In the Oct/Nov issue of The Herb Companion, author Kris Wetherbee tells you everything you need to know to dry and store your own herbs. Here’s one of Kris’s dressing recipes that uses dried rosemary to augment the flavor of beans and vegetables in a simple salad.
 

Salad
One 15-ounce can white beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups finely chopped broccoli
2 cups (about 3/4 pound) diced tomatoes
1/4 cup minced red onions
Salt and pepper, to taste

Dressing
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon dried rosemary

In a serving bowl, combine the beans, broccoli, tomatoes, and red onions. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, and rosemary. Toss the dressing with the bean and vegetable mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside for 15 minutes, allowing flavors to meld before serving.

Serves 4
 

Learn more about herbs and crafts this fall! If you’re out and about this November, check out some of these fantastic events.

Maine—Rockport. November 2. Join Carroll Brennen for Holiday Gift Making. Enjoy a playful day making bath salts, massage oils, face cremes, herbal facials, a healing salve, and an elixir to be used as holiday gifts—or to keep for yourself. The event will be held at the Avena Institute, 219 Mill St., Rockport, ME. Bring a bag lunch.  Non-members $85, members $80. The fee includes cost of materials. Contact the Avena Institute, PO Box 333, Rockport, ME 04865; (207) 594-2403; Or visit their Website.

Connecticut—Bethel.  November 2, 9, 16, 30. Sunrise Herbal Remedies hosts several workshops related to herbs and health each Saturday at 10:00 a.m. (with the exception of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend). Topics include herbs for wellness and balance, graceful aging, Chinese medicine, and herbal medicine for beginners. All events are complimentary and include handouts and refreshments. Participants must pre-register at their Website or by calling 203-794-0809.

Vermont—Gosen. November 8 - 10 and 15 - 17. A full weekend of making decorations and crafts and cooking with herbs for the holidays complimented by fine, festive food and hospitality. Herbs for the Holidays participants will work with such herbs as roses, lavender, lemon verbena, and bay. Contact Blueberry Hill Inn, Goshen VT 05733l; (800) 448-0707. Or visit their Website.

In the Oct/Nov issue of The Herb Companion, author Teresa Lust offers a fascinating history of the horse chestnut’s past and present uses, wrapped up in a wonderful account of an autumn she spent in Northern Italy. Here are some horse chestnut facts to get you started!

The horse chestnut’s names, both common and botanical, allude to its resemblance to the sweet chestnut, although the two are not even remotely related. The modifiers “horse” and “ippo” trace back to the nut’s traditional use by the early Turks as a cough remedy for winded horses. American species go by the nickname Buckeye, because the gray scar at the base of each shiny round kernel reminded settlers of the eye of a deer. Finally, the genus name Aesculus comes from the Latin “esca” meaning food, oddly enough, since the horse chestnut is quite poisonous, unless you are a squirrel or a deer. Honeybees won’t even touch the flowers. One of the tree's not-too-distant cousins is Paullinia pinnata, which is among the deadly ingredients used by South American natives in their famous curare poison arrows.

Serious burns should always be treated by a medical professional. Minor burns, however—such as those that come from briefly touching a hot pan while cooking—respond well to natural remedies. If you receive a first-degree burn or a very small second-degree burn, you should first immerse the injured area in cold water for about ten minutes, or until the pain stops. Afterward, here are some natural remedies to try from the pages of Herbs for Health, the sister publication of The Herb Companion.

·        Aloe (Aloe vera). Aloe gel reduces inflammation, soothes burn pain, fights bacteria, and speeds healing. Cut open a leaf or apply a commercial gel product.

·        Gotu kola (Centella asiatica) contains a compound that stimulates collagen synthesis to help repair skin. It helps heal wounds and reduce scarring from burns. Mix powdered gotu kola with aloe gel for extra relief.

·        Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) essential oil relieves pain and enhances the healing of burns. Apply undiluted as often as needed.

·        Tea (Camellia sinensis), both green and black, is rich in antioxidants and is cooling to burns. Apply a wet, cool tea bag to a burn.

Source: White, Linda and Steven Foster. The Herbal Drugstore. Emmaus, Pennsylvania: Rodale, 2000.

AMA Urges FDA To Ban Ephedra

The American Medical Association recently testified before Congress on the dangers of the dietary supplement ephedra.

“The AMA urges the FDA to remove dietary supplements containing ephedra from the market,” said AMA Trustee Ron Davis, MD. “The risk/benefit ratio for these products is unacceptable.”

The AMA said that diet aids containing ephedra are not recommended for weight loss. And because of ephedra’s effects on the cardiovascular and central nervous systems, it may cause cardiac arrhythmias, heart attacks, strokes, seizures and sudden death in both previously healthy people, as well as in those with risk factors for these conditions.

“More than 1,000 people have voluntarily submitted Adverse Event Reports (AERs) associated with ephedra to the FDA,” Davis said. “Some of these describe events that have resulted in death or serious illness in young, presumably healthy, adults. There are many more actual adverse events. One company recently admitted to having received more than 14,000 AERs for ephedra since 1995.”