Rivanna River Herbal

Where Has The Summer Gone?

Anise Hyssop, One of my favorite summer herbs

Yeah, it's been a while!!  Where have I been you ask?  I've been right here the whole time.  It's just that life has a way of moving us along and not necessarily in the direction I'd planned.   All I can say is that it's been a busy summer and hopefully in the near future I'll be back posting more frequently. 


  
Here are some of the fingerling potatoes I harvested.   My 2 pounds of seed potatoes magically turned into 25 pounds of deliciousness and has been by far my most successful crop.  I think growing the potatoes in the big pots is the way to go.  I recently talked to a friend who lost all of her potatoes to moles.  Well moles can't seem to find a way into the pots.  Also the harvesting is so very easy.  I basically dump the contents of each pot onto a tarp and gather all of the potatoes from the still rich looking dirt, which I then dragged off and dumped in to an area of the garden that seemed to want more soil. 

My tomatoes are just beginning to ripen and I noticed this week the stands at the farmer's market were a riot of tomatoes in all shades of red, yellow and orange and just dripping with sunshine.  As the romas come in, I halve them, place them on a cookie sheet and drizzle olive oil over them.  Then I sprinkle on some thyme and a few slivers of garlic along with salt and pepper.  I roast them for an hour or so at around 300 degrees until they begin to crisp up and brown around the edges and fill the house with delicious aromas.  These can be frozen and when thawed added to salads, soups, sauces ... whatever you choose.  Of course, you can do this with any of the tomatoes not just romas. Cherry tomatoes prepared this way and set out as finger food are a wonderful prelude to any summer meal. 

The other thing I like to do with an abundance of tomatoes is to halve or quarter them, depending on their size.  I do not peel or seed them, just put them in the blender along with some good olive oil, fresh oregano and basil and several cloves of fresh garlic.  Add some onion if you choose and blend away.  This is good as is over freshly prepared pasta or salt it away in the freezer for some yummy winter meals that will remind you of the lovely days of summer. 

Basically the rest of the veggies in the garden were a bust for a variety of reasons, but mainly the deer population wiped out a bunch of stuff.  Next year I plan on just doing some early spring things like lettuce, again potatoes and tomatoes.  The rest I'll get from the farmer's market. Of course, the herbs will always be part of the garden.

Tubers and Roots!!!!

The last time I had a "real" vegetable garden was some 30 + years ago in Vermont.  Since then it's been a few tomato plants here, a few there, loads of basil and parsley and weekly trips to the farmer's market. Don't get me wrong ...  there is nothing wrong with that.  I've loved nurturing my tomatoes every summer and I LOVE going to the farmer's market every Saturday morning, bringing home a supply of fresh from the garden produce. But I'm hugely excited to be back growing more than just the tomatoes.  Yes, it's work and sometimes I get very tired of the whole thing, but all in all, I'm very excited to show you the first potatoes, carrots and beets from my garden, picked this morning. In my mind, these vegetables are medicine for the body and soul.  Like cutting wood for your wood stove, vegetable gardening warms you twice ... once while you are planting the garden, then again when you eat the results.

I've been getting quite curious about those potatoes growing so quickly in those big black pots out back, so this morning I decided to tip one over to see what was going on in there.  The plants in this pot were lovely pink "Desiree," potatoes.  The plants were covered with lovely flowers, attracting lots of pollinators.  It's been a long time since I've grown this stuff so I'm learning about growing food all over again.

What I learned this morning was that I could have let this pot go longer before harvesting the potatoes.  There were loads of tiny pea and marble size spuds waiting for a chance to get bigger. I do love them when they are tiny but this year I'm looking for a little more bang for my buck.  I planted 2 lbs. worth of seed potatoes in  8 pots.  This pot yielded 1 and 1/4 lbs. of potatoes.  And I think I could have done better than that.  I will let the remaining pots go much longer and perhaps harvest from them as I need potatoes until the blossoms start to fade and it's time  to pick them anyway.

I also realized that despite our abundant rainfall this spring, these pots, which are not "self-watering," need more attention from me when it comes to keeping them moist.  The soil in the pot was quite dry and of a much finer texture than when I placed it on top of and around the growing plants.  I could just envision those little taters consuming all of the nutrients in the soil, growing fatter and fatter, which of course they do!  I placed the spent plants, soil and the mulch of now decaying straw on the compost pile.

