Acmella oleracea aka Toothache Plant aka Our Party Trick {Wordless Wednesday}

A friend wrote recently, "Seeing you always leaves a tingly feeling in my mouth." He's talking about toothache plant, Acmella oleracea, our party trick flower. Innocent in appearance and vigorously growing in our apothecary garden, we encourage guests to taste the small dense flowers. They give off the oddest sensation, described by some as sour, acidic, numbing, and 'like liking a 9V battery'. The effect dissipates after about five minutes.

Beyond the silly sensation, flowers and leaves of the toothache plant is useful for numbing the mouth, discovered by Brazilians as an herbal remedy for cold sores and dental problems. Some people, including Lil, munch on the flowers, also called eyeball plant, as a sour candy alternative. Or she may just like spitting out the flower on the ground.

We will collect seeds and have plenty to share if you want to grow your own next year.

What's the strangest edible you've grown?

Winter Wellness Tea Giveaway from Traditional Medicinals

Much as we might like to believe otherwise, winter is not yet over. Central Ohio, where we live, is staring down a winter storm warming capable of 2-4 inches of snow tonight. Cold days, and the sniffles that come with them, often continue right into spring.

As soon as we come inside from chilly chores, we start water boiling for tea. Tea warms us from the inside out and supports health. Further, the routine of drinking tea while reading or talking with eachother allows a moment of repose or calm connection in the middle of busy days.

Traditional Medicinals recently provided a set of teas for us to try. Lil loved reading the cards provided in the sample set about how different herbs can relieve common non-serious conditions. I love that their teas are organic and free of artificial dyes and colorants. They taste like fresh herbs from my backyard.

Maintain your winter wellness by entering a tea giveaway for a sampler set from Traditional Medicinals, tea-steeping mug, and boxes of some of their best sellers. Enter in one or both of these ways:

1) Leave a comment on this page about your favorite tea or tea time routine. 2) Like Harmonious Homestead on Facebook and leave a second comment saying you did so.

Giveaway rules: The giveaway winner will be chosen by random.org on Wednesday March 13 at 8 pm and winner will have 24 hours to respond to email. Open to US addresses only.

Disclosure: Traditional Medicinals provided me with the same set of winter wellness teas they are offering the giveaway winner. They advise I disclose that "health statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease."

Fast Flavor: Herb-Infused Oil

Often the simplest things can make the biggest differences in a recipe. A dash of cocoa powder in mole sauce or a clove of garlic in mashed potatoes elevate the dish from everyday to gourmet.

Such is the case with herb-infused oil.

Start with a high quality oil, such as extra virgin olive oil. Add a handful or two of fresh herbs and heat the oil gently for a few minutes. In that time, the herbs give over their flavor to the oil. Cool, strain out the herbs, and add a luxurious layer of flavor to salad dressing, sauces, or any recipe needing an herbal boost.

I used the pictured rosemary and sage oil to make a white bean dip. If I had used the herbs raw, the texture of the dip might have suffered, it would have turned an off-green color, and the pungent herbs could have overwhelmed the eater. Instead, the autumn-flavored oil heightened the spread from something mundane to a distinctive accompaniment to a crudite plate.

Fast flavor, short post. Try it!

Marvelous Mint {Wordy Wednesday}

Mint is a weed by any definition. Many gardeners even consider it invasive - the stuff will fill a space and beyond.

Our patch resides in a bed alongside the house bordered by the sidewalk. For the most part, this contains the spread and last year oregano actually overtook some of the mint zone.

We "tend" (mint actually requires no work) our mint madness because we love the herb. Lil eats the leaves fresh like salad greens and makes them into nests and garden sculptures.

I harvest fresh leaves frequently for drinks and dessert garnishes. At least once a year I fill the dehydrator, crushing the dried leaves for tea.

When mint flowers in late summer, bees and other pollinators 'sup on the nectar while my family enjoys the petite purple blooms.

Despite it's overgrowing habit, I'm mad for mint.

Do you grow mint? If so, how do you enjoy it?

Kids Cook Lesson One: Herbs

Today was the first class in the Kids Cook series.  It was a rousing success with a dozen kids and parents participating! Because I was leading the class, I did not take pictures.  Next class I will ask someone to take a few pictures for me.

Here's a quick recap of the class:

We washed hands with soap.  Then everyone smelled, touched, and looked at the variety of herbs.  We came up with a definition for herb:

"green, leaves, smells, can eat it"

Then, we tasted the herbs. Everyone liked different flavors!

Kids tore up their favorite herb or combination and mixed it into Ohio made cream cheese.  They spread this on crackers for a tasty snack.

Next we made window herb gardens.  This is a fun activity for anyone to try at home.

• Use a hole punch to make two holes below the seal of a ziploc type plastic bag.  We used the snack size.
• Insert fishing line and tie to form a hanging loop.
• Place a folded paper towel in the bag.
• Use a spray bottle to wet the towel.
• Scatter a few seeds on the wet towel.
• Hang by a suction cup hook in a sunny (typically south facing) window.
• Keep the zipper top unzipped to allow for air flow.
• Re-wet the paper towel when most of the water evaporates.
• After the seeds sprout and grow their second pairs of leaves, the seedlings need nutrients.  You can either gently transfer to a pot of soil or feed with a liquid fertilizer.

We finished by reading Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert.

This series of classes will continue on Thursdays  from 11:15 - 12 at Sprout Soup through the month of October.  The next class is about apples. Please join us if you can!

Make It Yourself: Dried Herbs

Herbs are big and bushy around Central Ohio right now, which means it's time to think about drying some for the winter. Many people also grow herbs inside and we'll certainly try that, but indoor gardening remains difficult for me.

Here's how I dry big leafed herbs like basil, oregano and mint:

1) Pick whole stalk (or buy from the farmer's market)

2) Wash and pat dry

3) Hang by clothes pins on the clothes line in bright sun. If you don't have a clothesline, look for a sunny spot where air circulates well.

4) Bring in at night (to avoid dew re-wetting them)

5) Hang one more day

6) When herbs are completely dry (they will be crispy textured), bring inside

7) Use fingers to rub off the leaves

8 ) Package in labeled glass jars or ziploc bags

For more delicate herbs (thyme, chamomile), I modify the above steps by hanging them inside a cut up paper bag on the clothes line.

The bag catches any little pieces that might dry and fall off. This is particularly important for chamomile, as the best tea is made from the flowers.

Come visit me on Saturday 12 - 3 at Wild Goose to make your own drying bag and take home a stalk of herbs to dry for yourself!