| Lemon Balm has SO many uses! You may not need to save the seeds - some people find it self-seeds, and it can easily become a weed when it does. It's related to Mint, you see, so it has an ambition to take over the world! Lemon Balm:
Use fresh leaves in salads and as a garnish for fish and other dishes. When candied, the leaves make attractive cake decorations. Chopped leaves can be added to egg, fish and chicken dishes and sprinkled over fresh vegetables. Goes well with corn, broccoli, asparagus, lamb, shellfish, ground black pepper, olives and beans. Add the leaves to cooked dishes in the last few minutes. They can also be added to summer drinks and fruit salads, soups, sauces, and ice cream, and make a good substitute for lemon peel in recipes. An ingredient of Benedictine and Chartreuse. The flower tips and young leaves are floated in wine or fruit cups as a flavouring and garnish. Substitute for lemon rind in jam making, and add to marmalades. Makes a delicious tea, alone or added to ordinary tea. It helps relieve anxiety attacks, palpitations with nausea, mild insomnia and phobias, and when used as a sedative it is good for children. It combines well with peppermint to stimulate circulation, and can also be used for colds and flu and is most effective in the early stages of a cold. The tea is used to treat headaches and tiredness, mild depression, laryngitis, colic and dizziness, and is reputed to enhance the memory. It calms a nervous stomach, controls high blood pressure, relieves menstrual cramps, promotes menstruation and treats insomnia. Fresh juice is used to treat goitre and Grave's Disease. It is especially suitable for children, and makes a good substitute for chamomile. A crushed fresh leaf applied to insect bites eases discomfort. As a poultice it treats sores and tumours. In ointment, it is good for cold sores. Attracts bees to the garden. Potpourri. An infusion of leaves makes a refreshing skin toner and can be used in rinse water for clothes. A stronger infusion makes a good rinse for oily hair. Use as a facial steam for dry skin and to treat acne. Use in furniture polishes, or just rub a handful of crushed leaves on wooden furniture for a beautiful shine. Rub on a fresh leaf to soothe insect bites. Use in sleep pillows, and add to soaps. Used to bathe discharging eyes in puppies. Used to bring down retained afterbirth in farm animals. Also used for farm animals for eye ailments, nervous and brain disorders, heart abnormalities, uterine disorders, to increase milk yield and to prevent miscarriage. Warning: Avoid medicinal doses when pregnant or if suffering from night sweats. People with either Grave's disease or thyroid-related illness should not use this herb except under medical supervision. Prolonged contact with balm plants or leaves may cause contact dermatitis (itching, stinging, burning, reddened or blistered skin) or it may sensitize you to other allergens. Just a few recipes to get you started: Lemon Balm Asparagus
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons lemon balm, finely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh coriander, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
32 steamed asparagus tips In a pan add butter, lemon balm, coriander, salt and pepper. Allow to sizzle gently until herbs are softened, but not fried. Put asparagus on a serving dish. Drizzle over the sauce. Serve hot as a side dish to lamb or goose. Bananas with Strawberries and Lemon Balm
6-8 firm bananas, sliced in half crossways
1/4 cup brown sugar
8-10 lemon balm leaves, chopped finely
1 tablespoon rum or brandy
fresh strawberries Heat a little butter in a frypan and saute the bananas lightly. Add sugar, stirring well, then add the rum and lemon balm. Quickly add the strawberries, heat all through and serve immediately, either alone or over ice cream. Honey and Lemon Balm Biscuits
1 cup butter
1 cup honey
3 eggs
3 cups self-raising flour
1 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons lemon juice
4 springs lemon balm, chopped Cream the butter with the honey, add eggs, beat well. Add remaining ingredients. Drop by spoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet and bake 8-10 minutes at 190C. Lemon Balm Butter for Seafood and Vegetables
6 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons lemon balm, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chives, finely chopped Combine the butter lemon balm and chives. Using a piece of waxed paper to help mould, shape into a log. Cover and refrigerate overnight to blend the flavours. May be frozen. Use on seafood or vegetables. Lemon Balm Delicious
1 cup sugar
1 cup chopped lemon balm
4 tablespoons flour
50g butter
1 cup milk
2 eggs, separated Cream butter and sugar together, add egg yolks. Fold in the flour and milk, then fold through the stiffly beaten egg whites. Pour into a baking dish or individual dishes, bake at 180C until golden brown on top. Lemon Balm Jelly
15g gelatine
150ml hot water
15g raw sugar
450ml milk
small handful chopped lemon balm leaves
pink or red food colouring (optional) Dissolve gelatine in the water, add sugar and lemon balm and stir to dissolve the sugar. Cool slightly and strain. When lukewarm, add milk and colour half the mixture pink if desired. Allow to set in shallow trays. Cut into cubes when set and serve combined, if desired, with some mint or green jelly. Lemon Balm Lemonade
125g sugar
3 lemons
300ml boiling water
2 large sprigs lemon balm
handful borage leaves
borage flowers Peel the rind thinly from the lemons and add, with the sugar, to the boiling water. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and then add the chopped leaves of lemon balm and the borage. Leave until cool, then add the freshly squeezed juice of the lemons. Stir well, strain and chill. Dilute to taste with chilled or soda water and garnish with the borage flowers. Serves 2. Lemon Balm Salad Dressing
1/4 cup oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped lemon balm Put all ingredients through a blender, refrigerate. Lemon Balm Spread
Combine 1/4 cup finely chopped lemon balm leaves, 1 teaspoon lemon rind and 250g cream cheese. Use on crackers or to stuff celery sticks. Potato Salad with Lemon Balm and Mint
16 small potatoes, scrubbed
1 tablespoon chopped lemon balm
1 tablespoon chopped mint
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed Boil the potatoes until cooked but firm and leave to cool. Mix all the other ingredients and pour over the cold potatoes. Chill for 1 hour before serving. Lemon Balm Tea Cake
3/4 cup milk
3-4 tablespoons fresh lemon balm
2 cups plain flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon fresh calendula petals (optional) Place milk in small pan, add the lemon balm, and heat until almost scalded. Remove from heat and leave until cool. Meanwhile mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, continuing beating. Blend in the lemon rind. Strain the lemon balm milk, discard the leaves, and add the milk and the flour mixture alternately to the batter. Mix until just blended. Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 160C for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from pan onto a wire rack placed over a sheet of waxed paper. Pour lemon glaze over while still hot. Lemon Glaze
juice of 2 lemons
icing sugar
1 teaspoon finely chopped calendula petals, rose petals or lemon balm leaves (optional) Put the lemon juice into a bowl and blend in icing sugar until a thick, but pourable, paste forms. Pour over the hot bread. | 
