by Jutta Russell | Jun 29, 2020 | Cooking with herbs, Happy House, Home-made biodynamic food, Preserving food
TODAY IS A GREAT TO TO COOK IN BATCHES FOR FREEZING, MAKE BREAD AND BAKE CAKE AND COOKIES
I read that Mauro Colagreco, owner of the Michelin-starred restaurant Mirazur, situated on the French Riviera, has changed his menu post-COVID lockdown. That would not be surprising for a place listed on the World’s 50 Best Restaurant list. But why is it news-worthy? Because he will tailor his offerings in accordance with what the moon is doing.
I am sure many readers thought ‘Ridiculous new fad- what next?’. Well, this ‘fad’ is actually not so new, it is in fact a few thousand years old.
Here is the article
Mr. Colagreco reasons that he is already using biodynamically grown produce and so he might as well not stop there but carry this method over to the kitchen. Ah, now it makes sense.
In the Biodynamic garden, one aspect is that the gardener is plants, sows, and carries out any work in accordance with the biodynamic calendar. This has given Biodynamic farming always a ‘woohoo’ appeal, fit for a few crazy souls, but nothing for the sensible masses. But what many don’t realize is that for centuries this was actually THE normal way of farming, nothing ‘woohoo’ about this.
Generations of observations have led to practices which ‘just worked’ – olives picked on certain days had more oil and apples more juice. Spinach sown on this day was less susceptible to disease or grew quicker. The ‘why’ was less questioned, it just was called ‘tradition’ and it worked.
I assume the menu choices you will see in the near future at Mirazur, will be guided by the change of the moon phases and the elements. When you take a look at our online calendar The Month Ahead you will see that each day shows a moon phase (Waxing Moon, Full Moon, Waning Moon or New Moon) and an element (Water, Air, Earth & Fire) and activity symbols that are connected.
These symbols represent the observations that led to the creation of these calendars. But their widespread appeal was (and still is) that they are such great tools to structure time and life.
So what is cooking with the moon?
If you grew up with this ‘way of eating’, then your body is sort of programmed to fancy certain foods at certain times.
I guess this is nature’s way to make sure you get a well-balanced diet. If you have never heard or experienced it, then it does need a bit of time to get used to it. Firstly, you have to ‘detach’ from your current eating habits and ‘re-teach’ your body to develop what I call ‘healthy cravings’ and food management. I am currently working on a program that will teach these steps in more details.
But here is quick intro if you are completly new to this way of cooking and eating.
Eating with the moon cycle:
The Waxing Moon: As the moon grows, so do we. People seem hungrier and gain weight easier. It is a great time for those who find it hard to put weight on (say after an operation) or anorexic.
If you struggle with too much weight, it is crucial that you watch this time. Don’t lose weight, rather stabilize your weight and aim not to gain. Prepare meals that are filling and full of nutrients (fresh, healthy, organic produce is, of course, best) and that contains very little sugar and empty calories, such as white flour.
The Full Moon: Again, it is easier to put weight on, but as it is just a short time, you may as well enjoy it and go for a slap-up meal. Traditionally diets started at Full Moon.
The Waning Moon: Losing weight tends to be easier now. We are also more active and as a result may eat less, as we are too busy with other things.
If you have no weight issues, just focus on moving more and keep eating a normal, healthy diet. If you need to lose weight, now is your perfect time. These 2 weeks go for it – there are numerous strategies depending on lifestyle habits and body types.
New Moon: Traditionally a rest and fast day.
Another area are the elements. Each day has a special quality and again you can see this on the calendar which ‘day quality’ is dominant.
Fire – dedicated to fruit – this could be picking, pruning fruit bushes and trees or making jam
Earth – anything to do with root vegetable and the earth. Digging, weeding harvesting potatoes, sowing carrots, etc.
Air: Anything to do with flowers and oils. Sunflower would be a top example. This is a great time to pick olives and press their oil, incorporate flowers into salads and dishes and eat ‘flowery’ vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower.