The carrots and beets were also the first I've gathered this year and I look forward to many more.  I will reseed those again in the late summer and hope for another round of root vegetables before the cold of winter sets in.

Oh, I still go to the farmer's market every Saturday morning.  I buy  things I'm not growing myself and I get inspired to try new things.  I put in a few tomatillo plants which I've never grown before.  My husband calls me obsessed, but he sure is enjoying the results!!

See what else is blooming now, here!

Growing Potatoes In Pots ...

With the financial situation what it is today, like most everyone I know, I have chosen to expand my vegetable garden this year as a way to keep down the our food bills.  I recently read somewhere that for every $100. spent on a vegetable garden, $1700.  can be saved in the grocery store per year.  I might argue that it depends on the weather and the skill of the gardener.  Sometimes things don't work out as well as we'd like them to, but that's always part of the game, especially when it comes to playing with Mother Nature.

One day in February while I was browsing through some interesting looking blogs, I came across this one.  I got so excited because I remember well the taste of those delicate summer new potatoes I used to grow in my garden in Vermont, years and years ago.  I would steam them, slather them with rich creamy butter and freshly chopped parsley.  Food fit for the Gods!!

I hadn't thought of planting potatoes this year because I had no space set aside for them and they do take up lots of space, once you start the hilling process.  Plus water has been an issue in the area with on and off drought over the years, mostly on.  I collect rainwater from the roof of my garage into a big cistern buried in the ground and also have some rain barrels tucked away in other places, but still if it doesn't rain, you have nothing to water with.  This method seemed to me to be a perfect way to conserve a little water along with some space and I could satisfy that growing itch I was experiencing to plant some potatoes.  My thinking told me I could water the pots directly ... there is no loss of water into places where I don't need it.  Other pros quickly presented themselves ... my back would be less strained from working the ground AND weeds wouldn't be a problem.  

I got help from good friend, Krista, in finding the 15 gallon pots.  She is also growing some potatoes in pots as well as in the ground so come some time later in the summer a verdict will be reached as to which way is better or might they both produce a super, delicious crop of spuds.  I'll let you know.

I planted fingerling potatoes as well as two kinds of red skinned ones 3 to 4 weeks ago and I'm happy to say that potatoes are sprouting in each of the pots.  I followed the directions for planting them as given on the blog.  I mixed my own planting mix of half organic potting soil and half locally made Panorama Paydirt compost.   As soon as the sprouts have reached a good height I will add more soil and start the hilling process. 

I can't wait to taste my first freshly dug potatoes but I'm really enjoying watching these little plants grow.  I check them several times a day to make sure all is well and they are happy.  

I'll keep you posted with more photos as the season progresses!!

Better yet, check out that blog and start your own!!

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) ...

Yes, I remember ... I'm supposed to be posting about potatoes!  But my excitement of the moment has been taken over by dandelions and since it is their season I just had to let you know what I've been up to with them! I've been out and about planting, mulching, pruning and whatever else one does at this time of year and suddenly realized my lawn was aglow with the beautiful, yellow blossoms of what some would consider a noxious weed.  If only they would mend their ways!

So I started digging and gathering and found myself with a basket full of whole dandelion plants ... and with the change of seasons from winter to spring, it is a perfect time of year to take advantage of this wonderful plant's medicine to help us build our strength and energy for the upcoming hard work during the warmer months ahead.  I call this a true "spring tonic" plant.  Though it can be harvested throughout the year, this is the time of year we really notice it as it runs riot through fields, lawns and meadows.  Have you noticed that many health food stores now carry fresh dandelion greens throughout the year?  I prefer the ones growing wild around me, but if I can't find any, I'm not above going for the factory farmed varieties, especially if organically grown.

Dandelion roots are high in vitamins and minerals, including iron, manganese, calcium, chromium, magnesium, niacin, potassium, zinc, vitamins C and A.  The leaves are said to be a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, Vitamins A,B,C and D along with some of the same minerals the roots contain.  The whole plant revitalizes the body, builds the blood and gets the liver functioning as it should.  It is a bitter and will stimulate the appetite.   It is said to be a tonic for the stomach, pancreas, kidneys, lymph and all the other systems of the body.  It has been used to treat high blood pressure, high cholesterol, some cancers, reproductive issues and to absorb heavy metals. 

