Savory Shepherd’s Pie

This recipe is an old-school comfort food at its finest and is very filling and festive. Many of us are working mothers with very busy schedules, so it’s good to make a double recipe of this family favorite. Make one to serve piping hot out of the oven, and freeze the second for an after-school and post-work reheated repast. You will need the following ingredients for one pie:

• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• ½ cup carrots, sliced
• 1 cup button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes (or tomato sauce)
• 4 to 5 potatoes, boiled (or for a keto/low carb alternative, use an equal weight of young turnips, which are quite tasty mashed)
• ½ cup milk
• 2 tablespoons sunflower or olive oil
• ½ cup grated Cheddar cheese
• 2 cups sautéed ground beef (or substitute soy protein for a meat-free option, or ground turkey for a lower fat meat)
• ⅓ stick unsalted butter (preferably organic for best taste)
• seasoning herbs (cook’s choice; see below)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Mash the potatoes with unsalted organic butter, adding a splash of milk until you have the desired consistency. As you mash the potatoes, make sure you can get peaks so the pie will be impressively landscaped! Slowly heat the olive oil in a sauté pan and cook the onions until they soften, then fold in and cook your meat or veggie protein. Lastly, add in the carrots, mushrooms, and tomato and cook through. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add in your favorite herbs—parsley, sage, rosemary, or whatever your heart desires. Transfer to an oiled pie dish and spread evenly. Sprinkle the grated cheese on the filling. Lastly, spread the mashed potatoes on top, creating peaks and valleys. Dust a sprinkling of parsley and chives onto the potatoes and pop it into the preheated oven for fifteen minutes. Once the tater topping begins to turn a lovely golden brown on top, remove from the oven. Serve this hearty homemade savory pie in bowls alongside a crisp salad of homegrown greens and allow its coziness to melt all mundane matters away. Good for any day of the week and impressive enough to bake for high holidays.

Mushrooms: An Anti-Cancer Food to Add to Your Meals

But just what is so magical about mushrooms? One cup of cremini mushrooms provides either a good, very good, or excellent source of fifteen different vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant phytonutrients. They have even been reported to be an anti-cancer food and aid in the reduction of high cholesterol. Some, like the shiitake mushrooms beloved of Japanese cuisine, even boost the immune system! Mighty magical indeed!

Magical Mushroom Veggie Quiche

This dish can be either a main course served with a leafy green salad or a yummy hot breakfast or brunch with a side of fruit. Make two, and your weekend options are deliciously open. You can also include greens such as nettles, spinach, or chives to add more color and nutrients to your meal.

Gather the following ingredients:

• 5 eggs
• ½ cup milk
• 3 ounces cheese, grated (cook’s choice of cheddar, Swiss, or another family favorite)
• ½ cup washed and sliced button or cremini mushrooms
• ½ cup of chopped greens
• A premade pastry or quiche shell in a greased pie pan (can be store-bought or handmade, depending on how much time you have)

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Whisk the eggs and milk together and season with salt and pepper. Fold in the grated cheese and stir in the mushrooms. Pour the mixture into the pastry shell and pop into the oven for thirty-five minutes. When the top is turning a nice golden brown, remove the quiche from the oven and let it cool. Top with sprigs of aromatic fresh rosemary from your kitchen garden.

Gardener’s Choice Goddess Greens

This dish should be the gardener’s choice with a big bunch of gorgeous greens:

• Kale or chard (with a suggested side of nettle)
• 2 small garlic cloves
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• Red pepper flakes
• Garlic salt
• Olive oil

Wash the greens thoroughly, chop, and set aside. Peel and mash the garlic cloves. Heat the olive oil in a skillet and fry up the garlic and the pepper flakes. Add in the chopped greens and stir well. Cover the pan and lower the heat, giving it a stir every few minutes. When the greens have softened to your liking, add in a tablespoon of the apple cider vinegar and a big dash of the garlic salt. Stir vigorously three times counterclockwise and pray to the great kitchen goddess who provides us with everything we have. Remove from the heat. Lift the lid and add a half teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Serve this goddess-blessed dish of greens to people who claim to not like veggies or greens and you will delight and surprise quite a few. Be prepared to be asked for the recipe repeatedly. Every time you share the dish (or the recipe) you’ll be sharing the gifts of the goddess directly.

