Hello, spring! It’s time to delight in feeling lighter, cleaner and brighter through spring cleansing and tonics.
After long winters of eating stored and preserved foods, in early spring our ancestors’ bodies were often left wanting, craving fresh wild crafted shoots and leaves for vital raw energy, key enzymes and nutrients. These needs and cravings continue to apply to us today.
In the wild, leafy bitter greens such as nettles (picked and prepared carefully in soups or steamed) rouse the digestive system and assist in cleansing the liver. Stimulating our digestion system and liver helps to flush toxins and metabolic waste accumulated over winter and also fires up our system to readily absorb nutrients needed to recharge our bodies for the vitality of spring.
Fresh leafy greens with similar bitter components available at the grocery store include endive, kale and arugula or rocket
Along with nettles, one of the best bitter greens is available for free: dandelions. Locally, dandelions are prolific and all you need is access to a chemically free lawn or field and a bit of time to pick and prepare them.
Native to Europe and Asia, the dandelion’s (Taraxacum officinale) common name is derived from the Latin “dents de lion” in reference to the jagged leaves similar to a lion’s teeth.
Herbalists recommend organically grown dandelion for its tonic effect on the liver and gallbladder and as an effective blood-cleanser and curative for skin conditions. There are several delicious ways to devour dandelion.
The leaves can be simply tossed into the teapot for a healthful green brewed tea. Steep the fresh or dried leaves in hot water, strain and enjoy. You can also add dandelion leaves to fresh juice blends or smoothies.
Salad lovers can enjoy the youngest, most tender leaves of the dandelion in early spring, tossed together with chicory, lettuce and other greens including chickweed, another healthful edible weed.
Finally, when roasted, the roots of the dandelion make an excellent caffeine-free coffee substitute, similar to chicory. To prepare, gather at least 20 mature dandelion roots and wash and dry them well. Roast the roots on a cookie sheet in a 300F (150C) oven for about an hour, until they turn coffee-coloured. Store in airtight jars and grind fresh to brew as you would coffee.
