WE ALL HAVE TO EAT, and we need whole, seasonal foods to be healthy. We need
herbs and spices not only for flavor, but also to help us digest and assimilate what
we eat. What we create from the earth’s harvest helps shape who we are and what we
love. It sets the scope of our taste buds, priming our palates for the foods we crave
and find comfort in. It provides our basic nourishment for strong bodies and vibrant
minds. For me, it also provided something that I can’t really name.
More than food was given to me at the table where we dined on fish that my
dad taught me how to clean and cook. The need to harvest, create, and give away
was embedded in my being. The ritual of picking blackberries in August is etched
in my cells. I get a little cranky if I haven’t made my annual pilgrimage to gorge
at the blackberry patch to make blackberry pies by summer’s end. Harvesting the
abundance and sharing it brings me such joy.
Wherever you live, there’s a river of wild or cultivated local food and herb
harvests for you to dive into. Get into the kitchen with your family and reclaim your
food culture. When apples are ripe, make apple cinnamon pie. When it’s almond
season, make herb-salted almonds. Each season holds a craving to honor what has32 motherearthliving.com
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ripened. The following recipes feature
herbs, such as astragalus, that will
support your health as the fall season
descends upon us.Autumnal Astragalus
Autumn is a wonderful time of
year to eat and drink astragalus root
(Astragalus membranaceus). This
valuable, natural medicine increases our
resilience and stamina and invigorates
the vital force. Astragalus is an
adaptogen — it restores energy levels in
healthy people with its enlivening and
rejuvenating effects that counteract the
ravages of stress. Antiviral astragalus
strengthens the body’s resistance to
sickness, and builds up the immune
system in preparation for the cold and
flu season.
As an anti-inflammatory, this
amazing root also helps to strengthen
the lungs and provides a healthy
tonic for people with a propensity
for respiratory problems during the
winter. Not only does astragalus inhibit
viral growth, but it also increases the
activity of natural killer cells, which help
the body to kill pathogenic bacteria.
Astragalus also increases vitality during
the recuperative phase after an illness,Supportive Fall Foods
Combine seasonal fruits and vegetables with a cornucopia of herbs
to support your digestion and immunity this fall.