Brewers Herbs

Beer is an ancient drink (and food) that I happen to be quite fond of. I especially like beer with lots of floral hops. Hops were not always used in beer though, and may not have been used until the 9th century. Before that, a mixture of herbs referred to as gruit was used to flavor beer. Although I don't brew beer, I do grow hops and other herbs so am interested in what herbs are used in beer. I recently read "The Homebrewer's Garden" by Joe and Dennis Fisher to learn more about herbs in brewing, a very interesting book by the way.

Here are some of the herbs from this book that grow in my gardens.

Anise Hyssop - provides a licorice flavor to beer.
Basil - adds a slightly bitter, spicy flavor.
Bee Balm - often used as a tea, bee  balm provides a bitter, minty flavor.
Borage - gives a spicy, cucumber like flavor to beer. This herb can also be steeped in wine.
Chamomile (Roman) - is said to be one of the 'secret' herbs in Celis White beer. It gives an apple-like flavoring.
Clary Sage - provides a balsamlike aroma to beer.
Coriander - this is a flavoring in one of my favorite beers; Belgian Whites.
Dandelion - yet another use for this common weed. Use the tender spring leaves in your salad and the larger leaves later in the season to bitter your beer.
Elder - the berries are best know for making wine, but they can also be used to flavor beer. The flowers can be used for 'dry hopping' as well.
Oregano - adds a distinctive flavor to beer.

Horehound - this herb can add a warm, menthol flavor. I wonder if horehound beer can be used to control coughs?
Hyssop officinalis - this herb is used in Benedictine and Chartreuse. Using it in beer provides a minty, medicinal scent.
Juniper - commonly used in gin, juniper can contribute this taste to beer as well.
Lavender - oh, the many uses of sweet lavender. I would love to try a pale ale flavored with lavender. Let me know if you know of one.
Lemon Balm - this is used in many liquours and can add a lemon scent/flavor to beer.
Mint - there are many types of  mint, and although I love a mint tea, I don't know how this would be in beer.
Rhubarb - great in a fruit crisp, this is one fruit that would be interesting in beer.
Rose hips - apparently rose hips are used in some beers from Poland and impart a citrus flavor and red color to beer.
Rosemary - before the use of hops in beer, rosemary was quite popular.
Sage - was used in fifteenth century English beer recipes and adds bitterness and camphorlike scent.
Savory, Summer - provide a peppery, oregano-like flavor and aroma.
Spruce - was popular during the American Revolution spruce adds distinct, woods taste that is popular in winter beers.
Sweet Woodruff - this herb is what makes May wine what it is but can also be used to add a mild, sweet aroma to beer.
Thyme - used to give beer a spicy aroma.
Valerian root - is commonly used as a sedative so what better place to use it than beer?
Yarrow - both the leaves and flowers can be used to bitter beer.

I'd love to see more 'herbal' beers so I hope that if you are a brewer this gives you some ideas - and don't hesitate to share with me! I'd love to write reviews!

Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

I hate buying salad dressing when it is just so easy to make. Here is the dressing I made last night for dinner. It was very good and can be altered depending upon what herbs you have on hand.

¾ cup balsamic vinegar
3tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons honey
3 cloves of minced garlic
1 tablespoon chopped chives (fresh or frozen)
2 teaspoons mixed dried herbs (I use basil and thyme)
1 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Whisk all

This and That

Winter colds got you down? I will be presenting “Herbs for Cold and Flu” at the Advanced Family Chiropractic Center in Longmont on Tues Feb 10, 5:45. Call them for more information, 303-772-8311. I also sell several cold and flu products including ThymaFlu (an herbal mix for cold and flu) and Herbal Vapor Rub (chest rub for congestion and pain). You can see these products on my newly redone website at http://www.sagescript.com.

Need some last minute Valentine’s gifts? How about chocolate soap? It has the skin benefits of cocoa flavonoids without the calories. We also have Lavender Shea Soap, Rose Geranium Shea Soap, Calendula Oatmeal Soap as well as massage oils.

You can follow me now on Twitter as @Sagescript.