Water: Leafy vegetables like spinach, all kind of salads and in the garden a great day for planting, fertilising and extra watering.
The reason I combined the gardening and eating is that until very recently you would grow your vegetable, harvest and eat them – usually all on the same day. There were no chest freezer or fridges available. When your trees had an abundance of fruit, you made jams, compotes, cider or stored them in a way that it lasted for a long time.
Root vegetables got pickled or fermented. Freezing is not a bad habit, but it works best if you pick and freeze, so the nutrients stay as fresh as can be. If you take only one thing away – try to eat less, but better and shop for food that is ‘alive’ – ideally grown near you, by an organic or even better biodynamic farmer or grow your own, making sure the soil is a nutritous as possible.
by Jutta Russell | Dec 29, 2017 | Cooking with herbs, Home-made biodynamic food
Welcome to the LWTM – ‘Cooking with herbs’ blog series
In this blog series you will find historical information and recipes about the most commonly used kitchen herbs. They do not only add flavour, but they also make a positive impact on our health and well-being. To find out more about other kitchen herbs, please type ‘cooking with herbs’ into the search box.
Winter rocket – barbarea vulgaris 
This herb grows about 30 to 60cm (12-24 inches) tall and has shiny, dark green leaves. Between April and July it displays clusters of bright yellow flowers.
This herb shows a particular tolerance to beetles and moth and is the home of choice for many butterfly species. It is often planted on the side of a vegetable patch to encourage pollinators and to make sure the ‘ordinary crop’ is left alone.
Because of the superb flower display, this herb is often sown as a decorative plant and only few know that it is very useful in the kitchen.
How to cultivate it
Winter rocket is easily grown and the leaves are usually harvested before the flowers come out, so up until April. Add these aromatic leaves to your normal salads or steam them with a knob of butter and garlic as a side dish.
In late winter/early spring your body needs vitamins and winter rocket provides you with lot of vitamin C. In fact together with sloe and rosehip, winter rocket is one of the great, home-grown providers of vitamin C. Other health benefits include: blood cleanser and helps to maintain a good functioning digestion.
Here are a few recipes how to use winter rocket
1. Mixed leaf salad bowl
Ingredients: A small head of lettuce (chopped), two handfuls of winter rocket, 2 fresh carrots (cut into small pieces), 4 medium sized tomatoes and a few radishes. Wash and cut to size and then put them into a large salad bowl.
For the dressing: 6 tbsp olive oil, 3 tbsp wine or apple vinegar, salt, pepper, 2 glove of garlic and a bunch of parsley.
Make the dressing in a separate jar and keep it apart. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and mix it in with two folks, so the salad is well-covered in dressing.
Tip: Only use as much salad and dressing as you will eat. If you keep them apart, this salad will keep well for a day or two. If the salad leaves start to wilt, then soak them for an hour in vinegar water (a bowl full of cold water and add a tbsp. of cider of wine vinegar). In an hour, the salad will be crisp again.
2. ‘Pick me up’ – tea
Boil 3 cups of water and put them into a jug, then add a handful of winter rocket and leave to steep for 10 minutes. Drain the herbs and fill the tea into a thermos flask, sip throughout the tea. This is a great vitamin C booster and will help you with your concentration, so a ‘must try’ for everybody in the need of a natural boost.
by Jutta Russell | Apr 1, 2015 | Cooking with herbs, Home-made biodynamic food
Welcome to the LWTM – ‘Cooking with herbs’ blog series
In this blog series you will find historical information and recipes about the most commonly used kitchen herbs. They do not only add flavour, but they also make a positive impact on our health and well-being. To find out more about other kitchen herbs, please type ‘cooking with herbs’ into the search box.
Dandelion – Taraxacum officinale
Dandelions often grow in lawns and that is a reason why most gardeners see dandelions as a garden pest that spoils their perfect lawn. Only a few people know that the dandelion plant is actually a very useful and healthy kitchen herb.
