The Medicine Woman's Roots

Most of my readers well know my fondness for the sweet, rich taste of New Mexico’s wild acorn. This smooth dark nut from the evergreen woodlands of the Southwest’s middle mountain ecology is often prolific and a great favorite of local wildlife. And with good reason, as this little nutrient powerhouse is both delicious and deeply nourishing, providing us with fat, protein and a plethora minerals…. The problem with acorns and with the SW’s other great nut, the pine nut, is that they’re small and take damn near forever to shell a sizable enough amount to make much food. With this in mind, I’ve been experimenting with various ways of concentrating and extending the flavor.

I was recently trying to figure out how to best send the flavor of acorns to a dear friend of mine, and because this friend has a particular love of butters and oil, it occurred to me to attempt to infuse the taste of the acorns into an oil. Now, I knew this could be done by first decocting the acorns into water and then adding to clarified butter and then cooking off the water, as I do with ashwagandha and certain other herbs but meh, I’m not much fond of such long drawn-out methods. So, I figured that nothing could be hurt by trying to directly pull the flavor of acorns out into the butter, after all, most nuts are quite oil-soluble. And if it didn’t work, well, the butter would still be fine and the buttery acorns would be extra good in a stew or nutbread.

I love making a dark, hearty brew with my roasted acorns for my morning beverage and so I always have a handful or two recently boiled acorns on hand. I took a large handful of the acorns and tossed them into a small pot with a stick of butter. I let the butter get hot and froth up and then moved them to a cooler burner on the woodstove to barely simmer for a bit longer. The acorns were on the stove for a total of about 30 minutes. Afterward, I strained the now deep-fried acorns out of the butter and preserved the liquid in a small jar and set aside the acorns to be ground up and used in seed-cakes or tortilla or chocolate.

Once the butter cooled back to solid, I had a fabulously rich and acorn-infused treat that tastes amazing in venison stew, chocolate, homemade herbed mayo, nut-breads, eggs, and so many other dishes, both savory and sweet! You can bet that there will be some acorn infused butter in my egg nog this year, and probably  into my holiday berry and nut stuffing as well.

I tried the same thing with roasted Pine Nuts and Hazelnuts (as seen in the picture), both of which turned out rich and flavorful, with the Hazelnuts being the mildest tasting of the three.  These nut infused butters will definitely become a staple in our kitchen, if only we can keep Rhiannon from eating it all with a spoon!

Ingredients

• 1/3 – 1/2 C of flavorful roasted nuts (acorns*, pine nuts etc). If the nuts are very hard, as is the case with acorns, soak them the night before or boil them for a few minutes (and drink the tea). If the nuts have a milder taste, you may need to use a larger amount.
• 1-2 sticks of unsalted (preferably cultured) butter or other mild-flavored  fat/oil.

Directions

1. Place butter and nuts in a saucepan on the stove on medium heat.
2. Allow the butter to heat until a froth forms on top, stirring occasionally (some people prefer to skim the milk solids from the surface, I however, just stir them back in).
3. Stir, and turn the heat to low. Continue to stir and let the nuts continue to infuse in the butter for about 20 more minutes, depending the heat, and the nut. Longer infusion will generally result in a stronger flavor.
4. Remove from heat, and strain, reserving both nuts and butter.
5. Allow to cool. The full flavor will not be apparent until the butter is cooled and set.
6. Store the butter in a small canning jar or similar airtight container. Save the nuts to use in any dish that needs a touch of flavorful, nutty goodness.
7. Eat your infused butter on everything and anything, or right out of the jar.

*If you use acorns, you’ll want to roast them first, and you’ll probably want to use Southwestern acorns, since they seem to be far tastier than acorns from back East. If you’re from somewhere other than the SW and have delicious acorns, please leave a comment, my readers would love to hear about it, I’m sure

This is for the November Blogparty on Morning Ritual Beverages hosted by Kristine of Dancing in a Field of Tansy.

There’s nothing like breathing in the richness of the forest while waking up to the beauty all around us. Witnessing dawn erupting in shades of magenta and gold over the horizon while immersed in the taste of the pine trees and oak forest is an incomparable experience that even the most hardcore coffee junkies should take a morning to gift themselves with.

No, it won’t send you out of the door in 30 seconds or less on an adrenalin high from hell, or keep you awake for that all nighter you’re about to pull.  Instead, it’s more likely to center you in the present, open up your lungs and your heart to the possibilities of the day, while warming your limbs and bringing the forest into your body and soul.

