Several years ago, we were sitting in the summerhouse at
the Sanctuary eating our lunch and one of my apprentices started talking about
green powder. I’d never heard the term before but apparently it was something
sold in health food shops for large sums of money. The shop variety contained
spirulina and other green “superfoods” and the idea was to add it to your daily
smoothie along with other nutritious fruits or vegetables.
Later the same year, my friend and herbalist, Lynne
Tynan-Cashmore presented me with a jar of homemade green powder which she added
to soups, stocks and stews during the winter to boost the immune system and
keep everyone as well as possible. I began to do the same. Every time I made spaghetti
bolognaise sauce, fish stew, sausage stew or impossible quiche, I sprinkled in
a scoop of green powder. I also added it to bones when making stock.
The powder disappeared into the food but definitely added a
richness and flavour. I was completely sold on the idea that green powder
enhances whatever you are cooking and helps stave off winter lurgies.
There was no way I was going to spend money in a shop when
this was something I could easily make at home. What plants would be suitable?
The first thing to do when making something for the first
time is to wander around your harvesting area and decide what is there. Whether
this is your garden or a local park, canal side or woodland, you need to be
certain you can identify the plant correctly to ensure it is edible before you
pick it. If you’re in a public space you also need to have permission of the
landowner (if you’re on farmland) and make sure the plants aren’t contaminated
by dogs, cats, foxes, rats or pesticides.
My basic ingredients for green powder are ground elder and
nettles. Ground elder is a major invasive weed introduced to the UK by the Romans
to provide a green vegetable during the hunger gap in springtime. You must only
pick the young shoots as older plant parts will give you the “runs”. It is
chock full of vitamin C and minerals.
Nettles also have to be picked early before they produce
their strings of flowers in late May (earlier if the weather is hot). I tend to
pick the top four leaves to eat in spring, then do a major harvest of vibrant
green leaves to dry in early May. These get stored in jars for nettle chai and
other drinks or for adding to soups and stews.
The more you pick nettles, the more new growth you will
produce and the longer you will be able to harvest. Nettles are also packed
full of minerals and vitamins and are invaluable both as food and medicine.
Other useful green leaves which grow in my garden are sweet
violets (plants introduced from the farm) and sea holly (a plant bought
specially because the young leaves can be eaten in salad in the spring). You
could add fresh hawthorn leaves as those have been eaten as they emerge
throughout history. Later in the year, I will dry nasturtium leaves as these,
too are packed with minerals and have anti-viral properties. You could add herb
Robert leaves, since those also boost the immune system, but not too many as
the scent could be overpowering and they are quite difficult to dry.
My favourite herbs to add to the mix are marjoram (because
I have loads growing in the garden and it spreads like a weed!) and lovage
because I love the flavour. If I had enough parsley, that would go in the mix
and small amounts of rosemary. Sage would be good too, but I tend to use all my
purple sage in cough elixir and I don’t like it in cooking. Similarly, I prefer
to use mint and lemon balm fresh in egg mayonnaise rather than stews. You could
add it to tagines, but I find my homemade harissa mix enough.
If you like aniseed flavours or wanted to make an aniseed dominated
green powder to use for fish or chicken, then adding fennel, tarragon, sweet Cecily
and dill to the background of other green leaves would work.
If you have plants like chard, kale, sorrel, spinach, they
can be dried too, but be mindful of only using small amounts if you or someone
you feed is prone to producing bladder or kidney stones.
How to make green powder
Gather a basketful of green leaves and herbs. Make sure
they are clean and wash in cold water if necessary, drying on a tea towel or
air drying outside if the weather is warm, covering with a muslin cloth to stop
them blowing away.
Place in a dehydrator at 40 degrees C for one or two days
until completely dry. If you don’t have a dehydrator, place in a paper bag and
dry in a warm place for several weeks until brittle to touch. Remove any obvious stalks from nettle leaves.
Pound the dried plant material into a powder using a coffee
or spice grinder or a pestle and mortar. Pour the powder into a glass jar with
a lid. Label and date.
Store in a cool dark place. Should keep for at least one
year. If the powder loses colour and scent, you know it will no longer be any
good and should be consigned to the compost heap. Add one heaped tablespoon to
any meal during cooking.
