Lemon Balm Continued, Exploring The Many Common Names And Uses

After I cut some of the lemon balm and set it to drying in the attic, I started compiling a list of common names that lemon balm is also known by. Now that we have the Internet, it'll be interesting to look them up and see how people are using lemon balm. For example, I see that there is a company named after "Blue Balm" that makes handmade soap.

The scientific name for lemon balm is "melissa officinalis" and it belongs to the Lamiaceae or Labiatae mint family of flowering plants. Other common names include sweet balm, melissa, Zitronenmelisse (German), citronelle (French), and melissa (Italian). (no. 91, Simon and Schuster's Guide to Herbs and Spices)

The Herb Book, by John Lust, has a longer list of common names, including: 
• balm mint
• bee balm
• blue balm
• cure-all
• dropsy plant
• garden balm
• lemon balm
• melissa
• sweet balm
(See page 105, "028 Balm.") 

I can understand why it's called a "dropsy plant"! We have it growing on either side of a walkway and after it grows to three feet tall, it starts drooping over, making it harder to walk there. (I learned from the Internet that the word "dropsy" means to fill up with fluid.)

However, according to Wikipedia, lemon balm is not to be confused with bee balm, which is a different genus. Also, there is a balm mint plant that is a native Australian hardwood shrub that can grow up to two meters tall.

Other common names (listed on various websites) include:
• sweet mary
• honey plant
and just plain
• balm

What Others Have To Say About Lemon Balm
Here are some of the properties and uses for lemon balm that are mentioned in my books on herbs:

According to Simon and Schuster's Guide to Herbs and Spices, edited by Stanley Schuler:

• "Lemon balm has antipyretic, refreshing, cholagogic, and stimulant properties; and melissa water is a well known calmative." (See number 91.)

Leslie Bremness in the Eyewitness Handbook, Herbs: A Visual Guide to More Than 700 Herb Species from Around the World, says 

Fresh lemon balm leaves: 
• Add a delicate flavor to food dishes, oils, vinegars, and liqueurs
• Provide a relaxing bath
• Soothe insect bites
• Make a sedative and tonic tea
(Evidently, lemon balm tea has a reputation for giving longevity and for soothing headaches, indigestion, and nausea.)
• Extracts made from lemon balm are antiviral and used to clean and heal wounds by starving bacteria of oxygen.
• The lemon balm essential oil is refreshing, an antidepressant, and helps some eczema and allergy sufferers.
• And finally, an interesting note is this book says that lemon balm "attracts bees, and if rubbed on empty hives will encourage new tenants."

One of the featured articles this month at the Virginia Gardener Magazine web site is a great one about "Lemon Balm—the Scent of Sweet Dreams and Calm Nerves" by Anna Holton.

Fresh Lemon Balm Tea 
And while I was waiting for the herb to finish drying up in the attic, I decided to try a cup of hot tea made from a bunch of fresh lemon balm leaves. I picked about a dozen large leaves, washed them, and stacked them on top of each other. Then I cut the stack into tiny pieces and placed them in a glass mug. I poured boiling water over the herbs, covered it with an upside-down plate, and let it steep for about 15 minutes. I liked it!—It was surprisingly refreshing, with light and delicate flavors of lemon and mint.


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Lemon Balm, A Friendly, Cheerful Herb

Today I harvested some of the lemon balm that's growing like crazy in pots and flower beds all around our house. I love this plant! It's very easy to grow, and although it likes the sun, it will really flourish (and does) in the partial shade.

It grows fast and reaches two to three feet tall in just a few weeks of warm spring weather. Because it's a perennial, it comes back every year after dying back in the winter. We planted it a couple of years ago and since then I've learned that if I cut it just before it starts to flower, then it will continue to grow and give me a second harvest in the same season.

Lemon balm is from the mint family and it looks a lot like spearmint and catnip, both of which we are also growing nearby. Lots of little plants are popping up this spring all over the various flower beds and the only way I can tell if it's really lemon balm is by crushing a leaf between my fingers and smelling the strong lemony oils from it. Oh yes, that's definitely lemon balm — the scent is delightful!