I have chosen common woodland plants for this aromatic and wild brew – herbs easily collected in sizable quantities by even children, especially for those living in the American West. The herbs are rich in antioxidants, minerals and other nutrients. It’s fairly neutral in temperature, mildly warming and circulatory stimulating, and is unlikely to push anyone’s constitutional buttons. It can easily be warmed up with some Ginger root, Calamus or something similar or made a bit cooler and more relaxing with the addition of Rose hips, Cherry bark or Peach leaves.

My instructions include how to make teas separately from each of the plants and then how to blend them together for a delicious and complex brew. I do this because, for one thing, each of these plants make excellent beverages on their own and secondly, because you may desire to use the acorns you decoct for tea to make some acorn meal for other goodies and may not want them pine flavored.

The Ingredients

Pine, Spruce or other Resinous Conifer Needles

I love our scraggly Piñon Pines that grow in near desert conditions and jut from sand and cliffside with equal ease. These trees can produce huge crops of the tasty and fat-laden pine nuts they are know for as well as a sticky resin that’s makes a multipurpose medicine for salves, cough syrups and tinctures. But in this case we’re going for the green, sweet smelling needles. Depending on your particular spp. your Conifer (from Engelmann Spruce to Eastern Hemlock to White Pine to Douglas Fir) will have varying levels of sweetness, citrus overtones, resinous qualities and flavor strength. Their flavor also changes with the season and growth stage, as well as locale and exposure to sunlight, so nibble around and find your favorite scent and flavor before harvesting a few small branchlets to bring home and try. As a rule, the stronger, the better!

The needles can be used fresh or dried, but if you live in a place where they’re common like I do, you might want to collect them fresh every few days (or every morning), just as I do. I use the needles as well as the chopped up branchlet stem/bark. Use about a large handful of chopped plant per 2-3 cups water, and simmer for at least fifteen minutes, or until you can’t wait any longer to taste it. Depending your spp. you may need more or less plant matter, there’s so much variation in strength that personal experimentation is the only way to come up with a workable recipe for each person. Delicious and refreshing all on its own, all day long.

Oak Acorns

Preferably a SW variety such as Evergreen, Emory, Gambels’ or something similar. Southwestern Acorns are naturally sweet, with very little bitterness and a rich, dark taste reminiscent of a cross between hazelnuts, chocolate, coffee and the wildwood in autumn. Most people think of Oaks as beacons of strength and stability but they are also sensual treasures. Our Evergreen Oaks are usually gnarled and twisty, curving into wild shapes reminiscent of flowing water, but elementally earthen and growing from spiraling roots that weave between rocks and through narrow crevices. Our Acorns are small, smooth and a beautiful shade varying between golden brown and nearly chocolate in color. The taste is awe-inspiring and without peer among any of the nuts I’ve ever eaten, and adds a wonderful complexity and depth to breads, cakes, chocolate, as well as many beverages and stews.

We simply gather our acorns in Autumn, roast them in the oven until dark and dry in the shell, and then crack and use as needed. If you live somewhere other than the SW, you may need to leach your acorns in running or boiling water before roasting and using.

Once the acorns are roasted, you just take a handful, place in a small pot and cover with about three cups of water and boil until the water is a dark, muddy brown and smells like heaven on a stovetop, usually about 20-40 minutes. It also tastes amazing on its own or blended with Cherry bark or Ginger.

Juniper/Red Cedar Berries.

The small, very dark berries that are juicy and sweet, not the giant, hard, empty ones that don’t taste like anything. These little fruits are VERY strong, and you don’t need much. I gather ripe berries in Autumn and dry for use as needed. Some years there will be tons left on the trees even at the end of Winter and some years, they’ll be gone by October. They taste spicy, strongly aromatic and somewhat bitter. They’re wonderful for flavoring meat and making sauces, in addition to their myriad medicinal uses.

Even if you don’t normally care for Juniper’s very strong flavor, when used in the small proportion listed here, you’ll find that it adds a nutmeg-y like flavor, a hint of spice that add subtle warmth and complexity to the finished brew. Whatever you don’t drink, you can add to a sauce or stew.

You can use 5-7 berries per 1 cup of water, infuse for ten minutes in just boiled water. In most cases, even this will be really really strong.

Rain or Spring Water.

Ok, it doesn’t need to be rain water, but when making a tea of these amazing wild plants, it’s best to use the highest quality, wildest water you can find to complete the magic.

Maple/Birch Syrup or Wildflower Honey.

If using honey, it may be preferable to choose a light, delicately flavored variety.

Cream or the Nut/Seed Milk of your choice.

A splash (or two) is optional, but delicious.

Directions

Now, to put it all together.

• Just use 1 cup Pine tea and 1 cup Acorn tea plus about 1 tsp of Juniper tea.
• Then add cream and either maple/birch syrup or honey to taste, because the Pine and Acorns are both naturally sweet, very little sweetener is generally needed.
• Sit down somewhere near a window or outside and sip slowly, enjoying the emerging morning and the flavors of the forest blooming on your tongue. Simple. Wild. Delicious.

