Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Chicken Corn Soup With Ginger

I've been putting together some recipes to go with an article that I've written for the next NEHA journal. This is a good one for keeping the immune system and digestive system strong through the winter. And it's delicious!

Years ago, a friend of mine served me a delicious chicken & corn soup with ginger. It was so good that I went home & came up with my own version of it! Here in Lancaster County, PA Dutch chicken corn soup with noodles is a wintertime staple – this soup is very different from that one!

Sarah’s Chicken Corn Soup with Ginger

2 Tbsp Olive oil
2 Cups chopped onion
2 Tbsp shredded fresh ginger
6 or 8 garlic cloves, chopped
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces
3 quarts chicken broth
1 Cup shredded, dried Astragalus root in a muslin bag
2 Tbsp chopped American Ginseng root, also in the bag
1 ½ Cups dried corn
Sea salt & black pepper to taste
Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

In a soup kettle, sauté onions, ginger & garlic for a couple of minutes. Add chicken & sauté for 4 or 5 minutes, until browned a little. Add the chicken broth & bag of roots, & bring to a boil. Stir in the dried corn & reduce heat. Add salt & pepper. Simmer for an hour or more on very low heat. Add water if needed as the corn re-hydrates. If you have a large enough pot, this recipe can be doubled or even tripled, and you can eat it all week! It gets better with each re-heating.

Copyright 2007, Sarah Campbell


Friday, October 26, 2007

...I can hear her breathing.

Today I received an email from someone who had a wonderful quote from Arundati Roy as a tagline to her signature. I wept when I first read it, and I've been thinking about it all day, so decided to share it here.

"The corporate revolution will collapse if we refuse to buy what they are selling...their ideas, their version of history, their wars, their weapons, their notion of inevitability. Remember this: We be many and they be few. They need us more than we need them. Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing."

Yes, I hear her breathing, too. You?

Green blessings,

Sarah

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Herb Classes at Radiance!

So, Tina & I have been working on scheduling a series of herb classes! Here are the classes for October & a sneak preview at November. I'll keep adding more classes as we schedule them, so come back often to check!

Essential Oils and Hydrosols to Know, with a Distillation Demonstration
We’ll talk about several essential oils that are useful for health, well-being, and a happy home. Afterwards there will be a distillation demonstration in a clear glass still, allowing you to see how the oils are made and give you an idea of why they are so costly. We’ll also discuss hydrosols, by-products of distillation that are rapidly becoming the new aromatherapy must-haves. Most people are familiar with rose water and witch hazel hydrosols, but there are many more with great applications. Participants will each take home an ounce of hydrosol. $25 per person
Talk and demonstration by Tina Sams, editor of the Essential Herbal
Weds., October 17th. 2:00 to 3:30 pm

Herb Cordials
Learn to make delicious cordials with herbs, spices, and fruits. We’ll taste test a few combinations, and then each start a cordial to take home. And you’ll have plenty of time to concoct more cordials for holiday gifts! Must be 21 to take this class. $25 includes all materials
Sarah Campbell and Jen Frey will facilitate this class
Tues, October 23 from 6:30 to about 8:30

All Hallows Eve
A discussion of some witching herbs used through time, some talk of traditions and we’ll create hags tapers. We’ll have a meditation on our loved ones who have passed before us. Attendees wear black, please. Join Sarah Campbell, Jen Frey, and Tina Sams for this special evening. $25 per person.
Tues., October 30 from 6 – 8 p.m.

All classes at Radiance, 9 W Grant St, Lancaster, across from Central Market
Class size is limited. Call 290-1517 to register.

Upcoming classes: Herbal Bead-Making, Sat., Nov 3 from 2-3pm
Handmade Herbal Incense, Thurs., Nov 8 from 12-1pm
Infused Oils & Salves, Tues., Nov 13 from 5:30-7:30pm
Herb Butters & Dips, Wed., Nov 21 from 12-1pm
Bath Salts/Herbs/Oils, Sat., Dec 1 from 2-4pm

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Stocking up for Winter - it must be coming

Today I was checking my email & Tina at the Essential Herbal list had asked everyone to write in about what they make/do to be herbally prepared for winter. What a good question! And so timely - I hope. I has still been in the upper 80's every afternoon here in Pennsylvania. And no rain for nearly 2 months. A bit frightening.

Well, anyway, here's what I wrote back to the list & I thought it might be helpful to others, too!

Hmmm. Well, I can't imagine getting through a winter without echinecea tincture.

And Astragalus root tincture. At home, we take it every day from Fall Equinox through Spring Equinox. It helps to build our immune systems & make our lungs stronger. We also drink Ashwagandha tea every evening after it gets cold. Also to make us stronger so we can repel the colds we are exposed to.

I used to go to Ithaca NY every September to harvest wild Elderberries, but now I grow my own. I freeze the berries so that I can make Elderberry syrup all winter. Sometimes it seems like I need a new batch every week! It's one of my most popular winter time items in the shop. Last weekend at the Mother Earth Harvest Festival, I sold out of all the bottles I'd brought on the first day. Yipes. I think it's time to double the size of the recipe again.

I also make something called Dragon's Breath. Lots of herbalists make some version of it - cider vinegar infused with garlic, onions, hot peppers, horseradish, etc. It fights the cold germs & opens your sinuses right up!

I almost forgot the Wild Cherry Cough Syrup! Wild Cherry bark, licorice & mullein. Yum. And for those coughs that just won't stop - Valerian root tincture.

So, here it is, October already! Time to get ready for winter.

Green blessings,
Sarah