March 2025 Health and Body Care News
It feels like we are flying toward spring, and I must admit, I am happy to see it come. The excitement of the green—the trees budding, the garden waiting for seeds and tending. The return of the sun always delights me, and, of course, the herbs returning. The early arrivals are some of my favorites… dandelion, chickweed, cleavers, and violets. Early spring is also a great time to harvest those lovely roots as well. Dandelion, burdock, and yellow dock can be harvested for teas but also pickled or added to roasted root vegetable blends.
Chickweed Pesto
(Measurements are approximate—add more garlic, olive oil, etc., to adjust consistency and taste.)
- 3 cups rinsed, lightly packed chickweed
- 1 cup walnuts
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- 3-5 cloves garlic
- Pinch of salt
- ¼ cup+ olive oil (Graza & Riojana are my favorites)
In a Vitamix or food processor, blend the chickweed, parmesan, garlic, walnuts, and salt until combined. Slowly add the olive oil until you have a smooth consistency. You can add this to pasta or use it as a dip for crackers, veggies, or on top of a nice, thick slice of sourdough bread.
Susun Weed’s Creamy Violet Soup
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 cup wild or regular leeks
- 4 cups fresh foraged violet leaves
- 4 cups water
- Salt to taste
- 4 cups fresh milk
Sauté leeks in olive oil for 3-5 minutes. Add chopped violet leaves and stir well, then add salt and water and simmer for about 15 minutes. Blend with an immersion blender or in a regular blender until smooth. Add milk and warm together gently. Garnish with white pepper, violet flowers, and/or nutmeg. Delicious warm or cold.
An Invitation to Daily Yard Tea
When my son was young, his contribution to dinner was often what we called “Yard Tea.” He would go out to the yard and garden with a mason jar and forage what looked good—a bit of lemon balm, some rose petals, violet leaves, plantain leaves… It was always a bit different depending on the season and what was available. I still love this ritual through the growing season. Some days, it’s pine needles and rosehips; sometimes tulsi and lemon balm take center stage. Rose of Sharon flowers, locust flowers, sassafras leaves, ground ivy, self-heal—so many options and an almost endless assortment of tastes and benefits.
So, I invite you to the ritual of Yard Tea. Grab a mason jar and head out to the yard, garden, or park and blend up something good each day. Of course, I recommend that you only harvest plants you can properly identify and from clean locations (no chemical residue, no roadsides, etc.).
In HBC, we are slowly catching up post-Helene and refilling shelves. We are seeking replacements for some discontinued products and searching for high-quality yet affordable options. After 30 years, John Masters Organics is closing its business. I know many of you will be disappointed by this news—myself included. Organic salon-quality hair care is a rare find, and they will be missed. We have brought in Bathing Culture and Under Luna and have expanded Earth Temple Hair Care. We will continue to look for other lines.
We are also looking forward to a new local line of double-extract mushrooms and a local pine pollen from Chris Parker. We are so delighted to finally have a local mushroom line featuring wonderful mushrooms grown in our mountains. New on the shelves is Flora & Fungi Apothecary, offering lovely body oils, face creams, and tallow face lotions. Also, look out for new items from Host Defense.
In General Merchandise, you’ll find beautiful new hardwood bowls, spice containers, lamps, and salt cellars from Women of the Cloud Forest—a woman-owned, fair-trade line. Anima Mundi has expanded its product line in collaboration with Rising Appalachia. Agua de la Madre, Harmonize Tincture Blend (to love and attune), Make Magic Tea Blend, and Resilient Superfood Blend (with mushrooms, cacao, and dandelion) are all amazing new offerings. A percentage of proceeds goes to the Appalachian Herb Collective.
Speaking of the AHC, we had a pop-up this past Saturday upstairs at the co-op, where Jennifer from Stories of the Earth Podcast hosted a panel with several herbalists in attendance. One of the great questions she asked was, “What were your go-to herbs in the time following Helene?” Several were mentioned, but the overwhelming favorite was oatstraw (Avena sativa). It’s no wonder—this plant is both nerve-soothing and restorative. This includes the grain and the greens (oatstraw), the difference being that oatstraw is lower in calories and higher in vitamins A and C.
I love the magnesium- and calcium-rich overnight infusion, mixed with a few rose petals or goji berries, as a daily tea. Oats enhance tactile sensations, making them more pleasurable, and soothe fragile nerves. They are both grounding and delicious. Fresh milky oat tincture and the overnight infusion of oatstraw or oat tops are wonderful additions to most people’s daily practices.
May March bring good health and renewal to us all. Thank you for being a part of the co-op community.
Melissa