So far, I've mostly enjoyed our lemon balm as an ornamental plant in the gardens. And so, today I decided to look up other possible uses as mentioned in my collection of books about herbs.

Drying Lemon Balm for Later Use

I bundled the stems, each about two to three feet long, into a giant bouquet and tied it up with green garden twine. Then I hung it up from a rafter in the attic, where it's dark, warm, and airy, to dry for two or three days. I'm planning on using the dried leaves for tea mainly, but I'll also experiment with adding it to food and sauces.

According to Growing And Using The Healing Herbs, by Gaea and Shandor Weiss, lemon balm is a rather fragile herb and it is best to try to dry the leaves within a two-day period and to monitor their progress carefully during this time. This book has a lot of useful information about lemon balm as well as directions for making healing infusions and teas. (See pages 173 and 306.)

"The fresh plant is more effective than the dried."
—The Herb Book, by John Lust

According to the book Herbs: Gardens, Decorations, and Recipes, by Emelie Tolley and Chris Mead (page 136), Elizabethan nosegays filled with lemon balm were given as messages to express sympathy.  

It's true, the scent of the plant is heavenly, and becomes even more intense after I cut the stems or crush the leaves. It smells like a mixture of lemons and mint, and it really does lift your spirits! I think I'll cut a few more stems and put them in a flower vase today.

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Lemon Balm Continued, Exploring The Many Common Names And Uses

Ohsawa Pie Crust

This is truly a miracle recipe for pie crust.

I know this from years of experience. I remember the first time I had to make a pie crust for my employer (while babysitting and feeding dinner to her two children) and she insisted I use only butter, a little salt, and white flour in the recipe. It was impossible! Every time I would roll out the dough, it would stick to the surface of the board and the rolling pin, and totally break apart when I tried to pick it up. I finally had to settle for an unattractive and disappointing pie.

Then later, I found a recipe from Hints From Heloise for “Foolproof Pie Crust,” which included a little water mixed with an egg and a tablespoon of vinegar. That’s the recipe that I continued to use for years because it was so manageable, albeit not so very tasty.

So now, I finally have the best recipe ever for a delicious and very healthy pie crust. I found it on page 73 of Zen Macrobiotics, by George Ohsawa, and I wonder how I could have missed it!

It uses only seven ingredients, including two vegetable oils (and not that much of it), whole wheat flour, and water, plus a little seasoning of salt, cinnamon, and orange peel. The dough keeps well in the refrigerator, for 6 days at least, and is always easy to roll out into a very thin layer. It never breaks apart and is easy to pick up and position in the pie plate. And best of all, it is delicious!

Ohsawa Pie Crust
(Enough for both a top and a bottom crust)

1 cup flour (I used whole wheat flour)
3 tablespoons of oil (equal parts of olive oil and sesame oil)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, unrefined
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon orange rind, minced (I used a tiny-holed grater)
1/4 to 1/2 cup (or more) water

Blend all of the ingredients together to form a soft dough. (I used an electric mixer.)

Roll out the dough on a smooth, cold surface using a heavy marble rolling pin if possible. (This really makes it easier to roll the dough out very thin.) I sprinkled a little flour on the surface first to help keep the dough from sticking, but I don’t know if it was really that necessary. I was able to handle the dough without it sticking to my hands.

See also:
Ohsawa Pumpkin Pie Filling


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Ohsawa Pumpkin Pie Filling

Slowly, I’ve been trying out George Ohsawa’s various recipes in his book, Zen Macrobiotics. And now finally, after years of following and modifying the recipe off of Libby’s Canned Pumpkin label, I’ve found a much more superior recipe for pumpkin pie! (Not to mention the most excellent recipe for pie crust, which I also found here in Zen Macrobiotics, both on page 73.)

This pumpkin pie is very simple to make, with simple ingredients, no added sugars, and no animal products (that is, no eggs, no butter or lard, no milk or cream) — basically, a delicious vegetarian, vegan, and macrobiotic dish that can be eaten at any meal. People who are sick can even eat it, as long as they omit the apple from the recipe!

