SALAD BURNET

(Poterium sanguisorba)

 

Today is the official beginning of summer – the Summer Solstice – and the beginning of longer days and lots of salads to which salad burnet can be a welcome addition.

Attractive, tasty and easy to grow, salad burnet seems to bridge the gap between summer and winter herbs and should be better known among gardeners. Native to Eurasia and naturalized in parts of eastern North America, salad burnet has been used for over 2000 years. It was very popular in Elizabethan England served floating in a goblet of wine and was also used as an anti-plague tonic along with 20 other herbs dissolved in wine. The Pilgrims brought it to this country and it became a prized herb in Colonial gardens, grown even by Thomas Jefferson as fodder for livestock. The plant’s botanical name Poterium is from the Greek poterion, “drinking cup”, referring to its use in cooling drinks and sanguisorba means “blood absorber” referring to its styptic properties and its reputation as a wound healer. Soldiers fighting in the American Revolution would drink salad burnet tea the night before a battle so that if wounded, the burnet in their system would keep them from bleeding to death.

Salad burnet is a low growing perennial with charming rosettes of lacy fern-like blue-green leaflets with red leaf stalks which is so hardy that in mild climates it will grow into the winter months and come back quickly in spring, following the chives. It has unusual but not at all showy blossoms from May to August – crimson tufts of minute individual flowers that form little balls with female upper flowers with protruding red pistils, below them flowers with male and female parts and finally male flowers at the bottom with long dangling yellow stamens. Although the soil may be poor, salad burnet does require partial to full sun and good drainage. Easily grown from seed, it may also be propagated by division in the spring although mature plants have a long taproot. It also easily re-seeds, so cut spent flowers or use salad burnet for erosion control or to reclaim landfills. The older leaves should also be removed regularly to stimulate production of more tender young leaves. Harvest the young tender leaves year round and use them as soon as possible as salad burnet does not dry well, but you can freeze it or use it in herbal vinegars.

The taste of the leaves reminds of summertime with its tangy, fresh cucumber-like flavor. Tender leaves may be used in salads, dips, butters, tea sandwiches or as a garnish for cold soups and cheeses. Try it sprinkled on cottage cheese, in coleslaw or yogurt. The young leaves can also be cooked as a spring green. In the summertime, add leaves to iced drinks and punches for a decorative look and cooling taste. Externally salad burnet may be used as a skin cleanser in the form of hot or cold infusions which also soothes sunburn or skin troubles such as eczema.

GARDEN TIPS
Salad burnet is a versatile ornamental:
singly as specimen, in a row as edging or border,
or blanket an area as a ground cover
Combines well with grey and golden herbs

SALAD BURNET RECIPES

BURNETT SPREAD
8 oz cream cheese
1/4 c butter
2Tbs chopped chives
1/4 cup chopped salad burnet leaves
          Soften the cream cheese and mix together with butter, and then add the herbs. Spread on crackers or bread for tea sandwiches.

MIXED HERB VINEGAR
          Combine two sprigs each of oregano, salad burnet, thyme, and parsley. Add five to six stems of chives (the blooms are nice too if it's that time of year). Place these in a quart jar and pour the vinegar over the herbs until almost full. Place the lid on and allow to sit for 3-4 weeks. Strain and use on fish and in salad dressings.

BURNETT YOGURT SAUCE
1 ½ c plain nonfat yogurt
1 peeled, seeded, and thinly sliced cucumber
1 c fresh salad burnet leaves
2 tsp ground cumin seeds
1 ½ tsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
          Strain yogurt in a double layer of cheese-cloth for 1 hour. Sprinkle cucumber slices with salt and place in another strainer for 1 hour, then pat dry. Puree all the ingredients, pour into a covered bowl and refrigerate. Serve with grilled fish.

". . . I have given you all things even as the green herbs."
Genesis 9:3