Optional additions and/or Substitutions:

• A small handful of Chokecherry bark to either the Acorn or Pine brew.
• A handful of Rosehips to the Pine tea.
• Roasted Dandelion/Chicory in addition to or instead of Acorns. Be aware though, that Chicory (probably due to the inulin) can cause varying degrees of upset belly, and that both herbs are strong diuretics and not necessarily appropriate for those with cold constitutions or low blood pressure.

~~All Pics (c) 2009 Kiva Rose and Jesse Wolf Hardin~~

The taste of a drop of rich wildflower honey, a lick of peach elixir or a sip of spice infused cordial is sensual, comforting and ecstatic all at once. Humans crave and love all things sweet, and while it’s clear that this is the taste most easily overdone and abused, it still retains its own medicine and magic.  Bees, maple trees, beets and other sweet creatures gift us with their rich blessings, and when used wisely they can be powerful allies in the healing process and add a special magic to the amazing sensory experience that is life.

I’ve chosen to do a general overview of a wide variety of Sweet Medicines this month’s blogparty post, including recipes, tips and insights where appropriate. My favorite sweet medicines are always those that can be used in small doses as an effective remedy and still taste not just sugary, but of the unique essence and flavor of the particular plant. Likewise, I don’t use sweeteners in my herbal preparations to cover up or mask flavors but rather to enhance and bring out the taste.

The medicinal effects of many herbs are dependent, at least in part, upon their taste. For instance, bitters work primarily through activating the release of gastric juices and are triggered by the taste. This means that if you choose to bury the bitterness in sugar, you are losing out on a big part of the plant’s medicine. I much prefer to compliment and enhance the flavor of bitters with aromatic herbs and just a touch of sweetness (depending on the case and what’s needed) which, once you’re acquainted and comfortable with the bitter taste, be quite satisfying and yummy.

Let’s just be clear that I don’t deal in exact measurements (that would foster dependance in my readers, and besides, I just can’t be bothered with measuring tools) so please take my proportions and adjust them to your personal tastes. I am using the folkloric method for infused honeys, vinegars etc in this post, so relax and wing it, you’ll be fine without weighing everything, I promise.

You will note that most of my preferred sweet medicines (like elixirs) or those that are very concentrated and require a small (or even tiny) dosage, such as a few drops of Rose up to half a dropper of Elderberry Elixir. They’re basically the same strength as tinctures, maybe a little bit stronger, depending on the herb.

~~~Cordials & Tonics~~~

Cordials are basically a combination of hard alcohol (often brandy) and a fruit flavored syrup or concentrate. The result is usually drank in cute little cordial cups with dessert (or perhaps breakfast, if you’re hardcore that way) or added to sweet foods for flavor. My cordials are less sweet than most with intense taste, most often made with a combo of wild fruits and herbs and some good hard booze. Many cordials are often drank straight but I really like using them as a flavoring in teas or sauces or other foods as well.

My version of tonics are basically tasty cordials but with more of medicinal level of herbal concentration, still suitable for sipping but ~strong~.

All recipes make one pint of cordial or tonic.

Wild Canyon Cordial

• 3/4 C wild grape juice (I suppose you could use domestic but it will be much less intense and complex in flavor)
• 1/4 C prickly pear fruit juice (or several tablespoons of syrup)
• slightly less than 1 C of Scotch
• large splash (or two) of a good merlot or dry elderberry mead
• 1 tsp of cinnamon tincture ( you can use a couple pinches of powdered instead if you like)
• Mix together in pint canning jar, cap and ideally allow age and mellow at least a month before indulging. However, if you can’t wait that long (I never can), it’s good to know that the addition of the wine really smoothes out the flavor and makes it a lovely sipping experience from the get-go.

Southwest Sunset Cordial

• 1 C Strawberry-Rhubarb Sauce (I just use a jar of our home-canned, non-chunky sauce)
• 1 C Tequila
• juice of 1 Lime
• 1/2 tsp salt (no really, it’s perfect)
• sugar or honey to taste (depends on how sweet your sauce was and how sweet you like it, rose infused honey is an extra bonus here)
• Generous splash of chardonnay

Mix together in pint jar and shake well. Let age for at least month.

Chokecherry Heart Tonic

• 1/4 C Chokecherry bark or bark/flower tincture
• 1/2 C Chokecherry fruit concentrate or syrup (possibly more if your concentrate isn’t strong tasting, ours is very intense and flavorful but the stuff you get from stores is often tasteless and terribly sweet and just don’t work for this)
• 1 C Brandy
• Sugar/honey to taste (very optional, just depends on your syrup and sense of taste)
• 1/4 tsp of Cinnamon tincture (or a good pinch of powdered cinnamon)
• 1 tsp Ginger infused honey (or just add a good pinch of fresh grated ginger)
• Generous splash of Merlot or Elderberry mead (optional)

Mix together in pint jar and shake well, allow to age for at least a month. This stuff is strong and somewhat mind-altering (in a relaxing kind of way), so use in small doses. It’s an excellent heart strengthener for people with signs of inflammation, high blood pressure, heart palpitations and general heat symptoms.

Wild Rose Tonic

This is my most complex cordial recipe listed here. It’s not difficult, just multi-step. Well worth it in my opinion though.

First, make a half pint of infused honey with finely chopped, de-seeded fresh wild rose hips, plus 1 tsp grated fresh ginger, 1 tsp. grated fresh orange peel and 1/4 tsp cardamom. Let infuse for one month, do not strain.

Then:

• 1 C spiced Wild Rose hip honey (as seen above)
• 3 Tbs Wild Rose petal tincture (or more, as desired for flavor)
• 1 C Brandy or Cognac

Mix together in a pint jar and shake well, allow to age for at least one month. This cordial/tonic is relaxing, uplifting and wonderful as a heart tonic, nervine, anti-inflammatory and bioflavanoid rich blood tonic. For a real treat, make a small cup of half Chokecherry Heart Tonic and half Wild Rose Tonic.

