With summer behind us, we start to switch over from our refreshing iced coffees to our comforting warm teas. Who better to talk to about embracing the tea lifestyle than Holly Bellebuono, owner of Vineyard Herbs, Teas and Apothecary, and author and empowerment speaker, who facilitates vivid lectures, workshops, and retreats on personal and professional expansion.
MVTimes: Can you tell us about your favorite teas for transitioning from summer to fall?
Holly: Autumn is my favorite season, and hot tea is my favorite drink. I love all sorts of hot teas — from caffeinated black tea (from the Camellia sinensis plant) to Moroccan green tea (also from that plant; I blend mine with peppermint, cinnamon, and cardamom), to herbal tisanes. One of my favorites is rooibos chai, and my recipe will be in my upcoming book, “The Healing Kitchen,” to be released in spring 2016 from Shambhala. I blend red rooibos with typical chai herbs and spices: orange peel, cardamom pods, ginger root, peppercorns, a little licorice … when it is percolated on our wood stove in my grandmother’s ceramic percolator, it is the best. My husband also likes to make a rich nettle infusion — a dark green “tea” brewed with nettle leaves and a little milk and honey. For the early autumn days when the air is crisp but not cold, it’s nice to make a pot of what I call Gratitude Tea — a blend of holy basil (also called Tulsi) and rose petals. Holy basil has a depth to it that garden basil does not, making it a wonderful grounding tea with an exotic aroma that balances well with the light, sweet notes of rose. As a hot tea, this is heavenly.
MVTimes: Tell us about your upcoming book.
Holly: As a welcoming, friendly guidebook, “The Healing Kitchen” will feature truly nourishing herbal foods and drinks — delicious recipes for foods that will sustain you and keep you healthy and happy, using that wonderful “species” of healing plant, the tonic herb. This is the kind of herb that is safe, nutritive, and it is so good for you (and often quite tasty) that it can be a star in many foods. In other words, these herbs aren’t banished to the capsule — they are featured front and center in your favorite snacks and meals throughout the day, and they often help relieve chronic conditions and give you energy.
The book is a collaborative effort, because nearly two dozen chefs and herbalists from around the country have contributed their own recipes to the book, so I’m very excited to share not only my own garden-to-kitchen favorites but also the nourishing creations of some of America’s well-known authors and culinary artists. Several Islanders have also contributed to the book, including Zoe Petricone, Laurisa Rich, Heather Thurber, Jan Buhrman, and Linda Alley. As a recipe book, “The Healing Kitchen” will be the first to use tonic herbs as a featured ingredient for salts, snacks, salads, breakfasts, side dishes, beverages, and meals.
MV Times: For non-tea drinkers, any tips on adapting to this healthy lifestyle? Tips or tricks on making the perfect cup?
Holly: If you don’t necessarily like tea, you can still bring tonic and healing herbs into your daily routine in some very tasty ways. Purchase (or make) powdered herbs, and include them in your smoothies; amla and nettle are great options for this. Mix some herbs or herbal powders into honey, and spread this on your toast or biscuits; this is called an electuary and is a deliciously delightful way to get healing herbs into your body. Other options include making a vinegar (include some late-autumn fruits such as autumn olive and beach plum along with nourishing herbs such as garlic, raspberry leaf, or violet leaf); fill a jar with these ingredients, cover with apple cider vinegar, and let it sit for 2 weeks. Strain, and you have a tasty and mineral-rich start to a salad dressing, shrub, oxymel, or pickle.
Stay updated: Holly will be presenting at the New England Unit of the American Herb Society and at the Natural Living Expo this fall, and will be announcing a new Rhythms Tour 2016, where she will collaborate with a talented yoga instructor and a teacher of photography to curate a series of lectures and workshops around the country, including Asheville, N.C.; Austin, Texas; San Diego; Washington, D.C.; and more.
You can purchase Holly’s tea blends at Cronig’s, Healthy Additions, Morning Glory Farm, Stop and Shop, 7a, Alleys, Juliska, and her booth at the West Tisbury Farmers Market. She also ships her products; visit VineyardHerbs.com.