“To see a world in a grain of sand
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
and eternity in an hour…” W. Blake
Spring here in southwest British Columbia is always a season of renewed energy, of hopefulness, and growth. It is a time to step out into the sunshine and breathe in the freshness and the fragrances; to be inspired by the determination of small plants and creatures who survived harsh conditions to continue on and begin anew! It is a time of hopefulness, watching life emerge from its rest. It offers proof of a continuity, a rich pattern that we are part of, one that we must learn from, care for, and appreciate in all its variety.
Spring is a busy time for us, as we start filling as many corners as we can with edible flowers and plants. Many years ago, the original owners of this steep city lot had filled every inch with beautiful flowers, many perennials, and planted fruit and nut trees on the steep back slope. We continue to benefit from their foresight! In the past few years, we have removed most of our grass and replaced it with vegetable gardens; the best spots are now all reserved for edible plants that grow well in this climate. For us, that means lots of radishes, tomatoes, onions, peppers, beets, potatoes and especially garlic! We are so fortunate to have this space, but we can still only grow a small part of what we eat. Our local farmer’s market is certainly appreciated!
Some of the most useful garden plants are the perennial herbs that have established themselves in corners of our backyard. Oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage, savoury, parsley, chives, and mint all continue to flourish and are used daily! These hardy plants add valuable nutrition as well as brilliant flavour to our meals! Even if you have only a window ledge, or a small balcony, you can easily grow some herbs in pots; they will add so much freshness and flavour to your life! The recipes on this website include, as often as possible, these fresh, unsprayed ingredients. Try the Scarborough Fair Beets for an herby treat.
Each year, we continue to understand more about the natural world; there is so much to know and so much to share! Learning more about edible flowers has been eye-opening and there is so much yet to discover. Eating flowers seemed strange at first; now I wonder why I missed out on this for so long! We miss out on so much when we get trapped by habit and tradition. They are a source of goodness and add a special eye appeal to so many recipes. As we do “eat first with our eyes”, flowers are a beautiful addition to many food presentations,(see Strawberry Rhubarb Cake, Sweet Orange Tea Cakes, or Lilac Orange Sugar Cookies) as well as an ingredient in some of my recipes! Check out the Rosy Rhubarb Jam, Rosy Garlic Vinegar and the Spring Garden Salad. It was much easier to know that the baby greens I had to pull up to thin the beets, the lettuce, the kale,and the radishes all could become part of a delicious lunch. Nothing wasted!
I hope you can take a moment to appreciate and be inspired by the beauty of spring and feel the magic; I hope you can experience a sense of renewal and possibility, maybe even have a chance to get your hands in some dirt! Experiment with new combinations of plant-based foods and explore new flavours! Your body and heart will thank you!
Check out a new flavour combo for me: Za’atar Man’oushe.
Had to add this beauty!
