Upcoming Community Classes
Herb of the Month Series: Lemon Balm!
May 26th, 4-5:30pm
Somerville Community Growing Center
Free or optional donation
No registration required
Lemon balm is out already! You may have smelled it as you brushed past the dead stalks or seen some growth peeking up in a neighbor’s garden. Come learn what makes it such a delightful friend.
May Medicinal Plant Walk
May 29th, 5:30-6:30pm
Somerville Community Growing Center
Free or optional donation
No registration required
Join us for the second plant walk in a monthly series, which will be held at various locations including the Somerville Community Growing Center and local libraries.
Taste the Molecular Rainbow: What Color and Flavor Tell Us About Chemistry
June 2nd, 11am-12:30pm
Herbstalk @ the Armory Tickets required
Why do all alliums have that strong garlicky smell? How do I know if the dried herbs I’ve had in my cabinet for five years are still good? In this class you will begin to practice using your senses to teach you about the chemical constituents in your foods and medicine. We will discuss the primary atoms that make up plant molecules, and some common forms that they take. You will get to see, smell, and taste different preparations of the same herbs to learn the flavors and mouthfeel of specific molecules, and to learn which preparations extract which constituents. Bring your favorite mug and a pen and come join me where experiential and scientific knowledge meet!
Demystifying Tea Blending - SOLD OUT
May 19th, 6:30-8pm
Cambridge Naturals
$5-$40 sliding scale
Registration required
Move beyond tea bags and learn how to make a delicious, medicinal, loose-leaf herbal tea blend! In this class, we will discuss a handful of common herbs for tea: their uses, flavors, energies, and what they add to a blend. We will smell and taste each of the herbs, learning how the flavors blend and complement each other.
We will discuss different considerations for the process of making tea including infusing versus boiling, temperature of the water, and length of time infused.
Part information and science, part sensory exploration, this class will be as playful as it is educational!
All attendees will receive a 15% off coupon to Cambridge Naturals
Past classes:
Medicine on the Seder Plate: Parlsey, Lettuce, Horseradish, and More!
April 7th 1-2:30pm, Abundance Farm
April 14th 1-2:30pm, Kavod Boston
Bitter herbs, spring greens – these plants contain nutrients and flavors that are essential to our springtime bodies. In this class, we will explore the physiological wisdom in the plants we hold sacred. We will delve into the bitter flavor, as we discuss why neither horseradish nor lettuce – the foods often included as “bitter herbs” on the seder plate – are particularly bitter. We will learn about the vital importance of the bitter flavor for the functioning of our body systems, as well as the uses of the other flavors in these plants.
We will discuss how our body’s needs correspond with the seasons of the year, and how these differ by climate. What does your body crave in springtime, and how is (or isn’t) that reflected in our Jewish traditions? We will taste the plants on the seder plate and learn how these tastes interact with our bodies.
Join us for an herbal exploration into the plants of the seder plate!
Supported in part by a grant from the Harold Grinspoon Foundation.
Herbal Tincture-Making Workshop
March 28th, 6-8pm, Union Square Culture House
Learn how to make an alcoholic herbal extract! Infusing herbs in alcohol is a great way to preserve them so that you have them readily on hand. And they last for years!
This workshop will teach the aspiring herbalist everything you need to know to make a high-quality tincture. We will go over each step of the process including sourcing herbs and alcohol, measuring the appropriate ratios, macerating the tincture, straining, and finally using your tincture.
Each participant will leave with a jar of herbal tincture and a cheesecloth to strain their tincture at home.
Herb of the Month Series
May 28, June 4, July 9 2023, 4-5:30pm, Somerville Community Growing Center
Come spend the afternoon getting deeply acquainted with one medicinal plant each month! We’ll spend time getting to know each plant through drawing, taste, science, and stories of herbalists’ experience. Bring your journal and leave with an in-depth account of botany, history, clinical use, safety, preparation and dosage, and much much more.
Come each month to build your materia medica or just once to meet a new plant friend!
Taste the Molecular Rainbow: What Color and Flavor Tell Us About Chemistry
September 10 2023, 4-5:30pm, Somerville Community Growing Center
Why do all alliums have that strong garlicky smell? How do I know if the dried herbs I’ve had in my cabinet for five years are still good? In this class you will begin to practice using your senses to teach you about the chemical constituents in your foods and medicine. We will discuss the primary atoms that make up plant molecules, and some common forms that they take. You will get to see, smell, and taste different preparations of the same herbs to learn the flavors and mouthfeel of specific molecules, and to learn which preparations extract which constituents. Bring your favorite mug and a pen and come join me where experiential and scientific knowledge meet!