HEALING HERBS:
Medical (healing) herbs - educating stories on herbs
with healthy recipes and useful tips

OUR BOOK ON MEDICAL HERBS:

• THE POWERFUL BLADE OF GRASS
• THE GOOD DANDELION
• THE FRAGRANT MINT
• THE WILLOW HERB
• THE HEALING VALERIAN
• THE KNOTGRASS
• THE PLANTAIN
• THE SOOTHING CHAMOMILE
• ST. JOHN'S WORT – THE BLOOD OF THE SEVEN BROTHERS
• THE CUNNING NETTLE
• THE MAGIC LEAVES
• THE LILY OF THE VALLEY (HARE EARS)
• THE MAGIC BREW
• THE OLD KETTLE
• OVID'S ODE
• THE POWER OF TEA

The truthful entertaining fairy-tale stories on Heathy Food
(About history and benefit of herbs)
with healthy recipes where herbs are being used

THE MEDICINAL HERBS
(fragment from our book on healing herbs)

 

BOOK ON HEALING HERBS: THE POWERFUL BLADE OF GRASS

 

One day, the trees began to feel sorry for the grass:

“We pity you, little blades of grass. You are the lowest of the low in the forest. Everything that moves tramples on you. All creatures are used to your softness and flexibility, yet have stopped noticing you altogether. They take notice of us, however – humans, beasts and birds. We stand tall and proud. If you want this same recognition, you will have to grow taller.”

The grass answered the trees proudly:

“My dear trees, I do not require pity. The fact that I am not blessed with height is in fact of great benefit to me. When creatures walk upon me, it makes me happy. As blades of grass, it is my job to cover the ground, for it is more comfortable to walk on a green carpet than on bare earth. When it rains and the pathways turn to mud, people can wipe their feet on me.

“What is more, I may look weak, but I am not. Take a closer look at me. I have been trampled and trodden down, but I am still in good shape. Not only humans walk upon me, but cows and horses too, and they are not light creatures – they can weigh up to half a ton. Yet I survive. Farming machines weighing several tons can pass over me, yet I survive. Even gravity weighs down heavily upon me, yet I survive. Each time I rise up again, straight and proud as before. You trees may be tall, but you cannot withstand a hurricane. I, on the other hand, may seem weak, but I am small, so hurricanes have little effect on me.”

The trees remained silent, objecting to nothing which the grass had to say. The latter continued:

“If fate decides that I should grow where humans decide to make a path, I still do not perish. They trample me down every day; press me into the mud with their feet and their wheels. Yet I sprout again, drawn back upwards towards the light and the heat. There are even some grasses and shrubs who love to settle directly on roads. It is as if their whole life is a struggle – yet they manage to survive too.”

At this point, the trees exclaimed:

“Now I see, blades of grass, that you have the strength of Hercules.”

A mighty oak tree spoke:

“I remember what a bird from the city once told me – that you can break through tarmac. Of course, I did not believe it, and at the time I laughed. Humans require picks and hammers to break through such thickness, yet you are so tiny.”

The grass exclaimed with glee:

“Yes, dear oak. Breaking through tarmac is not a problem for me. In cities, newborn dandelion shoots often crack and break through tarmac.”

The birch tree, until now silent, spoke:

“I for one never considered you to be weak. I have long been mesmerised by your beauty. We trees have only one face, but there are many sides to you. Yours is not the only face to be seen in the meadows. One can also find sunny chamomiles, the red faces of carnations, the golden buttons of the chrysanthemum, the tender bluebell and the joyful fireweed. The local forester once told me that there were twenty thousand different varieties of grasses in our country, but only two thousand types of trees and bushes.”

At this moment, a new face entered the debate. It was a female hare who had recently given birth to her young in the forest meadow:

“We hares also bow down to you, blade of grass. I had not realised your strength, although I was always aware of how useful you were. You are tender, juicy, and the best source of nourishment for us. Many wild animals prefer you to any other source of food. Even the giant moose bows its head before you. Humans could not survive one day without you. They grow you in the fields and in their vegetable gardens. Wheat, rye, corn, rice and many vegetables are all types of grass. You contain so many vitamins, it is impossible to count them all!”

Suddenly, something rustled in the bushes. The mother hare with her babies managed to hide just in time, as a thin red fox ran into the meadow. It started to eat the blades of grass in a hurry.

“My dear fox, you are a predator. Why do you feed on the grass?” asked the trees in amazement.

“I come here not to feed, but to be cured. Animals always use grass as a treatment,” replied the fox. “Surely you were aware of this?”

“It is not just animals which use me as a treatment for different diseases, but humans too.” explained the grass. My grandmother once described grass as a pharmacy containing the most precious medicines.”

A pine tree entered the conversation at this point:

“Yes, dear grass, you know how to treat ailments and in that way you are similar to us.”

“In fact, dear pine tree, that is not the only similarity between grass and trees. Now that we have begun this discussion, I will reveal to you the ancient secret of our origin,” said the grass solemnly. “We do not usually tell anybody about this, so listen carefully. Long before the existence of grass, there were trees – not simple trees, but powerful ones. This was many millions of years ago. At that time, the trees had to suffer much hardship. Those trees who had to endure the harshest conditions began to shrink in size, until eventually they became grass. There is therefore no surprise in the fact that I am so strong.”

All the trees began to look for similarities between themselves and the blade of grass. There was plenty of noise as the trees clattered into each other. Finally, as they tired of their comparisons, the noise died down.

“Do you not agree, dear trees, that it is pointless feeling sorry for somebody who does not require pity?”

All the trees agreed with what the grass had to say.

 

Questions and exercises based on the story:

 

• In your opinion, what is the best place for the grass to live?
• What is the most unusual fact about the grass, in your opinion?
• What is the most powerful force in nature?
• Imagine that, once, trees, grass and flowers had to compete against each other in a battle of strength and intelligence. Who do you think was the winner in this situation?
• Which trees are friends with which types of grass and why? Is there a type of grass with which they would all be friends?

 

HEALTHY RECIPES

 

Plantain soup

 

• - 2 handfuls of plantain leaves
• - 100g. white cabbage
• - 2 regular onions
• - 2 carrots
• - 1 apple
• - 2 cloves of garlic
• - 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• - Herbs, salt and pepper – to taste

Chop the onion into small pieces, and brown in vegetable oil. Then add the chopped carrot and cabbage. Pour one litre of water over the mixture and heat for 15 minutes. With five minutes to go, add the finely chopped plantain leaves, salt, pepper, herbs, crushed garlic, apple and remaining vegetable oil to the mixture.

 

Plantain leaf salad 

• - 2 handfuls of plantain leaves
• - 2 regular onions
• - 2 boiled eggs
• - 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• - 1 tablespoon of ground horseradish

Chop all the ingredients into small pieces and mix in the vegetable oil. Add salt as required.

 

A piece of advice

The flavour of any vegetable can be enhanced by adding finely chopped mint leaves.

 

Thistle salad 

• - 2 handfuls of thistle leaves
• - 1 spring onion
• - 2 tablespoons of tinned beans
• - 1 regular onion
• - 1 carrot
• - 1 teaspoon of cider vinegar
• - 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• - 4 mint leaves
• - Herbs, salt and pepper – to taste.

Chop all the ingredients into small pieces and mix them together with the vegetable oil. Sprinkle the finely chopped mint leaves over the salad.

 

Nettle spread 

• - 1 large handful of nettle leaves
• - 150g. butter
• - 2 tablespoons of ground horseradish

Pass the nettle leaves though a meat grinder, then mix with the butter and ground horseradish. Use the nettle spread for sandwiches or to add flavour to po