Wild Spring Pancake - Shrubs, Trees, Tubers, and Weeds - with Forsythia and Maple Flowers
Spring! Time to eat some flowers from the trees and shrubs -- in a pancake! Come into my post and join me!
Step 1. Forage Flowers, Roots, and Leaves
Spring moves fast. The Jerusalem Artichokes will be sending shoots up from their underground tubers, bringing the end of the time for eating them. And early spring shrubs and trees are starting to flower. Some are edible, so I better get busy!
This photo collage shows the plants that I foraged. I include their scientific names in the plant list at the bottom of this post, because common names vary from place to place. Do you recognize any of them? Which ones do you have growing around you? These plants are adaptable and grow in a lot of places around the world.
Step 2. Make the Batter and Cook Those Pancakes
Back in the kitchen, I lay my harvest out to double-check that I don't have any non-edible plants or insects. The flowers are delicate and clean because they are high off the ground and it's been raining for days. So I just let the flowers sit for awhile to make sure any insects or spiders have a chance to leave. I do rinse the chives. And I scrub those Jerusalem Artichokes really well. If I have to break off a knob to get the soil out of a crevice, I do that, but I don't bother peeling them.
I grate the Jerusalem Artichokes and chop the chives, maple flowers, and some of the forsythia flowers. The flowers don't really need to be chopped, though. I keep some flowers off to the side to put on top of my pancakes.
My batter is simple -- 4 eggs, 1/4 cup water, and 2 Tablespoons of wheat flour. If you want to go flourless, just leave it out and cut out the water. Whip or beat the eggs until they are light. Then fold in all the chopped and grated things. Try to keep the eggs full of air, but it's not really necessary.
I use a little butter in a cast iron skillet on medium-low heat. Olive oil would work well, too. I cook these pancakes slowly, so the chives and grated tubers cook a little. When the top is set, I flip them over.
Step 3. Enjoy Those Pancakes!
On the plate, I top my pancakes with more flowers. I serve it up with a little bowl of home-canned pear butter from my Barlett Pears. If you don't have pear butter, these pancakes would be great with applesauce, too! I really like Jerusalem Artichokes in savory light pancakes like these. They are like light potato pancakes, but there's no starch in a Jerusalem Artichoke. They have a sweet, smoky flavor that goes well with the chives. The slight tannin flavor of the red maple flowers and sweet-bitterness of the forsythia blend in well. These savory pancakes have enough flavor, I don't even need any salt or pepper.
Plant List
- Jerusalem Artichoke - Helianthus tuberosus - tubers fall to spring
- Wild Chives - Allium schoeneprasum - leaves late winter through spring
- Forsythia – Forsythia suspensa - flowers early spring
- Red Maple – Acer rubrum - flowers early spring
What Do You Think?
Are you seeing many spring flowers on trees and shrubs in your area? Do you eat any flowers from trees or shrubs? Would you eat any of these flowers or Jerusalem Artichokes? I hope you get a chance to eat a flowerful pancake sometime. It is worth making, for sure!
I write about foraging because I believe that we can all have lives that are richer, more secure, more grounded, and more interesting by getting to know the plants and the land around us – in our yards, our parks, and our wilderness.
I would like Steemit to be the premier site for Foraging on the Internet! If you have any thoughts about foraging, or experiences to share, write a post and be sure to use the Foraging tag. And check out the @foraging-trail to see curated quality posts about foraging. Happy Foraging!
** Haphazard Homestead **
*** foraging, gardening, nature, simple living close to the land ***
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@haphazard-hstead again very very creative!
unfortunately I won't be able to acknowledge it again. This is still omelette with 2 tbsp of flour. Had you churned all those ingredients, boiled and mashed the Jerusalem artichokes - that would have done the trick.
I hope you understand.
EDIT : I hope the food post community supports this post.
That's absurd. Here are some leftovers. I don't see how they are omelettes. I wouldn't be able to bend an omelette.
Wow, those do look good. And substantial. Had no idea you could put all that in a pancake. I like your bendability test there. Never seen that before today. Have to admit, it looks like a pancake when you bend it around like that. Can you mail me the test cakes for tomorrows breakfast? ( :
They are tasty, that's the sure thing! Pancakes can hold a lot of good things! I have eaten these now, sorry. Otherwise, I was too tempted to make a post about all the things you can do with a pancake that you can't do with an omelette. Can't play Frisbee with an omelette! Can't use an omelette like bread to make a sandwich! Can't have the cat wear an omelette like a hat! -- See? I would have gone too far, for sure! I probably have gone too far, already. ; )
Ha, never knew forsythia flowers were edible, ours are still budded but, then you blink an eye and they are suddenly in full bloom! Nice post @haphazard-hstead. Resteemed.
Thanks for resteeming, @cognoscere. I am surprised every year at how fast the forsythia flowers come and go. Even in the best years! But since I learned that their flowers are edible, I try to get out and appreciate them more while they are blooming. Now their season still seems fast, but because I spend time with them, it slows down, too. They don't just flash by as a spot of yellow for a few days. It's weird, but real, lol.
Like so many plants, I'm not a fan of just eating their flowers by themselves. They are a little sweet, with a little bitter. And there is variation across plants. But it's fun to add them into salads and other food. Keep that phytonutrient density and diversity up, lol! ; )
Beautiful flowers on the dish. It's good to know that they can eat. Thanks for sharing. ;)
You're welcome. These flowers are around for such a short time. I can understand why they are never for sale in a store!
Yeah! You are very lucky to have these flowers in your own garden. That's really great! :)
It is a lot easier to go for a walk and get food to eat, rather than go to the store. It's like all the fruit that you have growing in your area! I think you are lucky with all of that around -- papayas, mangos, bananas, and the rest! Much more filling than some flowers, lol! :D
That's really great for you. Yes, I would be more than glad to have both kinds of gardens, fruits and flowers, together in one place! Unfortunately, neither gardens belong to me...... The fruits garden is my friend's garden and the flower garden belongs to you that I just admire from here! ;)
My father always says, "If you can't cultivate a garden, cultivate a friendship with a gardener." It sounds like you have cultivated a friendship with a gardener of all that fruit, so you are on the right track! ; )
It's nice to hear that! I absolutely agree with your father! :D
: ) Enjoy your gardening friends!
Thanks a lot! :D
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You have a new follower! Very informative and useful article, up - and resteemed!
Thanks for the nice words and the resteem! Glad you enjoyed my post. There are so many nice flowers out there - and some of them are worth eating, too. Happy Spring!