New Potatoes ‘n Parsley

Parsley has somehow become just a garnish, but it is actually the perfect party herbage as it is ruled by both Mercury and Venus and brings eloquence and extra charm. Bonus: it prevents drunkenness and is a proven breath freshener. Potatoes are centering and connote the prosperity principle of stability. New potatoes, especially those grown by your own hand, are optimal, but russet potatoes are fine here, too. This salad should not wait for picnics and parties, it is marvelous for any meal and quite economical, too. All you need is this:

• 6 large scrubbed-clean potatoes, boiled and cubed (with the skin left on for more nutrients)
• 1 large red onion, chopped finely
• Parsley and chives, a nice fresh bunch from the garden
• ¼ cup mustard
• 1 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 lemon

While the potatoes are cooling, place them in a large bowl and add in the onion. Whisk the lemon, vinegar, mustard, and sugar and then pour in the olive oil bit by bit. Pour most of the herbs and dressing into the still-warm potatoes and stir until the dressing is completely mixed in. Season to taste and top with the leftover herbs. This dish is a lovely tasting reminder of how the earth sustains us all.

Bounty of Basil: Perfect Pesto

This recipe is simply scrumptious and a bargain to boot. Gather a nice big bunch of basil leaves, two cups total, from your kitchen garden or greengrocer. Give the leaves a good cold rinse and place them on a clean tea towel to air-dry. You will also need the following:

• 1 fresh lemon
• 3 peeled garlic cloves
• ½ cup parmesan cheese
• ½ cup pine nuts
• Sea salt

Place the pine nuts and the garlic on a baking sheet in the oven at 375 degrees for five to ten minutes or until the pine nuts begin to turn slightly golden. Do NOT wait until they turn brown, though. Then take everything and put it into a blender or food processor. Before you put the lid in place, cut the lemon in half and squeeze out a nice dollop of fresh juice into the mix and grind in a healthy dash of sea salt. Blend away until you have a lovely green pesto sauce you can put on anything. Perfect pesto in ten minutes flat! Based on the benefits of this herb, it might be the perfect dish to serve up after an emotionally hard week as it is a bringer of peace. Also good for date night or when you need to brew up good money mojo! Boil up a pot of pasta while you are concocting the blissful basil blend, and you will have a sumptuous weeknight supper for the family on the table so quickly, they will be sure you are using witchcraft!

Farmer’s Favorite Nettle Soup: Medieval Superfood for Modern Times

Nettles are a farmer’s favorite due to all their usefulness as a healing plant bringing good cheer and for their usefulness in breaking hexes. They are also a green that can be used as you might use kale or watercress. They were regarded and used as a “superfood” by wise women for centuries and are so packed with vitamin A and iron, and they also have a high protein count. They are best harvested when they are young in the springtime. Nevertheless, they are an excellent element in cookery year ’round and have a surprisingly delicate flavor. They are another generous genus, since they sprout up and reseed themselves as true gifts from Mother Earth. Try this old-time recipe and you will be soon be out hunting nettles in the wild so you can enjoy this medieval meal at all times.

• 2 cups rinsed nettles
• 1 cup black-eyed peas, cleaned and soaked overnight
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 cups yellow onions, chopped
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon celery salt, salt and pepper to taste

Start cooking the presoaked black-eyed peas in a large pan with just enough water to cover them. Once they have boiled, keep them on a high simmer. Keep an eye on them while you sauté the onions and garlic to transparency in the olive oil in a skillet. Add water to the peas as needed and continue simmering them for thirty-five minutes or until the legumes have softened; then add the veggie stock or yeasty water.

Add the softened garlic and onions to the bean pot and simmer on low for twenty-five minutes. Add the nettles to the big pot and cook for a half hour. Season to taste and then share this nurturing soup. Make sure to give thanks to the guardian spirits of the earth for this gift of great greens.

Graceful Connection

Before you enjoy this friendly repast together, hold hands and recite this grace:

    Sister, brother, tribe of the soul, ones who care.

    Merry may we meet again to share.

    Breaking bread and quaffing mead

    We draw closer in word and deed.

    Blessing of love to all!

Winter Is Coming Nut Roast

Nuts are some of the best food we humans can eat, packed as they are with positive proteins, beneficial oils, and delicious flavor. This nearly effortless nut roastie is a great snack either for movie night at home or party time, and it makes a savory appetizer for special meals. Here is what you need:

• 10 ounces mixed nuts
• 8 ounces day-old bread
• 1 medium-sized white onion, chopped
• 1½ cups vegetable stock
• Soy or tamari sauce
• 2 ounces unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon dried sage

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and start sautéing the onions in the butter until they soften. Mix the nuts together with the bread in a food processor or stir vigorously until blended well, then transfer to a large bowl. Heat the stock to a boil and pour into the mixture in the bowl. Stir in the onions. Season as you see fit with salt, pepper, and sage. Pour in a tablespoon of the soy or tamari sauce to add zing to your roast and give one last stir. Spoon the roastie mix into a greased baking dish and bake for a half hour. Notice as your kitchen fills with a fantastic aroma. Heating the nuts brings out more of their natural oils and intensifies the flavor. Like herbs and flowers, nuts have magical properties which are mainly to increase love and feelings of conviviality and peace. When you serve this roastie, you are quite literally sharing the love.

