Paty Manterola En Bikiny

school garden project "School Gardens"

Alpine pasture of good herbs for kitchen use

the green to the rediscovery of past traditions. The properties of the dandelion to those of "good Henry '

In May, in meadows, woods, hedges, on most sunny pastures sprout many edible herbs, which could very well replace the usual that we buy, fresh or cooked, the grocery store. And you can collect them by doing a walk.
Once the weeds were part of life. Were used in the kitchen, were used to fight diseases, were used as medicine. Became soups, teas, ointments. Then the abandonment mountain and hill made forget the herbs. And along with their form have been forgotten colors, flavors and medicinal properties. After the abandonment, thankfully now people have begun to rethink the herbs. This is demonstrated by the increasing number of fans reached the spring meadows, woods and meadows to collect dandelion, violet scented, the silence, the sorrel, nettles, the good Henry and historia.

go in search of these herbs can be transformed into culinary delights (for medicine, or herbal teas and it is necessary to hire experts to pharmacists or herbalists), becomes a welcome return to nature. The herbs are alive, like the meadows and woods. We will guide you now looking for some of them, with the aim to collect them sparingly, for a proper respect that is due more to nature, that should never be robbed.

May is the month when the meadows are covered with bright yellow. They are the flowers of the dandelion that give joy to the green fields and that are routinely collected by bees. Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale-Composite) should be collected before flowering.
The plant is easily recognized by its long, narrow leaves that originate from a common center without stem directly from the root. This is a taproot, which is blackish brown with the inside light and containing a white latex. In the therapeutic use of plant leaves, flowers and root cut into disks and dried. It is used to treat various diseases such as atherosclerosis, gout, jaundice, constipation and cholesterol. The dandelion is much sought after by housewives being one of the best vegetables of spring. Its leaves, well cleaned, they are sometimes eaten raw in salads. Or, boiled, are eaten hot, add oil and lemon, or even fried. They are also used buds preserved in vinegar, are similar to capers.

For those who wish, in the spring, to give flavor to soups, rice, should go in search of Silene vulgaris, said in Bergamo "sciopèt. The silene does the body good: contains many valuable minerals for metabolism, which are useful as a refreshing, cleansing and anti-anemic. For use in cooking sprouts and tender leaves are picked to flavor soups, or are eaten in salads, in omelets or to flavor the noodles.

Another herb that can be collected in the forest which is the sorrel leaves, added to soups, enhance the flavor: mixed all'insalata replace the lemon juice. The soup then you can also add flavor to the tender leaves of the nettles, which are also used in the kitchen to prepare the gnocchi with nettles. Finally, the scrambled eggs with tasty buds of hops (Humulus lupulus L.) shoots after boiling you fry in a pan with garlic and onion, then add eggs, stirring briskly.

walkers reach the mountain huts and has the ability to collect good Henry (Chenopodium bonus Enricus in Bergamo "Paruch 'or' Farinel). grass is typical of the mountain, taste delicious, related to the common spinach, to the point of being called the "wild spinach or perennial. The plan, high between 10 and 30 cm, has green leaves triangular, pointed and floury beneath. This plant has a significant presence of iron is therefore suitable for anemic and not recommended for those suffering from gout and kidneys. In the kitchen is delicious: After boiling, the leaves can be eaten in salads, or do you cook it with butter, then add cream.

Also in the mountains, wetlands, you can collect historia (Poligonum historia, in Bergamo "mèscundit). Its rhizome in the past, before the discovery of antibiotics, was used for the treatment of tuberculosis. Its flower is shaped like pink ear, a reference to bees. The tender leaves are used in soups, or are cooked like spinach: you can boil, fry or salad dressing. May is also the first time growing mushrooms growing in the woods because the tasty "Whitish" and the delicate "morel."

Enzo Valenti

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The Association "Friends of the Community Garden - Auser" presents a new project: " school gardens " dedicated to all schools that have called for the intervention of the Association in the work practices of knowledge nature and proper nutrition.
The Association "Friends of the Community Garden - Auser" is available to accommodate such requests on the basis of some "signs" and "premises" contained in the project.
In order to accommodate the numerous "requests", it is essential to the "active" participation of volunteers who undertake to ensure the start of the initiative and its "continuity". Therefore
the Friends of the Community Garden "appeal to all those who desire and willingness of time to meet the demanding requests. Alberto Sangalli

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