For the first two or three hours it's best to prop open the oven door just a crack with the handle of a wooden spoon to allow the moisture to escape. When drying apples, first dissolve one teaspoon of salt in a quarter cup of lemon juice. Dip the apple slices in this solution and they will retain their natural colour after drying. Suggested herbs for your garland or swag would be sage, thyme, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, bay leaves and cinnamon sticks, but you can use whatever is available. Health food stores usually have a reasonable selection of fresh herbs in December. Your garland can be draped across chairs cabinets, cupboards, windows or the fireplace mantelpiece. Add your own creative touches such as small bunches of mistletoe or holly.

Herbal table napkin holders make a fragrant and appealing table decoration. If you live on the West Coast and still have fresh herbs in your garden such as rosemary, sage, thyme, and possibly parsley, just make a small herbal bouquet with them. Fasten it with an elastic band and tie the bouquet to the napkin ring or directly to the napkin with a ribbon in a bow. If your garden is frozen or under snow, check your local health food store or grocery for whatever fresh herbs they have in stock. The herbs must be fresh. Dried herbs will just make a mess on your table.

Gastronomic Over-indulgence

Post-meal digestive aids are worth considering during the season of gastronomic over-indulgence. My personal favourite digestive herb is anise. Due to the presence of the compound anethole, aniseeds are an effective reliever of gas, bloating and indigestion, which is why they are often served after a meal, particularly in Asian restaurants. A small dish of aniseeds on the table makes a thoughtful, decorative, fragrant and useful addition to dinner. Throughout the Mediterranean, anise-based liqeuers like ouzo in Greece, pastis in France, sambuca in Italy and anisette in Spain, are served as after-dinner drinks. However, a cup of anise tea is a refreshing way to cleanse the palate after a heavy meal without the added calories and alcohol of a liqueur. Aniseeds are also customarily given to children to relieve colic and nausea.

The standard ratio for all teas is one teaspoon of herb per cup of water. To make enough for three or four doses, the ratio would be 25 grams of herb to 500 ml of water. For flatulent colic, aniseeds may be combined with equal amounts of fennel and caraway. Children usually like the taste of anise, so getting them to drink some anise tea shouldn't be a problem. For some children, adding a little honey may be a good idea. Sometimes just one cup is enough. If not, one cup every three to four hours until the nausea or colic subsides.

Other favourite digestive herbal teas include peppermint, camomile, lemon balm, angelica, fennel, ginger, marjoram and coriander. Lesser known, but equally effective, digestive herbs include Iceland moss, slippery elm, arrowroot and meadowsweet (especially for acid indigestion).

Asafoetida is known throughout the Middle East and in Indian cuisine as a spice that's beneficial for the digestive system. You won't want to make a tea from this spice because asafoetida is also known as devil's dung on account of its offensive odour. But when a mere pinch is used judiciously, it is sinfully good. Saute it lightly in oil and it develops a pleasant onion or garlic-like aroma. Add a small amount to any vegetarian or non-vegetarian dish (other than dessert!) and it will make a valuable contribution to both the piquancy and digestibility of the meal.

Bruce Burnett operates a herb farm on Pender Island, BC.

Source: alive #218, December 2000