Sara’s Superfood Smoothie

A friend of mine came up with this delicious and nutritious smoothie so her daughter could get “everything” at once. Sara loves it, and so do we!

• 1 banana
• ½ cup strawberries, sliced
• 4 tablespoons plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon liquid chlorophyll
• 1 tablespoon hemp oil
• ½ cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons goji berries, presoaked (optional)
• 1 packet Emergen-C, or another vitamin C powder

If you are using goji berries, soak them for two hours before you make the smoothie.

Blend ingredients until smooth. Add a little more orange juice or water if the consistency is too thick for your taste.

WeMoon Sweet Potato Cakes

Hearty and oh-so-healthy, these pancakes make for a marvelous full moon meal. Sweet potatoes are truly beneficial to women’s health and contain estrogen; these tubers are good for you inside and out, as they also give your skin a nice boost. But their main magic for folks of all ages and genders is that they are a grounding tonic. Anytime you feel spacey, out of sorts, or distracted, this food will serve you well, even if you just bake and eat a sweet potato. For this savory sweet, you will need:

• 2 large semi-baked sweet potatoes, peeled and grated
• 1 large carrot, grated
• 2 large semi-baked russet potatoes, peeled and grated
• 3 eggs
• ½ cup olive oil
• 1 cup of yogurt (organic will taste best)
• Chives, sage, and rosemary

Mix the grated potatoes and carrot in a large bowl. Beat the eggs, then add to the veggie mixture and mix thoroughly. Grind the rosemary and sage to a very fine powder in your mortar and pestle and add in a tablespoon of the herbs to the mixture; salt and pepper to taste. Shape into round balls, enough for eight mooncakes. Warm the oil slowly until it is nice and hot. Place the balls in the oil and flatten into rounds with a spatula. Cook through until they are golden and beginning to crisp on both sides. Plate up and top with organic yogurt, garnishing with chives. If you are feeling decadent, dollop on some sour cream and enjoy with a circle of friends under the sheen of a bright and holy moon.

Lunar Almanac: Twelve Months of Full Moons

Many of our full moon names come from medieval books of hours and from Native American tribal traditions. Here is a list of rare names from these two branches of tradition that you may want to use in your lunar rituals.

January: Old Moon, Chaste Moon; this fierce Wolf Moon is the time to recognize your strength of spirit.

February: Hunger Moon; the cool Snow Moon is for personal vision and intention-setting.

March: Crust Moon, Sugar Moon; the gentle Sap Moon heralds the end of winter and nature’s rebirth.

April: Sprouting Grass Moon, Egg Moon, Fish Moon; spring’s sweet Pink Moon celebrates health and full life force.

May: Milk Moon, Corn Planting Moon, Dyad Moon; the Flower Moon provides inspiration with the bloom of beauty.

June: Horn Moon, Rose Moon; the Strawberry Moon heralds the Summer Solstice and the sustaining power of the sun.

July: Buck Moon, Hay Moon; this Thunder Moon showers us with rain and cleansing storms.

August: Barley Moon, Wort Moon, Sturgeon Moon; summer gifts us with the Red Moon, the time for passion and lust for life.

September: Green Corn Moon, Wine Moon; fall’s Harvest Moon is the time to be grateful and reap what we have sown.

October: Dying Grass Moon, Travel Moon, Blood Moon, Moon of Changing Seasons; the Hunter’s moon is when we plan and store for winter ahead.

November: Frost Moon, Snow Moon; this Beaver Moon is the time to call upon our true wild nature.

December: Cold Moon, Oak Moon; this is the longest night of the shortest day and is the time to gather the tribe around the fire and share stories of the good life together.

Healing Moon Herb Soup

After the September Equinox signals the change of seasons to fall, you should start making pots of this seasonal meal, which is a guaranteed crowd pleaser. This autumnal soup is just as pleasing to the cook as it can be a quick supper, leftovers for lunch, and easily frozen for meals on the go. It is simple and simply delicious. On the eve of the first full moon of fall, gather the ingredients and prepare this nourishing lunar tonic. Refrigerate overnight, and the flavors will “marry” together to intensify and become an even more savory supper to serve to loved ones on a Harvest Moon night.

