| Our summer gardens are officially in full bloom! | | | | and lemon blend beautifully with olive oil for simple, |
| Lettuces and leafy greens have already pushed | | | | tangy dressings. All it takes is one drop of oil per |
| through the spring soil, and now precious tomatoes and | | | | tablespoon of oil, and your salad will be transformed. |
| peppers are beginning to swell with the sweetness of | | | | Love guacamole? Try a few drops of lime oil mixed |
| the sun. Maybe last year you took a chance on | | | | with ripe avocado and serve it with corn chips or |
| cantaloupes, and this year you're trying your hand at | | | | jicama slices. Still munching on this spring's spinach? |
| growing an herb garden that can be dried and used | | | | Mandarin orange essential oil, which smells heavenly, is |
| through the cold winter months. Whatever the | | | | refreshing drizzled on greens. How about beverages? |
| contents of your backyard garden or patio pots, the | | | | Oils add dimension to juices and fizzy waters, too. By |
| bounty of the warm months inspires us all to eat well | | | | mixing grapefruit, mandarin and lime in equal parts, |
| and connect with the earth, the true source of our | | | | seltzer water is transformed into a healthy citrus soda |
| well-being. | | | | without the sugar found in commercial brands. As with |
| For much of the year, our produce is trucked in from | | | | all aromatic oils, though, don't overdo it. Thankfully, a little |
| far-flung farmlands. Once summer arrives, though, | | | | bit of oil goes a long way. |
| everyone gets the opportunity to claim their birthright | | | | Ever thought about those essential oils derived from |
| as gardeners and cultivators of their own food. What's | | | | the bouquet of cooking herbs you've planted in your |
| best, local summer harvests allow us to experiment | | | | garden? Oregano, ginger, thyme, marjoram, bay and |
| with simple, nutritious meals. With very little effort, a | | | | basil are ideal for cooking. If you love basil (and most |
| meal of fresh vegetables and summer fruits can | | | | of us do!) add a few drops of oil to a simple pasta of |
| become a decadent feast. And if your simple cuisine | | | | red pepper, olives and red onion, and your taste buds |
| asks for a hint of the exotic, you can harvest a | | | | will dance. Or maybe you're a stir fry fanatic. Ginger oil, |
| bouquet of flavors from the most unlikely of places: | | | | which is extremely powerful, adds kick to Asian food |
| your aromatherapy medicine chest. | | | | and is great for aiding digestion, too. Ever considered |
| When buying aromatic oils, you should always strive to | | | | trying coffee with cardamom? A single drop of |
| use medicinal-grade oils. These oils come from huge | | | | cardamom turns coffee into a feast for the senses. |
| amounts of plant material, so it's wise to use | | | | Try this blend iced on hot afternoons for a refreshing |
| high-quality oils from reliable sources. Of course we | | | | treat or even after meals. When cooking with these |
| already consider this when we buy aromatherapy | | | | oils, though, remember that an excess of oil could |
| products for use on the skin. However, committing to | | | | potentially make your food inedible because they are |
| therapeutic-grade oils has a secret plus: you can use | | | | so strong. Go easy, and consider tossing the oils in |
| these oils in food as well. If you've never seen your | | | | right at the end of cooking so they don't evaporate |
| aromatherapy collection this way, just remember that | | | | prior to mealtime. |
| smell has more control over our sense of flavor than | | | | Essential oils can also be used when making sweets. |
| even our taste buds! Keeping that little fact in focus, | | | | Vanilla and cacao essential oils infuse foods with their |
| here are some hassle-free ways to use essential oils | | | | distinctly delicious flavors without the addition of refined |
| in your summer cuisine. | | | | sugar. And, different from extracts, essential oils do not |
| First and foremost, let's address the issue of food | | | | contain alcohol, the substance used to distill food |
| safety. Essential oils are, obviously, plant-derived | | | | flavorings out of plant matter. For many, a couple of |
| substances. While you may not want to eat a hunk of | | | | drops of vanilla bean essential oil in a cookie recipe |
| frankincense resin straight from the tree, frankincense | | | | tastes better than the sugary, chemical concoctions |
| is still a naturally occurring substance. It is not poisonous | | | | we find in commercially-made desserts. The same |
| in small quantities, but it may make you want to brush | | | | goes for cacao. Think baking chocolate! Dark, bitter yet |
| your teeth immediately. Many essential oils are | | | | definitely "chocolate." Lucky for us, the chemical |
| expressly dangerous for internal consumption, such as | | | | constituents of chocolate that make us feel happy are |
| wintergreen and birch, but other oils can be used in | | | | best found in the darkest cacao. Toss a couple of |
| small quantities for internal health as well as for | | | | drops of cacao essential oil in your yogurt and |
| cooking. In fact, the FDA has qualified many of the | | | | experience the elation of a chocolate high without the |
| common essential oils as GRAS, Generally | | | | guilt! |
| Recognized as Safe, substances. This means that, | | | | We think of summer cuisine, and its accompanying |
| although they are not categorized as food additives, | | | | picnics and patio parties, year-round. The season's |
| they can be consumed without apparent side-effects. | | | | harvest helps us eat right and participate in the |
| When considering which oils to cook with, this is a | | | | cultivation of our own food, a rare treat for many living |
| good rule of thumb: essential oils of citruses, spices and | | | | in urban environments. Using aromatic oils to add |
| other commonly-eaten foods are probably going to | | | | variety and spice to our diet is easy and often enables |
| make excellent additions to your cuisine. Just be | | | | us to forgo unnecessary trips to the grocery for |
| cautious when using essential oils that are known to | | | | specialty items. This summer, when a friend stops by |
| irritate mucous membranes, such as cinnamon, | | | | unannounced and you're down to rice milk and coffee, |
| oregano and peppermint. | | | | don't despair. Take a drop of grapefruit oil and turn |
| How can essential oils improve your summer harvest? | | | | water and ice into a refreshing citrus drink. After all, |
| Let's first consider one of the gifts of the | | | | that's how it's done in the summertime! |
| Mediterranean region: the citruses. Oils like grapefruit | | | | |