Pesto and Peach Rhubarb Crisp

Its hard for me to pick a favorite summer food, but pesto certainly ranks high on the list. Its easy to make and can be served as a sauce for pasta, a spread for baguette slices or on roasted potatoes. Try spreading it on bread for a grilled cheese sandwich! Here is a recipe I use:

Pesto


2 cups of fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 medium garlic cloves
salt and pepper

First put basil and olive oil in a small food processor and pulse until basil is ground. Then add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until ground. Although I never seem to have enough to satisfy my summer cravings some people do make enough to freeze. There are many variations you can make on pesto also. Try substituting some of the basil for parsley or arugula or other herbs that you have growing.

I like to serve it with chopped fresh tomatoes and pan charred zucchini. To make the zucchini:

Slice a zucchini in 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices. Put slices in a hot fry pan with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil on medium-high heat. Cook a few minutes on each side until zucchini is lightly charred or browned on each side. Of course this tastes best with one of Colorado's fine microbrewed beer such as Left Hand's Sawtooth or New Belgium's Fat Tire.

For desert try a peach rhubarb crisp.

Peach Rhubarb Crisp

5 large peaches, peeled and sliced
5 large stalks of rhubarb, sliced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar

Add the above to a greased 9 inch square pan.
Mix together and sprinkle over fruit:
3/4 cup oatmeal
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 c butter

Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes.

Enjoy the harvest and eat well!

Mother's Day Tussie Mussie

I miss my Mom. She died two years ago. When she was alive I remember giving her a tussie mussie one year for Mothers Day. This year I will walk my garden (and look in my dried collection) to see what plants I have to pay tribute to her on this Mothers Day.

Basil for the unconditional love she gave me and my siblings.
Rosemary for remembering her and the lessons she taught me.
Sage for her endless wisdom and to represent my grief.
Scented geranium for our happy times together.
Lavender for her devotion to her family.
Thyme for her strength and courage in raising 8 children.

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mom's!

Basil Benefits

Basil is one of my favorite herbs and I hope to have a good supply of it this summer. Enough to be able to distill, make pesto, and eat fresh with garden tomatoes and mozzarella. I sometimes don’t do well getting basil started from seed because I don’t water enough. I’ve been more successful at this by putting seeds in a large pot, watering and covering that pot with plastic wrap. This helps keep the moisture in and the seed soon sprouts. This year I have dug a small ditch, filled that ditch with horse manure, planted seed there. I covered that with a small plastic covered hoop until the weather warms up. I am hoping that this will allow me some early basil before I start my larger garden.

While I was researching basil (Ocimum) for an Herb Companion article I came across some interesting information on this aromatic herb.

1. Basil has been found to attenuate the stress response to excess noise in rats. This ability to help the body respond to stress is probably due to the wide variety of antioxidants found in basil which inclde flavonoids, phenols and carotenoids.

2. Human hair as well as sheep hair (wool) can fertilize basil increasing its growth. Next time you get a hair cut, work a little of the hair into your soil. Hair is a protein and so it is high in nitrogen. I’m wondering if my horse’s hair will also be beneficial.

3. Basil protects against harmful effects of ionizing radiation. This may provide protection to healthy, non-cancerous cells during radiation treatment for cancer or protect your skin from the sun.

4. Basil can help normalize blood glucose levels and thus prevent insulin resistance for borderline diabetics. Eat basil with high protein mozzarella cheese and whole grain bread and that’s even better for diabetics.

5. The shelf life of high protein food such as tofu can be extended with basil. This study was done in India where refrigeration is not as common in rural areas.

6. Basil contains antioxidants that can protect against damage to DNA resulting in mutations. It also protects against oxidative stress from a variety of sources. This important benefit protects us from free radicals that arise from environmental sources as well as within our own body. In this way it acts as an ‘adaptogenic’ herb.

7. Basil can help the skin in wound healing and may prevent formation of scars. Go ahead, rub it on!

8. Basil is anti-inflammatory agent and can decrease heat and swelling of an injured area making it a potential treatment for arthritis.

9. Basil has potential applications to lower blood pressure.

10. Basil is both antibacterial and anti-parasitic having action against Staph aureus and Giardia. It may also be active against mosquitoes.

11. Basil can inhibit growth of breast cancer cells in the lab and thus may provide anticancer activity in the diet. Is that enough reason to plant extra basil?