Its name comes from the French ‘dent de lion’ which means ‘lion’s tooth’. It refers to the shape of the leaves which vaguely resemble lion’s teeth. In the English folklore dandelion is often referred to as ‘piss a bed’, because it has such a strong diuretic effect. That is the reason why dandelion leaves and teas should be used as part of a successful weight loss regime. The dandelion tea is blood cleansing, clears the kidney and bladder and ‘make you go to the loo’. The same effect, if a bit milder, is achieved when eating the fresh dandelions leaves, for example as part of a spring/early summer salad.
The golden flowers need to be harvested before they turn to white blooms that disperse in the wind. Then they can be used to make dandelion honey (please see recipe below) and picked when still yellow, it won’t self-seed as much, keep the dandelion population in check.
The dandelion root is mainly used in form of tinctures for ailments such as gout, rheumatism, as a blood cleanser and for people who suffer from diabetes.
Spring salad bowl:
Take a handful of lettuce, a handful of young spinach leaves, a few leaves of dandelion and mix together with a few cherry tomatoes and slices of cucumber. Then add a few leaves of chopped dandelion leaves. Finally crumble some feta cheese on top and add a dressing of your choice.
My favourite dressing is: 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp of dijon mustard and some pressed garlic, add a few drops of water, mix all together in a jar and add to the salad.
Dandelion honey:
It is quick and easy to do. Dandelion honey is a good alternative to plain white sugar when it comes to sweeten your tea, breakfast porridge or you can even bake with it. Why not ask your children to make it with you, as they can help you gather the bright yellow flowers.For a couple of jars of dandelion honey you will need:
- 150/200 dandelion heads, 1 kg of jam sugar or brown sugar, juice of a lemon. A couple of sterilised glass jars. The easiest way is to collect used jam jars and then boil them in a big pot for a couple of minutes to sterilise them, finally leave them to dry on a kitchen towel. Ideally do this the morning before filling them, so they are still very clean.
- Collect the dandelion heads from your garden and get rid of the green stalks. Then put the flower into a cooking pot and add about 1 litre of cold water.
- Cook the dandelion heads briefly until the water reaches boiling point. Then take the pot off the fire and leave to stand for 24 hours.
- The next day strain the cold mixture through a sieve into another cooking pot. It will leave you with a ‘yellow looking water’. Add about 1 kg of brown sugar (you can also use jam sugar if you don’t want your honey to be runny). Now cook the mixture, whilst occasionally stirring, until it reaches boiling point. Then reduce the flame slightly and cook for another few minutes. At the end, stir in the lemon juice and take off the heat.
- Fill the hot mixture into the sterilized jars and cover the jars with cling film. Leave the jars open until the mixture has cooled down and the put the lid on over the cling film. When stored in a cool, dark place it will keep for a couple of months.
by Jutta Russell | Feb 28, 2015 | Cooking with herbs, Home-made biodynamic food
Welcome to the LWTM – ‘Cooking with herbs’ blog series
In this blog series you will find historical information and recipes about the most commonly used kitchen herbs. They do not only add flavour, but they also make a positive impact on our health and well-being. To find out more about other kitchen herbs, please type ‘cooking with herbs’ into the search box.
Tarragon – artemisia dracunculas
Tarragon belongs to the Artemisia family, (like dandelion and vermouth) and comes originally from Siberia and the West coast of the US. It grows over 1m tall and has fine green leaves, which are very aromatic and used in the kitchen.
But tarragon has also medical properties and is especially helpful for the digestion, kidney and bladder, rheumatism and gout. People used to drink tarragon water: Boil one litre of water and leave three to four tarragon twigs in the water, then sip this water throughout the day. Its main health properties is to help the digestion, especially with bloating, but also aids with the production of urine and helps with the general elimination process. It is also an antiseptic and can rid the body of worms and parasites.
