#herbchat

sweet fern- good in spiced cakes or baked goods with cinnamon, with beef and pork or other fatty, heavy meats as an interesting replacement for bay leaf, also makes a great chai in a pinch. Nice deeply herbal flavor but neither bitter nor noticeably sweet

sweet gale- a more bitter bay leaf replacement. Very good with pork and serviceable with fatty fish such as salmon. Interesting with baked breads and other savoury baked goods, not as strong nor as tough in texture as bay and easy to finely grind.

prickly ash fruit- replaces Sichuan pepper. A numbing spice with a hint of citrus good in most curries, stir fries, and other Asian dishes.

hyssop (hyssopus officianalis)-(including the Latin as everyone I talk to about this herb IRL believes I’m talking about anise hyssop, Agastache foeniculum. The flavours could not possibly be further apart.) peppery, almost smoky. Very strong. Good on fatty meats and potatoes, use as you would rosemary or alongside classic French aromatics. Holds up well to roasting and stewing, and provides a real je-ne-sais-quoi in a stock or broth. actually you could probably use anise hyssop in similar ways but it is a lot sweeter and of course, tastes of anise, hence the name.

try to use local, organic herbs if you can. I grow and gather my own. Use 2 tsp of blended dried herbs to every cup boiling water. Cover the cup with a small plate or lid to keep the steam in during steeping, and brew for 10-15 minutes. These blends are most effective served hot in the aftermath of big emotions or before bed, but I have used them many times to tame big, difficult emotions (rage, frustration, irritability, despair) in the moment.

One part lavender flowers, two parts each linden blossom, chamomile, rose petals/buds

2. Equal parts Moldavian balm or lemon balm, holy basil, and chamomile

3. equal parts bee balm, milky oats or oatstraw, and hawthorn leaf/flower/berry

4. One part motherwort, two parts holy basil, oatstraw, raspberry leaf, and chamomile

5. One part each holy basil, skullcap, and rose petal, two parts raspberry leaf (leave out the skullcap if you’re on ssris/adhd meds)

6. equal parts elderflower and linden blossom