I was surprised, actually, at how much it tasted like a traditional pumpkin pie, even though it did not have any of those traditional ingredients in it. It truly was delicious. And my husband liked it so much, he almost ate the whole pie by himself!You can use any type of sweet winter squash for this recipe: sugar-pie pumpkin, butternut squash, acorn squash, hokkaido-red kuri pumpkin, etc., or my favorite, kabocha (the Japanese word for squash). It's a small, round pumpkin with a variegated green rind and bright orange flesh that's pretty easy to cut.

So, here is the recipe for the best pumpkin-onion-apple pie filling I’ve ever made (see also Ohsawa Pie Crust):

Ohsawa Pumpkin Pie Filling

371º F preheated oven
7-inch glass pie plate
33-40 minutes

1 tablespoon sesame oil, unrefined, organic
1 cup (or 1/2 pound) sweet pumpkin, sliced, with rind removed, or pre-cooked (see step 3 note below)
1 cup (or 1/2 pound) onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, unrefined, finely ground
1 apple, unpeeled, diced

Step 1: Saute the diced onion in sesame oil until it’s soft and translucent.

Step 2: Add the sliced pumpkin and boil in a little water. (Or, use pre-cooked pumpkin instead and omit the water.)

Step 3: Add salt and puree in food processor or blender.

Note: I already had a pre-cooked kabocha pumpkin, which I had previously sliced in half, scooped out the seeds, and baked upside down in a pie plate for about 33 minutes in a 371º F oven. Then I scooped out the cooked pumpkin from the rind and pureed it in the food processor. Next, I added the sautéed onion and sea salt to the food processor and pureed it all together again. By the way, Kabocha, Red Kuri or Hokkaido pumpkins all give the pie a bright rich orange color, which is really pretty. I think that Kabocha is the sweetest.

Step 4: Make one recipe of Ohsawa Pie Crust and divide the dough in half.

Step 5: Roll out one-half of the pie crust dough and line the bottom and sides of the glass pie plate (about nine inches in diameter).

Step 6: Spread the onion-pumpkin puree on top of the crust — it should be about 1-inch deep.

Step 7: Place the diced apple evenly over the onion-pumpkin puree.

Step 8: Roll out and cover everything with the second half of the pie crust dough. Use a fork to seal the edges of the two crusts together.

Step 9: (Optional): Brush egg yolk on top of the crust if desired, which gives it a pretty golden color.

Step 10: Cut a cross in the center of the top crust to allow steam to escape.

Step 11: Bake in a preheated oven at 371º F for 33 to 40 minutes. (The second time I made this pie, I baked it for 45 minutes, which made it too brown.)


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My Favorite Local Restaurants Today

My husband and I both love to try out new places to eat, so we can add them to our list of favorites! Right off the top of my head, here are some of our favorite restaurants in the area:

Downtown Santa Cruz:
• Little Shanghai's (they've got brown rice that's delicious)
• Woodstock's Pizza (whole wheat vegetarian pizza is very good)
• Rosie McCann's
• Zachary's
• Walnut Avenue Cafe
• The Bagelry
• Noah's Bagels

On Mission Street (Highway 1):
Omei's Chinese Cuisine
Ristoranti Avanti's (fancy, delicious, innovative--I had my first dish of stinging nettles here, it was very good!)

Seabright:
Linda's Seabreeze Cafe
Seabright Brewery

Capitola:
Dharma's (They have the widest selection of organic whole grains and veggies of anybody!)
Gayle's Bakery & Rosticceria
Takara Japanese Restaurant

Aptos:
The Silver Spur

Felton, Highway 9:
The Cowboy Bar & Grill (yam pancakes for me; Michael likes their burgers)
Rocky's Cafe

Boulder Creek, Highway 9:
Boulder Creek Brewery (they serve veggie or meat burgers on hearty whole grain bread if you ask, and have great onion rings and sweet potato fries)
Scopazzi's
Old Mountain Inn (They have the best mountain porridge and buckwheat pancakes around.)

Also, worthy of mention: Every year in February they have a Clam Chowder Cook Off at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. You can buy a ticket to taste a bunch of entries and cast your vote for the best. I've never tasted since I'm allergic to clams, but I've had a lot of fun watching!


