Immune fortifications

Well its that time of year again, the time to get sick. Everyone I know has been sick lately (even me!) and while I was puttering around the kitchen trying desperately to force myself to drink even MORE fluids I invented a yummy immune fortifying drink. (Ok maybe invent is a stretch since I saw the juice at work first, but I decided to make it myself instead of relying on a commercial brand that was mostly grape juice*.)

So take two tea bags of echinacea (if you have the root its probably about 8 tsp. ) 2 tsp chopped fresh ginger. Pour 4 cups hot just boiling water over echinacea and ginger and let steep for 2 hours in a closed container (or at least something you can place a plate over to keep the heat in). Pour tea into a container ( I used an old glass juice jar, but a pitcher will work fine) with room and add 1/4 cup lime juice and 3 cups lemonade, or to taste (I use Simply brand lemonade even though its not organic because they use sugar not high fructose corn syrup like other brands). Pour over ice and enjoy!

Now of course the dose of echinacea in this drink is still fairly low. You could up the dose** of echinacea in the tea portion, or just drink this in between cups of hot echinacea tea (of which you should have about 4-5 cups daily).


*My drink doesn't even HAVE any grape juice in it!

** the recipe I have here is exactly what I made so I know it tastes good, I haven't checked on a mega dose yet mostly because I am still drinking the original juice I made.

Update on Dandelion

Ok so I found an article in a Country Homes Magazine circa 1987 that had an article about Dandelions! Thanks mom for never throwing any magazines away. Anyway it said that dandelions should be harvested early spring before they flower, not in the middle of July. Which I knew...really I did, but my life isn't exactly in tune with the seasonal nature of plants yet. I am hoping that sort of thing comes with experience harvesting over the years. Also my plan to rinse it in a series of bowl filled with water was exactly what it suggested, so go me! It also contained a recipe for hot dandelion green salad which sounds quite yummy actually, which I will type up here.

Hot Dandelion Salad

makes 3 servings
6 slices bacon
1/4 cup red wine or apple cider vinager
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1 pound dandelion greens, trimmed and washed
12 cup thinly cut green onions

In a large heavy skillet, cook bacon until crisp; drain and crumble. Discard all but 1/4 cup fat. To bacon fat in skillet, add vinager, salt, sugar and pepper. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar.
Remove from heat one suagr is dissolved and add greens. Sitr quickly until green wilt stir in bacon and onions. Taste and adjust seasoning, serve warm.

As for Dandelion roots (or really almost any root you are harvesting) harvest after the plant has flowered and the plant is making ready for wintering. This ensures that the plant is storing nutrients in the root, when in flower all the plants energy (nutrients) are going to the seeds. Fall is usually the best time, but you can also harvest roots in early spring before the plant sends up shoots and flowers if you need to. July works too since it isn't in bloom and its had more than a month to be storing energy.