• 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and shredded
• 3 large, thinly sliced leeks
• 2 cloves fresh garlic
• 8 cups of water
• ⅓ cup of virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup sage, finely ground
• 4 large potatoes cut into small, spoon-size chunks; they can be yams, purple Peruvian potatoes, Idaho spuds, red potatoes—cook’s choice!
• ¼ cup fresh chives diced and chopped finely
• ¼ teaspoon celery salt
• Salt and pepper to your taste
• 1 carrot sliced thin into golden moons

In a large iron skillet (preferably one well-seasoned by use in your kitchen), fry the leeks in the olive oil until they become soft and translucent. Add in the chopped garlic until it is also soft and is wafting a wonderful scent into your kitchen. Transfer to a soup pot, oil and all, and add the water, heating to a boil. Add all the remaining veggies, the garlic, and the herbs, then turn the heat down to a simmer for forty-five minutes. Test the taters to see if they are soft enough by mashing a couple with a wooden spoon. If they are still a bit hard, simmer for another five minutes. Turn the heat down to very low and then season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the celery salt as the last element of the year’s abundance.

Cool as a Cucumber Mint Soup

Cucumber Mint Soup:

• 3 large peeled cucumbers
• Half cup fresh mint leaves
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

Put the ingredients in the blender and puree. This gorgeous green potage makes four cups, enough for two servings for a hungry couple. The only accompaniment you need is crispy herb crackers, an icy beverage and each other.

Healing in a Bowl: Ginger Carrot Soup

Ginger is an energetic herb, and it adds a bit of fire and spice to anything in which it is used, whether that is a healing cup of tea, a salad, a savory dish, or this special soup. Ginger root is a quickener and is renowned for how it can make magic happen faster. It is also medicinal and helps heals from colds, congestions, flus, and fever. Combine ginger with carrots, which are wonderfully grounding and bring what is hidden to light, and you have a simple soup that can ground and center you, heal you, and make you more psychic—all at a faster pace. And as if that wasn’t enough, it is beautiful to smell and to see and is pleasing to the senses in all ways. This is what you need for this bowlful of soothing soup:

• 1 pound of carrots, cleaned and sliced; set aside the carrot greens
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped
• 1 large clove garlic, peeled and crushed
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper, extra for garnish
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 cups fresh water
• 1 lemon

Put all the carrots except for one in a big pot and cover with water; simmer on medium heat and add in the ginger, garlic, pepper, and salt after the first five minutes. Place the last carrot on your altar. After twenty to twenty-five minutes, the carrots should be tender. Transfer everything to a blender and blend until smooth. At the very end, add in several squeezes of lemon juice. Give a stir and pour into bowls or mugs while nice and warm. Use a few leaves from the carrot tops and a tiny sprinkling of red pepper as garnish.

Healing Spices

Did you know your pantry is like a pharmacy? Thankfully, it is far cheaper. Cumin is loaded with phytochemicals, antioxidants, iron, copper, calcium, potassium, manganese, selenium, zinc, and magnesium and contains high amounts of B-complex nutrients. Cumin also helps with insomnia. Cinnamon is truly a power spice. Just half a teaspoon daily can dramatically reduce blood glucose levels in those with type 2 diabetes and lower cholesterol. Cayenne promotes circulation and boosts metabolism. Clove is an antifungal and abets toothaches. Nutrient-rich parsley is a detoxifying herb and acts as an anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic as well as helping conditions from colic to indigestion. Rub it on itchy skin for instant relief! Sage is very beneficial in treating gum and throat infections. Sage tea has helped ease depression and anxiety for generations. Thyme is a cure for a hangover and doubles as a remedy for colds and bronchitis. Cilantro is a good source of iron, magnesium, phytonutrients, and flavonoids and is also high in dietary fiber. Cilantro has been used for thousands of years as a digestive and helps to lower blood sugar when it is too high, possibly as a result of stimulating insulin secretion or enzyme production. Ginger stimulates circulation and is an excellent digestive as it aids in absorption of food and clears bloating due to indigestion. Immune champion turmeric boosts production of antioxidants and reduction of inflammation. Blue Zone centenarians credit their long, healthy lives to drinking turmeric root tea daily. Pack your pantry with these seasonings for optimal health and happiness.

I also had the great good fortune to have grown up in the countryside on a farm. Much of what I know I learned from my wise aunt: what herbs to gather in the wild and which foods to cook for love, money, luck, health, and in celebration of the high holidays. It is exciting to go to the garden, the grocery store, or the farmer’s market and bring home the ingredients for positive life change. In addition to the secrets of magical cooking, I learned from this wise woman that the first task to “undertake is to clean your kitchen and purify it. If anything needs repairing, fix it. Any utensils, pots, or pans that are banged up can also be donated (so long as you can afford to immediately purchase replacements). If your kitchen curtains look shabby to your eye, make or buy new ones. If there is a bag of rice or beans past its prime, compost away. You should both clean the cooking space in the practical sense as well as cleanse it in the magical sense. Prepare your kitchen to be used for the purpose of healing.

