cooling summer herbs

~ Herbal allies for staying calm, refreshed, and nourished in the heat, with two delicious, peachy recipes to try! ~

As the days stretch long and the meadows brim with life, we begin to feel summer’s full heat settling in. During this time, nature offers up a generous array of herbs with naturally cooling, soothing properties: plants that help the body regulate, relax, and restore in the heat of the season.

In traditional herbalism, these herbs are often described as “cooling” because of their effects on the body’s systems—whether that’s calming inflammation, releasing excess heat, or refreshing our senses and skin. Below are four summer herbs that not only help keep you feeling balanced, but are also wonderful additions in the kitchen.

Let’s take a closer look at chamomile, calendula, mint, and nettle, how to forage them safely and sustainable and I'll share two recipes where these herbs shine: a Cooling Peach & Herb Iced Tea, and a Grilled Peach & Feta Salad with Cooling Herb Pesto.

chamomile: not just for bedtime

Chamomile is perhaps best known as a sleepytime tea, but in summer it plays another role: it’s an incredible cooling herb. With its pale yellow, daisy-like flowers, chamomile calms both the mind and body. It helps ease tension, heat-related irritability, and digestive discomfort, and has mild anti-inflammatory properties.

It’s particularly good when the heat has you feeling frustrated, restless, or puffy. It gently encourages the nervous system to unwind. Use fresh chamomile flowers if you have them, or dried heads for teas, syrups, and infusions.

chamomile foraging tips:

German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla), grows wild and is usually found growing in meadows or around the edges of farmers fields, because it loves disturbed soil. It produces small white daisy-like flowers with yellow centres and has almost feathery leaves. The key to identifying wild German chamomile is the sweet, chamomile scent (which you'll recognise if you're a fan of chamomile tea) and the hollow cone-shaped centre of the flower head.

Harvest just the flower heads on dry sunny days. Give it a wash with a good, organic veggie wash if you're worried about pesticides. I tend to gather the leaves to for external balms and salves, but that's a story for another day!

Calendula, mint & nettle: a cooling trio

Calendula (Calendula officianalis) is a cultivated herb with bright orange or yellow flowers, known for its skin-soothing and anti-inflammatory properties. It's not native to the UK wild but grows abundantly in gardens and sometimes escapes into nearby spaces. The flower heads have long, smooth petals and a sticky green base, with a mild resinous scent. Unlike common marigolds (Tagetes species), calendula is safe to consume and easily dried for teas, salves, or infusions.

Forage calendula only from known gardens, allotments, or places where you’re confident no pesticides or lawn treatments are used. Harvest in the late morning once the dew has dried, choosing fully open flowers. Pick the whole flower head and dry face-down on a mesh or cloth in a warm, shaded area.

Several types of mint grow wild in the UK, including Mentha arvensis (field mint) and Mentha aquatica (water mint). All mints share the hallmark traits of square stems, opposite leaves, and a strongly mentholated scent when crushed. Leaves are often toothed, slightly fuzzy, and oval in shape. Wild mint thrives in damp soils along riverbanks, ditches, and in partially shaded woodland margins. Garden mints like spearmint (Mentha spicata) may also naturalise and spread in the wild. Mint regrows quickly after cutting, making it a sustainable herb to gather regularly.

Common nettle is one of the most valuable and versatile wild herbs. Tall and upright, it has dark green, sharply toothed leaves in opposite pairs and is covered in fine stinging hairs that release formic acid on contact. Nettles favour nitrogen-rich soils and can be found along hedgerows, riverbanks, woodland edges, and disturbed ground across the UK.

Wear gloves when harvesting and choose only the tender top four to six leaves from plants under 50cm tall—these are the most palatable and nutrient-rich. Avoid older plants or those in flower, as they can be tough and irritating to the kidneys. Nettles lose their sting once dried or lightly cooked, and are excellent in teas, soups, pestos, and broths.

cooling summer herb + peach recipes

Cooling Peach & Herb Iced Tea

A gently floral, refreshing drink perfect for hot afternoons, picnics, or solstice celebrations. It’s sweetened with honey and infused overnight with cooling herbs.

Ingredients:

• 3 ripe peaches, chopped

• 3 cups water

• ¼ cup fresh chamomile flowers (or 2 tbsp dried)

• ¼ cup fresh calendula petals (or 2 tbsp dried)

• 5 fresh mint leaves (or 1 tsp dried)

• Optional: 1–2 fresh nettle tops (from a plant no taller than 50cm)

• 2 tbsp honey (or to taste)

• Ice, to serve

  
  

Method:

1. In a saucepan, combine peaches and water. Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.

2. Remove from heat. Add chamomile, calendula, mint, and nettle (if using).

3. Cover and let the mixture cool. Steep overnight in the fridge.

4. Strain, stir in honey to taste, and serve over ice.

Grilled Peach & Feta Salad with Cooling Herb Pesto

This sweet and savoury salad is a celebration of summer: soft grilled peaches, salty feta, crunchy honeyed pecans, and a green herby pesto that refreshes and nourishes.

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 3–4 ripe but firm peaches, sliced

• 1 tablespoon honey

• Pinch of salt and black pepper

• 1 tablespoon oil (for pan-frying)

• 1 cup pecans

• 2 tablespoons honey (for the pecans)

• Seasonal salad leaves (such as rocket, watercress, or little gem)

• 100g feta cheese, crumbled

• 1 ripe avocado, sliced

  
  

For the cooling herb pesto:

• 2 cups fresh mint leaves

• 1 cup young nettle tops (from plants under 50cm)

• ¼ cup of the honeyed pecans (from above)

• Juice of ½ lemon

• ¼ cup olive oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

  
  

Method

1. Grill the peaches - Toss the peach slices with 1 tablespoon of honey, a pinch of salt, and black pepper. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and sear the peaches for about 3 minutes per side, until lightly browned. Set aside to cool.

2. Prepare the pecans - In the same pan, toast the pecans for around 4 minutes, stirring regularly until fragrant. Add 2 tablespoons of honey and a pinch of salt, then cook for another 2 minutes to allow the honey to caramelise. Transfer to a plate to cool, and reserve ¼ cup for the pesto.

3. Make the herb pesto - Blanch the mint and nettle leaves in boiling water for 3 minutes, then plunge into ice-cold water to preserve their colour. Drain thoroughly. Add the blanched herbs to a food processor along with the reserved honeyed pecans, lemon juice, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Blitz to a chunky pesto consistency.

4. Assemble the salad - On a large platter or in bowls, layer the salad leaves, crumbled feta, grilled peach slices, avocado chunks, the remaining honeyed pecans and some calendula petals. Drizzle with the cooling herb pesto and serve immediately.

This salad is best enjoyed slightly warm or at room temperature and makes a perfect centrepiece for a solstice picnic or long summer lunch.