The End of Summer Season
While the heat of the season may continues to burn strong if you pay close attention, you can feel the subtle shift in the air, bringing us into late summer.
Late summer energy is all about peak heat, abundant harvest, and preparing the body to move into the season ahead, as the whispers of fall start to arrive.
To learn which herbs I'm keeping on hand for this end-of-summer meets beginning of fall season, keep on reading below.
End of Summer Herbs + Medicinal Recipes
The end of summer is a transitional time where the days are warm and bright, but the air starts to change in preparation for fall. The dryness of summer persists here in California and we head into one of our driest parts of the year before winter rain.
The late summer heat paired with the dryness of fall and the commotion of going back to school can be a tense time, which in my book calls for soothing, moistening, and nervous system softening herbals, and the recipes below offer just that!
🍉 Watermelon, Cucumber, and Mint Salad For Hot Dry Heat
This hydrating salad features mint (a cooling herb) paired with watermelon (a natural source of electrolytes and water) and cucumber (a moistening vegetable full of mucilage) to help cool, hydrate, and moisten the body during hot dry heat. The combination of moistening, cooling, and hydrating botanicals is a such a powerful combo when it comes to balancing the body during this (locally) drying time.
1/2 watermelon, cubed
1-2 cucumbers, peeled and chopped
1 /2 cup fresh chopped mint
1/2 lime, juiced
To Make: Combine and enjoy chilled or room temperature!
🍋 Lavender Lemonade For Nervous Kiddos
Back to school time can be an anxious one for many kiddos, which is I've included this magical elixir in the list. Using high quality fresh or dried lavender is a game changer in this recipe, so be sure to source well! Lavender is a naturally soothing herb used to help ease tension and stress, and paired with lemonade you have a totally kid-friendly version that is tasty on the palate and also calming to the nerves and mind. A delightful after school treat for kiddos (and parents) who need to unwind.
8 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
8 oz lavender simple syrup
Sparkling water
To Make: Combine lemon and lavender syrup, mix well. Add 1/4 cup lav/lemon mixture to a cup and top with sparkling water. Enjoy!
🌿 Chilled Tulsi + Ginger For Seasonal Transition
Even though we are still in Summer, a seasonal transition is underway, which is why I've included a tulsi (an adaptogen and immunomodulator) and ginger (an immune system supporter) tea in my list. This tea can be served hot or cold, but either way, supporting your immune system during seasonal transitions is always a good move. Our bodies naturally crave support during this windows in the year and giving it the support it needs will help our nervous and immune systems move smoothly into fall.
2 tbl tulsi leaves
1 tsp fresh or dried ginger
2 cups of water
To Make: Bring water to a simmer, add ginger and simmer 5 minutes. Turn off heat, add tulsi leaves, cover and let steep 10 minutes. Strain and serve (hot or chilled). Enjoy!
Looking for More Seasonal Recipes Like This?
Herb of the Month Club features seasonal recipes every month! Read more about the club below. This summer we've explored three great botanicals - Tulsi, Chamomile, and Anise Hyssop in Herb of the Month Club, and each month has featured at least 1-2 delicious recipes using the herbs. Want to see what we've been up to? As a special end of summer treat, all of the content from the summer season is still up in the club! Sign-up before the end of summer to get all the lessons (and recipes) we've gone over all season long ✨
Herb of the Month Club
What is Herb of the Month Club 📚
In Herb of the Month Club we tackle learning herbs the old-school way, one-by-one, month-by-month, with a traditional practicing herbalist. Each month we take a deep dive into a different plant and club members get a variety of lessons, tutorials, videos, PDFs, and herbal deep dives throughout the month all about the herb.
This community is already full of vibrant, excited, and passionate herb folk, and I can't wait to watch their journeys unfold.
Memberships for the Herb of the Month Club are ongoing, subscription based, and month-to-month, meaning that members are free to join (or leave) anytime - and with a competitive 2-week free trial period you even get to test it out before committing.
Whether you're just starting to learn about herbs or have been studying them for a while, the East Bay Herbals online community will be ready and waiting for you whenever you're ready to take the plunge 🪄 Click Here To Learn More!
Comments