooth. This refers to the fact that the flower has coarsely toothed leaves.

These flowers have one of the longest flowering seasons of any plant.

When the seeds are blown by the wind they can travel as many as 5 miles from their origin.