So what did I do with my basket of dandelions??  First, I plucked off most of the flowers, filled a jar with them and have them steeping in olive oil.  Susun Weed, in her wonderful book, Healing Wise, says that dandelion oil will "ease the of pain of stiff necks, arthritic joint pain, sinus headaches and back tension ... will promote deep relaxation and facilitate release of  emotions locked in ze muscles."

Next, I lightly rinsed the plants without cutting them up and filled two quart mason jars with these whole plants.  I filled one jar with brandy for a tincture and the other jar with apple cider vinegar. Both are steeping on my kitchen counter and in about 4 weeks time will be finished medicine.  I did have some plants left over and with these I made a decoction, cooking it down slowly for about an hour.  I drank it over the next two days sweetened with a bit of honey. There were a few roots left that are in the process of drying.

I'll continue gathering dandelions as they appear adding the greens to salads, make decoctions and also dry some more for winter use.  Spring is such amazing fun!!

Sidetracked ...

For the moment I've left tinctures, teas and elixirs behind because I've gotten really excited about no-knead breads and the coming gardening season.   In the photo above is Easy Four-Grain Pot Boule from Nancy Baggett's new book, kneadlessly Simple.  It is so easy to make and will fit into anyone's daily schedule because there is very little to do besides mixing the ingredients together and when you are ready sticking it in the oven.  Basically you mix the ingredients together, let it rise for 18 to 24 hours, deflate it, and if desired stick it in the frig until you have time to bake.  Then take it out, let it rise for an hour or two, then bake. It's sooooo good. 

Here is site with a slightly different twist.  For this kind of no-knead bread, you mix enough ingredients to make a number of loaves and you keep it in the frig for up to 2 weeks, baking a chunk of it here and a chunk there, whenever you want.  I just put a batch of 100% wholewheat sandwich bread together today and sometime in the next day or two I'll bake a loaf.  The longer it sits in the frig the more sour it gets, making it a sourdough bread.  This way of baking bread is all very new to me and I love it because I can fit it in between my daily chores.

As for the garden, I've discovered all sorts of wonders.  At this site, I got all excited to find that you could grow potatoes in pots, saving room in the garden and lots of extra labor. So I've ordered some seed potatoes and friend K. has located the required 15 gallon nursery pots.  That has led me to the discovery of self-watering containers for growing veggies and I'm trying to decide if I want to give this a try since we're already abnormally dry in the moisture department.  Just since January 1st, we are down almost 4 inches of rain.  Never mind that the past year was also exceptionally dry and the ground water is very low.  It's time to get creative about how to grow summer crops.  I do have a small vegetable garden, but by using some of these pots that have a reservoir that you fill only once or twice a week, I can make some additions to what I want to grow without having to water so much every day when there is no rain.  I'd be able to save most of the rainwater I harvest for the in-ground garden, allowing much more flexibility.  There is so much to think about and I'll keep you posted as I make decisions as to exactly what I'm going to do and what I'm going to grow. 

In the meantime, I hope everyone is as excited about spring as I am.  I can barely contain myself and have to take some time-outs to breathe deeply and slow down a bit. I often get so zealous that I take on far more than I should.  So, first things first, I'll  clean out the potting shed and slowly figure out exactly how deep in the mud I want to immerse myself! 

Burdock Root ...

I just recently discovered that one of our local health food stores carries fresh, organic burdock (arctium lappa)  root and it has become a staple in my frig.  Expensive it is, but a little goes a long way and it's really quite delicious.  I add it to stocks, soups and chopped it adds a nice crunch to salads along with its bitter/sweet flavor. 

A few weeks ago I experienced a bout with some sort of stomach bug and found that a decoction of 4 Tbsps. of chopped  fresh burdock root and 2 Tbsps. of fennel seed in 4 cups of water, worked its magic and helped me feel oh, so much better.  Then while sitting in a waiting room, "waiting" for for my appointed time, I found another recipe for using burdock root in the magazine I was flipping through.  The magazine called, body + soul, had a recipe for Stamina Tea.  I've been making this decoction every day for over a week now and it is really great.  Here is the recipe:

To 4 cups of water, add 1 Tbsp. of dried eleutero, 2 tsps. of dried chopped burdock root or 4 tsps. fresh, 2 tsps. of dried licorice root, 1 tsp. dried or 2 tsps. fresh ginger, 1 tsp. of cinnamon chips or 1 cinnamon stick and 1 tsp. of cardamom pods.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.  I've been using cardamom seeds, as I have no pods.  The pot should be covered throughout the process. 

