The Wonders of Miss Wondersmith

I am fascinated by the world where gardens meet edibles; most usually in bakery recipes. I have experimented with everything from Lilac infused donuts to Dill, Rosemary or Cardamon breads. With the onset of Spring, I was going to do a feature on foraging. But recently I've stumbled onto this Rabbit Hole of genius that is Miss Wondersmith.

She is this pixie of good nature from the Pacific Northwest. I first found her via a suggested follow on Instagram. Self-labeled on her webpage, she refers to herself as a Do-Gooder who sees joy through the world of nature and wants to spread its wonders. So many incredible talents. Give her a full read when you have some time.

But again, my first draw to her were her bizarre and unusual baking creations. They are far beyond what you see on any cable baking show. Her originality is boundless and the presentation is worthy of an art exhibit. The colors are intense and I can only imagine the flavors are as well.

 

How about Flowerfetti Pierogis! She hand rolls out her own pasta with an assorted list of some 25+ flower petals as options in the tapestry. I would never get past the pressing of the dough itself!

 

Who would have guessed Tulips?! Apparently they can vary from sweet to spicy and have the crunch of an iceberg lettuce. Her genius again mixes them with spring Asparagus and stuffs them into a lovely setting of stems and petals! I cannot even imagine.

I am a huge Clam Chowder fan and almost salivate at the thought of her foraged Chowder from the Pacific with shellfish, morel mushrooms and seaweed. I would gladly pay up just to feast on her creations since I cannot even fathom coming close to mastering these recipes. Please give her a full read and offer her a thumbs up. She is gonna be bigger than Martha Stewart with her infectious spirit and smarts. 

 the Wondersmith recipe blog

 

 

 

Some Love for the Dandelions

Did you know the Dandelion is actually considered an herb? The season is certainly upon us which can be a menace to most of us - whether a gardener or just in mowing your front lawns.

They are part of the larger Asteraceae family which makes them cousins of everything from Sunflowers to Asters to Daisies. They get their common name from the French phase "dent de lion" - meaning tooth of the lion. Because of their single taproot, they go deep and are difficult to purge from your lawn. Not to mention the 100s of flowerets that can populate off a single dandelion head.

In spite of all these bad qualities, the plant does have many redeeming traits if we are able to overlook their persistence. Every part of the plant has a use - the flower, the leaves and the root. Most of us have heard of Dandelion Wine. It is not the most pleasant taste being bitter, but it is still an old farm recipe. It can work also as a tea - hot or iced. The greens when cooked are high in iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium. The root, like Chickory, can be used as a substitute Poor Man's coffee.

Their whispy parachutes of white can travel up to 5 miles in gusts of open wind. So even though you may rid your yard of them, chances are they are going to find you one way or another. Because they one of the first blooms to arrive, they can play an important role for early pollinators. I do pull mine out, but because I have plenty of other Spring blooms for be options.

I bring them up with a sense of childlike joy. Plucking them from the yard and brushing them onto a nose to leave a blush of yellow is something I remember fondly. Or sometimes playing with them as a paintbrush in my watercolors to make some original artwork. And of course the daisy chains made into a crowns or a necklace. For most of us, it is likely a love/ hate relationship. But this is their time and let's celebrate the season.