It was brought to Europe throughout the Middle Ages by the Crusaders who returned from the Middle East. It was used as a treatment for foul breath, toothache and anaemia. The word ‘tarragon’ is believed to come from ‘tarkhun’ which means little dragon in Arabic, as it was used to heal snake bites. Another herbal recipe prescribes chewing tarragon will help with persistent hiccups.
In the kitchen:
Its aromatic fresh leaves are used in the French or generally Mediterranean kitchen. Tarragon has an aromatic property reminiscent of anise due to the presence of estragole. Taste to put in conjuction with helpful properties for the digestion make it a favourite kitchen herb and it can be found in sauces, such as sauce Bernaise or as flavouring in mustard, soups, salads and even as tarragon vinegar.
Sauce Bernaise:
Ingredients: 1 tbsp water, 1 tbsp white wine vinegar, 1/2 small onion (chopped),
I chopped tarragon leaf (keep the stalk), 1 egg yolk, 75g melted butter, salt and pepper to season.
- Place the vinegar, water, onion, and tarragon stalk into a small saucepan over a medium heat and simmer, until you have half a tablespoon of liquid remaining. Strain the liquid into a bowl and set aside.
- Place the egg yolk and tarragon vinegar reduction into a food processor and blend together until light and frothy.
- With the food processor still running on its slowest speed, add the melted butter, 1 tbsp at a time, until the sauce is thick and smooth. Be careful not to over beat the mixture as it may separate.
- Stir in the chopped tarragon and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
this sauce works well with steak and steamed vegetables
Tarragon salad dressing:
Ingredients: 1 tsp of chopped tarragon, 1 tsp of dijon mustard, 1 tbsp honey, 5 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp of wine vinegar, salt & pepper to season.
Mix all these ingredients together in a big salad bowl and then top up with fresh leaf salad mixed with ruccola or raddicio salad. Mix the salad, so the dressing coats lightly all the leaves.
by Jutta Russell | Jan 30, 2015 | Cooking with herbs, Home-made biodynamic food, Uncategorized
Welcome to the LWTM – ‘Cooking with herbs’ blog series
In this blog series you will find historical information and recipes about the most commonly used kitchen herbs. They do not only add flavour, but they also make a positive impact on our health and well-being. To find out more about other kitchen herbs, please type ‘cooking with herbs’ into the search box.
Savory – satureja hortensis
Savory is native to the Mediterranean, where it is commonly referred to as the bean herb as it gives bean dishes a distinctive flavour and also helps prevent flatulence when eating beans. Crushing the fresh herb and putting it on fresh bee stings can help with the swelling. You can use both the fresh and dried herb.
Savory tea is excellent to clear a spotty, teenage skin
Use 1 tbsp of the fresh herb and add 250ml boiling water. Leave to steep for 10 minutes and then pour into a bowl, add cold water until the temperature is warm, but not boiling hot. Soak a clean flannel and apply to the face, leave until it has cooled down and repeat a few times. Then use a good peeling face mask and finish up with a healing day cream (you can also use nappy rash cream in small amounts, especially when the spots are very sore).
The same tea as above can also help with a chesty cough. In this case gargle the tea and spit it out again.
In the kitchen
Savory with its peppery, aromatic taste is used for lamb dishes, hearty stews and of course it must not be missing from a bean casserole or any other cooked bean dish. Could it be the phrase ‘savoury dishes’ comes from this herb?
Here are a few recipes:
1. Tuscan Bean soup
A wholesome soup for the winter, serves 6
12 oz/350g dried canneloni beans, soaked overnight (or tinned), 4 ripe, well flavoured tomatoes (or use tinned), 2 sticks of celery, 2 carrots, 2 leeks,
11 oz/300g kale (chopped), 2 cloves garlic, handful of winter savory, 2 sprigs fresh thyme. 6-8 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper
To serve:
6 slices of stale country bread (2-3 days old), 7 oz/200g savoy cabbage, red onion and olive oil
- Pour off the water in which the beans have been soaking, place them in a large saucepan and cover with fresh water to a depth of 2″ above the beans. Bring to the boil and boil hard for 10 minutes, drain. Cover the beans with fresh water and add a small handful of fresh savory. Bring the water back up to boiling point then reduce the heat and simmer for approx 1½ hours until the beans are tender but still whole.