It is really delicious and I swear that my head feels clearer when I finish of cup this concoction.  With the flu running rampant here in Virginia, this tea will go a long way in keeping me healthy.

In her latest book, Rosemary Gladstar's Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health, Ms. Gladstar hails burdock as a "superior tonic herb."  It is full of magnesium, iron, manganese, silicon and thiamine along with loads of vitamins and minerals.  It is a specific for the liver and is used both internally and externally for all sorts of nasty skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. 

Matthew Wood, in his book, The Book of Herbal Wisdom, says that burdock root assists in the digestion of fats and oils and acts primarily on the liver, kidney and skin. He also sites cases in which this plant helped stem "anxiety" and "worry."   Sounds like something we all could use these days as the world spins out of control.  The seeds and the leaves of this plant can also be used.

When I lived in Vermont and was raising sheep, burdock grew in the pastures where my sheep would often gets the burrs of the plant stuck in their lovely fleeces.  I was always on the rampage to get rid of it.  Today, like many other plants that people hate, I would welcome it into my meadow!! 

PS  I no longer raise sheep :)!!

Making Friends ...

It's been a lovely couple of days ... like spring, with temperatures in the 60's.  My hands are beginning to itch to get in the dirt. I breathe very deeply when I'm outside as if I can inhale the growth that is happening within the soil and I dream it must be March or April.  But December isn't quite over yet and I'll have to put my spring fever on a shelf in the pantry for a couple of months. 

I have been keeping busy getting some new tinctures put together  ... Yarrow, Gravel Root among them.  For Christmas I gave family members tinctures of Echinacea, Elderberry syrup and bags of herbal teas that I put together.  Both Bill and I have had colds and both of us have benefited from having these medicines in the house.  Bill is just getting over his second bout with this cold and is feeling much better today.  It is hard to get him to rest but he is finally agreeing to sip the tea I've made for him and take the tinctures.  He even says it works!!  The tea I make for him is basically 1 part each Elderberries, Mullein leaves, Sumac and fresh Ginger.  He likes it! For myself I prefer a Honey/Lemon/Ginger tea strong enough to leave me almost breathless.  It really warms me up and I swear the worst of the cold is gone within a day. 

In my last post I talked about Ground Ivy being one of my plant friends.  There are others, like the Goldenrod in the photo above, now gone to seed.  As a weaver/spinner/natural dyer in my youth, Goldenrod was one of the plants I depended upon to dye my hand spun woolen yarns a soft buttery yellow or a pale spring green, depending on the mordant I used. 

I also used the berries of Sumac for various shades of tan and light brown and I'm very excited to find that there are two small stands of Sumac beginning to grow in the meadow just below the house.  We recently had the meadow mowed as we always do in the fall and I've left the Sumac babies standing.  Now that I've learned that those berries are used for medicine, they will be left to grow and provide us with their goodness.  It may be a couple of years before they give us berries, but I will baby them to see that they grow healthy and strong. 

I've found it amazing to watch myself come full circle over the years.  When we moved here to Virginia some 30 years ago, I gradually gave up the weaving, spinning and dying for things like photography and painting.  I constructed mixed media pieces, made collages and wrote lots of poetry.  Though I gardened and still loved the outdoors and especially plants, I had no idea I would eventually turn to them once again to learn their other ways of bringing joy and comfort.  I've learned these old friends have so much to give and am grateful that they are central to my life once again.

I will gradually be adding links to other interesting blogs concerning herbs and food to this siite.  All you have to do is click on them and you will find yourself in an amazing world of herbalists ready to share their knowledge.

I hope everyone had a marvelous Christmas and I pray the New Year will bring all of us peace, light and and an abundant harvest of medicines.

Pernicius Weeds ...