~~~Infused Wines & Meads~~~

This is easy, it’s just good wine infused with herbs and spices. It can be made with just enough herbs to add a bit of flavor, or it can be made more medicinal strength with a higher proportion of herbs.

All recipes are make one pint of wine.

Sweet Summer Cherry Wine

• 2 tbs dried Chokecherry twigs, chopped
• appr 20 Hawthorn berries, fresh or dried
• 3 unsulphured dried Apricots
• small handful raisins
• appr 1 pint red wine or a dark mead like elderberry, blackberry or pomegranate. Alternatively, this is also quite good in apple wine.

Place together in a pint jar, and allow to infuse for at least one month before straining and using. Don’t forget to eat those apricots and raisins, they’re very tasty. This is another heart and blood tonic, great for strengthening the heart and building the blood, it’s also relaxing and a wonderful way to wind down.

Mary of the Sea Wine

• 2 medium sprigs (about 3 inches long each) of fresh Rosemary
• 1 tsp grated fresh Ginger
• 1 tsp grated fresh Lemon peel
• appr. 1 pint white wine or light mead.

Place together in a pint jar, and allow to infuse for at least one month before straining and using. This makes a lovely warming circulatory stimulant, digestive tonic and tasty addition to many recipes.

~~~Glycerine Tinctures~~~

This is what most people (including myself, in the past) usually call glycerites. However, glycerites are creations generally beyond the scope of the home apothecary (think: lab), and what most people are making are properly named glycerine tinctures.

I’ve never liked the cloying taste of herbs tinctured in only glycerine, and that added to the facts that glycerine isn’t terribly shelf-stable and that it is a very highly processed product have just reinforced my original leaning away from glycerine.

For a while I was making some of my elixirs with glycerine (plus brandy or vodka, never alone) rather than honey, but despite my general avoidance of all sugars I have gone back to using honey in my elixirs again. It tastes better, your body recognizes it as food (with nutrients and everything) and it comes from beehive rather than a factory.

Glycerine tinctures are made similarly to alcohol based tinctures, preferably with dried plant material because the water content of fresh plants tends to cause the glycerine tinctures to go off rather quickly. Also, aromatic herbs are those generally best extracted with glycerine, like Lavender, Chamomile or Mint.

For dried herbs, fill the jar about halfway with plant matter ( a bit more if using flowers or fluffy plants a bit less if you’re using root, bark or other dense plant matter), then cover with a solution of 3/4 glycerine and 1/4 distilled water. Stir well to release air bubbles, cover and store in a cool, dark place for 4-6 weeks before decanting. Use within a year.

~~~Herbal Elixirs~~~

An elixir (from my perspective, anyhow) is really just a tincture with some honey added for flavor, property and preservation purposes. It’s a super easy and very effective way to work with many herbs and flowers and berries are often especially well suited to this method, although almost any aromatic plant is lovely as an elixir.

Elixirs are really my favorite sweet medicine and I’ve become a bit infamous for my constant rambling on about Elderberry and Rose elixirs. Here’s a few reasons why I’m so fond of this particular preparation.

