This Bone-Strengthening Salad recipe offers an explosion of color and calcium-rich herbs. This recipe is excerpted from Homegrown Remedies (Gaia, 2011), a guide to growing all the herbs you need to make natural, inexpensive remedies. For more information on herbal remedies and a sample of recipes, check out 4 Herbal Remedies Everyone Should Know.
You can purchase this book from the Mother Earth Living store:Homegrown Remedies.
Herbal Salad for Osteoporosis
These herbs are rich in calcium, while rocket, nasturtiums, dill, coriander and parsley also promote its digestion and absorption. Dandelion contains boron, calcium and magnesium, while dill, borage, coriander and calendula balance hormones and lessen risk of calcium loss.
Ingredients
• 5 1/2 ounces lettuce and rocket mixture
• 5 to 10 leaves dandelion, nasturtiums, borage and young plantain
• 2 sprigs dill, mint, coriander and parsley
• 4 each marigold (calendula), borage and nasturtium flowers
Serves 2
How to make
1. Place the torn lettuce and rocket in the base of your salad bowl. Then put the dandelion, nasturtium, borage and plantain leaves in.
2. Chop the dill, mint, coriander and parsley and then decorate with marigold (calendula), borage and nasturtium flowers.
How to use
Serve with a simple dressing made with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Did you know?
Calcium, boron, magnesium, essential fatty acids and vitamin D are all vital for good bone density.
Growing
Using a tall planter with holes in the side, place drainage material in the bottom and fill with compost to the first level of holes. Plant the mint, rockets and nasturtiums through the holes, water and add more compost. Continue to plant through the holes staggering the mints, rockets and nasturtiums. Place the borage in the centre at the top, surround with marigold (calendula), nasturtium near the sides. Place the dill, parsley, plantain, rocket and coriander where they fit best. Water and feed.
Plants you will need
• 1 Mentha piperita (peppermint)
• 5 Tropaeolum majus (nasturtium)
• 4 Eruca vesicaria/sativa (rocket)
• 1 Borago officinalis (borage)
• 3 Calendula officinalis (marigold)
• 1 Anethum graveolens (dill)
• 1 Petroselinum crispum (parsley)
• 1 Plantago major/minor/lanceolata (plantain)
• 1 Coriandrum sativum (coriander)
This excerpt has been reprinted with permission from Homegrown Remedies, by Anne McIntyre, published by Gaia, an imprint of Octopus Publishing Group, 2011. Buy this book from our store: Homegrown Remedies.
