The Charms of Chard

If there is one leafy green that I could never get tired of, it would have to be chard. Lucky for me, my chard clusters not only bloom once but twice a year. Score! As you can guess, I've been harvesting my fair share of these leafy greens lately whilst including them in as many dishes as possible. Regrettably, I've also been racing against those pesky snails in my garden; apparently they love it just as much as I do.

Chard is one of the healthiest foods you can eat and varies in numerous colors--it adds vibrancy to dishes, but also serves as one of the more practical vegetables, packed with all kinds of vitamins (A, K, and C). It's also incredibly easy to grow. You can plant seedlings anytime from early spring to late summer and still have a decent first harvest. You can always expect chard to stay in bloom longer than either kale or spinach.

One of my favorite dishes which includes kale is colcannon. Though traditionally made with cabbage (it's a Celtic/Irish dish after all, go figure) and potatoes you can really substitute any leafy green to your desire. With a mixture of creamy mashed potatoes and fair heap of rich greens, this dish is a definite addition to my comfort food list.

Colcanonn 

Ingredients:4 potatoes, peeled, boiled and mashed
1/4 stick of butter
1 cup milk or cream
1 bushel of chard (about 6-8 stalks)
2 green onions 

After peeling potatoes and placing them in a deep pot to boil, chop green onions and place in a large saute pan with a small amount of butter. Throw in chopped chard and cook until greens are wilted. Drain and mash potatoes. Add butter (until melted) as well as milk/cream. Mix in the greens.  Serve hot with a square of butter on top.

Bannock

Although my interest in herbs and healing usually make up the majority of my posts, I thought perhaps today you would enjoy a post of another sort.

Celebrations always put me in a mood of nostalgia and make me crave for certain comforts, but lately it seems that I'm constantly in this kind of spirit. I've been paying more heed to my home, dialing into folk music, and hunger for wholesome, hearty cooking. In essence, I hope to recreate an atmosphere which perhaps the Celtic people would have lived. It may sound silly, even far-fetched, but somehow it's the way in which I connect with my roots best. Anyway, it's a certain kind of healing in itself. 

More than anything, food recaptures the Celtic tradition best for me. Food is a ritual on its own and sharing a feast with friends and family (or even just the gods) is much more spiritual. 

Recently I've taken to perfecting my bannock recipe, otherwise known as flat quick bread or pan-fried bread. Bannock is a dense bread, shaped in an oval or circle. When cross up into triangle pieces, each chunk is usually referred to as a scone. Bannock originated in Northern Britain and Scotland where it was a simple staple food. And simple it is! With no more than four ingredients, you merely need to throw this quick bread on a griddle and watch it do its magic. Although it's usually made with oats and barley, many modern recipes now call for baking powder and flour. Bannock is perfect when breakingfast--I usually serve mine with goat cheese and honey. 

In many pagan traditions, bannock was used as a ritual offering. As a result there are quite a lot of varying recipes calling for certain ingredients according to the season. Since I like to make it often, I have a base recipe of which I add additional ingredients when appropriate. 

Bannock (Quick Bread) Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup of flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons butter (melted)
3/4 cup of water

Mix all dry ingredients first following wet ingredients. Knead dough gently until the mixture is firm. Add more water if dough is too dry or add more flour if dough is too sticky. Cook dough on a well grease griddle or frying pan over medium heat (adjust if necessary). Each side should take about 15 minutes. Let the bread rest about 5 minutes before serving.

Bannock is absolutely delicious and satisfying, despite its simplicity. When making a heartier bannock bread, I add various spices and herbs such a nettle, thyme, or rosemary. Not only are these additions tasty, but they're also wonderful for your health. If I'm in the mood for something sweet I'll add blue berries, raspberries... sometimes even mulberries. Either way, savory or sweet, it makes for a great pairing with a dollop of goat cheese and warm honey. Thanks for reading, my dears!

 

Willow Healing

Back during Yule, my thoughtful sister, Rori, gifted me with a book titled "The Healing Power of Trees: Spiritual Journeys Through the Celtic Tree Calendar" by Sharlyn Hidalgo. At first, I was a little disinterested as I was not familiar with this specific calendar and put it on a shelf thinking I'd get to it eventually. However, after a week or two, I felt like the book was staring at me, calling out for me to read it. So I finally picked it up and am so thankful I did. I was absorbed into it's pages. Hidalgo gives a brief introduction to the Celtic tree calendar, the trees, Runes (my preferred method of divination), and the Ogham (a method I am now trying to learn). After, she goes into detail about each lunation and it's associated tree. As I have always felt a special connection to trees, I thoroughly enjoy this new perspective on life. 

While many who use the Celtic Tree Calendar follow the Solar calendar with New Years on January 1st, Hidalgo sticks to the old Celtic/Lunar calendar with New Years on November 1st, following Samhain. I chose to follow her method because it made more sense to me, but to each her own. According to the old calendar, we are currently in the fourth lunation (January 24 - February 20), the time of the Willow tree. The Ogham associated with the Willow is Saille, which represents the feminine principle, fertility, the moon, mother, daughter, and crone. The Rune association is Sowelo, which also represents feminine power, moonlight, peace, and harmony. The Willow tree is associated with bees, doves, and the holiday Imbolc, in which we celebrate Brigit, the maiden. 

The time of the Willow is the time of feminine power and the power of the moon, which can lead to an increase in psychic abilities. Along with those comes insight revealed through dreams, which I have personally found to increase ten fold in the last few weeks. Willows promote creative thought, so poets, artists, writers, musicians, etc. may find their talents flourishing during this time. Willow urges us to get in touch with our emotions and reminds us that it is healthy to let them overcome us once in a while. If you need to cry, let it out. The Willow tree is a wonderful place to seek refuge when going through emotional pain. Like me, you may not have any Willow trees near that you can go to, but just imagining yourself sitting at the base of the tree with her leaves hiding you from the hectic outside world can bring a sense of calmness.

I hope you can find the healing you seek during the time of the Willow.