California buckwheat chapati
I actually found a few Calfornia buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum) flowers in bloom on the trail to Eagle Rock, in Topanga Canyon State Park, last weekend. This really speaks to the amazing biodiversity of this plant. I’ve been harvesting it since September, and will continue to do so until the rains wash the seeds away. This extremely wide range in harvesting time isn’t as common in cultivated plants, which are designed to perform under a more narrow set of conditions.
When you are 100% certain that you have correctly identified Calfornia buckwheat, you can begin to harvest it. I think the leaf structure is similar to another common plant of the chaparal, chemise (Adenostoma fasciculatum). And although the seed head balls of the buckwheat are distinctly rust colored, the seed head balls of black sage (Salvia mellifera) could be confusing to the beginner. So again, once you are 100% confident of your identification, harvest the seeds and clean out any sticks, twigs, or insects. Place the seeds and chaffe into a coffee grinder, spice grinder, blender, or mortar and pestle. Grind until you have a fine flour. This flour does not have gluten, so you will need to mix it with a gluten containing flour if you wish to use it in a similar manner.
I learned to make chapati over an open fire while living in India. If you do not have an open fire, or gas stove in your kitchen, simply skip the open fire method described below and let them cook longer in the pan. Chapati’s are a bit lighter than tortillas, and I’ve found they’re good for the more fibrous consistency of the buckwheat.
California buckwheat chapati
1 c California buckwheat flour
1 c unbleached white flour, or flour of your choice
water
butter
clove of garlic
salt
Mix California buckwheat flour and unbleached white flour in medium-sized bowl. Pour in small amounts of water until you have a pliable dough. Separate dough into 5 separate balls and cover with a hand towel. Take one dough ball out and roll it out onto a well floured flat surface using a rolling pin. Roll as thinly as you can and place into a hot pan (I like to use cast iron) for roughly 10 seconds on each side. Then use tongs to pick up your chapati, move your pan to the side, and place the chapati directly over the open flame until it puffs up. Make sure to fire both sides and watch the air bubbles expand. I like to then brush them with butter, rub them with a garlic clove that has been cut in half, and lightly sprinkle with salt. Serve immediately.
Have fun experimenting!
California Sagebrush Tea
Despite its common name as cowboy cologne, California Sagebrush (Artemisia californica) is used by Native Americans predominantly as a woman’s plant. This evergreen shrub, found in the foothills of California’s coastal sage scrub plant community, is abundant and wonderfully aromatic. Its dried out silver-green leaves are narrow and cluster in bunches. I have really come to crave the flavor of this tea.
Cecilia Garcia, a Chumash healer, and Dr. James Adams, Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Southern California, teamed up to write a recently published book Healing with Medicinal Plants of the West. They say that the tea can be drunk safely, in moderation, and that it will bring back pleasant memories.
Many female friends tell me they have irregular menses. There is a wide body of reports from the scientific community regarding the disruption of women’s menstruation cycles due to pesticides, hormones, and various chemical pollutants found in food. Click here to view research published in the American Journal of Epidemiology on this topic. Follow the recipe below every month, and drink one cup 3 times/day during the 4 days before your period begins.
California Sagebrush Tea
12 cups water
2 Tbsp dried California sagebrush (loosely packed)
Bring water to a boil and remove from heat. Add sagebrush and let steep for at least 4 hours. It’s best to let it steep overnight, strain out the sagebrush, and refrigerate the remaining amount.
The lines between food and medicine are oftentimes blurred. I believe this is why the term Food is Medicine is so universal among cultures. I look forward to using California Sagebrush as a seasoning in roasts and other foods that would compliment its strong flavor.
Cowgirl Face Cream
Who says we have to limit wild food plants to just gastronomique delights? Our skin happens to be our largest organ, and it ‘eats’ and absorbs what we put on it. When I was introduced to California Sagebrush (Artemisia californica) I had to let out a big yeehaw! It is commonly known as cowboy cologne, since it’s said that the cowboys used to rub it all over their bodies before a night out on the town. Well, it’s 2007 and this wanna be cowgirl reckons it’d be alright for the ladies to partake as well.
