I just got back from my holiday in the Dolomites, part of the Italian alps. A week full of beautiful mountain scenery, fresh air, sunshine, and snow. I took the week to recharge my soul, let my spirit wander, and simply took a break from my everyday life.
And I swear, while I couldn’t see them underneath the snow – I could smell the fair scents of the mountain herbs. Admittedly, it might also just have been my vivid imagination inspired by the beautiful scenery.
There are quite a few mountain herbs that are edible. But you don’t have to go across Europe to enjoy the herbal variety of the alps, most of the herbs you can grow in your garden patch or on your balcony. Below I have selected two of my favorites to give you ideas: Chives and Hops. Both are quite common and therefore widely available. I prefer to make my pesto with them and enjoy it as a dip to cheese, cold cuts, fish, vegetables or beer. Give it a try!
For your mountain herb pesto: simply use one of the below-listed ingredients, process them as you would do with any pesto.
Mountain Herb Pesto
With my blender, I mix:
- 1-2 hands full of chives or
- 2-3 fresh flowers of hops (If you have trouble finding fresh hops, basil flowers make a worthy substitute)
- 1/2 garlic glove
- Lemon drizzle
- Few basil leafs
- Feel free to add a portion of nuts or pecorino cheese
- Add salt, pepper, chilli, etc. sparingly to your liking
- Top it of with olive oil until it has a desired texture
- Store in a jar for a couple of days in the fridge (if you can keep yourself away long enough that is..). Ensure that the top of the jar is covered with an extra layer of olive oil so that your ingredients are sealed from air.
Chives – stuffed with vitamins A, C, E, and K and calcium, magnesium, and iron. All items that benefit your skin tissue, bone metabolism and immune system. Chives also contain sulfur compounds, which have antibacterial and anti-fungal effects. All the more reasons to use it more often in the kitchen. Once planted, it tends to grow back again and again. Don’t worry if you live in colder climates, the plant endures winters outside if planted properly.
You can also eat its flowers. The light purple, edible flower has a light onion flavor. In form of pesto, it works well with toast, cheese (think vintage cheddar), mushrooms, soups, fish, appetizers, meat or potatoes.
Hops – famous for its use in beer also makes for full-body flavored pesto, though a bit bitter in taste. It is further known for its soothing and sleep-promoting properties, it can help with nervousness, restlessness, and stress and may make sleep come easier. If you feel that you need to relax, this one might be for you!
Pick the flowers in summer and you can put them in a small pillowcase. For some, the smell is enough to aide sleeping matters.
Harvest them in the late summer or early fall when they begin to look dry and papery to use in a tincture.
For the pesto, pick the young flower shoots of the plants and remove the outer fibers. Its nutty flavor works well with cheese, eggs, or tuna.
You can also use hops to add them to your tea. Together with passionflower it makes a powerful remedy to support your sleep – have a look at Lina’s recipe for a tea that helps you rest and recharge.
I hope you enjoy your next walk out in nature and if you come across one of our mentioned herbs, or you suddenly see the weeds in your garden in a different light. Either way – Bon appetite!
Ps: we have recently compiled a little recipe compendium for you that you can now download for free.
– with love –
Corina
sown & uprooted
https://for-a-better-living.com
Please note: As with all things in life, some things will have ripple effects and the amounts make the difference. So please don’t overdose on foods either. It’s always advisable to observe how your body reacts to natural remedies. Especially if you are on medication, suffer a medical condition, or are prone to allergic reactions and during pregnancy, it’s recommended to seek medical advice before starting any self-medication.
sown & uprooted 
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