96 Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard
and pine cones; use an orange and brown altar
cloth. Tie up the empty corn stalks, and make some
into a scarecrow. Any Thanksgiving items—like
little turkeys—would go well on your altar.
Samhain (Nov. 1): Samhain (otherwise known as
Halloween) is the third and last harvest festival,
and is all about celebrating Death. Cover your
garden altar with a black altar cloth, black feath-
ers, etc. No leaves or flowers at this time, but fill a
cornucopia or bowl with nuts, Indian corn, pome-
granates, and colorful little gourds and squashes.
Carve a Jack-O’Lantern out of one of the pump-
kins you’ve grown. If you’ve collected any small
animal skulls or bones, you might display them
on your Samhain altar.Lesson 9: Harvesting Your
Herbs and VeggiesBasil: Pick the flowers
of basil before they go to
seed, and mash them into
a paste made with pine
nuts, garlic, olive oil, and
salt...and presto! You’ve
got pesto. Basil is used
in Italian recipes such as
spaghetti sauce. It can be
added to egg and cheese
dishes and to fresh sal-
ads. The scent of fresh
basil promotes sympathy between people, making
it perfect as an incense in forgiveness rituals. It is
also used to promote faithfulness and fertility. Carry
it in your mojo bag against hexes and bad luck.
Catnip: Pinch off leaves of catnip as needed. It can
be used in a fertility charm and a tea made from
its dried leaves eases the nerves. Catnip is said to
make the most timid person fierce and powerful.
It’s sacred to Bast, the cat goddess—and your cats
will love it!
Chives: Cut or pinch off the long green leaves of
chives throughout the year. Chop bunches of them
into little pieces with scissors for a tasty season-
ing in potatoes, salads, veggie soups, stir-fry, etc.
Corn: Harvest corn when the silk turns brown and
kernels are plump and “milky.” Corn should be
plucked right before eating, as the sugars turn to
starch and corn rapidly loses flavor after picking.
Set a pot of water on the stove to boil, then go out
and pick enough ears for dinner. Shuck them on
the spot, tossing the husks onto the mulch pile.
Plop the ears into the boiling water. As soon as it
gets back to a boil, turn off the heat and let it sit
for 5 minutes before taking out the ears. Lay them
on a towel to dry, then butter and salt. Yummy!Dried corn hung by the door or hearth insures the
fertility of the household through the Winter.
Pumpkins: Harvest pumpkins in October, when the
vines are nearly dead, but before the first frost.
Leave the stems attached. Let them cure in the sun
for about a week, then store in a cool place. When
you hollow them out for a Jack-O-Lantern, save
the seeds and bake them with a coating of tamari
for a tasty treat!
Tomatoes: Let the fruits ripen fully (bright red all
over) on the vine and eat right away after picking.
Or slice and fry green tomatoes for a popular
Southern treat. Never put whole tomatoes in the
refrigerator! In late Fall, harvest all fruits regard-
less of their color, before the frost comes. Keep
them indoors, out of the sunlight, at about 65° F
and they will soon ripen. Wrap green tomatoes in
newspaper; it really works!
Pole beans: Pick just before you plan to eat them,
when the pods are full and ripe, showing small
knobs. Don’t pick in early morning when vines
are wet with dew. Keep picking all the pods as
they ripen, and the blooms will continue.
Sunflowers: Harvest when the seeds begin to come
out easily. They can be eaten raw or baked. Or
just leave them out for the birds.
Watermelon: You can tell a watermelon is ripe by
bonking it with your knuckle. Ripe melons have a
“plunky” sound. It takes a little practice, but once
you get it, you can’t miss. Pick it when the thump
gets dull and heavy, and eat it within a day or so.
Chill it in your refrigerator (or cold water) for an
hour before eating for a real Summer treat!
Winter Squash: Harvest before the first hard freeze
in the Fall, and burn the remaining plant. Leave a
bit of the stem on the fruit. Allow the picked fruits
to remain in the sun for a few days. Keep them in
a dry place at about 70°F for two weeks, then store
at about 45°F. To cook, slice them in half, hollow
out the seeds, put a chunk of butter in the hollow,
and bake until tender.
Zucchini: Harvest throughout the Summer, before the
fruits get too humungous! Leave a bit of the stem
on the fruit. Harvest anything left on the vine be-
fore first hard freeze in the Fall, and burn the re-
maining plant at end of season. Allow the picked
fruits to remain in the sunlight for a few days, then
store in a cool place where they won’t
freeze. One of the tastiest ways to cook
zucchini is to cut them
into coin or finger-
shaped pieces,
dredge them
in egg and
flour, and
fry them in
olive oil.- Nature.p65 96 1/14/2004, 3:33 PM