There are several species of chokecherry native to North America, but the one I harvest most often is Prunus virginiana. Most people consider it a weedy tree, but wildlife of all kinds appreciate the fruit, and in this instance I’m siding with the birds (and the bears and the raccoons). Underripe chokecherries are unpleasantly astringent, but let them ripen to…
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Juniper Berry Icing: Recipe
Are you a cookie maker? Whether you’re baking for a school event, an office party, or a picnic, why not add a new and unusual flavor to your next batch? Even if all you do is bake from a mix, you can add a personal touch that makes your cookies stand out. This simple juniper berry icing takes even the…
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Spruce Needle and Spruce Tip Ice Cream: Recipe
For many years I only used the soft, young tips of spruce branches for cooking, but recently I tried some mature, first year branches, harvested on a snowy December walk. I kept the branches in the freezer, waiting for a special occasion, and pulled them out last week to use in spruce tip ice cream. Their flavor is different from…
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Yucca Blossoms: a Savory Edible Flower
Depending on where you live, yuccas may be a wild plant in the landscape, a valued ornamental in the garden, or a traditional food. This is no ordinary plant. Most people think of yuccas as denizens of the desert, and they are indeed drought tolerant and tough as nails. But they’re also at home in containers and gardens in many…
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Mugwort Soup Recipe (Artemisia vulgaris)
The first time I saw mugwort in my garden I thought it was a chrysanthemum. I left it in place, expecting a riot of bloom in autumn, but alas, all I got was more mugwort. The foliage isn’t unattractive, and it smells terrific, but it’s a thug in the garden and not something you want to let run rampant among…
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