Lamiaceae (Mint Family)
FEBRUARY INGREDIENT: LAMIACEAE (MINT FAMILY)
includes sages, chia, lavender, mint
If the Joshua Tree is a visual symbol of the Mojave, then salvias and other members of the mint family are the spiritual essence of this desert. The aromatic, cleansing herbs we find out here are often unique to this region, and are representative of the healing qualities that emerge after spending time in the vast shrine of arid wilderness. Eerily quiet and simultaneously exposing, the desert neccessitates self-reflection and brutal honesty. The pungent, but comfortingly clean sips of a tea made with various sages and lavenders can be systematically grounding. Think about ways to awaken your senses, but calm your nerves in these last few weeks of winter.
Our February dinner focuses on any plant from the lamiaceae (mint) family, which includes chia, desert sages, mint, and lavender. Take this invitation to reflect and look closer at what may be beginning to bloom, or to acknowledge the difficult work that has just been finished. We’re on the cusp of spring, so savor these final moments of darkness with a few healing herbs in hand. —Sarah Witt
For more information on HDTK, as well as helpful tips on where lamiaceae grows and it’s many uses, check out Sarah’s website.
Monday, February 20th at 7pm
Copper Mountain Mesa Community Center
65336 Winters Road, Joshua Tree, CA
From September 2016 to July 2018 Sarah Witt organized High Desert Test Kitchen (HDTK), a monthly dinner gathering at the Copper Mountain Mesa Community Center in North Joshua Tree. Each month a different ingredient was featured with the challenge of incorporating local desert roots, fruits, insects, or a handful of twigs into a culinary repertoire. Participants would bring a dish to share, gathering together to discuss where the ingredients were sourced, the manner in which they were processed, and to consider their EQ (or edibility quotient). To read more about these native ingredients visit Sarah’s website.
