Summer Kitchen Sadhana with Your Dehydrator

As far as I can tell, summer living foods sadhana has a lot to do with winter. Those of you involved in growing or foraging food are familiar with the ridiculous bounty available right now. I grew up learning about canning, which destroys prana, enzymes, and nutrients. With the dehydrator and small-batch pickling, you can preserve your nutrients for times of scarcity. I’m mostly drying this year… because it’s crazy easy.

Here is my mid-summer kitchen sadhana. I hope it inspires you to MAKE YOUR OWN!

WILD GREEN SUPERFOOD POWDER FOR WINTER (DRY IN SUMMER OR FALL)

De-Stem & Dehydrate at 110 degrees, until crisp:

• 1 lb dandelion leaves
• 1 lb lambs quarter
• 1 lb thistle
• 1 lb nettles
• 1 lb chickweed, or whatever else you have too much of!

Once the leaves are dry you may choose to put them in a coffee grinder or vitamix to make a powder. Store in a dark glass jar in a cool cupboard.

Add a teaspoon of this powder to your smoothies in the winter.

If you want to start harvesting wild greens, my go-to guy is Sergei Boutenko. Learn how to identify lambsquarters in minutes. Michael Pollan, author of In Defense of Food, advocates for Americans to eat more wild plants, and names lambs quarters and purslane “two of the most nutritious plants in the world.” For those who don’t know purslane – it’s a leading source of absorbable omega 3’s. Who knew?

WILD TEA FOR WINTER (DRY IN SUMMER OR FALL)

Drying local leaves, flowers, and berries (or rose hips) in summer & early fall will give you the nutrients to attune your immune system come winter. When you have a dehydrator you can keep your local nutrients accessible all winter long…and it’s free!

Here is what is in my winter tea mix. Dry a big bunch or two of the following:

• Sage (reduces Kapha, mucus, sore throats)
• Rose petals (Calming and smoothing, Pitta-reducing)
• Rose hips (Have a huge amount of vitamin C)
• Garden mints or wild mint (Reduces pitta, adds flavor)
• Nettle (tridoshic, high in iron, and good for just about everything

Once dried, gently crush it to tea-leaf size, and store in a dark jar, or vacuum seal it.

DRIED SOUP MIX FOR WINTER (DRY IN SUMMER OR FALL)

• 1 bunch of chives, chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, chopped
• 1 bunch of turnips, sliced thin
• 1 bunch of carrots, sliced thin
• 1 bunch of basil, lightly chopped
• 1 bunch marjoram
• 1 bunch of wild weeds (chickweed, lambs quarter, dandelion, etc.) chopped

Dehydrate to a crisp. Store in a glass jar or in small ziploc baggies as a single serving size for your winter mug. Add 2 cups of hot water to 3 tbsp. mix and sip on your way down from the ski hill or with lunch at work on a cold day.

Eating from your local ecosystem year-round will attune your immune system.

WHICH DEHYDRATOR?

I prefer the Excalibur 9-tray dehydrator. The big selling point is that it has a fan and a thermometer. Get some Paraflex Sheets to make raw crackers, bread, and fruit roll-ups.

ENJOY! AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DEHYDRATING FOR WINTER IN THE COMMENTS!