Borage (Borago officinalis) is a lovely garden plant, with small bright blue flowers and an informal growth habit, reaching a height of 60cm. It is waterwise, easily growing in poor soil in a sunny spot. Although an annual it seeds itself, coming up year after year.

This ancient herb is associated with courage and in medieval times was infused in wine as a tonic to banish melancholy. Even today, an infusion of Borage leaves is nature’s best tonic for stress and stress related problems. The leaves contains vitamin C and are rich in calcium, potassium and mineral salts.

Borage is a cooling, cleansing and refreshing herb with adaptogenic, demulcent, diuretic, expectorant and anti-inflammatory properties. European herbalists use borage tea to restore strength during convalescence. The leaves are used as an adrenal tonic to balance and restore the health of the adrenal glands following periods of stress. It is of particular benefit during recovery from surgery or following steroid treatment. A tea made from the leaves and flowers also promote lactation, relieve fevers, and promote sweating. It will also cure a hangover. The soothing mucilage in borages makes it a beneficial treatment for dry cough, throat irritation, chest colds and bronchitis. Borage tea is also a good remedy for such digestive disturbances as gastritis and irritable bowel syndrome.

A poultice of crushed Borage leaves will relieve insect bites and stings, reduce swelling and bruising and is also helpful for clearing up boils and rashes.

To make an infusion pour one cup of boiling water over a quarter of a cup of bruised fresh leaves. Steep for five minutes and strain. The infusion can also be used as a gargle for sore throats and for tired eyes.

To make a poultice chop fresh borage leaves and stems in sufficient quantity to cover the area being treated. Cover with a strip of cotton gauze to hold the poultice in place. The poultice is soothing and healing to skin inflammations, though the prickly hairs may be irritating.

No known side effects have been reported when borage preparations are taken internally in appropriate forms and in therapeutic dosages. External contact with fresh borage leaves may cause skin rashes in sensitive persons.

No interactions between borage and standard pharmaceutical preparations have been reported.

Borage, egg, yeast and almond oil pack For dry skin

Beat together 1 egg yolk, 10 ml of almond oil and 7g. of fresh yeast, or use dried yeast mixed with a little warm water to make a paste. Add 15 ml of strong borage infusion, made by pouring 250 ml of boiling water on to 45 ml of crushed or chopped leaves. Smooth the mixture on to the skin and leave for 10 minutes. Wash it off with warm water, pat dry and apply moisturiser.

Borage is traditionally grown in cottage gardens, both as a culinary herb and because bees loves the flowers, yielding an excellent honey. It is a good companion plant and mulch for most plants, being an excellent source of minerals, especially calcium and potassium. In particular , borage and strawberries help each other and strawberry farmers always set a few plants in their beds to enhance the fruits flavour and yield. Borage is also a good companion for tomatoes – both seem to improve in growth and disease resistance when planted near each other.

The decorative flowers can be added to salads, punches and desserts. The leaves have a light cucumber taste. Cook like spinach or add to spinach, add to bean and pea soups, use with fish or make Borage fritters by dipping the leaves in batter and frying until crisp. Add shredded leaves to salad or mix with cream cheese and gherkins for a dip or sandwich filling.

Makes about 2 litre
125ml brandy
30ml castor sugar
750ml bottle dry white wine
125ml orange juice
250ml crushed ice
750ml bottle pink champagne
250ml lemonade
250ml ginger ale
45ml chopped fresh borage leaves

1. Blend brandy, sugar, wine, juice and ice until combined.
2. Combine champagne, lemonade, ginger ale, borage and wine mixture in large bowl just before serving.
3. Decorate with borage flowers.

Half fill ice block trays with cold water and freeze solid. Remove from freezer and tip out the half blocks. Put a borage flower into each division, replace the half blocks and top them up with water. The flower is then trapped between the water and the ice. When the tray is returned to the freezer the borage flower will be set in the middle of the ice block. Otherwise the flowers tend to float to the top.

¼ cup of lemon juice
2-3 tablespoons of sugar
3-4 medium-sized borage leaves
2 cups water
Put all ingredients in a blender and blend for approximately 30 seconds. Strain into a tall glass, and garnish with borage flowers.

2 or 3 borage leaves
250ml dry vermouth
450ml orange juice
450ml soda water
450ml ginger ale
1 lemon thinly sliced
1 punnet small strawberries
Lightly crush borage with mortar and pestle. Place in a large punch bowl and add all other ingredients, except strawberries; chill. Clean and prepare strawberries and float in a punch bowl just before serving.

Pick the borage flowers, each with a small stem, when they are quite dry. Paint each one with lightly beaten egg white, using a watercolour paintbrush. Dust them lightly with castor sugar and set to dry on waxed paper in a warm place like an airing cupboard or in a very cool oven.

Make a mixture of fruit eg. Passionfruit, kiwi fruit, pineapple, selection of berries, paw paw, melon, water melon. Combine fruit in a large bowl. Add lime syrup, toss gently to combine, cover, refrigerate for several hours, even overnight.

125 ml lime juice
125 ml sugar
45 ml chopped fresh borage leaves

1. Combine juice and sugar in small saucepan, stir over heat without boiling, until sugar has dissolved.
2. Bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer, uncovered without stirring for 5 minutes, cool.
3. Stir in borage.

Add flowers to herbal vinegar as a dye and for a slight cucumber flavour.

A great spread with cream cheese and crackers.

