The season certainly has changed. We went from stifling 90s and lung-choking smoke to cool rain almost overnight. Not much of a transition this year! I felt a bit ripped off by summer, as weeks of heavy smoke curtailed outdoor plans. That’s not entirely new here in North Idaho, but this year hit many of us particularly hard.
Autumn, however, is one of my favorite seasons. While I love the “leaves and flowers” energy of summer, I welcome the softening air, the turning leaves, and the slowing pace of my garden. The plants know it’s time to rest. The larch’s transition from green to golden is one of the many reasons I love living here. Did anyone else notice fewer huckleberries this year? I hope the bears find enough to eat before hibernation.
Now, with rain beginning to fall and doors closing against the chill, it’s officially sweater weather and time to nourish ourselves with rich, seasonal foods.
In the Garden: Raw Dehydrated Kale Chips
I’d like to share my favorite way to utilize and store kale. This method preserves its nutritional value, adds to it, and aligns with my long-standing motto: “Get the medicine to the people in ways they enjoy, so that healing can occur!”
While many focus on protein for muscle function, we also need macro-minerals like magnesium, calcium, manganese, and potassium to support normal nerve and muscle function (magnesium and manganese also help regulate blood glucose). The beauty of kale is that while we harvest it in summer, it also thrives in the cooler autumn weather before the heavy frosts.
Raw Dehydrated Kale Chips
Ingredients
- 5-6 cups of freshly washed kale. Pat dry and tear into chip sized pieces.
- 3/4 cup sesame tahini
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup shoyu or tamari
- 3 Tbsp fresh lemon or lime juice
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic granules
Instructions
- Blend all ingredients except for kale until smooth.
- Pour over kale in a bowl and stir until each piece is well saturated.
- Place in a dehydrator and dry at 115F degrees until crispy and store in glass jars to keep the crisp and preserve the nutrients.
Notes
Tip: Crumble these protein-rich chips over hearty stews just before serving for an instant flavor and nutrition boost. Your loved ones will ask for more!
Substitute any nut butter of choice instead of sesame tahini. Think peanut, almond, cashew, or sunflower seed butters.
In the Wild: Elderberry (Sambucus spp.)
Elderberry is a perennial shrub renowned for its medicinal berries and flowers, making it one of our most effective local herbs for addressing viral infections.
Harvest berries only when fully ripe, without even a hint of green. Green berries and leaves contain sambunigrin, a type of cyanogenic glycoside (CG). Ripe berries do not contain sambunigrin.
Cyanogenic glycosides are amino acid derivatives synthesized by plants as a defense mechanism against microbial infections, and many plant-derived drugs and poisons fall into this category. When edible plant material containing CGs is crushed during processing or consumption, enzymatic hydrolysis can release cyanide. Cyanide prevents oxygen from being released by blood cells. If oxygen cannot reach the mitochondria – the energy factories that produce ATP to power every cell, tissue, and organ in the body – energy production halts.
Thankfully, the body can handle small amounts. Healthy systems detoxify cyanide into less toxic thiocyanate using the mitochondrial enzyme rhodanese, which is then excreted through the kidneys. However, those with kidney disease or immune dysfunction should take extra care when preparing and consuming foods containing CGs.
Elderberry seeds contain another CG called prunasin, but it is only released if the seeds are crushed by heavy mechanical means like industrial grinders. Fresh, whole berries processed gently remain safe. It is unadvisable to purchase commercial elderberry powders, as these products are typically made by grinding whole dried berries, meaning they will contain crushed seeds.
Medicinal Benefits: Rich in healthy anthocyanin and flavonoids, elderberry exhibits strong antiviral activity, particularly against influenza. It supports immune function, reduces sinus and lung inflammation, relieves congestion and aids in expelling metabolic waste. Elderberry also contains shikimic acid (a key constituent used in Tamiflu) and is ideal for the early stages of colds, coughs or flu, especially with chills or productive coughs.
Precautions:
- Autoimmune Conditions: Because elderberry stimulates immune response, those with active autoimmune diseases (like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis) or those taking immunosuppressants should exercise caution.
- Lectins: Historical reports of elderberry toxicity often involved ingesting large amounts of fresh juice made with pressed berries, leaves and stems, where lectins caused severe gastric upset. Lectins in plants resist degradation in the stomach, meaning they don’t break down in the stomach. This causes the digestive system to try and get rid of them as quickly as possible. That doesn’t mean poisoning, that means point the way to the bathroom! Not everyone is as strongly affected by the lectins as others may be. Think about this: plants need protection from predators. They can’t run away or call the police or a doctor, so they devise ways to protect them including bitter tasting polyphenols, poisonous glycosides, prickles and the like. Proper dosing minimizes this risk significantly.
Preserving the Medicine: While minerals in elderberry withstand heat, delicate antioxidants like ascorbic acid and anthocyanins degrade quickly. A 10-minute hot water bath with dried berries can reduce antiviral anthocyanins by 10%, and prolonged boiling destroys even more. To honor the plant’s medicine, I work primarily with fresh, raw elderberries (such as raw tinctures in 100 proof alcohol, elixirs and oxymels) in small doses (1/4–1/2 tsp up to 4 times daily).
For a deeper dive and to learn how to process elderberries, read my article The Truth About Elderberries
Upcoming Workshops:
Join me in person for my 3-Day Autumn Harvest Herbal Intensive in Sandpoint, Sept 18-20. Visit my website to register! I will also offer one-day winter workshops focused on building self-reliance, practical apothecary skills, and seasonal remedies. These workshops will be on the website soon.
