O
ften the most innocuous plants in the garden are the most powerful when it comes to their uses. Pot marigold, Calendula offici-
nalis, is one of these. In spite of its common name, it is not to be confused with mari- golds of the species Tagetes. Pot marigold is an annual with a pretty
little, daisy-like flower that blooms and self propagates profusely. Plant it in one corner of the garden and in no time at all, you will have a goodly patch of it to harvest over and over as it continues to reproduce flow- ers as a reward for cutting. It’s a bit rangy and untidy in its growing habits, but it will add brightness to the vegetable patch. The flowers are the only part you a looking to harvest. Pot marigold flowers have been and con-
tinue to be used in many products for their anti-viral, anti-inflammatory and healing virtues. The petals are used to control acne and even the dermatitis caused by radiation in cancer treatment. Pot marigold is also used to treat stomach disorders. Pot mari- gold can be found in toothpaste, shampoo, baby wipes as well as moisturisers, cleansers and toners. The petals are also used as a food colour-
ing agent in products such as butter and margarine, to brighten cheeses, to add in- terest to salads and as a substitue for saffron. The petals have a tangy, peppery taste, but avoid the inner white petals that are quite bitter. Pot marigold flowers are a source of fla- vonoids, carotenoids, vitamin C, proteins and resins, among others. The contained bio-flavonoids are said to reduce the fragil- ity of the capillary blood vessels. `
Pot Marigold the miracle plant
3 sticks celery 2 ½ cups milk ½ cup cream 1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper 1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper 1 tsp white pepper ½ cup cooking wine 12 large cooked shrimp (shelled) Petals of 1 pot marigold flower 1 large fillet whitefish 12 to 18 small scallops 1 medium fillet basa or salmon With stove element set at medium heat,
Ian’s pot marigold fish soup 5 egg yolks
½ tsp Dijon mustard 2 tbsp lemon juice ½ tsp Tabasco 1 tbsp fresh chopped dill 1½ cups butter 2 onions 4 carrots
www.localgardener.net
place ¼ cup of butter in soup pot on stove and let melt. Chop the onion and add to pot; then chop celery and carrots and add to pot, sprinkling the black pepper over the vegetables. Pour in the cooking wine and re- duce. Add 6 cups of boiling water and 1½ cups of milk. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Chop up the fish (but not the shrimp) into
pieces of manageable size, and then place a large frying pan on the stove, add ¼ cup of butter and allow to melt. Add the fish, fla- voured with a little salt and pepper. Once
the fish has cooked on one side turn over and add the remaining cup of milk. When the fish is cooked through, add the fish and milk mixture to the now-simmering pot of vegetable broth. In a blender container, combine the egg
yolks, mustard, lemon juice and Tabasco. Cover and blend for about five seconds. Place the remaining 1¼ cups of butter
in a glass measuring cup and heat butter in the microwave for about one minute, or until completely melted and hot. Set the blender on high speed, and pour the butter into the egg yolk mixture in a thin stream. It should thicken almost imme- diately. Add this to the soup and stir in thoroughly. Now add the shrimp and leave to simmer for about one hour. Add the pot marigold. When serving this soup you can make
it a little more hearty by preparing some mashed potato and, after pouring a serv- ing of soup into a bowl, placing some mashed potato in the centre. To finish, place fresh dill on the potato and lightly dust the top with cayenne pepper. The cayenne gives the soup enough kick to heat you from the inside out. Enjoy.
Foodie 2012 • 23
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