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Have You Ever Had Wild Rice For Breakfast?

It's delicious! This morning that's what I had for my breakfast: California Organic Wild Rice (from Lundberg Family Farms) with a few tamari roasted almonds and a little ume plum vinegar and maple syrup sprinkled on top.

I had rinsed and soaked a half-cup of wild rice overnight in one and a half cups of water, which I then used to cook the rice in. I brought it to a boil in a quart-size pot, reduced the heat to a low flame, covered the pot, and then let it cook for about twenty to thirty minutes. (At one or two points, I had to lift the lid to release some steam and keep it from boiling over.)

Before, I've always had wild rice mixed with regular "true rice," that is, Asian rice, and this morning I decided to try it by itself. I'm glad I did!

Wild rice is different than black rice, by the way. Black rice (or "Forbidden Rice") is a "true rice" that's black in color and wild rice (also black in color, on the outside at least) is not a "true rice" although it is a cereal/grain from the grass family. Side by side, a wild rice grain is longer and narrower with sharp pointed ends (more yin) while a black rice grain is shorter and wider with rounded ends (more yang).

There are many reasons why I love wild rice:
• It's a grain that's native to this continent.
• It's grown and harvested locally in my state. (Therefore it's closer to me and my center.)
• It's very fragrant, fluffy, and reminds me of the winter holiday season.
• It's a good substitute for yang acid-forming animal foods, because it still is yang, but much closer to a balance between yin and yang.
• It's not as yang as regular short-grain brown rice and is good when I need to lighten up a little!
• It falls in the yang acid-forming category of the four basic macrobiotic food groups, which is needed for a well-balanced meal.

Here's what wikipedia says about wild rice, and black rice.


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Santa Cruz Non-Clam Chowder

Once again, thoughts of the annual Clam Chowder Cook Off at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk comes to mind. A couple of years ago, my husband and I did a photo-shoot of the event, starting in the early morning when the contestants were just setting up their booths. Afterwards, I went home and created my own vegetarian recipes for both a red and a white non-clam chowder, which turned out pretty good!

Today, I decided to make another version of a white non-clam chowder that this time would be vegan besides being vegetarian (no animal products at all, including dairy). I used oat groats again, and onion, celery, and wakame seaweed.

Instead of adding much salt to the chowder, I made a light-colored miso broth in individual serving bowls and added the cooked chowder to it. (This way, leftover chowder can be reheated without compromising the miso's live culture of probiotic lactobacillus bacteria.)

I gave some to my husband to try and we both liked it a lot! And so, without further delay, here is my new recipe:

Santa Cruz Non-Clam Chowder

1 cup cooked oat groats (presoaked in water overnight, then cooked with no salt)
1 tablespoon sesame oil, unrefined
1 large onion (1 cup), diced
6 celery stalks and leaves (2 cups), diced
3 large pieces wakame (1/2 cup), cut up
1 bay leaf, large
3 1/2 cups water, to start (add more as needed)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt, unrefined
1-2 teaspoons miso, per serving bowl (naturally fermented, Chickpea or Mellow White miso)

Step 1: Rinse and pre-soak one part oat groats in three parts water overnight. Then bring to a boil and cook in the soaking water on low heat for about an hour. Do not add salt. These pre-cooked oats can be stored several days in the refrigerator or eaten plain! Reserve 1 cup of the cooked oats for this recipe.

Step 2: Rinse and soak 3 pieces of wakame in water for 15 minutes. Then rinse several times more and cut into small pieces. (Separate the leaves from the spine first, then cut the leaves into one-inch pieces, and the spine into more tiny pieces, so they will all cook together more evenly.)

Step 3: In a heavy soup pot, saute the diced onion and celery in sesame oil.

Step 4: Add the oat groats, wakame, bay leaf, water, and sea salt to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and cook for about an hour (checking it often and adding more water as needed, depending on how thick you want the chowder to be).

Step 5: Place 1 to 2 teaspoons of light-colored miso in each serving bowl, add about 1/4 cup of heated water, and stir. Then ladle a couple scoops of chowder on top of the miso broth and serve. Delicious!

And next time, I think I'll get some parsnips to add to the recipe...


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