Our first foraged food of the season! (We've been doing alliteration lately, can you tell?) The wild roses are finally in bloom here, and I am so happy to see them.
Summer is sure taking its sweet time getting here: this time of year we're supposed to have temperatures in the 80s, and instead we've been lucky to get into the mid-60s pretty much all month. Our gardens are not happy... With the exception of the mint, which was still happy and green after several frosts last fall so it really doesn't count as a normal garden plant, none of my plants have grown since I planted them 3+ weeks ago. They haven't died yet, but they haven't grown either.
So I'm so happy to see the wild plants finally growing well: there's something to harvest! Matt is allergic to dandelions so I don't use those — a pity since we have such a robust crop of them in our yard! — but the wild roses and chiming bells just opening now are making a welcome and colorful contribution to our table.
The kids were so excited to be sent out with a bowl and a measuring cup, and brought me back a heaping cup of wild rose petals along with a couple of chiming bells just because. I made a double batch of my rose petal cupcake batter and baked a two-layer cake to celebrate both Father's Day and our newly-minted 3 year old:
As far as I know, rose petals don't have a ton of nutritional value; they mainly add color, scent, some flavor, and a little bit of vitamin C. And happiness! A cake decorated with bright pretty rose petals just looks happy, doesn't it?
Anyone else enjoying harvesting wild foods? What is in season where you live?
(This probably goes without saying, but always make sure you've positively identified a plant before eating it. And if there's any question whether it has been treated with chemicals, either at the roots or sprayed, don't eat it!)
