This time of year the herb garden is bountiful. The foliage and flowers are bursting with colour and flavour, enticing the gardener to graze. Personally, I can't pass the herb garden without at least one daily munching on the feathery leaves of fennel, dill and coriander, and a mouthful of nasturtium or borage flowers. Herbs are a boost to the soul, a gift from natures pharmacy, all beautifully packaged and perfectly presented. Herbal remedies are one of my passions, in particular those available from the plants that grow wild in the Irish countryside. They have so much to offer, and the treatments, if used carefully, are so much more gentle on the system ... a pleasure to work with. Oh, and of course, they are free! Attending a course, and/or purchasing an excellent book are essential steps before embarking on a herbal voyage of discovery. Several herbs that grow on our shores are lethal, so nibbling on various unknowns is a mugs game. Even overdoing it on Borage can have serious consequences on the liver. This is the book on my kitchen shelf.
Borage is in full bloom outside our kitchen door. I didn't plant it this year, it has self seaded from last years flowers, so a very welcome surprise in the flower bed. The stems are covered in little bristley hairs which can be quite painful, but give the plant a beautiful fluffy appearance. The angelic little blue star flowers bow their humble heads, turning from blue to pink as they fade. The flowers themselves are delicious, beautiful in salads, or adorning the edge of a plate and bursting with borage oil.
Bring the beauty of these little flowers to your iced summer drinks (homemade Elderflower cordial for example). Put one flower head in each ice cube section, and fill with cooled boiled water (for a clear ice cube), place in the freezer overnight. Here I've used a mixture of borage and golden feverfew blossoms.
Exquisite.
Oh how you make me long for a garden of my own! Those icecubes look like magic.
Posted by: melanie | August 06, 2007 at 11:22 PM
If you haven't already, try soaking some bruised borage leaves in iced water for a few minutes, then pour it through a sieve. The water takes on a mild cucumber flavour, and since borage is diaphoretic (makes you sweat) it's good for keeping cool on hot days. A European sarsaparilla! Oh, and it self-seeds readily so unless you treat it like a weed you'll have it forever.
Posted by: hedgewizard | August 07, 2007 at 12:34 AM
You're right to point out that some herbs are poisonous. How often I hear "Oh it's natural so it must be harmless". Herbs are wonderful, but like everything, you have t know what you're doing.
Posted by: Mel Rimmer | August 07, 2007 at 08:16 AM
Those icecubes - sign me up. So pretty, and a rather handy use for the zillions of borage plants I appear to have accumulated of late. :)
Posted by: Kitchen Witch | August 07, 2007 at 08:45 AM
Thanks so much for your comments on my site. I'll try to answer a couple of your questions here:
The farm we are going to is near Omagh - and that is the extent of our trip planning thus far. I don't know if we are going near Leitrim but we are always open to suggestions and cups of tea. :) I don't know what we will be doing on the farm, anything they want really - within physical limits of course!
And I have already taken out a John McGahern book from the library, although I haven't had a chance to read it yet so he must be well respected because you aren't the first person to recommend him to me.
Thanks again for the advice and comments. I will continue talking about our trip on my site since it is pretty much the most exciting thing going right now! :)
Posted by: melanie | August 07, 2007 at 03:25 PM
Ooh, I have a friend coming for lunch tomorrow before we rummage in my bees ... her bees need some eggs as she has lost her queen. They can make a new queen from young eggs.
I'll try the borage drink Hedgewizard, should go nicely with my cool cucumber soup.
Posted by: Rebecca (living sustainably in rural Ireland) | August 07, 2007 at 09:06 PM
And wouldn't they be lovely in your beautiful soaps?
Posted by: Vallen Queen | August 08, 2007 at 02:24 AM
I love the idea of having such beautiful icecubes floating in a drink as I sit on the balcony and watch the sun go down.Just lovely.
Posted by: 1snowflake | August 11, 2007 at 10:17 AM
how beautiful.
Posted by: kristin | August 19, 2007 at 11:46 PM
What a great idea. They look so pretty. Thanks for sharing.
Sara from farmingfriends
Posted by: farmingfriends | August 23, 2007 at 05:05 PM
Thanks for for sharing and i agree with you that some herbs are poisonous.
Warmly,
Thordur
Posted by: Skin Treatment Guide | February 20, 2009 at 09:19 AM
Fortunately you live in a place where the concrete jungle has not invaded, I truly miss the country where everything was fresh daily with just about everything we ate.
Posted by: Jenna Collins | July 10, 2011 at 02:23 PM