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~ raw, vegan, gluten-free ~
Our local grocery store has a nice line-up in the produce section of fresh organic herbs. I tend to find myself standing in front of them, thumbing through as if they were a deck of cards.
Like a magician, the words… “Pick a card, any card….” run through my mind. This time I picked sage and I have to say that I appreciate the distinctive taste and scent of sage, along with its velvety, evergreen foliage.
With a little “Google investigative work” I dug up some interesting facts about sage. It is an anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiseptic, diuretic and is good for digestive problems, oral health, and memory loss.
I also read that it is good to sip cold sage tea for menopausal problems such as sweating, hot flashes, and headaches. Not that I am menopausal, but I am pretty much guaranteed that life will eventually usher me to it, through it, and hopefully I will come out alive (lol)… so it is good to take note of such things.
Digestive wise sage is a carminative herb, which can be used to treat cramps, wind (gas) and intestinal spasms caused by indigestion and it also promotes bile flow. All hail the mighty sage. :) Dr. Google also mentioned a bunch of stuff about how it improves memory but I don’t remember what. ;) Guess I need more sage in my diet.
To be honest, I really wasn’t that familiar with the taste or exactly how to use it. But I was ready for my new culinary challenge. When I got home from my grocery shopping trip, I put all the grocery bags on the kitchen counter, and then dug through to find my fresh sage. Leaving everything just sitting there, I grabbed a stool and sat down at the island to check out my new (to me) herb. 
The leaves were firm, wide and flat with a furry winter coat on them. Where have I seen this before??? I sat there for a while thinking… pondering… wracking my brain. I brought my attention to our farm, did I see it growing somewhere while I was out for a walk? Remember, I am the girl who tore out rosemary because I thought it was some invasive weed. So one can never be too sure with me.
So, I started looking through my photos… I knew I had seen something like this… then I found it! Close but no carrot. But they look like they could be second cousins to my great grandfather’s x-wife’s brother… don’t ya think? By the way, does anyone know what this plant is? It is growing alongside our driveway.
Yields 63
Cracker base:
Almond milk sludge:
Topping:
AmieSue, your mystery plant is mullein I believe.
Check out these googled images to compare with your photo.
Does your plant have tall spikes of yellow flowers as you see in the googled images?
http://www.google.com/search?q=mullein&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=8t-fVLnEBte1oQTKn4KQCg&ved=0CIcBEIke
Jeannette
By-golly Jeannette, that is it. :) Thanks for the link. They are sure pretty, aren’t they? Great to hear from you. Have a wonderful week. amie sue
I think the plant is lambs ear. Crackers look delicious.
Thank you Megan :)
Mullein
Thanks David. I plan on doing some reading on it now that I know what it is called. amie sue
That soft pale green plant is “Lamb”s Ear”. good for edging in a garden.
Great idea Kathleen. That would be gorgeous actually. So far it is just growing wildly but I could see purposely planting it in just the right spots making it look so lush. It is sooo pretty. Have a great evening, amie sue
Plant looks like mullein to me.
Thanks Cindy… going to look that up :) I hope that you had a great weekend. Blessings, amie sue
The fuzzy plant in the picture is mullein. Fabulous herb for lungs and bronchial conditions. Also good for making tinctures for ear problems. Thanks for the recipe Amy Sue!!!
Your welcome Amy :) and thank you for that info. So fascinating. I really want to learn more about the natural vegetation around me and how it can or can’t be used. Off to research! Blessings, amie sue
My guess as to what that plant is would be lambs ears.
We had some appear in our garden a few years ago. They have a pretty yellow flower stalk.
Hi Nancy,
Did you plant them yourself or did they creep in? :) It’s amazing how tall the flower stalk got, specially from such a low growing plant. Sweet dreams, amie sue
I think the plant is lamb’s ears or lamb’s quarters.They grow like weeds.
So far I am noticing them just along the driveway… they are quite lovely. :) I will do my research on lamb’s ear. Thank you :) amie sue
Thank you Amy for sharing your beautiful recipe and beyond stunning photo’s! I really enjoyed your post as always. The plant you are wondering about is called Lamb’s ear. I am not sure of it’s botanical name though(?) They are now used as ground cover and when they flower the flower grows much like lavender they produce a long stock blossom with pink to purple small flowers. These plants have a lot of unique history and uses from the past.Hope this helps? Stay well.
Thank you Kathy, I appreciate you sharing that with me. :) I just love these plants and they do shoot up a flower in the center…gets really tall then dies. So nice to hear from you. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas. Blessings and hugs, amie sue
If it’s as soft/fuzzy feeling as it looks in your photo, it’s Lamb’s Ear. I never heard of it until I started learning about herb gardening after moving to upstate N.Y. ( decades ago.) It is decorative, not edible, as far as I know.) I was just transfixed by it, and it gave me lots of pleasure seeing it thrive. Living in AZ. now, it probably would not survive our triple digit summer heat. Maybe? Lots of water, bad idea for conservation, and shade. Hey it’s the desert.
I love the fuzzy leaves too Carolyn. They remind me of bunny ears. hehe I never saw them when we were in AZ… though AZ does have its unique vegetation as well. :) Many blessings and have a wonderful week. amie sue
The plant is mullein. Edible. I like to stand at the tall plant, pick the tiny flowers, remove the pencil thin bugs and eat them. Healthy for the lungs. Can be dried and smoked to help expell toxins. I’m sure there is more about this beautiful plant but that is what I know. I’ve also made tinctures with mullein.
Very interesting Kim. Thanks for sharing. :) amie sue
I just made the crackers for the first time. I didn’t gave apricots so I used cherries. They taste delicious gooey. Can’t wait to try them as crackers. I love your recipes. Thanks for sharing.
Oh cherries would be lovely! Perfect flavor combo. :) Thanks for sharing Kim. Many blessings, amie sue