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Herb of the Month

Green Herbs for Your Heart

By Louise Dunlap

We celebrate the depth and darkness of winter at solstice in December, but I think we really need this boost in February. For some of us, especially those with roots in other climates, it is hard to keep our spirits up through the entire length of a New England winter. Days are lengthening, but very slowly. And some years it seems there will be no end to the bitter winds and dead batteries.

This winter has brought additional suffering. As storm after storm passes, the tranquility of one's apartment is not so comforting as in other years. Many of us stand to lose our long-term homes to market rents when the grace period in Cambridge ends. Worse, 270 Cambridge households and many in Boston and Brookline have already had to face this crisis. It is hard to take in the idea of people we know living on the street, especially when state and federal governments are backing out of their commitments. (Let's not even consider global warming, new infectious diseases, the vanishing ozone or rising racism, anti-immigrant feeling, and general free-floating violence and meanness.) For those of us who are lifelong activists, the grim picture is clearer than ever: the rich are getting richer and the poor, very visibly poorer. Anyone who does not feel an extra-ordinary heaviness of heart in the depths of this winter is not facing the situation.

If this doesn't look like the traditional Herb of the Month column, please bear with me. March, April, and May columns will again focus on the healing properties of specific plants. For February, with Valentine's Day in mind, my editor asked me to write about herbs that are good for the heart. She gave me wide latitude. I could focus on the physical heart or the romantic heart-on cardiac allies or love medicines. I agreed, but as the time to write drew near, I realized that I could not honestly cover either of these. Yes, I could summarize dry (and, to me, dubious) information on herbs for the physical heart or I could recapitulate the commentary on Valentine's Day herbs of my predecessor, Wendy Dennis. But I couldn't add a thing to what Wendy wrote, and none of this would come from my own experience. My "heart wasn't in it," as the saying goes. As you know from my other columns, I don't believe in derivative research about herbs, and I felt sick and demoralized even contemplating it. A friend trying to cheer me up suggested I cover marijuana, but that idea depressed me even more. One of these days, it was bound to happen-an assignment I couldn't handle-the dreaded "writer's block."

Then I realized, with joy, that "heart" has another dimension, a broader, deeper meaning about which I do have a lot to say. "Heart" is not simply the two-sided red shape we attach to spring romances or the beautiful four-chambered muscle we see in an echo-cardiogram. Combining and extending these meanings, heart means energetic, loving outreach and engagement with the world-metta or lovingkindness for Buddhists, agape for Christians, "soul" for civil rights activists, "heart-energy" for new agers. It is not an abstract concept but includes a very real steadiness and cheerfulness that enable us to keep active in the gloom of disastrous times, "to keep on keepin' on."

And, yes, I really believe that herbs can help us cultivate "heart" (or I wouldn't be writing these columns). Green is the color associated with the "heart chakra," the energy center some say generates love, not only for another person but for humanity in general. Other esoteric traditions say green is the color of healing, and this jibes with common sense. After all, green herbs do give us vitamins, minerals and lots of unnamable other energies. And-for me at least-a herbal boost is just enough to turn my mood around and reactivate my sense that "yes, things are hard, but there's lots we can be doing about it." If you are feeling a loss of "heart" or, better yet, if you want to fortify yourself in advance of a down time-midwinter or otherwise-look to green herbs.

We're very lucky to have them in our fresh produce section. I'm recommending a massive purchase of fresh parsley, cilantro, green onions, and any others that speak to you. Incorporate these immediately into your diet with as little cooking as possible. Salads are obvious, but hot food is more appealing this time of year. Chop whole cupfuls to stir into steaming rice or vegetables, so they cook only a second or two in the steam. (Fine chopping helps disperse the flavor and aroma and makes the herb more digestible.) Add mounds of them at the very last minute to soups, even instant or packaged soups. And if you're able to make your own soups, add larger-than-usual amounts of dried herbs (and dark green leafy vegetables like Kale) to simmer throughout the process. If you've been using pre-packaged basil, marjoram, sage, and the like, now is the time to try using larger quantities of them from the bulk herb section. (They are usually fresher, tastier, and cheaper.)

Here are two recipes that help me enjoy the benefits of green herbs. Both give maximum oomph when prepared just before serving, but both will keep in the refrigerator for about a week. The first I ad-libbed as a booster between snowstorms. The second I've been using for years with rice and curries and even barbecues.

Parsley Forte

A thick, garlicky sauce (a little like pesto) to add in large quantities to stews, soups, or steamed rice, veggies or potatoes. (Excellent in clear fish soups.)

1 1/2 cups fresh parsley (Italian or regular), chopped

5-10 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped.

Salt, black or red pepper, and olive oil to taste

Put chopped herbs and garlic in a mortar and pound with a pestle until the two substances blend into one green mass. For me, the ridged sides of the Japanese suribachi (bowl used to make sesame salt and other condiments) work perfectly,. A blender would work too but takes much more time to clean afterwards. Add salt and pepper to taste and mix in a little olive oil to make a thick pasty, goopy sauce. Add as you serve, or place on table for guests to add their own "heart" to steaming hot food.

Fresh Green Chutney

A daily staple in parts of India. Tastes so good it makes plain rice (brown or white) feel like a full meal. Combines green herbs with the healthy zip of lemon, ginger, and hot chilis.

1 cup chopped fresh mint leaves (or cilantro/coriander, parsley or a mix)

1/2 cup chopped scallions including green tops

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger

1/2-2 chopped fresh hot green chili peppers (to taste)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 lemon

Place chopped ingredients and salt in blender. Squeeze lemon juice over it , and blend to a fine paste. Some recipes add a touch of honey or sugar. Serve as a condiment.

Try megadosing on green herbs for a week (plus some fresh air, stretching, and exercise), and see if you don't begin to feel the "heart" returning to your life. I hope you will feel empowered to face the pain on our streets, to visualize the even greater suffering in poorer countries like Haiti (and those that are our supposed enemies like Iraq and Cuba) and to take some form of action addressing the common causes of these problems. I wish you good energy to keep on calling our congresspeople, writing letters, going to meetings, and generally cheering up and encouraging your comrades and colleagues. Turning gloom to active compassion generates energy in itself. Real creativity begins to flow, and with this spirit, we'll find ways to really change things.

References: Wendy Dennis, Through the Seasons; A Collection of Herb Columns (in our book section); The Cambridge Eviction Free Zone, 11 Inman St., 868-2900.

Louise Dunlap teaches yoga and writing, and is working on a book called Writing for Social Change.