Food For Free

What I;m foraging for in early spring in Provence, France.

Stinging nettle has been a staple in herbal medicine since ancient times and is an excellent example of food as medicine. When harvesting, don't forget to bring your gloves!

Galium aparine, with common names including cleavers, catchweed and sticky willy is a wild edible and a nutritious medicinal plant. It's used to treat infections, especially in the urinary tract and water retention and in folk medicine, it has been used topically to treat skin rashes and psoriasis.

Red clover is a wild plant and a source of many nutrients, especially of isoflavones (chemicals that act like estrogens and are found in many plants). It is believed that red clover might help reduce symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes and night sweats, but further studies are needed.

Even if you have never gone hunting for wild edible plants, the chances are that you know dandelion. The best season to forage for them is early spring, when they are at their mildest. Dandelions are very versatile, I'm putting the leaves into smoothies, stems are a crunchy salad ingredient and the whole crowns can be eaten as well.

Dandelion wine is a ferment which tastes like beer. Make sure to use only flowers which hasn't been sprayed with pesticides or herbicides. You'll need: 14 oz or 400 grams freshly picked dandelion flowers, peel from one orange and lemon or both, 1 gallon or 3,8 liters boiling water. 3 pounds organic sugar, 1 piece of dried or toasted bread, 15 grams dry yeast. You can adjust the quantity. Follow the video for how to.

Find the recipe in the PDF under the first lecture.

Find the recipe in the PDF under the first lecture.

Also known as Bear leek or Bear's garlic, wild garlic has the same properties as garlic bulbs but is much more digestible for people with digestive upset. Use it in pesto or sprinkle it on salad.

I start my day with a green smoothie filled with goodness from my garden. Dandelion greens, kale, mint or arugula, all are tasty and nutritious. Add some fresh berries, non dairy milk and collagen and you have a nutritious drink that will fill you up for the whole morning.

Very versatile, easy to make and delicious. Serve with tamari/honey/lemon juice sauce.

As a lactose intolerant person I prefer ghee to butter. Making your own ghee is simple, all you need is half an hour of your time and fresh herbs.

Native to Europe, chickweed is one of the most common weeds in the world. It is cooling and can soothe dry coughs, supports a healthy microbiome amd modulates inflammation.

Thyme season is very short here in Provence, and we make sure we forage for the freshest flowers to be used in different recipes and tea blends.

My kids love these and so will yours. When summer hits, there's nothing better than popsicles. So why not add some medicinal benefits?

We live in challenging times. Droughts and wild fires are more common and we need to figure out ways how to grow without using too much resources.

Chamomile is well known for its calming properties. But did you know that you can make a chamomile latte?

My favorite summer salad. Easy and delicious!

Throughout the history, bitters were used as tonics, digestive and metabolic aids, as well as an anti-inflammatory medicinals. Rhubarb gives the drink mildly pink color.

Refreshing summer drink which can be prepared with wild mint or with mint from your garden. I always add collagen to my drinks and smoothies, it makes my skin glow!

Oregano is a super herb. It is anti inflammatory, antioxidant, can protect you from viruses and it potentially has anti cancer properties.

Lavender ganache: 2 cups dark chocolate, 3 tbsp butter or ghee, 1/4 cup honey, 1 cup coconut cream, 2 tbsp lavender buds.

Heat the coconut cream in a small saucepan until boiling. Remove from the heat, add lavender buds and steep for 10 minutes, covered. Strain the cream, compost the buds. Heat the cream again and pour over chopped chocolate. add butter or ghee and honey. Whisk the mixture to combine. Your ganache is ready. For hot chocolate mix 1/4 cup ganache with 3/4 cup non dairy milk. Enjoy!

Provence, France, where I live is well known for its lavender fields. But did you know that lavender can be used in cookies as well?

These lavender cookies can be eaten if you are following the autoimmune protocol diet as they are gluten, lactose and nut free. Ingredients: 200 grams unsalted butter, 4 tbsp honey, pinch of salt, 1 cup arrowroot flour, half cup coconut flour, 2 tsp lavender, 2 drops lavender essential oil, make sure you use food grade lavender essential oil.

How to: Mix butter with honey, add flours, salt,  lavender and lemon zest. If desired, add 2 drops of lavender essential oil mixed with 1 tsp honey. The dough will be pretty sticky so use some more arrowroot flour to make a log from the dough. Put it in the fridge. After 30 minutes, cut out cookies. Put into oven at 140 C/280 F.

Garlic is a natural antibiotic but unlike synthetic antibiotics, it doesn’t create unbalance in your the gut. For people like me who can't digest raw garlic, pickled garlic is a wonderful option. Fermenting garlic eliminates the negative aspects of eating raw garlic (bloating, gas) without reducing or eliminating any of the natural benefits. In addition, the probiotic and enzymatic value of garlic is enhanced by fermentation.

Herbal oils are also called herb infused oils and they are well known in the cosmetic industry. But they can be used in kitchen as well.

This recipe is known as Four Thieves vinegar. The story has it that grave robbers avoided the plague by using herbal preparations that included lavender, rosemary, sage, thyme, garlic and peppermint. But you don't need to be a thief to enjoy the benefits of this vinegar.