1. The sweet taste brings out the aromatic flavors and heart healing properties of many herbs.
2. Honey actually adds to how well the herbs are preserved and increases the shelf-life of the tincture.
3. Unlike most sweet medicines, it can be used in very small doses, thanks to the particular combo of honey and alcohol. This keeps it from having much of a blood sugar impact.
4. Because it helps to bring out the flavor and aroma of many herbs, the herb’s nervine effects are enhanced, often in a significant way.
5. They’re also extremely simple and intuitive to make, here’s an example recipe made with Honeysuckle, with a few suggestions for other herbs that make lovely elixirs.

Honeysuckle Elixir

• 2 C Honeysuckle flowers and buds
• 1/3 C raw honey
• app 1 pint of Brandy (or rum or cognac or scotch or whatever you like)

Fill a pint jar with Honeysuckle flowers and buds (pick a spp with very little or no bitterness), then add about 1/3 C of raw honey. Stir well so that the flowers are well coated. Now fill the jar with brandy, vodka, scotch, cognac or whatever you like. I actually prefer 60% alcohol with Honeysuckle Elixir, so I usually dilute some Everclear for this. Stir again, and then taste. If it’s not sweet enough tasting (it will initially taste mostly like alcohol so you have to guesstimate), add a bit more honey. Now cover tightly, shake well and then store in a cool, dark place (shaking occasionally to dissolve the honey properly) for 4-6 weeks.

This elixir makes a wonderful relaxing nervine, and is amazing for all kinds of hot, acute conditions including fevers, bronchitis and infections. It can also be used externally if needed.

Lavender, Tulsi (Holy Basil), Ginger, Vanilla (yes, Vanilla is an herb too), Cinnamon, Rose, Fennel, Anise, Mullein flower, Evening Primrose flower, Juniper berry, Borage flowers, Beebalm, Sage and so on… Nearly any aromatic plant, including most kitchen spices, make wonderful elixirs.

~~~Electuaries~~~

Essentially, a paste of powdered herbs and a sweetener, in this case honey. These are intense and very flavorful. In the past, they have often been used to hide the flavor of bitter or unpleasant tasting herbs. My recipes are meant to be used in small amounts, usually I just roll a little ball out of the some paste (about half the size of a marble) and suck on it slowly, but it can also be spread on foods or taken straight by the spoonful.

They’re especially good where the whole herb needs to be taken (instead of extracted with a solvent like alcohol) and where coating the throat and GI is an important part of the medicine. An especially lovely and elegant way to treat sore throats, bronchial irritation or sinus congestion. Just don’t overdo it, this is medicine not candy.

Here are a few recipes with proportions and usage suggestions and directions at the end.

Winter Cherry Nourishing Electuary

• 2 parts Ashwagandha
• 1/2 part Nettle Seed
• 1 part Tulsi
• 2 parts Elm

This makes a lovely moistening adrenal tonic very helpful in times of stress or depletion, providing energy while relaxing the nervous system and body. It’s fairly temperature neutral, and generally gentle enough for anyone.

Wild Rose Electuary

• 1 part Rose
• 1/2 part Sage
• 2 parts Mallow

A great throat soother and excellent for calming down belly stagnation and heat. Powdered Evening Primrose flowers is very nice in this as well.

Basically, just mix your finely powdered dried herbs together in the desired proportion. Then, add enough slightly warmed honey (just warm enough to flow, not hot) to create a thick paste. Stir well, to make sure all powder is integrated. Check your texture and adjust as necessary, I like mine to be thick enough to roll into little balls but soft enough to be pliable. Using a mucilaginous powder as a primary part of your powders will help it all stick together better and will add a soothing, healing quality to the preparation. An electuary can be used right away, but I prefer to give mine a couple weeks to age and mellow a bit.

~~~Infused Herbal Honeys~~~

Beebalm Flower Infused Honey

• 2 cups of freshly harvested Beebalm (Monarda spp)
• appr 1 pint of Raw (preferably local) honey.
• pint canning jar with lid

So easy and delicious, making this herbal honey is as simple as filling a pint jar with your Beebalm flowers and then covering with raw honey. Next, stir the bubbles out (chopsticks work good for this), top it off with more honey if needed and then cover and store in a cool, dark place for 4-6 weeks. Very often, I don’t even decant my Beebalm honeys I just use (or eat) it, flowers and all. It’s a spicy-sweet ambrosia that will drop you dead in your tracks in open-mouthed amazement at the taste of it.

A lovely diffusive nervine and relaxant diaphoretic, Beebalm honey has a wide realm of application, from sore throats to tension headaches to fevers. This is one of the world’s best wound and burn dressings as well, often working to heal even stubborn bedsores and longterm infections.