The October/November issue of Horticulture Magazine, calls Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea), a garden pest!  Introduced from Europe as a common ground cover they say, "it's become a pernicious weed of turf and landscape, flourishing throughout most of North America, especially in shady, damp sites."   I have it growing in my meadow and do not consider it a weed at all.  I consider it one of my "plant friends." In herb class it wasn't mentioned as one of those "important" plants but I consider it as such.  It  caught my attention over 8 years ago when I moved to this spot on the river, noticing each spring and early summer its graceful creeping habit, its lovely little purple-blue flowers and its strong aromatic qualities.  You might say that it called to me and until I started studying herbs, I had no idea why.  It was just one of my favorite small wild plants that I considered a friend. 

Since then I have learned that it is an analogue for another herb, Eyebright
(Euphrasia officinalis), which is becoming rare and difficult to find ... most likely because it is being harvested as a remedy for upper respiratory problems and eye difficulties.  It is anti-inflammatory and astringent, known for treating nasal congestion, conjunctivitis and other bothersome eye problems.  Ground Ivy being an analogue for Eye Bright, means that this "pernicious weed" can be used instead of Eyebright, allowing this disappearing plant to recover its numbers.

A member of the mint family, I harvest Ground Ivy while it is flowering in early summer and make a delicious tea with it, either alone or in combination with other herbs of the season.  I have tinctured it and take a dropperful whenever my sinuses are acting up.  It works beautifully. 

In his book, Stalking The Healthful Herbs, Euell Gibbons wrote that Ground Ivy is high in Vitamin C and was used to treat scurvy.  Gibbons calls it, "an excellent home remedy.   Primarily it is used as a bitter tonic, as a nutritive tea, and as an excellent remedy for stubborn coughs. Its most time-honored uses are as an antiscorbutic and to prevent "painter's colic," which is a euphemism for lead poisoning.  Both of these uses point to a high vitamin C content, as synthetic vitamin C is the modern, scientific treatment for both these conditions today."

The Peterson Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs says, "Traditionally, leaf tea was used for lung ailments, asthma, jaundice, kidney ailments, 'blood purifier.'  Externally, a folk remedy for cancer, backaches, bruises, piles.  Alcohol extracts are anti-inflammatory and reduce edema."

"Pernicious weed" indeed!!  You are welcome in my garden anytime!!

Late November Harvest ...

I'm still gathering things from my garden!  The  persimmons were few this year compared to last and I left them on the tree for too long.  I'd planned on picking them on a certain day and when that morning arrived the persimmon above was the last one left.  Was it the wind? Or some creature like a raccoon or opossum who climbed the tree on a starlit night and filled its empty belly?  I think it was the latter and I'm happy to share with them.  Next year I'll just be a bit quicker about it.  You are supposed to leave the persimmons on the tree until a few good frosts take the pucker away from the fruit.  But thinking about it now I think a day in the freezer could speed things up if one were in a hurry.

There are a few lettuces that I planted in September producing lovely green leaves, but my favorite plants right now are chickweed (in the basket) and winter cress.  There is a carpet of chickweed under the fruit trees in my little orchard along with some winter cress and even cleavers are sending up shoots.  Winter cress grows all around the garden and I leave it to grow, pulling up these "weeds" when I need some greens for a salad.  The cress is a bit peppery though not as peppery as water cress or nasturtium leaves but it will do in a "November pinch."  I've enjoyed a mixture of the cress and chickweed on egg salad and tuna sandwiches these past few weeks and they provide each bite with a wonderful bit of crunch that really makes the sandwich.  I also chop up these lovely herbs and mix them with butter ... yummy on a baked white or sweet potatoes!!

winter cress

Winter cress, (Barbarea vulgaris), is a member of the mustard family and according to Peterson's Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs, Cherokees ate this plant as a "blood purifier."  The leaf tea is supposed to suppress coughs  and stimulate the appetite.  It has been used as a diuretic against scurvy and a poultice of the leaves helps the healing of wounds.  It is also pointed out that though this plant has been called an edible wild food, some studies indicate that it may cause kidney malfunctions and internal use should be avoided.  I only add small quantities to my salads and have not experienced any problems with this plant.  

Chickweed, (Stellaria media),a member of the pink family,  is another common herb found most of the year here in my garden.  It likes the cooler weather so doesn't make a show of itself in the heat of summer.  Tea made from this plant is used as a cooling demulcent and expectorant. Externally it is used against itching caused by eczema or other skin conditions.  According to David Hoffmann, in The Complete Illustrated Holistic Herbal, it makes a great ointment when combined with marshmallow.