Eating Healing Food: From Seed to Savory Meal

Centuries ago, healers were the wise women of the village, herbalists and midwives who could halt a fever with a poultice or hasten the setting of bones by concocting a medicinal tea. The lore of growing and gathering healing herbs has been passed down for hundreds of years. A learned herbal healer knows which phases of the moon are best for planting seeds, how to plan your garden by the stars, and how to create concoctions for health and harmony.

In the grand and hallowed tradition, I learned at the knee of my aunt Edith, a very wise woman who would take me for walks through the woods and show me the uses and meanings of every flower, weed, and tree. From her, I learned that lovely Queen Anne’s lace is in fact wild carrot; that pokeberries make the finest blood-red inks; and which meadow greens and shade-loving mushrooms are safe for a noonday salad. I was in awe during our tromps through the woods, walking mile upon mile to map every acre and spy every specimen. Nature was our cathedral, our classroom, and our calendar. Every spring, we could mark April 1 by the blossoming of a solitary clump of delicate Dutchman’s breeches amid a raft of rarest wildflowers. I thought Aunt Edith was teaching me about plants and trees, only to discover years later that she had shown me the sanctity of life and passed on to me a legacy I now treasure.

Herbal healing is “earth magic.” These recipes that create both soundness of body and clarity of mind are eminently practical. They are a wonderful mix of gardening, herb lore, minding the moon and sky, and heeding ancient folk wisdom. In crafting herbal remedies for healing, you are using your magic in conjunction with the properties of the herbs—a powerful combination. It is a subtle process, growing more effective over tike through repeated practice.

Prior to modern medical science, it was believed that illness was a sign of evil spirits. A modern healer knows that most maladies come from myriad causes with such common roots as neglect, imbalance, stress, lack of sleep, and substance abuse, which includes eating the wrong types of foods. A good healer knows that prevention is always better than a cure and that self-care can greatly amplify the body’s powerful self-healing properties. Your well-being is inextricably linked to the physical and spiritual health of the people around you, which in turn is connected to the planet at large. Thus, the healing process begins with you and spirals outward. The purifying positions and restorative herbal cures recounted in these pages provide a sacred road map to bring you in harmony with yourself and with the greater forces of nature. Many plants now thought of as weeds have great healing powers and magical properties. Most of the herbs and essential oils in this book have become quite commonplace. With the new plethora of aromatherapy products now available, most oil essences and scented candles can be bought commercially. For the more unusual ingredients, try your local health food market, herbalist or metaphysical store.

Coziness by the Cup: Ambrosial Brews

Herbal tea conjures a very powerful alchemy because when you drink it, you take the magic inside. For an ambrosial brew with the power to calm any storm, add a sliver of ginger root and a pinch each of chamomile and peppermint to a cup of hot black tea. Before you drink, pray:

This day I pray for calm, for health,

And the wisdom to see the beauty of each 

waking moment.

Blessings abound.

Herbal teas can also nourish the soul and heal the body:

• Blueberry Leaf Tea
• Reduces mood swings, evens glucose levels, and helps varicose veins.
• Nettle
• Raises the energy level, boosts the immune system, and is packed with iron and vitamins.
• Fennel
• Awakens and uplifts, freshens the breath, and aids colon health.
• Echinacea
• Supports an increased and consistent sense of well-being and prevents colds and flu.
• Ginger Root
• Calms and cheers while preventing nausea and aiding digestion and circulation.
• Dandelion Root
• Grounds and centers, provides many minerals and nutrients, and cleanses the liver of toxins.

The Herbalist’s Astrological Almanac—Plant Healing Wisdom

Plants carry potent energy you can use to amplify your magical workings. Use the signs of the sun, moon, and stars to your advantage and, over time, you will come to know which ones are most effective for you. Make sure to use your own astrological chart in working with these herbs. Here is a guide to the astrological associations of plants you may grow in your kitchen garden or keep dried in your pantry:

• Aries, ruled by Mars: carnation, cedar, clove, cumin, fennel, juniper, peppermint, and pine
• Taurus, ruled by Venus: apple, daisy, lilac, magnolia, oak moss, orchid, plumeria, rose, thyme, tonka bean, vanilla, and violet
• Gemini, ruled by Mercury: almond, bergamot, mint, clover, dill, lavender, lemongrass, lily, and parsley
• Cancer, ruled by the moon: eucalyptus, gardenia, jasmine, lemon, lotus, rose, myrrh, and sandalwood
• Leo, ruled by the Sun: acacia, cinnamon, heliotrope, nutmeg, orange, and rosemary
• Virgo, ruled by Mercury: almond, cypress, bergamot, mint, mace, moss, thyme, and patchouli
• Libra, ruled by Venus: catnip, marjoram, mugwort, spearmint, sweet pea, thyme, and vanilla
• Scorpio, ruled by Pluto: allspice, basil, cumin, galangal, and ginger
• Sagittarius, ruled by Jupiter: anise, cedarwood, sassafras, star anise, and honeysuckle
• Capricorn, ruled by Saturn: lemon thyme, mimosa, vervain, and vetiver
• Aquarius, ruled by Uranus: gum, citron, cypress, lavender, spearmint, and pine
• Pisces, ruled by Neptune: clover, orris, neroli, sarsaparilla, and sweet pea

For the ingredients above not found in your kitchen or garden, try your local health food market, herbalist, or metaphysical store; for those that are really hard to find, consider looking at these types of mail-order outlets online.