~~Oxymels/Sekanjabin~~

A wonderful beverage of herbs infused in vinegar and honey. It is acidulous and sweet at the same time, and especially good for remedies relating to the lungs and GI as it is by nature expectorant and stimulating to the digestive tract. It is generally very cooling because of the sour taste, unless you really spice it up with warming herbs. I prefer apple cider vinegar for most of my oxmels but red wine vinegar or others may be used in its place.

Basically, we just combine an infused honey and an infused vinegar together and violá, amazingly tasty Oxymel! If you use molasses (in which you can decoct herbs) instead of honey, you have Switchel.

Recipes online will have you make a sugar syrup and cook the whole oxymel, but I prefer a cold infusion which seems to result in purer, more refreshing taste with less of that syrupy flavor.

Mint Sekanjabin

Mint Sekanjabin is a classic Arabic cooling drink to enhance digestion and is very tasty too!

Mint Infused Vinegar

Fill a jar with fresh mint, cover with vinegar. Cover and store in a cool, dark place for 2-4 weeks before decanting.

Mint/Lemon Infused Honey

Fill a jar with fresh mint, then add two tsp of grated fresh lemon peel and the juice of one lemon then cover with honey.

Add 4 parts infused honey to 1 part infused vinegar to a jar and mix well. Now you just add a teaspoon or two to a glass of water, stir and yum!

Other herbs that would work well here include Basil, Holy Basil, Lemon Balm, Sweet Clover, Peach leaf and even Rose. Add spices to taste (orange peel and Ginger is great with Rose etc) and enjoy.

We’re celebrating my 29th birthday today with an amazing meal, and one of the stars at the center of it all are these amazing primal (or nearly so) donuts (which also happen to be gluten free). I’ve done four variations in this recipe, and they were all amazing, with the Blueberry/Pecan being the most hardcore primal and the Chocolate having the best texture and the Vanilla Maple (w/ or w/o Pecans) being the sweetest and perhaps most reminscent of traditional bakery donuts. All of these though, are firm and nutty, with a rich flavor and satiating effect that the carb rings and krispy kremes just can’t even begin to compete with. I actually prefer them to commercial donuts, and even the pickiest dessert eaters take very well to these delectable little morsels!

I apologize in advance to the primal folks for all the sugar on ~top~ of the donuts in the pictures, it’s purely for visual effect and completely unnecessary to the taste experience.

Below is the basic recipe, with appr. proportions for making 17-20 donuts. It’s all very adaptable and should be changed to reflect your personal taste and preferences. I’m not really into creating detailed, perfectly measure recipes, because I just don’t cook that way but these measurements should work just fine until you’re confident enough to mix it up. For detailed instructions on deep frying, use google

Flax Donuts with 4 Variations

• 2 C. Flax Meal
• 1 C. Almond Meal
• 3 Tbs. Coconut meal/flour (optional, can be replaced by extra almond meal)
• 4 tsp Baking Powder
• Salt to taste
• 5 eggs
• 3 tsp of melted butter or coconut oil
• Water to moisten (Cream or half & half are super yummy too)
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Nutmeg
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract (appr. since I make my own)
• Unrefined Coconut oil for frying in

Mix dry ingredients well. Mix together wet ingredients except water. Combine, and moisten with water or cream until pliable and still sticky without either falling apart and crumbling every time you pick it up or sticking to the bowl in a sodden mess. You want to be able to shape it into a firm donut shape without too much trouble (though you’re hands are going to get sticky, regardless).

So that’s the basic, completely unsweetened recipe with no flavorings. You could just deepfry them plain like this but I think they’re yummier with a few additions. So, I divided the dough into four equal sections and flavored each separately, and measurements below reflect that. If you want to make one batch in one flavor, then quadruple the ingredients below.

Variations

Blueberry- Pecan

This is the easiest to keep completely primal and still be super tasty, definitely a favorite!

• Large handful of dried blueberries (fresh would also work, but I didn’t have any), half chopped and half whole.
• 1/3-1/2 C. Butter toasted pecans, roughly chopped
• 2-3 tsp Maple syrup (optional)
• 1 tsp cinnamon (I really like cinnamon, but this is also optional)

Fold into mixture, taste and adjust as needed.

Chocolate Coconut

This has a super smooth texture and is wonderfully rich, but of course cocoa powder is a bit bitter and wants some sweetener to taste its best. I used brown sugar in this recipe but of course honey or maple syrup would work fine too.

•  3-5 Tbs dark cocoa
• 3-5 Tbs coconut meal
• 3-5 Tbs brown sugar
• Vanilla to taste
• Water or cream to moisten (after all those additional dry ingredients)

Fold in mixture, taste and adjust as needed.

Vanilla Maple

Sweet, crispy and very satisfying!

