Every year I try to make something really special with the first spring violets. For the last few years I have attempted to make a violet curd but it always failed, losing its amethyst color and turning gray when I heated it. And since there are a limited number of violets in my yard/neighborhood, I really only get one shot at it a year!
Continue reading “Violet Lemon Curd”
Every year I make violet jelly just like my mom taught me when I was a girl. But because the season is so brief and the color of the violet tea is so divine, I’m always looking to make something new and different with the foraged flowers. Last year it was Violet Lemonade, the year before that was Violet and Elderflower Gummies.
Continue reading “Lilac and Violet Panna Cotta Tart”
During all those walks around the neighborhood gathering violets and dandelions for jelly, I started to notice that baking inspiration literally grows on trees around here. There are lilacs, redbuds and magnolias galore. They all have edible parts but I was all flowered out. Then I happened to see a post from Once Upon A Weed about spruce syrup and remembered there’s a spruce growing in the parkway just a few blocks from here. It’s about 40 feet tall and absolutely covered in itty-bitty spruce tips. Continue reading “Caramelized Spruce Tip Syrup”
