Discover your inner herbivore this autumn

As Autumn sneaks into New Zealand, many people will start to get sore throats and other irritations associated with the change of seasons.
North Otago herbalist Marise Martin has some age-old and incredibly simple hints for keeping them at bay.
A great all-round tonic she's been enjoying is beetroot juice to start the day. Place the bulbs in a juicer and give them a blast. If you don't like it neat, you can make a healthy cocktail by adding an apple, orange, celery, or carrot.
Marise said it doesn't have any adverse effects on the digestive system.
If you wake up with a ticklish throat one of these mornings, there's no need to reach for lozenges. A tea made from thyme or sage leaves will get rid of any infection with its antibacterial properties.
Sage can also banish coffee stains from the teeth. Marise says you should roll up some purple or green sage leaves and rub them across your teeth. It freshens your breath as it whitens.
"Sage and onion stuffing is no culinary accident," Marise says. When used in a roasted fowl or colonial goose, "it cuts through greasy, gamey meats and aids digestion".
If you suffer from an upset tummy, a weak tea made from ginger or sage will help.
Peppermint tea before bedtime is calming and soothing and can also ease stomach pains, she says.
Autumn is a time when a wide variety of apples ripen. The old saying "an apple a day keep the doctor away" is tried and true, she says.
"If you've got diarrhoea, it will fix it. If you've got constipation, it will fix it. It rights what wrongs you."
Lemon verbena is thriving in the garden now. Marise recommends harvesting and drying it.
"It makes a beautiful invigorating tea during winter."
And chewing a couple of lemon verbena leaves is a good way to banish mouth irritations.
Other herbs flourishing in autumn include French tarragon, oregano, marjoram, and the mint family. They should all be picked and dried while at their best, says Marise.
Herbs can be tied into bunches and hung upside-down where the air circulates around them. A string across the kitchen ceiling is one option.
Marise has a rustic wooden ladder under her farmhouse kitchen ceiling from which she hangs her drying herbs.
Alternatively, the leaves can be stripped and spread out on newspaper or in shallow baskets in the sunroom to dry. They can then be stored in brown paper bags until required.
"As summer starts sliding away, sow lots of parsley," Marise advises. It can be picked well into the winter and comes loaded with vitamin C. Parsley can be dried in a cool oven or frozen in ice cubes to ensure your supply never runs out.
Herbs are an excellent way of enriching the family's diet with valuable vitamins and minerals throughout the winter, she says.
If you make a herbal tea and have some left over, don't throw it away. "It makes a lovely hair rinse," says Marise.
It can also be used to water indoor plants. "Pot plants enjoy it as much as you do."
At a time when people are concerned about chemical additives in their foods and the increased cost of living, relying on ancient, proven wisdom can be a simple solution.
"Walk around the herb garden," Marise says. "Harvest and squirrel it away. It's all so easy. And keep bringing it out through the winter and enjoy it in your diet."