Currently there are two plants in my garden doing me proud: zucchini and basil. The beans are coming on well and I have a myriad of little green tomatoes that promise sweet reward... but surely not for another couple of weeks.

That's not the case with the zucchini and the basil. Both are producing like crazy and when my CSA basket arrived last week with four more zucchinis inside I had an epiphany that soon we would be inundated by a small zucchini army if we weren't careful.

It's been fun to play around with June's herb of the month, basil. Though we recommend the use of Holy basil for it's excellent adaptogenic benefits, it's more common cousins offer multiple health-boosting properties as well.

The basil family has been known to lower cholesterol and boost the immune system. Most interestingly, basil has antibacterial properties, which when consumed makes it a great protector against food-borne illnesses. Last but not least, it's just plain yummy.

In the country, I get more peace of mind that the wild plants and herbs I pick out there are safe and pesticide-free.  That's just not the case in my neighborhood.  So when I knew we were planning another trip out to my in-laws, I had every intention of picking fresh dandelion to bring back home with us.

Well, it didn't happen this time around.  We returned home empty-handed after my couple failed attempts to get outdoors.

So what did I do instead?  I purchased fresh dandelion leaves on a recent visit to Whole Foods.  Yes, true story.  I actually bought the most common weed on the face of the earth.

April is Nettle month here at the Nourishing Herbalist. April means spring -- the best time of year to wildcraft (harvest) nourishing herbs from your own backyard or in fields, woods or ditches nearby*. Hey, you can't beat free nutrient-packed food!

Should you be unable to find fresh Nettle you can always reconstitute dried nettle in hot water for a minute or two and then drain before use in any recipe calling for fresh nettle. Or, if you happen to be made of money you can order fresh Nettle leaves online.

With Nettles in hand (hopefully it's a gloved hand!) prepare to wow your family with this scrumptious quiche recipe we fondly call, the Green Goddess of all quiche recipes!