6 cups of borage leaves and flowers parts soaked in a 4 cups of cold water overnight
drain
4 cups of borage infused water
4 ½ cups of sugar
1 tablespoon lemon
1 pack commercial pectin
a pinch of salt and red pepper

Cook according to commercial pectin direction.

¾ cup sour cream
1/4 tsp. Course black pepper
1 tsp. White sugar
1 tblsp. Rice wine vinegar
1 tsp. Fresh chopped dill
1/8 tsp. Fresh grated lemon peel
1/4 tsp. Finely grated red onion
salt
1 english cucumber
3 garden fresh red tomatoes
10 borage flowers
Combine all the ingredients except for the tomatoes and flowers. Slice tomatoes and arrange them, overlapping, around the edge of a serving platter. Mound the cucumber mixture in the center of the platter, just covering the inner edge of the tomatoes. Chill well, and place the borage flowers decoratively on the salad just before serving.
Serves 4 to 6

Adapted from a 16^th century French translation of a book originally written in Latin in 1474.

2 heads lettuce
1 handful young, tender borage leaves
1 handful chopped fresh mint leaves
1 handful fresh lemon-balm leaves
1 handful tender fennel shoots and flowers
1 handful fresh chervil leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon oregano or marjoram flowers and leaves
salt
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons wine vinegar

Wash the lettuce and herbs well, dry them and place them in a large dish. Sprinkle with salt, add the oil and finally the vinegar. Let the salad stand a while before serving. Eat the salad heartily, crunching and chewing well.
To serve 6

3 large cucumbers
½ pint sour cream
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
½ teaspoon celery seed
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup fresh, young borage leaves (chopped finely)

Slice the cucumbers thinly. Salt lightly and set aside in a colander for 30 minutes, then rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Mix the remaining ingredients, add the cucumbers to the mixture, and toss lightly. Garnish with borage blossoms. Chill for one hour before serving.

Serve with fish salads, fried seafoods and green salads

1 cucumber
2 shallots
5 ml soy sauce
salt and pepper
10 ml lemon juice
5 ml orange or lemon rind
5 ml made mustard
a dash of cayenne
20 ml chopped borage leaves
125 ml mayonnaise

1. Grate the cucumber and shallots.
2. Add all other ingredients and blend in electric blender.
3. Makes ± 375 ml

3 cup mixed herbs (parsley, chives, chervil, borage, dill, spinach greens, watercress, tarragon, basil, pimpernel)
1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
2 small onions, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons cream
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
¾ cup low-fat cottage cheese (pressed through a fine sieve in order to smooth curds)
ground white pepper
small pinch of sugar
1 to 2 eggs, hardboiled and coarsely chopped

Choose all or merely a selection of the herbs and greens mentioned in the list of ingredients (using the tarragon more sparingly than the others). Wash them thoroughly and drain on paper towels. Coarsely chop the greens; loosely packed, they should amount to about 3 cups altogether. Take 2 cups of the greens, combine with the sour cream or yogurt and the onions, and puree in the blender or processor; add a few tablespoons of cream if it doesn’t seem to be fluid enough. The rest of the greens should just be finely chopped and stirred in a mixing bowl with the puree in order to give the sauce a little bite. Stir in as much mayonnaise and low-fat cottage cheese as it takes to produce a smooth, creamy sauce.
Season with salt, pepper, and a very little sugar. The hardboiled eggs can either be mixed in with the sauce or strewn over it as a garnish.
Makes 2 to 3 cups

Add one tablespoon young freshly chopped leaves to every 4 cups beet, cabbage, green pea or spinach soup

Acquacotta literally means cooked water. It is generally serves as a one coarse meal and in the past was eaten by shepherds and stockmen. There are as many versions as there are cooks.

A loaf of day-old Italian bread
1 cup potatoes, peeled and cubed
500 g ripe tomatoes, chopped (and peeled, if you like)
500 g spinach washed and coarsely chopped
500 g vegetables such as peas, beans, bell peppers or whatever else is in season
Bouquet garni of minced borage, marjoram, thyme, parsley
125 ml Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Fill a fairly large pot ¾ full of water and add the vegetables and herbs. Season with a little salt and cook for about 40 minutes. When the vegetables have finished cooking, cut the bread into thick slices. Dip each in the pot, let it drain, and put it in a bowl. Spoon some vegetables and a bit of the vegetable broth over the slices, drizzle some olive oil over them, and serve them with freshly ground pepper.

Borage flowers which made an attractive edible garnish may be added to any green or fruit salad to taste. Young finely chopped borage leaves may be added to any green salad, but do not add too much because of their hairy texture. Add to beans, green peas and spinach.

Wash young borage leaves and remove stalks. Chop finely and cook in a little butter in a covered saucepan over a very low heat. Season to taste. The dampness of the washed leaves should be enough to keep them from sticking to the bottom; they should soon be tender and their hairy texture disappears when cooking.
Try to combine the borage leaves with cabbage or spinach using about one-third borage leaves to two-thirds cabbage or spinach and cooking in the same way.

250 ml flour
8 ml baking powder
salt
125 ml milk
1 beaten egg
125 ml – 250 ml cooked, chopped borage leaves
15 ml grated onion
oil or butter to fry

1. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a basin.
2. Make a well in the centre and stir in combined milk and egg to make a stiff batter.
3. Add chopped, cooked borage leaves and grated onion.
4. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the mixture in tablespoons, turning to brown both sides.
5. Drain on brown paper and eat hot with mashed potatoes and grilled tomatoes.