- If you use tinned beans then use the recipe from here.
- Drain the beans and pass three-quarters of them through a sieve into a bowl with 2 pints (1.2 litres)of fresh water. Reserve the rest of the beans separately.
- Finely chop the carrots, celery and leeks. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the vegetables until soft. Meanwhile peel, de-seed and chop the tomatoes then add them to the vegetables along with the garlic and thyme. After 5 minutes add the cabbage, salt and pepper and cook for a further 10 minutes before adding the bean puree. Cook slowly for an hour adding tepid water if the soup becomes too solid, although it should be a very thick soup.
- About 5-10 minutes before the end of the cooking stir in the whole beans to heat them through. Finely chop the Savoy cabbage and sauté in a little oil. Serve the soup ladled over a slice of bread and topped with cooked cabbage. Offer finely sliced red onions and olive oil at the table.
2. Beans with savory and bacon
This is probably one of the easiest and tastiest recipes there is.
You will need:
400g canelloni beans (tinned is best here, as you can use the juice)
150g of smoked bacon (vary how meaty you want this dish, vegetarians can replace it with chopped red pepper instead), 1 large onion, 1 tbsp oil, 1 tbsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp chopped savory, salt and pepper to season.
- Chop the onion finely and brown in 1 tbsp of olive/cooking oil. Add the paprika seasoning to it, so it turns the onions slightly reddish.
- Add the chopped bacon until brown and finally add the 2 cans of beans with the juice (canelloni preferred, but really any beans will do), chopped savory and cook covered on a low flame for 15 minutes, finally season with salt and pepper and serve with fresh sourdough bread and butter.
Word of Advice: Always cook beans with savory, as they soak up its flavour, but never add salt or pepper during the cooking process, always add at the end as particularly salt prevents the beans from softening. This is especially important when you cook raw (rather than tinned) beans.
by Jutta Russell | Nov 29, 2014 | Cooking with herbs, Home-made biodynamic food
Welcome to the LWTM – ‘Cooking with herbs’ blog series
In this blog series you will find historical information and recipes about the most commonly used kitchen herbs. They do not only add flavour, but they also make a positive impact on our health and well-being. To find out more about other kitchen herbs, please type ‘cooking with herbs’ into the search box.
Dill – Anethum graveolens 
Dill is an annual herb that has feathery leaves and a distinctive aromatic smell. It grows about 2 feet tall and has feathered leaves.
Dill, like caraway and fennel, cleanses and strengthens the digestive tract. When used an herb tea dill it strengthens the bladder, combats stress and is also good for the throat. If you feel a cold coming on and have a fury tongue, an old recipe suggests to chew dill seeds.
But it is a well loved herb for adding flavour and one of the main ingredients in Swedish cooking. The flowers and seeds are used for pickles, but the leaves as seasoning for salads, especially cucumber and potato salad, yoghurt sauces and salmon (gravad lax).
Here are two recipes:
1. Yoghurt-dill dip
This is a great condiment for baked potatoes, fish and meat dishes. But you can also serve it as a starter with raw vegetables, such as carrots, celery or cucumber.
Ingredients: 250 g cream cheese or quark, 2 tbsp. creme fraiche, salt & pepper, 1 tsp lemon zest and a small bunch of finely chopped dill.
Add all ingredients together and serve cold.
2. Potatoes with dill
Ingredients: a handful of new potatoes, 2 tbsp of chopped dill, a dollop of butter, salt
Steam the potatoes with the peel for about 20 minutes. Once cooked, remove the peel and add a knob of butter, salt and the chopped dill. These potatoes are best served with fish dishes.
