In early 2024, I had the opportunity to spend time with Hawthorne Whisperer, EagleSong Gardener, who renewed my perspective on this herb (Crataegus), long used in Chinese and Western medicine. I have been exploring ways to use it as food and medicine ever since. Please enjoy New York’s Waldorf-Astoria signature dish with a little twist, first created in 1896.
Ingredients:
½ cup avocado or olive oil mayonnaise
1 tablespoon organic cane sugar
½ lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon Hawthorne Oxymel, or Hawthorne vinegar
¼ teaspoon sea salt
4 Granny Smith apples – peeled, cored, and cubed
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup raisins
toasted sunflower seeds
Whisk together mayo, sugar, lemon juice, Hawthorne Oxymel, and salt together in a serving bowl. Toss in apples, celery, walnuts, and raisins. Cover and chill in fridge until ready to serve. Garnish with toasted sunflower seeds.
Learn how to make an herbal vinegar or purchase Hawthorne Oxymel from Raven Croft Garden: Changing the Meaning of Medicine.
This small, ordinary tree holds a foundational place in herbal practice for strengthening the heart muscle, improving digestion and circulation, resolving arterial congestion and lowering blood pressure, supporting the immune system and increasing longevity. Hawthorn is filled with anti-inflammatory flavonoids; minerals and nutrients including magnesium and calcium to nourish and strengthen the whole person. Although no single constituent can be singled out as the active ingredient, the sum of all her parts brings the magic and medicine of hawthorn to life. If you want to strengthen a weak heart or carry an old heart into a healthy future consider hawthorn as an ally. —EagleSong Gardener
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