Did you ever wonder where the term “spring fever” comes
from?
Back in the time when people ate more in tune with the
changing seasons, it was a common practice to enjoy the first green shoots of
wild herbs. Sometimes whole villages
made a joyous pilgrimage to the meadows to harvest spring’s first bounty. When
you think about a winter diet based on stored roots and brined (salted) foods,
a fresh salad after so many months must have seemed a great treat.
However, the cleansing action of those first spring greens
gave us the term “spring fever”. Yes,
those first shoots of spring help the body throw off the accumulated wastes of
a heavier, less-fresh winter diet. It is
common for many people to have mild flu-like symptoms during this natural
spring cleanse. Thus the term “spring
fever”. It is very important to drink
plenty of water and enjoy some physical exercise to support your personal
spring cleaning and minimize the duration of spring fever. Afterwards, you will likely find yourself bursting with new energy.
You can find some of the classic, cleansing spring herbs
like parsley and asparagus at your grocery store. Others, like sorrel, lovage and dandelion
leaf, are tough to find but very easy to grow.
The good news is that sorrel, lovage and dandelion are
perennial herb/veggies that will come back year after year, and they take very
little space in your garden. If you are harvesting dandelion, make sure the plants have not been sprayed. If you have
the room to grow asparagus, I think you will find it far superior (and stronger
in action) than the grocery store variety.
Plants are best started from seed (available from a wide variety of seed
suppliers). Asparagus is started from
root crowns and takes more time, space and preparation than the leafier greens.
Consult a good nurseryperson in your area.
Think about where you plant since all of the herbs mentioned are perennials. Also, be
prepared to weed out errant sorrel plants.
They can be invasive.
You can enjoy your fresh spring herbs raw in a salad,
lightly sautéed and dressed with a little vinegar, or cooked and blended into a
spring green soup. No matter how you
enjoy them, consume in moderation until you know how they affect you.
Yes, those first shoots springing from the ground in spring
can go a long way toward putting a spring in your step.