• 1-2 Tsp Vanilla extract (to taste)
• 1-3 Tbs Maple Syrup to taste (the darker and more flavorful the better and the less you need)
• 1/3 C. Butter-toasted Pecans, roughly chopped (optional, it’s great with or without).

Fold in mixture, taste and adjust as needed.

 Shaping and Cooking

Now, you simply shape into small biscuit like shapes, poke your finger through the center of each, firm it up and place on wax paper. Get all of them ready, and then deep-fry in small batches (depending on your fryer) in unrefined coconut oil until golden brown. Place on paper towels or paper bags when done. You can optionally roll in cinnamon sugar while still warm (unnecessary of course, but they look better in pictures that way).

A Caution

Flax can give you a bellyache in large amounts in any form. If you eat six donuts, you’re going to regret it. I usually only eat one at a time, but most people can get up to three at a time without issue. If you’re extra sensitive to flax, go real easy on this or possibly use a greater proportion of almond or coconut meal.

All Winter long, we keep baked apples and winter squash roasting away in the wood stove. They get distributed into nearly every meal and snack, along with copious amounts of spices and butter for a special cold season delight that warms both belly and soul. We don’t eat flour based pastas and so find spaghetti and gila squashes to be a great base for tomatoey or creamy sauces as well as thick stews. They also make phenomenal desserts and soups when creamed.

This recipe is one of my all-time favorite winter snacks and it’s so simple! The combo of smooth, sweet squash and savory, creamy nut butter is rich and nourishing. It also totally fulfills my craving for something comforting without being too carby or sweet. I sometimes make this as a quick lunch or evening snack but it’s really appropriate for any meal. Most people prefer it warm but it’s also very yummy at room temperature as well.

• 1 Cup Winter Squash – I like a half and half combo of baked spaghetti squash (or Gila squash, a sweeter variety of the spaghetti) and acorn squash because of the great texture it imparts but you could use any slightly sweet winter squash
• 2 TBs Nut Butter – my favorite is Sunflower Seed butter at the moment (especially the Once Again brand with the little raccoon on front, I can’t seem to manage to make my homemade taste quite that good for some reason) but hazelnut or cashew or almond all taste great.
• 1 Tsp butter (optional)
• 2 TBs cream or nut/coconut milk of your choice (optional)
• cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, vanilla and black pepper to taste (optional)
• tiny sprinkle of maple syrup or maple sugar (optional)

Bake the squash until soft and sweet (don’t settle for hard, cardboard like strands of spaghetti squash, cook it til it’s actually done), scoop out seeds  and then scoop squash flesh into your bowl. Melt butter on still warm flesh and stir in, add milk and spices and stir well. Add nut butter and stir slightly, enough to distribute evenly but not enough to dissolve into oblivion. Sprinkle maple and additional spices on top to taste. Dig in! Lovely with a cup of strong chai on the side while sitting in front of a toasty stove or roaring fire.

Acorns are one of the great traditional foods of the Southwest, they have been savored from peoples as varied as the indigenous peoples of southern California to the Irish settlers of New Mexico. I cannot speak for the Oaks of other parts of the country, but I can say quite definitively that the acorns of my home region are of unparalleled tastiness. In fact, I prefer them over every other nut I have ever tasted and that covers quite a range. While I once preferred Hazelnuts, I have been slowly but surely won over by the local acorns and pine nuts to the point that other nuts almost seem strange to eat.

There is the unfortunate misconception that acorns are always very bitter, but this is simply not true. ~No boiling or leaching necessary!~ Our acorns need but the gentlest of processing — only to be gathered, roasted to a medium brown color before being shelled and ground to a fine meal. They do not even need to be gathered brown, it’s perfectly fine to harvest them while still green and on the tree, as long as they have reached near their full size.

Once they have been made into a fine meal, they can be added to soups, breads, tortillas, cakes, brownies and every form of chocolate imaginable. They add a flavor reminiscent of hazelnuts, coffee and chocolate that varies from tree to tree and species to species, but is delightful in every manifestation. There is a delicated magic to these wonderful nuts, touched by faery and blessed by a special richness unlike any other food.

Keep an eye out for Loba’s upcoming post on the Anima blog also all about acorns (we are a little bit obsessed) and will include lots of lovely recipes. For now, you can check out my previous posts and recipes.

Sweet Southwestern Acorns – Another general overview of acorn processing

Banana Acorn Cake

Roasted Corn Soup with Toasted Acorns & Fresh Rosemary

Lentil Soup with Acorns

This is SO yummy and quick to make. It’s not exactly low-carb but it is free of grains. If you’d like it to be less dense you can add a tsp or so of baking powder, but I like it this way.

