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Welcome Summer!
Summer is almost here! In preparation for the heat I want to share my favorite summer herb, Chrysanthemum flower (Ju Hua.) In general flowers and leaves have a light ascending quality. This means its functions are drawn to the exterior and upper part of the body, in this case the head and eyes. Ju Hua has the ability to soothe red, painful, and dry eyes, ease headaches brought on by summer heat, relax the liver qi, and drain heat toxins. An infusion can be made by steeping the flowers in hot water. I make big batches of this in the summer and add sprigs of fresh mint for and extra cooling zing. If your eyes are particularly irritated soak a wash cloth in cooled room temperature tea and place directly over your eyes for 20 minutes. Goji berries are optional and are also beneficial for nourishing the eyes.
Chrysanthemum and Goji Berry Tea
Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen - Yuan Wang
- 1/2 C (about 10 g) Ju Hua (Chrysanthemum)
- 1 heaping TB (about 9g) Gou Qi Zi (Goji Berries)
- 2 C water
- 1 tsp honey (preferably local, raw, organic) - optional
- Sprig of fresh mint - optional
Instructions:
- Combine flowers and berries with water in a small pot and bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat and simmer partially covered for 5 minutes then steep for and additional 5 minutes.
- Strain the tea to remove the flowers and berries, add the mint
- Add honey to taste. (optional)
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Last month we celebrated moms. You hard working dads deserve a treat too! Take some time to rest and get relief from those aches and pains.
Father’s Day Special
Save
$10
Bring in or mention this coupon at your next appointment to save $10 off your treatment. This offer is good for both new and returning patients. Share the care by forwarding one to a friend! Offer Expires 6/30/2014. Discount applies to acupuncture appointments only. May be used only once.
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Waste Not Want Not!
Do you sometimes throw away vegetables because you haven’t had time to cook them? Have you bought a bundle of herbs but only needed a few sprigs? Trim your carrots before cooking them or peel your potato skins away? How about those fennel fronds, mushroom stems, and Parmesan rinds? Do they end up in the garbage or compost pile? You can make good use of them! Whenever you have fresh extras, odds, and ends, put them into a container or a bag and store it in the freezer. When you’ve collected enough, make a vegetable stock with it. Nothing goes to waste! You have the flexibility to customize it to your taste. It has much more flavor and less sodium than any of those boxed broths. Whatever you don’t use just freeze for the future. Unlike bone broths, veggie broths don’t need to be cooked for a long time. 30 - 45 minutes is all it takes. Here’s a recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks. It’s just a guideline. You can be as creative as you like!
Basic Vegetable Stock
Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone - Deborah Madison
- 1 large onion
- 2 large carrots
- 1 bunch scallions
- 1TBS olive oil
- 2 TBS nutritional yeast (the secret ingredient)
- 8 garlic cloves
- 8 parsley branches
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tsp salt (or your preference)
- 2 quarts cold water
Chop vegetables roughly into 1 inch chunks. Heat oil in a soup pot. Add the vegetables, yeast, garlic, and herbs and cook over high heat for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. The more color they get, the richer the flavor of the stock. Add 2 tsp salt and 2 quarts cold water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Strain.
Nice to include:
- Chard stems, beet greens, fresh mushrooms, soaking water from dried mushrooms, potato parings, tomatoes, celery root skin, parsley root, fennel, lettuce, eggplant, corn cobs,
- Miso and tamari: added a spoonful at a time added at the end.
- Parmesan cheese rinds: whole chunks added to stocks that will be used for beans.
- Kombu: 6 - inch piece added at the beginning
Ingredients to avoid:
Turnips, cabbages, broccoli, cauliflower, beets, onion skins, and most important, anything spoiled that you wouldn’t want to eat in the first place!
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Mark Your Calendars!
Be prepared to have your socks knocked off! Next Saturday June 15th is the Calvin Chin’s Martial Arts Academy Open House. It is a school that is near and dear to my heart and where I study Tai Chi. My Aunt Helen passed away in 2010. Since then, the open house serves as a fundraiser for a scholarship that was created in her honor. The performance gets bigger and better every year! If you've been interested in learning a martial art this is a great opportunity to checkout what the school has to offer. Click here to see a clip from last year's performance.
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