An herbalist’s passion for palate-pleasing plants

Dr. Susan Rubin (Amy Sowder Photo)

By AMY SOWDER 

They call it “holy basil” for a reason. 

Also called tulsi, or Ocimum tenuiflorum, this hallowed cloud-parting herb was considered sacred by Hindus, has many health benefits different from traditional culinary basil and originated in India.

An anti-inflammatory and adaptogen, tulsi has evidence-backed metabolic benefits such as reducing blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, fatigue, stress and anxiety, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

While it’s often used in teas, tulsi infused with apple cider vinegar makes a great salad dressing, said Dr. Susan Rubin, a dentist-turned integrative nutritionist. Rubin cofounded the garden and food program at Mount Kisco Child Care Center, and continues to work and teach there and around Northern Westchester as a community herbalist and a food and garden educator. She offers herbal apothecary pop-ups.

“It’s got a fruity, pungent aroma,” Rubin said about her homegrown tulsi. “I call it ‘bubble gum basil’ for the kids.”

After leaving dentistry, Rubin ran her nutritionist business in downtown Mount Kisco on East Main Street above what is now Exit Four Food Hall. Then Rubin worked and taught at a 4-acre kitchen garden called SunRaven, part of Dr. Michael Finkelstein’s Slow Medicine practice on Guard Hill Road in Bedford. Finkelstein was formerly the medical director of Northern Westchester Hospital before turning to integrative medicine.

As a mother of three children, Rubin also pushed for local school districts to improve their nutritional standards at school cafeterias. She established Better School Food, a coalition of health professionals, educators and concerned parents, to reform school food programs. School food was the topic of the 2007 documentary film that she co-starred in, “Two Angry Moms,” featured in a number of national news outlets.

“All along the way, I was into plants. Then when COVID happened, I got really into them,” Rubin said.

Her dog, Wilbur, had spinal issues and lost the use of his back legs, and at the veterinary office, she learned that CBD could help him with his anxiety. So, Rubin grew cannabis and learned how to use it medicinally after earning her medical license to grow it which was required at the time. She infused the CBD into a salve, which she said helped her husband’s sore joints and muscles after playing paddleball. Word spread among friends, and now she sells her products, and also teaches people how to make it themselves at home.

“My big thing is to share about plants and help people grow them and use them,” Rubin said. 

Among the products Dr. Susan Rubin offers are tulsi-infused vinegars, herb-infused tinctures and salves filled with CBD and calendula flowers.

For example, lemon balm is an herb that can ease anxiety and aid in relaxation. “And I don’t know who doesn’t have anxiety,” she said. “These herbs gently help, unlike alcohol or strong drugs, which can cause dependency.”

Rubin doesn’t overly promise what the plants can do, and she is careful that her claims are backed by sound scientific evidence. “I have a higher B.S. meter than some,” said the Chappaqua resident.

According to 2023 research published by the National Institutes for Health, tulsi is one of India’s Ayurvedic plants used for improving memory and rejuvenating brain cells since ancient times. Scientists also have discovered tulsi has anti-neurodegenerative or neuroprotective properties that may reduce symptoms of dementia. 

“Tulsi grows happily here in our region. It’s very fragrant, so deer won’t bother with it,” Rubin said. “I harvested it in September. It grows all the way to the first frost,” she said, noting that she favors growing plans that do well in the region.

Most recently, at the December 2025 holiday market at Thryve Thrift Store and Craft Studio in Mount Kisco, Rubin offered her herb-infused vinegars — selling out of her Fire Cider Vinegar with cayenne and ginger, along with herb-infused tinctures and salves filled with CBD and calendula flowers. These home-grown, handmade products are also sold locally at Mill River Supply, the lawn and garden store on Adams Street in Bedford Hills.

“As a dentist, I saw tooth decay in all sorts of people. Health starts in your kitchen,” she said. “As a food educator, I want to help people plant more food, grow more food, cook more food. Herbs are a great starter plant.”

To make tulsi or other infused vinegars, snip off the flowers and leaves of the plants and stuff it into a jar of apple cider vinegar, seal it, and let it infuse for three to six weeks.

“Herbs are a fun thing for people to grow,” Rubin said. “Our grandmothers and great-grandmothers knew all this. We totally need to make friends with plants.”

Visit  drsusanrubin.com for more information.