The O-town Scene

A4 Smoothies: be they fruit-based, veggie- based or both, they're a delicious way to get a satisfying drink with a wholesome taste that's robust in nutrients and gives a stimulating punch of energy. Some of us like fruit smoothies, while others prefer the taste of greens; still others will blend the two. Add some powdered power food blends, herbal or spicy flavorings, and you have a great snack pick-me-up or even a light meal. The base can be as simple as water, to a warmed or chilled flavorful tea such as hibiscus, lemongrass, melissa, chamomile or even fennel seed. You can also use a protein base such as milk, goat milk, a loose yogurt, almond milk, coconut milk or even a watered-down nut butter. Some will use a very sweet fruit with water like bananas, strawberries, rasp- berries, blueberries, cherries, grapes, etc., frozen or not. Bananas, though, are so high in sugar that they tend to make us more desirable to insects. And while frozen fruit is fine, don't do this often. Re- member, ice-cold foods and drinks taken on a regular basis will alter one's digestive ability in an untoward way. Those who like to mix and match fruits with veggies often will use kale (fresh or frozen) as one of their base greens. Other types of greens used are spinach, aru- gula, collard, dandelion, parsley and ci- lantro. Today I suggest a garden weed (of course) that I have personally found easy to include in my smoothies. The weed of choice is chickweed (Stellaria media). It's a mild-tasting green that is rather obscure in the garden. You can see that they grow quite prolifically, though, once a good look is taken. It is one of the first greens as soon as the soil warms. Even in January if the snow melts long enough. They grow spring, summer right to autumn until the first of snow fall. According to the Doctrine of Signatures (an ancient catalog of edible plants), chickweed demonstrates itself as one of those edible weed foods that can be eaten all season long. DOS points us to pay attention to natural plant phenom- ena, so when we notice how close or how far an edible plant grows to us, and does it grow for a short time and fizzle out or grow all season long, we find we know how often to use that particular plant. Before the recipe, let's go over some identifying features. According to John Kallas's "Edible Wild Plants," chickweed grows in dense patches, first spreading out over the ground and then up to 6 inches (or higher if there's competition). The leaves are small, about half an inch or so, with an oblong or egg shape. The leaves have smooth edges and a pointed tip, growing opposite each other along the stem, with a single line of hairs that John Kallas calls "Mohawk-style" hairs that change position between each stem segment and set of leaves. The flower is approximately 1/8 inch in diameter, with 5 white petals that appear like 10 petals because they are so deeply cut. Chickweed has a some what poisonous lookalike called scarlet pimpernel (Anagal- lis arvensis). It is easy to identify now that you know how to I.D. chickweed. Scarlet pimpernel also has egg-shaped and opposite leaves on the stem, but you'll notice red tiny spots on the underside (chickweed does not have this), the stems are hairless (Chickweed has hairs) and the flowers are pink to red (chickweed flowers are white). When harvesting chickweed, select the top 2 to 4 inches of the plant, as this is where the stems are most tender. If you've not had chickweed before, start with a small amount, or just eat a little to ensure you're not allergic. Chickweed Smoothie Recipe 1-2 handfuls of chickweed 2 cups of liquid (tea, water, almond, coconut, soy, milk, yogurt or a combo) 1 cup fruit (berries, grapes, pear, etc.) ½ cup chia seeds or flax seeds, ground ¼ cup walnuts or sunflower seeds, ground 2 tablespoons powdered power food (optional) Spices of choice (cinnamon seems to go well with much of the above choices, and it supports sugar metabolism) Put liquid into the blender. Turn on and add chickweed. Blend well. Add fruits and blend again; add seeds and nuts, blend- ing again; then add powders and spices. Makes enough for 2; can be refrigerated for a day, but not longer, as it will oxidize. Nutrients: Vitamins A, B and C, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, fiber (soluble), essen- tial fatty acids, anti-oxidants (depending on the type of fruits used too); mucilage (from seeds). Benefits of chickweed: it's a cooling, moisturizing emollient for the gut lining from mouth to intestines; nourishing for those with over-stressed, over-worked minds; those with dryer constitutions or yin deficiency such as for dry mouth, dry throat or dry, hard stools. Licensed Acu- puncturist Peter Holmes uses chickweed in these types of a drinks as a restor- ative and detoxicant food. Enjoy. To share your thoughts or recipe ideas with Marguerite Uhlmann- Bower, email her at 3moonsisters@ gmail.com. Chickweed Smoothies Offer Healthy Refreshment A4 4 O-Town Scene June 12, 2014

• Cover