Blissful Blend: Basil-Infused Oil

Infusions have regained popularity as a way of getting as much of the herb into oil as possible. This is a method of preparation that brings the flavors of one food, in this case, fresh herbs, to another, such as oil. Basil oil is unbelievably easy to make. You’ll need:

• 2 ounces fresh basil
• ¾ cup virgin olive oil (or you can use safflower oil or canola)

Ideally, you will gather your fresh herbs in your own kitchen garden, but any farmers market or organic grocery will have green herbs. For the best and purest flavor, use fresh herbs at their peak. Rinse thoroughly in cold water. Gently pat dry with paper towels and give the basil a coarse chop. Place into a metal colander and dip into boiling water for ten seconds. 

Rinse in an ice water bath and drain well. Gently pat dry and add the basil to the oil. After three to five days in a cool dark place, the flavor will have infused into the oil, adding the fresh bright green note of the herbs. Use liberally on roasts, stir-frys, or salads, and drizzle on top of cooked vegetables and soups. Basil not only confers much palatability, but it also brings prosperity. Enjoy!

These herbs also make fantastic infused oils: rosemary. tarragon, parsley, chives, and cilantro.

Harvesting Joy: Your Herb Garden

Basil is beloved because it’s so delectable and versatile. It is easily grown in pots. Take care to remove the growing tip when the plants are six inches (fifteen cm) high for bushier growth. Plant out in the garden when the weather gets warmer. Basil prefers full sun and a sheltered spot.

Chives come from the onion family and have slim, pointed leaves. You should sow seeds directly in the ground in early spring, late March or April. Chives grow best in a sunny spot with rich soil, so keep the plants watered. Chives produce pretty, perfectly round flowers in either purple or pink. Gorgeous in the garden and palatable on the plate, the chive plant is a marvelous cooking herb and one that is truly easy to grow.

Coriander is a very versatile herb for the kitchen and grows well in the garden or in pots. Seeds can take weeks to germinate and the plants are fairly short-lived, so sow seeds every few weeks to get you through the season. Coriander is a bit fussy and can “bolt” when stressed, which means it produces flowers and seeds and not enough of the flavorful leaves. You need to make sure it is well watered and reap regularly before it goes to seed.

Mint is a marvel. It spreads beautifully once it has really taken root. If space is a concern, plant your mint in pots to contain the roots and stop it taking over. Keep it in full sun or partial shade and pinch out any flower buds to encourage more leaf growth.

Oregano loves a Mediterranean clime. Plant yours in warm, sunny spots with light soil. Oregano has pretty pink flowers and makes great ground cover at the front of borders. Don’t allow this herb to get too tall; make sure to pinch it back, and you’ll get more of this tasty treat to harvest.

Parsley is the gift that gives for two years. This herb can be slow to germinate; try soaking the seeds in water overnight before planting as this will speed it up. The best place to grow parsley is in rich, moist soil in full sun or partial shade.

Rosemary is useful for so many culinary and healing teas and brews. Lucky for us, it grows vigorously. Rosemary can be trimmed in early summer to keep it in shape and stop it getting too woody. The scent is so wonderful in dishes and in bath salts, too!

Sage doesn’t like wet ground, so plant it in a sunny spot with rich, well-drained soil. There are several sage varieties to choose from, including some with colored leaves. Harvest the leaves regularly to encourage more to grow. This versatile herb is a major culinary pleasure.

Thyme is a cousin of mint but grows much lower to the ground; it is one of the most fragrant of herbs and really adds flavor as a culinary seasoning. Plant this to remove melancholy from your home and garden. If your front yard and door get afternoon sun, plant wooly thyme and you’ll come home after work to a perfume paradise that will immediately lend cheer and comfort.

All of these herbs will grow happily in containers on a patio, balcony, or even on the kitchen windowsill. Start an herb garden this year and you’ll never look back.

An Herbalist’s Green Thumb Rules

If you have children, get them involved so they will learn a love of gardening early.

Find a nursery you like and ask which is the best book for your zone and climate to read and understand what to plant where, so you’ll have the best chance for success.

Always grow vegetables and fruits that you and your family love to eat.

Your kitchen garden should be a sunny, open spot that is easy for you to see and tend.