1/4 Cup acorn meal

1/4 Cup cocoa

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 Cup unrefined coconut oil

1/3 Cup Maple Syrup or Honey

2/3 Cup mashed bananas

1 egg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Mix dry ingredients together, then mix wet ingredients together, then mix all incredients together. Pour into pre-oiled pan (a smallish bread pan works good) and cook for appr. 20 minutes at 350.

Keep in mind we use a wood stove, so I’m guessing on the temp It’s lovely with chocolate added, or some cardamom and ginger or grated orange peel. Yum, enjoy!

This relish is an Enchanted Pantry twist on one of the more unusual Mediterranean recipes.  You can eat it right away, but it gets even better overnight.  It’s great mixed with some yogurt and eaten with pita or other fresh bread, with maybe a little hummus alongside.  Carnivores will especially enjoy it served with any wood grilled cuts, wild meats, a pork roast or chicken, or even atop a perfectly seasoned meatloaf.

1 cup good quality green olives, pitted and chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup chopped toasted almonds
1/4 cup chopped parsley or watercress
1/2 cup fresh pomegranate seeds
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1-2 teaspoons brown sugar, to taste
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight. Return to room temperature before serving.

Rose vinegar is supremely easy to make and has about a million uses. Here’s how you make it: get yourself a jar, fill it about halfway with dried Rose petal or leaves, or all the way up with fresh petals and/or leaves. Fill to top with a high quality apple cider vinegar. Let infuse for at least two weeks, and preferably six weeks. A plastic lid will prevent the Rose vinegar from eating through the normal metal canning lids (turns your vinegar black too, very unpleasant). Your vinegar will turn a lovely shade of reddish pink to brilliant ruby if you use colorful petals (dunno how yellow comes out it, I’ve never used them).

A cloth can be soaked in this lovely preparation (dilute to 1 part vinegar to about 7-10 parts water) can be used placed on the forehead for headaches (especially heat caused headaches), wrapped around a sprained ankle or used to wash itchy bug bites and heat rashes. It excels at pulling heat from an inflamed area in a very short time. It is especially powerful at rapidly quenching the redness and pain from a sunburn in to time flat. In fact a medium sunburn, if caught within the first 24 hours, can be nearly erased in three or four applications of vinegar over a period of six hours or so. Even where there is threatening sun poisoning and blistering skin, it can greatly ease the pain and lessen the general trauma to the body. While not a replacement for emergency care in severe burns, it is nearly always incredibly helpful.

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 Sunburn Treatment

• First, do yourself a favor and don’t smother your sunburn in salve or oil. It just holds the heat in and worsens it, no matter how healing the herbs contained therein may be.
• Depending on the size of the burn, pour about 1/3 a cup of Rose Vinegar into a bowl, then add several cups of water and mix thoroughly.
• Get a soft, absorbent cloth and dip into the liquid. Gently wring it out, being sure the cloth is still quite wet. You may want to use very large cloths/towels if the area burned is very large.
• Place the cloths over the affected areas, it will very cold at first but the cloth will rapidly become hot. Keep re-dipping and wringing as soon as the cloth gets warm. Depending on the severity of the burn, I usually re-apply at least a dozen times during the first session.
• Let the skin airdry. For a medium burns, I repeat the application about once every two hours. For severe burns, every hour. For light burns, as often as is needed.
• Before bed, a topical application of fresh Aloe Vera gel can be applied (from the plant, not weird preserved stuff from a bottle) to the area.
• Keep up the treatment until the area no longer feels hot to the touch. If the burns are very severe and there is the possibility (or existence) of infection, dress the burns with Rose and/or Beebalm honey between vinegar applications.
• Once the area has cooled off (and stays that way) it’s ok to use a healing salve or cream like Rose, Alder and Elderflower to speed the skin’s complete recovery.

If there’s no Rose vinegar on hand, plain or similarly herbal infused (Elderflower, Chickweed, Alder, Plantain) apple cider may be used.

This is such an effective treatment that I wouldn’t dream of traveling without it or not having several quart jars of it in my pantry and medicine chest.

This is Loba and I’s favorite way to cook up Beaver meat. I prefer fresh tomatoes or homemade tomato sauce but we’ve given the ingredients in easy to find materials for your convenience. This is a simple and tasty recipe and can easily be adapted to become beaver chili or something similar. It’s also excellent plain, wrapped up in some brined grape leaves.

extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 pint jar beaver meat
1 big can whole tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sage
2 teaspoons bee balm or oregano
lots of black pepper
1 cup red wine

Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil, add the rest of the ingredients, and smush the tomatoes with your hands. Add some more water if it seems a bit thick.  Simmer for a few hours.  Taste, and adjust the salt and pepper if you like, and add a bit more olive oil. That’s it!  Enjoy!!