Spring Update for Local Food

 Spring Salad of Dandelion, Kale, Cleavers and Redbud Blossoms

I am finally be getting the Local Food Bloomington website updated! It seems that there are more things to juggle or as I age, am getting a bit slower.   There is tweeking to be done as well as my completion of Food News which I hope will be published by Sunday.  It will continue its look at seed and their importance, establishing seed banks, bees; our connections through the Indiana Holistic Health on open-polinated seed and heirloom plant resources - http://www.indianaholistichealth.net/gardeningresources.htm.  Edible Education, Science and Cooking, and more.

Abundance of Local Food to you!
Local Food Fairy Patricia

Spring and Lovely Violets!

A few days ago, while in conversation with a friend over the telephone, I looked out at a yard literally covered with violets. In that moment, I decided to once again make a batch of violet wine. Looking toward the sky, I knew that I must pick my blossoms before leaving the house that next day. After gathering my herbal notebook to review my previous violet wine making notes, I saw that it had been eleven years since the last batch was made. The next day after morning coffee and chores, I went out to the least walked areas and began picking violets. I picked the violet blossoms into a glass measuring cup. Gathering it full one after another glass measuring cup full, until I six cups of slightly pressed down flowers (more like seven cups or so)had been gathered; enough to make three gallons of wine, now into its third day of covered fermentation.

I love the citrus yeasty smell and the sound of the bubbling, popping sound of yeast feeding. I am reacquainting myself with the fact of violet flowers and leaves as a really great source of Vitamin C, and easily make a nice addition to salads or steamed vegies, or soup dishes.

I'll gather a few cups of violet flowers and leaves for drying, for use in soups and seasoning this winter.