If possible, have an herb garden that is separate and easy to access for daily use when warm.

Check your soil type and use containers or raised beds if your soil is too poor or damp and swampy. Of course, a compost pile can fix your soil soon enough.

Preparation is everything, even with soil. Remove rocks and weeds; loosen the soil so it “breathes.”

Develop your garden’s soil by mixing in compost. Once the plants are established, serve them compost tea!

Patience is a virtue. Don’t sow too early—wait until the soil is warmed up.

Invite Your Garden to Tea: How to Make Compost Tea

Compost tea is a marvelous way to feed your plants and give them extra nutrients in a wholly natural way that is free of chemicals. You want to feed your friends and family only the cleanest and pesticide-free produce, so start out organic and you will have a “garden that produces healthy food. You will need a big bucket and the following to make compost tea:

• 2 cups fresh, homemade compost dirt
• 1 gallon of clean, filtered water

Add the water and the soil to a gallon bucket, and keep it in a place out of direct heat or cold. I use my outdoor shed, but a garage will also do nicely. Let your compost tea “brew” for a week, and give it a stir every other day. Watering cans are the perfect teapot for your garden. Strain out the dirt and pour the liquid into your watering can, where it will then be ready to serve up some serious nutrients to your garden.'

Gardening Is the Key to Happiness (and It’s Easy!)

Here are the vegetables anyone can grow, from beginners to pros with their own greenhouses:

Lettuce, peas, onions, beets, potatoes, beans, and radishes.

Lettuce leaves for your salads are the easiest edible crop to grow. A few varieties will be ready to harvest in weeks! Choose a seed mix that will give you a variety of leaves for different tastes, colors, and textures. For best results, sow in stages so you don’t get loads all at once. Sow a couple of lanes every few weeks throughout the summer to ensure a continuous supply.

Once you are a pro with lettuce, grow spinach and rocket (a.k.a. arugula) for your salad bowl.

Peas are a trouble-free crop that can handle cooler weather, so you can skip the step of starting the seedlings indoors. Simply sow the seeds in the ground from March onwards and watch them thrive. The plants will need support—put in stakes or chicken wire attached to posts and occasionally wind the stems around the supports as they grow. Harvest your fresh peas from June to August—the more you pick; the more will grow.

Onions are problem free and easy to propagate. After your seedlings sprout, thin seedlings to an inch apart, and then thin again in four weeks to six inches apart. Onions are a staple for cooking, so you and your family will be grateful once you have established an onion patch in your kitchen garden.

Potatoes and beets are a high return for your labor. To me, the best way to grow both is the world’s laziest way to garden; I remember reading about it when I was ten in a book by Thalassa Crusoe, a pioneering organic gardener. I was fascinated that you could grow root vegetables without even needing to turn any soil. You can grow potatoes, yams, and so on under straw! Simply cut up mature potatoes that have “eyes” or the fleshy tubers sprouting out of the flesh of the potato, making sure each piece has an eye. This will give a new potato. After you “plant” or place the seed potatoes chunks on the ground, put loose straw over the pieces and between all the rows at least four to six inches deep. When the seed pieces start growing, your potato sprouts will emerge through the straw cover. How easy was that? Crusoe also said you could do the same under wet, shredded newspaper, but straw is more organic.

Radishes have enjoyed a new popularity thanks to Korean and Japanese cuisine. They add a fun pop of spicy, tangy flavor to soups, stews, tempura, salads, and all on their own. They can grow equally well in the ground in spring or in a pot. Radishes like a lot of sun and well-drained soil. They are also a crop you can grow in several crops per season. If you keep the soil moist, you’ll have big beautiful radishes to brighten any dish.

Green beans are the opposite of the low-maintenance beets and potatoes as they will need staking or poles for support. However, an easier path to a great crop of green beans can be to grow them in a five-gallon container. After they have gotten four or five feet long, place a pole or stake carefully in the pot and allow the bean vines to wind around. Soon you’ll have a pot of beans even grandma might recognize as a favorite vegetable for any occasion.

The Art of the Kitchen Garden

What veggies do you love? What are your favorite salad greens? The first rule is to plant what you will actually eat and feel proud to serve to guests. Take your herbal journal and list your preferred herbs, greens, fruits, and vegetables including root vegetables. Now, strike out anything you can buy really cheaply—no sense in using valuable space to for something easily available at a lower price than the cost to grow it. Another caution, check out your soil type. Carrots need deep, rich soil to grow well. If your lot is shallow and sandy soil, cross carrots off your list and look to surface crops like potatoes and beets instead.

