From the Herbal Kitchen Class with Melissa Fryar

Adding herbs and spices to your daily meals is a wonderful way to increase nutrients in your diet and add wonder flavors. Several times a day we have the opportunity to incorporate more herbs into our diet to enhance health and vitality.

Some of my  favorite ways to add herbs into your diet:

• Waters, teas, syrups
• Herbal butters and ghee
• Herbal seasonings
• Herb infused oils
• Herb infused vinegars
• Herbal honeys
• Smoothies
• Herbal Truffles
• Herb jams & conserves

Quick Rosehip Jam

Place cut and sifted rosehips in a small jar and cover with apple juice. Let sit overnight and enjoy! Place in fridge to store for a few days. Excellent on toast, in yogurt, or just added to hot water for a simple tea.

Belly Ease Honey

blend together 1 Tbsp. each of fennel seed, aniseed, cardamom seed and angelica seeds. Mix into 2 cups honey and warm gently for 5 minutes. Strain and add to tea or take by spoonful.

Berry Vinegar

1 quart apple cider or white wine vinegar, ½ cup elderberries (dried), 2 cups cherry or plums, pitted and chopped, ½ cup schizandra berries, ½ cup goji berries, ½ cup jujube dates. Cover berries with warm vinegar in a quart mason jar. Let infuse for 2-4 weeks. Strain and enjoy as daily tonic, over greens or brussel sprouts, or even over ice cream!

Dusky Desert Finishing Salt

by Juliet Blankespoor

15 juniper berries, ⅓ cup fresh rosemary tightly packed, 1 tsp. Dried orange zest, 3 Tbsp. sage leaf, 1 cup coarse salt, 2 tsp. Minced garlic, ¼ tsp. Black pepper course ground

Strawberry Crush Smoothie

1 cup oatstraw calendula tea, 1 Tbsp. maple syrup, 1 cup fresh strawberries, 1 banana, ¼ cup yogurt, ½ cup crushed ice, pinch of cardamom. Blend all together well and enjoy!

Rejuvenation Ghee

1 cup ghee, 2 Tbsp. turmeric powder, 1 tsp. Cinnamon, ½ tsp. Powdered ginger, ½ tsp. Cardamom powder. Gently heat together and place in jar. A general rule of thumb is to use ¼ cup of powdered herbs per cup of ghee if you want to explore other blends. Also, fresh herbs can be mixed into ghee, but you must refrigerate.

Herbal Truffles

2 cups nuts (soaked) or nut butter, 2 cups dried fruit, pinch of sea salt, 4 tsp. Vanilla extract, up to 6 tbsp. Dried herbs per batch, honey (if desired). Blend all together well in a food processor, adding powders last. You can add tinctures or elixirs as well to increase the medicinal content. Shape into balls and roll in coconut flakes, raw cacao, cinnamon, etc.