Community within Humanity: filling another's cup while pouring out

Two things stand out to my heart as pillars from last week. Indeed, there were more, but these two things in particular are sort of tied together, yet uniquely different.

The first is a woman, in the range of seventy plus, who cannot have a variety of food ingredients, including vinegar. Searching for an organic, avocado based mayonnaise. At the end of the conversation, I gave her a recipe to make it herself without vinegar, using lemon juice instead.

The second, a woman in the range of twenty something, who began sharing that during cvid, she started learning how to cook from scratch. At home. This led to her desire to combat some of her health issues naturally, and that gave way to reading ingredients and the preparing of a proper pantry, and home canning.  Twenty minutes into the conversation came her confession of having so much to learn and feeling overwhelmed.

The heart of her husband safely trusts in her;

So he will have no lack of grain.

- Proverbs 31:11

The first lady came back to report that she had made her mayonnaise, and it worked. Her smile was as big as the door she held.  "It was good!" she added. With her finger pointed upward - "thank you. Thank you so much."

The second walked out the door with more local and online resources than she knew how to organize right then. She also had an open invitation to come back, anytime, for help. On both occasions my heart was swelling with joy. Why? Because I had the ability to help someone. Either by making mayonnaise or by encouraging a young wife to keep going. Keep searching. Keeping learning. Taking one thing at a time.

Her passion for pantry organization and learning to home can caused me tears of gratitude... it made me feel useful. Hopeful. Maybe even needed enough to pour into someone. It did my heart good. It did my heart good to see two separate generations searching for better. Desiring less of the system and less of the insecurities that we are fed. Both being willing to step out of the normalcy of convenience to possibilities endless.

It was so much more than mayonnaise. Much more than pantry organization. This was community investment. This was filling another's cup while pouring myself out.

Blueberry Lemon Balm Tarts / Approximately 50 mg per Tart

I think Blueberries & Lemon Balm pair really well together. When combined into a tart we have a simple recipe for easy sharing with therapeutic dosing, and who doesn't love a good homemade tart with therapeutic dosing? This is a multi-step recipe, but it is worth the process.

The Tart:

2 cups all purpose, organic flour

1 T honey or maple syrup

1 t salt 

2 sticks butter, softened.

1 egg

2 T raw milk

10 grams fresh Lemon Balm leaves

Vanilla caviar from two vanilla beans

To make the dough: in a medium sized bowl, mix together the dry ingredients, then add the honey, butter and egg. Mix well. Add milk and mix until everything is pliable. Divide the dough into half and shape each into rectangles, approximately the same size. Wrap in plastic wrap or waxed paper, and refrigerate for roughly an hour. While the dough is cooling, make the tart filling.

The Filling:

2 cups blueberries

1 t lemon balm tincture

1 ½ T lemon juice

⅓ cup succanat or ¼ cup honey

1 T arrowroot powder

1 T water

*Note: initially I used a standardized tincture with 1:3 ratio, thus equaling 330 mgs total, divide this number by the number of tarts. This dosage can change depending on the strength of your tincture.

To make filling: in a medium saucepan, add all of the filling ingredients - EXCEPT: the Lemon Balm Tincture: Warm and simmer over low to medium heat, stirring often. Once the filling is thickened to jam like constancy, turn off the heat and add the tincture, stir well. Allow the mixture to cool.

To Assemble and Bake Tarts:

1. Place one piece of the dough on a well-floured area and roll out in a rectangle shape with about ⅛ inch thickness. Repeat with the second piece of dough. Trim so that each sheet of dough is close to the same size.

2. Cut out of each sheet small rectangles, about three by four inches in size. Setting aside each matching pair, until the dough sheets are used up. My first batch made seven tarts, so this means I had fourteen rectangles.

3. Working with one pair at a time, place a generous heaping spoonful of the blueberry mixture into the center of the rectangle, and smear to about ¼ of inch of edge. Add the matching dough top and crimp all the edges with a fork. Repeat until each tart is filled.

4. Note: I measured each filling amount exactly, until I had used all my tart bottoms. Then added my tops. This way I could better track my medicinal application for the Lemon Balm. I wanted a measurable outcome with a purpose. 

5. Gently place the tarts on a lightly greased baking sheet, pricking the tops a few times with a fork. Preheat your oven to 350, then bake the tarts approximately 30 minutes or until golden brown. 

6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. When the tarts are completely cool you can glaze them if you choose. I decided to blend some blueberries and a little cream cheese with a touch of honey, until smooth, then used this to frost my Blueberry Lemon Balm Tarts.

Calendula Cinnamon Scones with Orange Zest

 I wanted to create a medicinal loaf of Calendula Sourdough, because I believe that herbs can be added to the diet to help maintain wellness. Or to make an additional avenue for herbal delivery, especially with children or the aged. When I created my Calendula concentrate for the sourdough, I wasn't thinking of the benefits of Calendula or its potency, and therefore I killed the sourdough lift and loaf.

After some thought and some rethinking, I had success with these Calendula Cinnamon Scones with Orange Zest. This recipe is very forgiving and can be adapted to fit a person's dietary needs. 

Calendula Cinnamon Scones with Orange Zest Recipe

2 cups All Purpose Flour, Unbleached

2 Tablespoons Sucanat Sugar

2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg

1/2 Cup Cold Butter

1 Tablespoon of Calendula Powder

1 Tablespoon Cinnamon

Zest of 1 to 2 Oranges, your choice (I used two)

1/4 cup Orange Juice

1/2 Buttermilk, or milk of choice

...

In a medium bowl, mix all the dry ingredients, except the Calendula powder, together. Then cut in the butter until it resembles crumbles. Stir in liquids and then add the Calendula powder, knead smooth, about six to eight times. Pat into eight-inch circle, on slightly floured surface and then divide into eight scones.

Place the scones onto a baking sheet and sprinkle the tops with Calendula petals and sugar. Bake twelve to fifteen minutes at 425. Or until golden brown/done. Option: You can incorporate the Calendula petals into the dough as well, or instead of the tops. Also, you may play around with the Calendula powder here, just add additional liquid for proper consistency. 

This recipe delivers approximately 300 mg of Calendula in eight scones. 

 

Calendula {Calendula officinalis} is a member of Asteraceae family, related to the Chamomile, Yarrow, and Dandelion. It has many beneficial properties such as helping fight inflammation within mucus membranes, addressing fungal and yeast issues - hence why I think it negatively impacted my sourdough - and is known for its effectiveness with skin issues.

Easy to grow, Calendula often reseeds and thrives in a variety of soils. The blossoms are most used, and if you are interested you may read more about Calendula here. 

Let me know if you make the scones and your thoughts.