The sun is shining in Brooklyn. And in anticipation of warming days I have added a slew of walks to my spring roster. You can find them on my Forage Walks and Classes Page. Meet both of these plants, then.
These are a brightness from last April: Native Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginiana) and very invasive lesser celandine (Ficaria verna). Both flowers are edible, both are summer dormant. If you live in North America, do plant the Virginia bluebells - they are delightful and delicious (the leaves taste like mushroomy lettuce). Do not plant this little celandine, as it takes over. Its iridescent flowers make beautiful ice cubes and are gorgeous in salads - I eat the young leaves but am not wild about the tongue-prickling older specimens.
The forage walks include a ramble in the late winter woods of Inwood on March 23rd (and a return in a very leafy spring, on May 18th), a visit to Central Park's North Woods, a Japanese Knotweed Walk, a Delicious Thugs Walk (where we will appreciate the yummy side of very invasive plants), a Bitter Herbs Walk for Passover and Easter, a midweek rebellion on May Day to Dead Horse Bay, and an adventure on beautiful Staten Island.
As usual all walks are followed by a wild tasting picnic where you can expect to eat treats like quails eggs with seasonal dipping salts or sauces, crackers, breads, or biscuits highlighting a wild herb like mugwort, field garlic or nettles, yogurt cheeses singing with wild flavor, soups spiced with native juniper or spicebush, and desserts ranging from wild cherry mahlab madeleines to puffball brownies to spicebush chocolate roulades. Yup.
See you there?
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But the celandine is so pretty in the garden. I inherited two smallish clumps 19 years ago and they are still going strong. Every time I work that garden I pull out a lot of it - it does multiply freely - but when it peeks out early every spring, i just love it. Spring is also trying to peek around the corner today ... maybe next week for real.
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