Chestnut Herbal School

Herbal Recipes

Lavender (Lavandula spp.)

Lavender’s Medicinal and Aromatherapy Uses and Lavender Truffles

There are few scents in this world that evoke the feeling of clean – lavender is one of them. Its common and scientific name originates from lavare, the Latin word for wash or bathe. In addition to this fresh quality, lavender is a bitter herb that supports healthy digestion, a gentle nervine sedative that soothes the nervous system, and a topical remedy with a range of applications. In this article, we’ll discuss lavender’s medicinal and aromatherapy uses in detail, plus we’ll share a decadent recipe for Lavender Truffles.

Herbal ice cubes.

Herbal Ice Cubes

How many times have you found yourself in this embarrassingly uncomfortable situation? You invite a treasured friend over on a hot summer afternoon and reach for the herbal iced tea you have lovingly prepared from fresh aromatic herbs in your garden, but then you realize with sinking humiliation that you only have plain Jane ice cubes on hand. You wish you could just go home, but unfortunately, you are already home. So you serve the plain ice cubes anyway and brace yourself for the gossip that will surely ensue from your frigid faux pas. “ What kind of herbalist serves ordinary ice cubes with their herbal refreshments?” Totally avoid that scenario, and stock up on these fancy pants herbal ice cubes instead.

Key lime ice cubes.

Hibiscus Mint Herbal Iced Tea with Key Lime Ice Cubes

Refreshing hibiscus mint herbal iced tea recipe with key-lime ice cubes. Hibiscus, also called roselle, is made from the calyces (sepals, part of the flower) of Hibiscus sabdariffa in the Mallow family (Malvaceae). High in anti-oxidant bioflavanoids, Hibiscus has been the study of many recent studies for its anti-inflammatory, cardio-protective, neuroprotective, and hepatoprotective qualities. It is a good tonic tea for folks with heart disease or high cholesterol, and as a general preventative against free radical stress on the body.

Cherry calendula nopal salsa.

Cherry Chipotle Nopales Salsa Recipe and the Health Benefits of Prickly Pear

Nopales (Opuntia spp., Cactaceae) are an important medicine and traditional food in Central America and the Southwest. Cherry Chipotle Nopales Salsa is high in bioflavonoids, with its array of vibrant rainbow colors. Serve this delicious salsa with chips or as a side with any Mexican dish. It is an excellent accompaniment to scrambled eggs and feta in corn tortillas.

Daylily greens

Daylily Greens Garlic Butter Sauté Recipe

Daylily Greens Garlic Butter Sauté RecipeWritten and Photographed by Juliet Blankespoor Water droplets on daylily greens. Lime-green succulent spears of winter’s released slumber, daylily greens are a relished early spring wild green. Daylily’s pleasant mild flavor is excellent paired with the more pungent creasy greens or wild turnip. To prolong the season, cut the greens [...]
Fresh picked greens.

Cold Season Wild Greens and Pecan Feta Wild Greens Pesto

Cold Season Wild Greens and Pecan Feta Wild Greens PestoWritten and Photographed by Juliet Blankespoor Creasy greens Creasy greens (Barbarea verna, Brassicaceae), also known as wintercress, is a common weed in the Southeast and the pacific Northwest. Its close relative, Barbarea vulgaris, has a more widespread distribution, occurring throughout most of temperate North America. Here in the southern [...]