By Kelsey
Passionflower is one plant that I would love to get established on the farm. I have seeded and planted it the last two years, but it has yet to survive the frosty farm winter. This year my goal is to cut it back and mulch it heavily before the first frost. Hopefully that will do the trick! Here is a mini monograph on passionflower~
Passiflora incarnata
Family: Passifloraceae
Distribution: Most native species of Passiflora are found in tropical and subtropical regions of Mexico, Central America, Florida, and South America, plus a couple species in Southeast Asia. It has also become naturalized in places outside of its native locations, such as parts of Europe.
Cultivation: Hardy, but frost tender. Plant in early Spring in partial to full sun. Prefers well-drained, consistently moist soil. It is a fast growing vine that can either be trellised or not.
Parts used: Aerial parts (flower, leaf, and stem) are typically used medicinally. The fruit is edible and delicious, often used in jams and jellies.
Herbal actions: Nervine (having some beneficial effect on the nervous system), mild sedative (having a calming effect on the nervous system), anodyne (pain relieving qualities), hypnotic (inducing/aiding in sleep), antispasmodic (relieving/relaxing muscle spasm & cramping)
Constituents: flavonoids, alkaloids
Indications: Insomnia, especially when due to circular thinking or avoiding going to sleep; muscle cramping or spasms (and any condition that includes those symptoms); whooping cough; drug withdrawal; teething; mania; digestive cramping; heart palpitations caused by stress; hypertension; apathy; anxiety and exhaustion due to overstimulation
Pairs well with: Valerian and hops as a sleep aid, Hawthorn for heart concerns, Jamaican dogwood and crampbark as spasmodic pain relief, Motherwort for menstrual-specific insomnia, skullcap for teeth-grinding during sleep
Cautions and Contraindications: Though generally considered safe, passionflower is a sedative that should not be combined with prescription sleep, pain, or anxiety medications. Passionflower should never be combined with MAOIs.
Personal Reflections: Passionflower is the best sleep aid I have ever tried, as someone with an anxious mind at night. It is very gentle, yet extremely effective, and feels like a comforting lulling to sleep rather than a “knock you out” type feeling. I love to blend the tincture with other nervines such as chamomile, skullcap, Motherwort, and tulsi. I have found that passionflower is better when tinctured fresh than dry, though a tea made with the dry plant works well. I would absolutely love to be able to offer tea blends with passionflower one day, but I think that is a goal for several years down the line!
Upcoming Farm Events: Potluck Friday 4/14 at 5:30 pm
CSA barn hours:
Summer hours: 2:30-6:30 pm (starts the week after daylight savings in March)
Winter: 2:30-6 pm (starts the week after daylight savings in November)
Pick List:
Eggs
Cortland Yellow and Cabernet Red Onions
Rhonda Beets
Joan Rutabaga
Hablange Parsnips
Mars Celeriac
Bora King Daikon Radish
Storage #5 Green Cabbage
Treviso and Rubro (Last week of treviso)
Finale Fennel
Parade Scallions
Mei Qing Choi
Dazzling Blue Kale
Regiment Spinach
Lettuce Mix
Cilantro
Spaghetti Winter Squash and Pie-Pita Pumpkin
Sonora wheat flour and wheat berries
Herbal Tea Blends, Ground Chiles, and Whole Dried Chile peppers (Please bring your own jars!)
Pick your own flowers and herbs
Saltonstall Olive Oil (Please bring your own jars!) - Note there has been a price increase!
Revolution Bread: Fresh bread on Tuesday and Friday (Frozen bread available if we sell out.)
Shepherd's Pie with Rutabaga Topping, from marthastewart.com
1 rib celery, coarsely chopped (or 1 cup celeriac diced)
1 sprig fresh rosemary, plus 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 sprig fresh thyme
2 dried bay leaves
1 clove garlic
1 ½ teaspoons unsalted butter, plus more for rutabagas and potatoes
2 pounds boneless beef chuck or leg of lamb for stew, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 medium onions, chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups dry red wine
1 cup homemade or store-bought low-sodium canned beef stock
4 carrots, cut crosswise into 3-inch pieces
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 rutabagas (about 3 pounds), peeled and cut into large pieces
4 russet or Yukon gold potatoes (about 2 pounds), peeled and cut into large pieces
½ cup hot milk, or more if needed
Tie celery, rosemary sprig, thyme, bay leaves, and garlic in a small piece of cheesecloth to make a bouquet garni; set aside. Heat a wide, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat until hot. Melt butter, and brown meat in two batches, taking care not to crowd the pieces or they will steam and not brown; transfer meat to a bowl using a slotted spoon and set aside. Add onions; cook until slightly softened, about 8 minutes. Return meat to pan and sprinkle flour over the meat and onions, cook about 1 minute, stirring often.
Add wine, and bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen the brown bits. Add the stock and bouquet garni, bring to a boil, cover, and cook on low heat until meat is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove the lid after 1 hour; add carrots, and cook, uncovered, for the last 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Place rutabagas and potatoes in separate saucepans; cover with cold, salted water. Bring to a boil and simmer until tender, 30 to 40 minutes for the rutabagas and 25 minutes for the potatoes. Drain; return to the saucepans to dry out any moisture from the vegetables for a few minutes.
Put the rutabagas and potatoes through a food mill fitted with a fine disk, or ricer, or mash by hand. Add butter, as desired, and enough hot milk to make a creamy puree. Season with salt and pepper; stir in chopped rosemary.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove bouquet garni; transfer stew into a deep 2-quart baking dish. Top with puree; dot lightly with butter. Bake 1 hour, or until top is brown and crusty. Serve hot.