Not Just for Pickling

Dill drying in my kitchen.


 

Last week at the farmers market, a lady was selling huge bunches of dill for pickling.   Now, I love good homemade pickles as much as the next girl, but there just isn't going to be any of those coming from my kitchen this fall.  To start with, I opted out of the garden this year on grounds that I would be extremely pregnant come harvest time yep, guessed that right and even if I were to have a plethora of cucumbers on hand the flat topped stove in this apartment would not handle my canner.  Still, the dill smelled delicious I tracked the vendor down with my nose and I could just imagine how tasty the wispy little greens would be mixed in with a salad or flavoring my favorite yogurt sauce.  Since I couldn't convince her to sell me just a bunch of greens, I decided to buy an entire bundle and dry the seeds for later use.  My kitchen has smelled amazing ever since. 

Not being extremely familiar with dill other than it's many culinary uses, I had to do a bit of research on this herb.  To start with, it's medicinal properties are pretty blasé.  As a tea it is used to calm stomach upset and its name references that use having been adapted from the old Norse word dilla meaning to lull, but that's the extent of it.  Nutritionally and magically, dill becomes much more exciting. 

As a food, dill is just plain good for you.  It is high in calcium, fiber, iron, and magnesium, as well as in vitamins A and C.  That makes me feel really good about using it in my salads and sandwiches this week.  Superman wasn't crazy about it in the yogurt sauce to go with his falafels, but I thought it was amazing. 

Magically, dill seed is known for protection and love it gives an overall sense of wellbeing and is traditionally hung in children's cradles.  It is also included in protective sachets and used to bless homes and particularly kitchens.  Since I am now the steward of a goodly amount of these seeds, I am sure I will find many ways to incorporate dill into my practice.  A few of my initial plans include a sachet to tuck into the babies bed and including it in a protective incense. 

Hay is For Horses

Alfalfa Plant: Photo by the UofA Cooperative Extension Service

 

 



...every child  knows that!  Furthermore, growing up rural, just about every child knew that good  hay generally meant alfalfa.  It is high in vitamin C, protein, chlorophyll, and calcium to name a few.  Equine folks will swear that it is the number one choice for feeding horses and, in fact, the word alfalfa comes from the Persian word asparti which means "horse fodder."

On my river walk the other day, alfalfa was one of the plants I was excited to find growing nearby.  My first reaction was nostalgia as I picked a handful to pop into my mouth and transport myself back to childhood.  Ahh. One of those moments to get lost in time.   AHEM!  Back to the adult world...a baby fussing in the stroller does that. Beyond my childhood memories of idyllic alfalfa fields, there is a very real reason to get excited about this plant.  It is chock full of good things and is very useful to maintaining good health. 

In spite of the fact that the Arabs refer to alfalfa as "the father of herbs," I consider it more of a woman's plant.  It is high in calcium which is essential to women of childbearing age.  Has naturally occurring fluoride to help maintain teeth and bone structure (something that many women struggle with as they age).  Is full of vitamin K that helps battle the  morning sickness that many of us suffer with in the early stages of pregnancy.  Finally, because of it's high nutritional content, alfalfa is also used to boost lactation. 

Besides all of the lady specific uses I have mentioned, alfalfa is also good for numerous other herbal and nutritional applications.  It is revered by vegetarians as an excellent source of B-12 vitamins.  It is also an acid reducer and is used for various stomach and blood ailments.  Several years ago, when I was struggling with some allergy and asthma problems, I used alfalfa in my concoction of herbs to manage symptoms affecting my breathing. 

With all the benefits of alfalfa and its delicate flavor, it would be tempting to ask why we don't just set out a bowl full of it to eat like spinach.  Unfortunately, alfalfa is too fibrous to be digested comfortably by the human system.  The best sources of alfalfa are in the form of sprouts and dried leaves infused as a tea.  Adding it to an already healthy diet could be very beneficial for any of us. 

Any witch would be remiss not to explore the magical properties of an herb, but magically, there is very little said about alfalfa.  The only information I found on this front was in The Master Book of Herbalism by Paul Beyerl where it is mentioned that alfalfa has been used as a ward against money anxieties and is considered by some as a herb of protection.