Grow Your Healing Garden: Herbs and Veggies

I have lived in homes where my only gardening options were containers on a deck or planters on the front stoop. This taught me you can do a lot with seed packets, pots, and an open mind. When selecting space for your kitchen garden, you can plant it in something as simple as a set of containers; this can be planned as with any other garden space. If you are lucky to have a backyard or land, I suggest you begin the designing process by incorporating all the plants you know you want to use in your health and body care, your magical workings, and your cookery and always allow yourself to experiment. Trying new veggies or seeds that are new to you can be enormously rewarding. I agree with Londoner Alys Fowler, who is one of England’s top gardeners. She says there is no earthly reason why roses and cabbages can’t go side by side and that veggies can nicely nestle in among florals. Once you have tried a few such painterly plantings, you can give yourself a free hand in your creative approach.

Lawns are very high maintenance and unless constantly mowed and manicured, can greatly reduce your home’s curb appeal. Besides wasting water and taking up a lot of time, grass in your yard doesn’t offer you anything back for all the demands it places on your time and pocketbook. Grass lawns also tempt many lawn keepers to use chemicals which are bad for all of us, especially the birds and the bees. Get creative and go at least a little wild. My next-door neighbor turned over the soil on their whole front lawn, tilled it, and planted potatoes, beets, asparagus, and squash. They love going into the front yard and harvesting fresh veggies for their daily meals. The pumpkins and other squash actually have beautiful foliage, and the flowers are stunning and edible as well. Last year, one of their crops grew to “Giant Pumpkin” size “and it became the talk of the neighborhood as we watched it grow and grow. Needless to say, they had the best jack-o-lantern on the block and some fantastic pies to boot. I am heartened to see the new gardening philosophy of growing veggies, roots stocks, herbs, and berries right beside the roses and lilies. It is gorgeous and supports the bee populations to whom we owe so much.

Gardening, even if it is only a hanging basket of cherry tomatoes and a windowsill filled with herb pots, is a way for us as human beings to live grounded in nature and connected to Mother Earth, who provides all. It will definitely add pleasure to your life and a sense of calm. When I feel stressed, I go out back and do some weeding. It is my therapy, and I can immediately see the profit of my labors. The bigger my compost pile grows with weeds, the happier I am. I intend the same for you. With your garden, you are quite literally growing a bounty of blessings.

Magic by the Bushel

The very act of growing your own herbs will be healing, and, as you continue to practice herbalism, you will learn more and more of what works in your recipes and which herbs, teas, and plant-based potions and infusions cause you and your loved ones to flourish.

Your Local Free Farmer’s Market

If you are lucky enough to live nearby an untended meadow, you have a garden at your beck and call. Rocket, sorrel, nettles, dandelions, and purslane are there for the taking, along with the beautiful tall flowering weed Queen Anne’s lace, the roots of which are tiny wild carrots. Foraging is good exercise as well as an exercise in economy, as these tasty weeds are free for the picking. All these greens are good for you, and purslane is a genuine superfood, one very high in omega-3 fatty acids. Foraging these wild wonderful weeds is a part of the centuries-old village tradition.

Garden Your Way to Gladness

For dispelling negative energy, plant heather, hawthorn, holly, hyacinth, hyssop, ivy, juniper, periwinkle, and nasturtiums.

For healing, plant sage, wood sorrel, carnation, onion, garlic, peppermint, and rosemary.

Both farming and working with plants are guided by the moon and should take place during the waxing moon in the signs of Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces, Capricorn, and Taurus, while weeding is ideally done during the waning moon.

Sowing Seeds of Positive Change in Your Life

Nature is the ultimate creator. At a nearby gardening store or hardware store, get an assortment of seed packets to plant newness into your life. If your thumb is not the greenest, try nasturtiums, which are extremely hardy, grow quickly, and will spread to beautify any area. They reseed themselves, which is a lovely bonus. Light the following candles:

• Green candle with a peridot or jade for creativity, prosperity, and growth
• Orange candle with jasper or onyx for clear thinking and highest consciousness
• Blue candle with turquoise or celestine for serenity, kindness and a happy heart
• White candle with a quartz crystal or limestone for purification and safety

Put the seeds under the soil with your fingers and tamp them down gently with your fingers while meditating on your wish for positive changes. Water your new moon garden, and affirmative change will begin in your life that very day.

Air Cleaners You Can Grow

Plants provide a haven, even in a small studio apartment. They are a great idea for at home as well as at work. Not only are they pretty to look at, they are improving the air you breathe. These air-purifying plants look great, produce oxygen, and can even absorb contaminants like formaldehyde and benzene, which are commonly off-gassed from furniture and mattresses. Here are the plants to purify the air in your home twenty-four-seven: bamboo, weeping figs, rubber tree, spider plant, peace lily, and snake plants. Houseplants do need their leaves dusted from time to time, so you can do this with a banana peel. The dust clings to the peel, and the leaves are nourished by the peel. Go bananas!