Plantain; Plantago

The Plantain, not to be confused with the banana Plantain.  The younger, newer growth is preferred for use, such as the inner two leaves of the lower plant.

I did my first "herb walk" with an amazing herbalist named Robin in Viroqua, WI.  She showed us so much during that walk, it made me realize how empowering it is to discover the uses and benefits of the plants all around us.  Before that experience, I always thought you would have to go to places like Australia, the Mediterranean, and China to get medicinal plants.  I began to realize that right here in my neck of the woods grow some plants with amazing culinary and medicinal benefits.  One great example of extraordinary abundance and practical use is the Plantain.  This was the first plant Robin showed us, and we walked about two steps out of the barn before we stopped to take a look at it.  I thought to myself, wow, we are really going to stop and talk about this weed right here?  Robin said the Plantain is known as "Nature's Band-Aid," and can help treat minor cuts, scrapes, boils, and bites.  I asked, "why is this called Plantain...it's nothing like the banana Plantain."  Robin simply replied with a grin, "I have no idea!" 

Among the weeds, the Plantain doesn't initially stick out as a beneficial plant

The plantain typically grows well where the ground is disturbed; walking paths, driving paths, and mowed lawns are places you will find plenty.  After looking at the pictures, you can probably picture where you've seen some before.  To use the plantain for cuts and scrapes, you will take the inner, newer leaves of the plant, put them in your mouth and chew them up.  Form the chewed up mass into a wad in your mouth and take it out.  This is a poultice.  Now put that poultice on whatever area of the body needs help.  Plantain is reported to be astringent, anti-toxic, antimicrobial, and anti-histamine.  I use this is a natural Neosporin substitute, and so far, so good on the small cuts, scrapes, boils, and mosquito bites.  You can also make a tea or tincture in order to primarily help coughs or colds. 

You can use the leaves for salads or sandwich toppings as well.  You will want to stick with the younger leaves, but the outer, larger leaves aren't as bitter as the outer leaves of a dandelion. 

Basswood; Tilia americana

Here is a big, mature Basswood in my backyard

The leaves are getting bigger, but they are still edible

Have you heard of a Basswood or Linden tree?  I first learned about Basswood in an old wood carving book.  The light, soft (yet strong) wood makes it great for carving.  While we were working at Harvest Moon Farms in Viroqua, WI, my friend Patrick Robbins and I were increasingly intrigued with finding a Basswood after learning about it.  We studied the leaf shape in a field guide, and the next day I thought I spotted one at the farm.  I told Patrick, and he gave me that big old grin only Patrick could give, and we darted into the woods to take a closer look.  Sure enough, it was a Basswood! (later we found out that Basswoods are quite common in deciduous forests around here...but still, it was fun!)  We wanted some Basswood to do some wood carving projects.

Here's the Basswood's leaf shape

The nice thing about Basswoods is that they are usually multi-trunked, so Patrick and I didn't feel too bad about sawing down one of the three main trunks of this Basswood.  We sawed it down and yelled "Timber!" and then held a small ceremony where we chewed some Plantain (Plantago) into a poultice and put it on the freshly cut nub as a symbolic encouragement for the tree to heal and stay strong.  Patrick and I never got to carving the Basswood, but I still have the logs at my house--I'm hoping to get to that real soon, at least by this winter.

Notice the left leaf is a lighter shade of green, signifying younger growth.  The lighter in color, the younger--and tastier--they are.  The leaf on the right is still young and very edible. 

Last spring, I took some used salad containers and really went to town on harvesting the new leaf growth of the Basswood.  I read in Samuel Thayer's book that Basswood leaves and flowers can be eaten, and the new leaf growth is particularly good.  I couldn't believe it at first...I can eat a leaf from a tree!?  I was skeptical, but I pinched off a good container full of Basswood leaves and used them as a base for salad.  I first tried one of the leaves raw, and it didn't have much taste, kind of like a lettuce leaf.  There is some extra fiber in these leaves, which is a nice benefit.  My wife and I found Basswood leaves to be a great base for salads during the spring, and they are very abundant.  When harvesting the leaves, look for the ones that are smaller, but the full sized ones are just as good as long as they are a light green color instead of a dark green, which signifies they are young, new growth. Wash the leaves and coarsely chop them so they are easier to eat.

The flowers can be eaten or brewed into a tea.  I will be trying the latter this year because I read that these flowers have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties to them.  We will see if they are any good...perhaps I will incorporate them into my iced nettle/black tea I have been enjoying this spring.

Spruce; Picea family

Here is a nice, big Spruce growing in my backyard.

As a homebrewer, I truly enjoy trying the lesser known adjuncts that add character...and a conversation...to beer.  One adjunct I have read about and gained an appreciation for are spruce tips, harvested from that cluster of new spring growth at the tips of each spruce branch.  Late May this year has been the perfect time to harvest these little guys.

How do you know if you're dealing with a spruce or some other conifer?  That's a good question, it's particularly hard to tell the difference between a spruce and a fir, but there's a trick my friend Zach from Morningwood Farm & Nursery in Madison taught me.  He said, "Pluck a needle off of the tree, and try to roll it between your fingers.  If it rolls, it's a spruce, and if you can't roll it then it's a fir."  Another plant similar to spruce is Yew (Taxus), and somewhat similar would be red and white pines.  Other evergreens such as Cypress, Juniper, Eastern Red Cedar, and Northern Whitecedar (Arborvitae) shouldn't look like spruce, but take some time to learn them and know the different uses of these plants.  I will be adding photos to this blog in the future, but until then, just think of a spruce as a Christmas tree, then do that needle trick to find out if it's a Spruce or a Fir.

The light green growth on the tips are known as "Spruce tips."  They can be picked at this stage, but it is preferable to pick them earlier when they are more compact.

Harvesting these tips are not only good for brewing beer, but also for making a tea.  It is quite refreshing and like some other conifers such as White Pine and Norhtern Whitecedar (Arborvitae), it is packed with Vitamin C.  If you find yourself in a survival situation in a coniferous forest, the tips can be eaten raw (they have some moisture content as well for hydration).

Back to the beer, I read that spruce beer has a nice, crisp, Pepsi-Cola-type taste without the sugar...and the author went on to say, "but it's much more than that!"  I recently harvested about 4 pounds of spruce tips from a big spruce in my backyard.  I put them in a bag and directly into the freezer.  I read that a pint jar loosely filled with spruce tips is a sufficient amount to add nice character to a 5 gallon batch of beer.  I will be trying this with my next batch of beer, and will update this article when I learn more.