My friend Bryan Thomson—a supremely gifted hair colorist AND an herbalist extraordinaire—has inspired me to delve deeper into the world of natural medicine. I began using this book about 10 years ago during an extremely stressful time of my life when my skin was bad and my hair was falling out, and I soon found myself making yellow dock poultices and steaming my face with dried strawberry leaves. Did it work? The short answer is "Yes." But, more to the point, I discovered a new way to approach my own health; one that let me be more in charge and that led to a deeper understanding of how to treat stress and other physical ailments with herbs and nutrition. This is not to say that I won't take a pill. But I like to avoid that and will first try many a remedy of my own devising, based on the ancient wisdom derived from nature. This tonic is a great example.
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Back in the 80s, I was among the many crazy for The Silver Palate cookbook. That carrot cake! The famed chicken Marbella! I loved how the book was larded with personal stories and little tidbits of miscellany  in the margins (marginalia?). I adore lists. The recipes seemed somehow both cosmopolitan and accessible, perfect for dinner parties in my starter apartment on East Broadway. When I read about author Sheila Lukins' untimely death from brain cancer recently, I was deeply saddened. And I immediately went out and got some eggplant, picked handfuls of fresh basil from the garden and made this dish—one that will remain forever in my repertoire. It's excellent with grilled lamb but since I don't really like lamb, I eat it with grilled fish or tomatoes with feta.
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I can't stand the rain. OK, not true, but it did wreak a lot of havoc this summer. It was not the year for tomatoes, as you may have heard. Ahem. As you can see here, we started out with some very promising plants. They produced tons of big, gorgeous heirloom specimens that had us dreaming of fresh salads and BLTs and even an aspic or two. BUT THEN THE BLIGHT HIT. And wiped us out. That's right. All that compost and pampering amounted to a hill of beans when the torrential rains hit and the fungus came to town. (It's a strain of the very thing that wiped out all those potatoes in Ireland causing the famed famine.) From one day to the next, we went from tomato-rich to tomato-destitute. No love apples for us. One plant of yellow cherry tomatoes survived, bless her feisty little heart. If you've been luckier, then this recipe is for you.
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I wish I could say I was responsible for any of this glorious produce but it was actually grown up the road from us here in Sullivan County, at River Brook Farm in Cochecton to be precise. (Wait—I did grow the cucumbers!) They've been certified organic since 1997, and in addition to all these amazing vegetables and fruits, they also have free-range chickens and the most lovely and contented pastured lambs and goats. The owners, Alice and Neil, have to be two of the nicest and hardest-working people you could ever hope to meet. Their soil is like bittersweet chocolate and everything that grows in it is truly spectacular. They grow 11 varieties of potatoes; 8 kinds of heirloom tomatoes; rare heirloom beans for drying; 9 varieties of winter squash; tons of greens including amaranth and tatsoi; collards; and lacinato kale (cavolo nero), my absolute favorite. Can't use just hear the anti-oxidants screaming at you from that photo?
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My friend Carolyn’s old girlfriend Mimi, a Jew from Texas, first turned me on to pickled okra with this very brand. After encountering a beautiful crop at Juno's Farm in the Union Square farmers' market, I was inspired to replicate them. I wish I could say I grew my own but the truth is that one lone okra plant is all that survived this year's torrents. It did produce some gorgeous creamy flowers and a few long, elegant pods but not enough to put up.
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I get a little overheated when I start proselytizing about green juice. (Sorry about the blurry photo, I'm still trying to figure all this out/coerce G into shooting for me.) I owe my conversion to Sally Kravich, an amazing nutritionist who practices in both L.A. and New York. Her book, "Vibrant Living" has set a lot of people on the path to radiant health. (It was my great friend and longtime hairstylist, Sarah Mills, who turned me on to Sally but she's a whole other story.) Among other things, Sally uses iridology to help with her assessment of your health, and it freaks me out every time. How can she look at my pupil and know that my neck hurts??
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Last summer I got it together to can a bunch of beautiful produce from the farmers’ market in Union Square. Among the best things I made was pickled okra and this addictively sweet-spicy tomato jam, which is unbelievably delicious. The nice thing is, if you are canning-phobic, you can make this recipe as written and just keep a pint in your fridge. It’s chunky, gooey and absolutely divine slathered on a cracker with goat cheese, alongside grilled meats and roast chicken or straight from the jar on a spoon. I multiplied the quantities by 10 for canning and would do so again—in a year when I am not otherwise occupied in packing to move house.
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You should do more of it! I know, I know, it can be frightfully dull but a minimum of 8 glasses a day really does improve digestion and helps keep your skin radiant. Please stop buying those ridiculous plastic bottles of alleged spring water and either get a good filter or just drink tap water. I have Sigg aluminum bottles that I refill and they work great and last forever. We had our well-water tested (during the second coming of G's parasite invasion; thankfully, it tested negative for giardia) so we drink that knowing that it's not going to give us beaver fever (yes, we've already contracted that in India, thank you very much) or any other unwelcome visitors. To make your water a little more entertaining...
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There’s a ginger-colored rabbit that’s been wreaking havoc in the herb garden, snacking on the shiso, decimating the dill and chowing down on my angelica every time it tries to stage a modest comeback. Looks as though I’ll have to give up all hope of pressing this versatile plant into service (or else build a rabbit-proof fence). Angelica lends its delicately sweet, celery-like flavor to liqueurs like Chartreuse and its roots and seeds sometimes flavor gin. Paradoxically, the powdered root is said to cause disgust for liquor. (And thus will not be served in this house!) Angelica root contains vitamin B12, zinc, thiamin, sucrose, riboflavin, potassium, magnesium, iron, fructose, glucose and many other trace minerals. It can be used as a medicinal gargle for sore throats and as a poultice for swellings, itching and rheumatism. Infusions made from angelica are good for the treatment of fevers, colds, coughs, flatulent colic and other stomach disorders. Should you be able to get your hands on some (thanks a lot, Br’er Rabbit!), try this recipe for angelica butter and serve it with grilled fish or atop any steamed summer vegetables.
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