
3 minute read
TUESDAYCLASS
TUESDAYCLASS TASTING GOLD
Pineapple Weed (MATRICARIA DISCOIDEA)
Words and Photos by Lindsay Eberhart I am new here to this place, to the plot of land that the farm sits upon and to familiarize myself with the surrounding environment, I wanted to meet the plants beyond the garden we planted in late spring. I wanted to know the wildflowers that have each taken their turn in bloom and have provided the bees with sweet nectar and a place to rest. I wanted to learn them, and I wanted to know their names. I met Orange Hankweed (Pilosella aurantiaca) from the daisy family, Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca) an herbaceous plant that can be used for heart conditions, and Sulphur Cinquefoil (Potenilla recta) that may be used as a poultice and applied to wounds. I gazed, I sniffed, and gave thanks for their beauty and supply. It was not long until I met Matricaria discoidea, or more commonly known as Pineapple Weed. She grows low to the ground in rocky and compacted soil and is usually found near pathways. Growing in what we call “disturbed” places. I sensed her resilience.
So, I did as I had done before. I gazed, I sniffed, and gave thanks. I saw chamomile and smelt pineapple, so naturally I placed the small green-yellow flower on my tongue. The cone center exploded, and hundreds of petals danced around my mouth. The medicine was palpable. Google was the next stop. I soon came to learn that pineapple weed is sometimes referred to as wild chamomile and used to relieve anxiety and treat insomnia. Additionally, the cone shaped flower heads can aid in soothing the digestive system, lowering stress, improving skin health, reducing fever, and painful menstruation cramps. Most relevant to the land on which it grows here in the Adirondacks, Pineapple Weed may also be used as a very efficient insect repellent. In general, the plant is very versatile, and the medicinal gifts can be received in many different forms, including eating the plant raw, drying for a tea, extracting the oils for a tincture, or in my case, baked into cookies. To begin, set out for your Pineapple Weed patch with a pair of scissors and collect about a half-cup of buds. Pieces of the leafy greens are indeed welcome so don’t worry if you cut slightly below the bud. Then, you place your buds to be chopped on a cutting board to loosen up the cone heads. This is not a fine chop, rather you are opening the flower to release its medicine into the butter. Then place the flowers and 1/2 cup of butter in a saucepan and simmer on low heat for at least three hours. Once your space smells golden, something like flowery butter, you know it is time to begin the baking process. 1¾ cup of flour 1 cup of granulated cane sugar 1/2 cup of butter infused with Pineapple Weed buds 2 eggs ½ teaspoon of vanilla ½ teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream the flowery butter with sugar. Add in the eggs and vanilla. Drop by the teaspoon onto a greased baking sheet. Bake cookies for about 15 minutes, or until the edges turn golden I found that creating this cookie and then sharing with friends was both connective and grounding. It reminded me of how important it is look around, and to be with what is present, even with the weeds growing in the gravel. It is said that the golden heads of Pineapple Weed bring us to gold, and I would say that the gold is the calm awareness of interdependence that rests between humans and the earth. Working together in the kitchen is a special way to explore this relationship. This recipe is inspired by Danielle Prohom Olson, author and creator of Gather Victoria. Through wildcrafting recipes using ancient plants, Gather Victoria celebrates “the old ways” of observing sacred traditions and bringing blessings to ourselves, our communities, and to the Earth.
