BEAUTIFUL BORAGE

Alessandra provoked my reaction with her notes on borage as a culinary herb, but before I could answer Edward beat me to it with the use of the leaves in Pimms No°1 cup...mmmmmmm good.  If for nothing else, a plant of fresh borage should be grown just for that delicious cooling drink.
 
Try borage ice cubes in the drink too (or in ice tea, lemonaid etc.).  Fill an ice tray with water and put 1 borage flower in each sector.  They freeze well and make a cheerful addition to most cooling drinks.
 
According to Pliny, Dioscorides, Parkinson, Evelyn and others borage drives away sorrow and melancholy and makes a person cheerful.  The plant us breathtakingly beautiful and worth close inspection and a few moments of concentration.
 
A very pleasant and easy way to create a special dish with soft cheese such as caprino (fresh goat cheese), or the soft tomino cheese from the Alps, is to finely slice very fresh young tender leaves of borage.  Place a nest of cut leaves on each plate, put the cheese in the center, decorate with fresh borage flowers and a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper.  Salt if desired and then drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.  Garnish with a wedge of lemon that can be squeezed over the borage and cheese if desired. Serve with fresh crusted 'pane casareccio', grissini, or thin slices of rye bread - and don't forget a bottle of quality dry wine.
                                               Buon appetito!
 
How many interesting joys there are to be discovered with Mediterranean plants...
 
Best wishes,
Helene Pizzi
Rome, Italy
 
 
 
 
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