In Issue #15: Spring 2024

Until 10 years ago I lived the majority of my adult life in NYC. Aside from eating out at restaurants, the process of getting food from the outside meant either walking to the local bodega or ordering in from (what my son used to say)…the man.

So now I have learned from Maria how to grow my own herbs to top off any dish—even and especially my breakfast of fresh eggs provided by a neighbor. I have also begun to grow mushrooms myself—indoors! And I understand that with a little help and a hike with Ari and Jenna from The Mushroom Forager, I can gather my own little treasures or shop for them directly from Sole Connection.

Instead of fried calamari from a local Italian restaurant, I can pick dandelions in my own yard and make a batch of flowery nuggets according to The Forager’s Cookbook: Identify & Prepare Edible Weeds & Wild Plants or create a cocktail using daylilies according to The Wildcrafted Cocktail: Make Your Own Foraged Syrups, Bitters, Infusions, and Garnishes.

My grab-and-go burger, street falafel, or cookie have been replaced with products from Vermont Bean Crafters and scrumptious peanut butter brownies from The Hidden Bean Bakeshop. Instead of snacking on a “healthy” bag of fat-free chips and a diet soda from a vending machine, I now intentionally plan my snacks from tips provided by Uri Proft Carlson of Inner Wild Nutrition to maintain my energy.

…and when it comes to a fresh, clean home, I’ve replaced my all-purpose jug of something green with something actually clean and natural—all DIY. Thank you, Carol Berry, for enlightening me. Read Edible Voices and get the dirt on clean.

Through learning about the opportunities provided by the Vermont Center for Integrative Herbalism, I’ll be paying closer attention to how herbs can assist in supporting my health.

Talk about spring cleaning!

Be well!
Marcia Lissak