FFF104 - BORAGE

Borage (Borago officinalis), also known as a starflower, is an annual herb. It is native to the Mediterranean region and has naturalised in many other locales. It grows satisfactorily in gardens in Australia, remaining in the garden from year to year by self-seeding. The leaves are edible and the plant is grown in gardens for that purpose in some parts of Europe. The plant is also commercially cultivated for borage seed oil extracted from its seeds.

Vegetable use of borage is common in Germany, in the Spanish regions of Aragón and Navarra, in the Greek island of Crete and in the northern Italian region of Liguria. Although often used in soups, one of the better known German borage recipes is the Green Sauce (Grüne Soße) made in Frankfurt. In Italian Liguria, borage is commonly used as a filling of the traditional pasta ravioli and pansoti.

The leaves and flowers were originally used in Pimms before being replaced by mint or cucumber peel. It is used to flavour pickled gherkins in Poland. It is also one of the key "botanical" flavourings in Gilpin's Westmorland Extra Dry Gin. In Iran people make tea for the relief of colds, flu, bronchitis, rheumatoid arthritis and kidney inflammations. People with heart problems can benefit using the borage tea in moderate amounts.

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FFF104

1.	My Desktop Daily	9.	Jesh StG	17.	Simone, Germany	25.	Fall Dahlias
2.	NixPixMix	10.	NatureFootstep Photo	18.	Tina	26.	Donna, Finland
3.	Nick, Melbourne	11.	Gemma Wiseman	19.	Zauberpalme	27.	The Rosegarden in Malevik
4.	Gunilla	12.	bettyl - New Zealand	20.	Hazel	28.	Mascha
5.	beagleAnnie	13.	Sara Chapman in Seattle USA	21.	Synnöve	29.	Scene by Minerva
6.	Ulla Laiho	14.	Sara Chapman #2	22.	Christines Welt!	30.	Ileana, Romania
7.	girl friday	15.	Sara Chapman #3	23.	Dawn	31.	WoollyMuses
8.	Birgitta	16.	Jama-Singapore	24.	Asian Poppies	32.	Alexandra

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