All About Thyme: March 2024

Finding a little more green in your life

March's Special Days: A Potpourri of Celebrations

Herb of the Year for 2024:  Yarrow (Achillea millefolium). Named by the International Herb Association
Flower of the Month for March: Daffodil
March is National Women's History Month

Week 1
March 6. On this day in 1899, aspirin was patented--thanks to willow trees and meadowsweet.
March 7. The birthday of American horticulturist Luther Burbank, born 1849. He developed many new varieties of fruits, vegetables, and flowers. A Burbank favorite: the Shasta daisy.
March 10. Ramadan begins. The ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, Ramadan is observed by Muslims worldwide.

Week 2
March 14. National Pi Day, of course!
March 15. Ides of March (beware!)
March 16. On this day in 1915, absinthe (a liqueur made from the herbs wormwood, anise, and fennel) was banned in France.
March 17. St. Patrick’s Day. The luck o’ the Irish to you!

Week 3
March 23. Today is the birthday (1857) of Fannie Farmer, who wrote the Fannie Farmer Cook Book.
March 25. Waffles of the world, frolic! Today is International Waffle Day!

Week 4
March 30. National Hot Dog Day. Pass the mustard, please. The herbal mustard.

The Many Virtues of Redbuds

I like to pluck a handful of blossoms and toss them over a spring salad . . . . Redbud’s cheery color brightens white desserts like custard or rice pudding: just stir in a handful of blossoms before you set the dish in the oven to bake. And homemade ice cream can be infused with the pastel color and flavor of early redbud blooms.—Susan Tyler Hitchcock, Gather Ye Wild Things

The redbud trees (Cercis canadensis var. texensis) are in bloom this month around the margins of our little Hill Country woodland, their purple flowers a colorful cloud that brightens the darker oaks and elms around them. Green leaves will replace the flowers in another week or two, and by the end of summer the tree will be hung with purple-brown fruits, pods four inches long, flat and leathery. These lovely trees are worth growing for their early spring bloom, at a time of year when most other trees are still thinking about putting out their first leaves. But loveliness is only one of the many virtues of this sturdy little North American native.

The Medicinal Redbud

Dried and powdered, the redbud's inner bark was an important medicine. Indian healers used it to staunch bleeding, ease skin irritations and poison ivy rash, and treat sores and tumors. Bark tea was drunk to treat diarrhea and dysentery and used (like quinine) to reduce malarial fevers and ease joint and muscle pain and headaches. The flowers were also steeped as a tea to prevent scurvy, treat kidney and bladder infections, and ease urinary ailments.

The Culinary Redbud

There are plenty of ways to enjoy the redbud’s spring bounty.

• Sauté the buds, flowers, and tender young pods for 10 minutes in butter and serve as a veggie. Redbuds are a legume, so mix with white beans or soy. Use as a topping for an open mushroom omelet. Or toss the flowers in salads to add tartness and color.

• Make a tangy jelly to give as gifts and enjoy all year.

• Pickle the buds. Cover with a brine of 1 quart cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, 6 cloves, a 2” cinnamon stick, and 1/2 teaspoon each allspice and celery seed. They’ll be ready in about 2 weeks.

The Pliable Redbud

Native Americans have used the supple young sprouts, peeled and stripped, to make baskets, often choosing the white inner bark or the red outer bark as decorative elements. The bark was also used as cordage and coarse twine, and the roots were used in sewing animal skins.

Maidu basket, willow and redbud

Whatever uses you find for the redbud, the special virtue of this little tree is the beauty that comforts our spirits. In these difficult days, that gift may be the most important of all, don't you think?

Your March To-Do List

Celebrate National Women's History Month by discovering who Fannie Farmer was and why she is important. Hint: How would you like to follow a recipe that calls for a piece of butter the size of a duck's egg?

On Pi Day, apple is so . . . well, passé. How about some seal flipper pie? Or clam pie, or shoofly pie or—wait for it—pickle pie. No math quizzes on this Gastro Obscura post, just a buffet of fascinating culinary oddities.

 On the Ides of March, find out what all the fuss is about. Here are some traditional ways to defend yourself—with herbs.

• Hang a bunch of dill over a child's bed to protect against evil fairies.

• If you're concerned about dishonesty, plots, or secrets, place borage leaves or blossoms nearby and listen in. Borage is said to encourage people to tell the truth. Maybe we should adopt it as our national herb?

• Wear angelica to protect yourself against evil spirits (but be aware that it may also keep you from seeing potential opportunities). Brew a borage tea and sprinkle a few drops in the corners of your house.

Take a virtual tour of Luther Burbank's home and gardens in Santa Rosa CA, and find out what Burbank did to create the Shasta daisy. (You knew, of course, that the daisy is an herb) For more on Burbank and his plant breeding business, read Jane Smith's interesting, informative biography, The Garden of Invention: Luther Burbank and the Business of Breeding Plants.

You can't celebrate St. Patrick's Day without Irish coffee. For not-your-average-cup-of-Joe, check this recipe. And don’t forget the shamrock—an interesting example of how an innocent green plant has taken on national political significance.

Ernest Hemingway called his notorious absinthe-and-champagne cocktail “Death in the Afternoon.” But it turns out that absinthe’s very bad rap was the product of a smear campaign by the wine industry, which feared competition from the intoxicating liqueur. Read this fascinating corrective to find out how wormwood got its devilish reputation—and why it’s made a comeback.

 To go with that hot dog on National Hot Dog Day, stir up some easy-peasy horseradish mustard . Or if you've got a little extra time, go gourmet with this start-from-scratch recipe. Either way, spicy and good.

Iftar is the after-sunset meal eaten during Ramadan, breaking the day-long fast. For suggested iftar foods, look here. Often featured: mint, cilantro, and cinnamon and blends like baharat (black pepper, cardamom, cloves, cumin, nutmeg, coriander and paprika) and za'atar (thyme, oregano, marjoram, with sesame, sumac, cumin, coriander).