I have been making my own lotion for some time, not wanting to feed my skin with the colorings/fake scents/preservatives/etc. so often found in today’s skin care products. The following is my favorite face cream recipe, adapted from Rosemary Gladstar’s original. Click here to see her wonderful herbal work at Sage Mountain, or here to order her ‘Herbs for Natural Beauty’ book with the original recipe. Like Rosemary says, smooth it over your body as if you’re anointing yourself with precious balm.
Cowgirl Face Cream
Waters
2/3 cup distilled water
1/3 cup aloe vera gel
Oils
¾ cup apricot, almond, or grapeseed oil
1/3 cup coconut oil, or cocoa butter
½ to 1 oz beeswax
4 Tbsp dried California sagebrush, packed loosely
Use some cheesecloth to tie up the California sagebrush into a ball. Then drop the ball into a crockpot dedicated to infusing oils, or set up a double boiler on your stovetop (see photo below). Infuse your oils on the lowest heat setting possible for at least 4 hours. If using double boiler method put on lowest setting and cook for ½ hour. Turn off the heat and let stand, reheating when you are ready for the next step.
The next step is to take out your cheesecloth ball of California sagebrush. Sqeeze out all of the oil being held inside and add your beeswax. Oftentimes you will not get an already measured piece of beeswax, but they will have written how many ounces you have on the front of the bag. Heat a knife over your stovetop and use its heat to help cut the beeswax into one ounce pieces. You will then be ready to place your 1-ounce of beeswax into the infused oil (and if you cut the whole chunk into 1-ounce pieces you’ll be ready for the next time you make face cream).
While the beeswax is melting over low heat, in either your crockpot or double boiler, mix your waters. Set the waters aside for later. Once your beeswax is melted into your infused oils, pour them into a blender. Let cool until they become creamy looking (you can speed this process by putting the blender in a cool area). Once it becomes a cool semisolid, turn on your blender at its highest speed and SLOWLY drizzle the room temperature waters into the oils. The key to this emulsion is to pour the waters into the oils, not the other way around. Blend just until it looks like frosting, but don’t over beat…it will thicken as it sets. Pour into cool sterilized glass jars and keep away from heat.
To the Cowgirl in us all!
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Buckwheat Buzz
More than anyone, California Buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum) welcomed me to Topanga Canyon. I remember one of my first drives down to the beach, trying to pay attention to the S-curves, but not being able to keep my eyes off this plant that was hanging off the cliffs. Although I was zapped back into the reality of oncoming traffic, I had started to hear its song. Not like a rendition of ‘The Hills are Alive With the Sound of Buckwheat’, simply a buzzing thought that wouldn’t go away.
The abundant seeds of this plant have now worked their way to becoming a few of my favorite things. With the ability to produce up to 300 pounds of seeds per acre, and the fact that they also like to hang out in sunny locations, meant we hit it off right away. Found from Marin to central Baja, as well as parts of UT and AZ, you would be wise to know this winter staple.
To harvest bring a paper bag and simply crush the seed balls between your fingers. The seeds and all will fall into your bag below. You can pick out any stems, twigs, or creepy crawlers that may have found their way into your bag. The seeds are so small that I don’t bother separating them from the chaff. Most Americans are severely lacking in fiber anyways, so just look at it as a free dose of anti-colon cancer medicine. Speaking of nutrition, like many other wild plants, there is little nutritional research done on California Buckwheat. That said, with my nutrition background I would guess that these seeds are high in amino acids (protein), minerals (wild foods are almost always higher than their cultivated counterparts in trace minerals) and fiber.
The following recipe has become one of our family favorites. My son is always begging for these pancakes. I try to buy as many things from local producers as possible. These pancakes were made with Calfornia Buckwheat from Sterling’s house, raw milk from Organic Pastures, Topanga Eggs, and topped with butter I made myself from Organic Pastures cream and California buckwheat honey from Jerry Dahlberg.
California Buckwheat Pancakes
1 cup California Buckwheat flour
1 cup unbleached white flour
2 cups buttermilk, kefir, yogurt, or milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Combine first three ingredients and let soak, preferably 12 to 24 hours. Stir in eggs, salt and cinnamon, and thin to desired consistency using milk. Cook on a hot, oiled cast-iron skillet. I like to top with butter and California buckwheat honey or agave nectar.