A very simple and delicious recipe. Wash and dry the pumpkin flowers. Make sure you wash them properly to remove any bugs - yes, they love the flowers! Fill the pumpkin flowers with a combination of cheese (feta, mozzarella, or goat's cheese),  a bit of olive oil and herbs (chives, parsley or spring onion). Close the flowers by turning and folding the petals. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and olive oil. Bake at 350 F/180 C for a couple of minutes - the cheese inside should be melted and the parmesan on top crispy. Enjoy!

When all fades in my garden, kale is still there enduring the frost. Kale is definitely one of the healthiest and most nutritious plant foods on the planet as it is loaded with all sorts of beneficial compounds, some of which have powerful medicinal properties such as vitamin K critical for blood clotting.

''Creme de marrons'' or chestnut cream is my son's favorite treat. And he is not alone. Chestnut cream is the ultimate comfort food in France and can be spread on (almost) anything. Stirred into yogurt, spread on waffles, banana or used to make the traditional Christmas dessert 'buche de Noel'.

If you would ask western herbalists to mention one herb for heart, hawthorn would be it. Its leaves, flowers and berries are used in different preparations. As heart disease is the major cause of death in western world, we definitely need more hawthorn in our lives. Ingredients: one cup of hawthorn berries, half cup of honey, half cup of pomegranate juice, one cinnamon stick, 3 cardamom pods, peel from one lemon, 2 tbsp of hibiscus, two cups of brandy, peeled ginger, one vanilla stick and one apple. Let sit for one month, bottle and enjoy.

For this Autumn Pie, use whatever vegetables you have - carrots, last zucchinis, kale, spinach. Stir fry the veggies with garlic and salt. Harder vegetables like carrots or root vegetables are best baked and then added to stir fried veggies. For the dough - use store bought or homemade dough - if possible organic. For this pie I used homemade Einkorn dough made of 600 grams/5 cups einkorn flour, 1 tsp salt, 16 tbsp/250 grams cold butter, cut into cubes, 12 tbsp ice water. The dough is mixed and refrigerated for 30 minutes, then divided into two pieces, rolled, pre-baked on 180 C/350 F for 10 minutes, then filled with softened veggies. For the sauce: 3 tbsp butter or ghee, 3 tbsp flour, 1/2 cup milk/lactose free milk and pepper.

This amazing chutney is a wonderful comfort dish. For 4 people you will need: 20 figs, cut in quarters, 2 apples, chopped, 2 onions, chopped, 6 cloves, 200 ml of apple cider vinegar, 2 tsp.cinnamon, 2 tbsp. honey, 4 bay leaves and, if desired, a handful of almonds or other nuts, salt and pepper. Wash all ingredients, cut figs, chop apple and onion. In a pot, dissolve honey in vinegar, add figs, apple, onion, spices, nuts, pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 20 minutes or until the liquid evaporates. Serve with rice or a slice of sourdough bread.

Baked apples are an autumnal classic. We have planted many apple trees so we have always plenty of this delicious fruit available. This recipe is gluten and lactose free as most of the recipes in my courses.

Posset (also historically spelled poshote, poshotte) is an ancient Celtic drink made of milk curdled with wine or ale, often spiced, which was often used as a remedy for a cold or to help falling asleep. Rosemary has long been used as a memory aid. It has a tonic effect on the nervous system and is good for circulation. It strengthens the heart and reduces high blood pressure.

Juniper berries can be used in different recipes - here I use them to make juniper syrup which can be combined in mocktails or cocktails or simply add water to it. Combine 3 tbsp fresh juniper berries, 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water, simmer on low for 20 minutes, filter and bottle. Store in the refrigerator.

After saying good bye to dairy products I had to figure out what to use instead. We all crave a cup of hot chocolate on winter evenings, right? And although the market with non-dairy milks skyrocketed in the last few years, most of them, unfortunately, contain some processed form of sugar and a thickening agent. That is why I mostly make my almond milk.

Pine needle tea: put 2 tbsp of pine needles into a pot, cover with 2 cups of water, bring to boil and turn off the heat. Let infuse for 1 hour.

Oxymel: combine 1 cup chopped fresh evergreen conifer needles with 1 cup apple cider vinegar. Let the jar sit for one month, shaking every day. Strain into a clean jar and add 1 cup of honey.

Seasoning salt: combine 1/4 cup chopped conifer needles and 1/2 cup sea salt. Let dry and put into a jar. It's great for roasted vegetables, potatoes or salmon.

With only two ingredients you can boost your immunity. Find the recipe in the PDF attached to this course.

Winter is citrus time. Make these easy citrus bitters mixing zest from 4 oranges, 2 star anise, 1 tsp anise seeds, 1 tsp dandelion root, 1/4 tsp sassafras, some juniper berries, small piece of gentian root, 1/2 tsp of coriander seeds, add 2 cups of vodka. Close the jar and let sit for two weeks.

Acorns are super safe to eat, fun to gather and excellent free food. Acorns, fruits of oak trees, are highly nutritious, full of healthy oils and protein. Watch the video to learn how to prepare acorns and turn them into delicious pancakes. Most importantly, you need to remove the tannins (chemicals with a drying effect on bodily tissues) by shelling and soaking.