Hope everyone is enjoying the fall and the beginning of the Holiday Season.  One cannot get away from Christmas carols and sales pitches, even in the privacy of one's home.  The emails and spam keep me busy deleting them from my screen.  If it were up to me I'd change Thanksgiving to a date in late September, giving all of us some elbowroom before the gift giving season arrives.  

Golden, Bitter ... Sweet and Sour

My Golden Rod Patch

I'm not doing real well with what I promised I'd do when I first began this adventure and blog.  I said I'd post at least once a week and it's been once a month at best.  I could come up with lots of excuses but I won't bore you with them.  We all have them and they are what they are. 

The fact is I've just been having too much fun with the herbs and all that goes along with them.  I've been harvesting plants to dry and to use fresh, making tinctures and my latest rage, honeys and vinegars.  In my last post, I mentioned I was going to pick some golden rod to dry which I did.  At about the same time I had a couple of days of what only could be described as "hay fever," that seasonal allergy that gets me every year.  Having read that golden rod would help with this condition, I picked another bunch and made a lovely fresh, bright yellow tea.  Although it was beautiful to look at, it was terribly bitter and I couldn't get it down. So I diluted it with half water, added a bit of honey and tried again.  It was still bitter but not as bad.  About an hour later my headache, runny nose and sore throat were gone.  Amazing! I had another bout a few days later, made another batch of tea, and once again the symptoms went away and haven't been back since ... that was about 3 weeks ago.  I'm hugely impressed with this lovely late summer bloomer that is now gracing the meadow between my house and the river.  And it still grows and flowers despite the drought that has left us without rain for many weeks.  The last time I recorded rainfall was on July 27th and it was only 1/8th of an inch.  And that was weeks and weeks since the last measurable rain before that.  There are showers in the forecast for the next 5 days ... I've crossed my fingers, said some prayers that it will come and danced about in the yard this morning.  I'll not carry an umbrella, or close my car windows until I'm soaking wet  from rain and my car is damp on the inside!

The last class, a bit over a week ago now, was pure delight.  Suzanna who had taught us about  fermented foods way back in the beginning of the class, came once again and showed us how to make herbal honey and vinegar.  She brought samples of her own making and we tasted it all. I fell completely in love all over again.  The golden rod honey she brought was the answer to my question about how one could ever get someone else to drink the bitter tea I'd choked down, especially a child.  Well, the honey took away a lot of the bitterness and I thought it would be delightful on toast.  So, I've whipped up a batch and it should be ready in about 6 weeks. 

The method is quick and simple.  Fill a jar with coarsely chopped herb of your choice until it is full and a bit firm ...  "pack it down enough so that a fairly could comfortably fall asleep on this wonderful green mattress.  We don't want her to fall through to the bottom of the jar."  Then drizzle raw honey into the jar, stirring as you go to fill the jar to top.  Stir enough so that every piece of herb is covered with honey.  Top it off with a bit more honey and close the jar up and leave it sit for 6 to 8 weeks.  What you will have at the end of that time is a wonderful spread for toast or for just a spoonful of sweet heaven that will fix whatever ails you.

Honey and apple cider vinegar are both healing in themselves.  Who remembers Dr. Jarvis, back in the '50s who recommended we all drink a mixture of water, vinegar and honey every day to remain healthy?  My dad made me and my brothers drink it at breakfast every day for months until we finally revolted and he forgot about it.  But here I am again, back on the same regimen.  And this time around I like it. 

Ever get burned while you're cooking??  Honey is great for burns and other injuries.  When one of my dogs recently  had a cyst removed from her tail, my veterinarian slathered the sight with honey then wrapped it up in gauze.  The wound healed beautifully.  The only way to make it better would be to use a honey that you'd steeped fresh St. Johnswort flowers in.

Vinegars are made the same way as the honey and steeps for the same amount of time.  The only honey that is ready almost immediately in garlic honey ....  fill a jar with unpeeled garlic cloves.  Add the honey and mix.  It will be ready in just a few days.  For me there is nothing better than two of my favorite foods combined .... honey and garlic.  It's really delicious and really good for you too!