I finally realized that even though I spend a lot of time raving on about the wonders of kombucha I haven’t posted a basic description for how to make it. Every ten days I follow this routine which provides me and my man with tasty kombucha tea while the next batch ferments on the countertop. Halve the recipe if you are the only one drinking the kombucha tea.

• 6 liters (quarts) water
• 8 bags strong black tea
• 2 c sugar
• kombucha mushroom (SCOBY)
• 3/4 – 1 c kombucha tea

Method
Bring the water to a boil, add the sugar and dissolve. I often like to use unrefined palm sugar or raw cane sugar instead of refined sugar, but this gives the kombucha a different sort of flavor, the refined sugar is meant to be the best to use for kombucha and gives it a light and crisp flavor. I just don’t like using Rogers sugar as I heard they were using GM sugar beets. Add the tea bags and cover the pot (I use a stainless steel stock pot). Let this steep well and cool to at least room temperature.

Mormor’s Nypon Soppa

This dish is a favorite in Sweden and contains high amounts of vitamin C. Rose hips also contain many other health enhancing properties. This recipe comes down to me from my mother’s mother (Mormor) who was Swedish. I have altered it slightly for the GAPS or SCD diets.

• ½ pound (230g) nypon (dog rose hips),
• 1 cup raisins,
• 1 Tablespoon almond butter
• Almonds
• Honey to taste
• Cinnamon bark
• Lemon, juice and rind

Method:
Cook nypon (rose hips) fresh or dried in 4 liters of water for about 2 hours. Stir often and when cooked press through a fine sieve. Add raisins, cinnamon and lemon. Cook 15 minutes. Thicken with potato flour. Add almonds cut in shreds. Add sugar to taste. Serve with whipped cream and macaroons, warm or cold.

This recipe is part of the Hearth and Soul Bloghop.

Variations on this recipe have been around for a while. Basically, keep the temperature of the infusion low. Keep an eye on your butter to make sure it doesn’t boil. If it gets too hot, add an ice cube or cold water to cool it down. Stir it every so often to make sure it isn’t burning.

Use organic butter for your medical marijuana cannabutter as agro-chemicals become concentrated in industrial farmed dairy products. Amounts are variable depending on the quality and quantity of your ingredients, but these are the ratios that are commonly used:

• 1 pound butter
• 2-4 c water
• 1 oz medical marijuana leaf, fine ground

There are a variety of methods for making this oil and various lengths of time suggested for the infusion process. My favourite is using a crock pot on low for around 24 hours. Many people only infuse the oil for 40 minutes to 3 hours and are happy with the results, but I like the longer process for maximum extraction.

Various fats or oils can be used. Do not use highly processed refined vegetable oils such as canola, soy or corn as these oils damage the body and are not helpful when your health is compromised. Do not use cold-pressed oils such as sunflower or flax-seed because heating causes them to oxidize.

Extra virgin olive oil is a good option. Coconut or palm oil are excellent as they are easy to digest, full of immune boosters and anti-oxidants among other things–they are very healing oils in general. Organic sesame, peanut and hemp oils are also good alternatives, but be aware that they have their own flavours which can be incorporated into your dishes very nicely as well. Oils can also be mixed–a peanut-coconut combination might be nice for brownies, for example.

Amounts are not precise and the strength will vary depending on the quality of your ingredients. Here is a general guideline:

• 1 litre or quart of oil or fat
• 1 oz of medical marijuana leaf

Method:
Grind up the medical marijuana in a spice or coffee grinder until very fine. Put into a crock pot. Pour over oil until covered and heat on low for about 24 hours. The oil will smell up the house, so you may want to put it in a back room.

Strain the oil through a cheesecloth and wring out as much of the oil as you can. You can also cook up oatmeal raisin cookies with the leftover mass.

The oil will keep quite well and can be used in cooking either for meat dishes such as curry or pasta or for baked items such as cakes and brownies. It can also be mixed into a salad dressing.

This is an amazingly simple recipe and results in a delicious, high-quality white vinegar with the flavors of the honey you have chosen to use. Try basswood or buckwheat honey for a darker, richer vinegar. Use raspberry honey for a lighter fruitier vinegar.

• 8:1 Water : Honey
• Eight parts water to one part honey
• Wild yeast

Method:
Place in a crock. Cover the crock with cheesecloth and leave to sit in a warm place for about one month or until the fermentation has died down. Pour off the liquid and leave the yeasty residue behind. Bottle and seal. Will keep indefinitely.

Uses:
Vinegar has been used medicinally for years. Apple cider vinegar is a famous home remedy for digestive complaints. Vinegar was traditionaly used as face and hair washes for glowing faces and glistening hair. Raw honey vinegar can be used medicinally in the same ways that apple cider vinegar is used.

• 1 pound beets
• honey
• 1 inch ginger root
• almonds or hazelnuts, sliced

Method:
Wash, peel and cut beets into ½ inch slices. Cook and drain.
Add one cup of honey for each cup of beets and cook until thick.

Flavor with ginger root and serve cold with nuts.

Green Shchi a summer soup in Russia, packed full of vitamins and nutrients.

• 1 pound sorrel
• 1 ½ T butter
• 1 pound spinach
• 6 c stock
• 1 T flour
• ½ c sour cream
• salt and pepper

Method:
Pick over and wash sorrel, shake off water; chop fine. Saute in ½ T butter. Mash through colander.

Wash spinach thoroughly. Cook in boiling salted water. Drain. Mash through colander. Combine with sorrel and dilute with stock.

Cream butter with flour. Add ½ c boiling stock. Add mixture to soup; bring to boil. Good served cold.

Just before serving, blend in ½ c sour cream. Serve with dry toast.

I found this handwritten recipe in one of the many second hand community cook-books I search through for old-fashioned traditional recipes.

• Whole oranges
• Whole cloves
• Powdered orris root
• Ground cinnamon

Method:
Select firm oranges. Stick cloves into orange skin, until rind is all covered. Roll orange in equal parts orris and cinnamon. Pat in as much powder as orange will take.

I often keep a little pot of simmering herbs on the back of the stove making a flavorful medicinal tea, the herbs and spices vary depending on the season and other conditions. Suggestions for basic simmering herbs and spices:

• pau d’arco (immune booster and anti-viral)
• rooibus red tea (anti-oxidants)
• cinnamon stick (blood-sugar regulator, circulation)
• cloves (circulation)
• cardamon
• ginger (circulation, anti-nausea, heating)
• 1 peppercorn (enhances the other spices actions)
• tiny pinch of chili (enhances the other spices actions)

This is really easy to make and handy to have in the kitchen. A mainstay in Burmese kitchens it results in two great additions for salads. Crispy golden fried garlic and garlic-turmeric infused oil.

Method:
Peel and slice thinly as much garlic as you would like to have available. I suggest 2 heads of garlic to make the exercise worthwhile.

• Fill a heavy bottomed pan with enough oil to deep fry the garlic.
  
• Add a teaspoon or so of turmeric
• When it starts to sizzle slightly add the garlic
• Stir occasionally and keep an eye on the garlic. It is quite easy to burn at this point
• When it begins to get golden and before it starts turning black, quickly take the garlic out of the oil and drain on paper towels
• Allow to cool and store it in an air-tight jar. This crispy fried garlic will keep indefinitely stored in this manner
• When the oil has cooled store it in a jar in a cool place

Use it for flavoring your hand-tossed Burmese salads!