{Inspiration Workshop: Gardening (in the Wild)}

I live with my parents these days, so I have access to a way bigger yard than I would ever be able to afford at this juncture in my (student) life. A large portion of the yard is dedicated to flower beds and vegetable gardens, so I ordinarily don't have to go very far for fresh eats. This year has been incredibly rainy, up until the last week or so, so although there's heaps of greenery, most of the other edibles in our yard haven't really come around yet. And being in the North(ish) area of BC, our season is a bit later anyhow. I'm especially looking forward to the green beans, beats, and potatoes!

Although the garden isn't totally ready yet, there are plenty of edibles in season in the bush around our house . . .

like Oregon Grapes!

Here's a good post on Oregon Grapes and preserves

And Hooshum Berries (a.k.a. Soapberry or Soopalallie)

a quick rundown on Hooshum Berries here

Thimble Berries are also in season right now. Though the fruit is pretty sparse in these parts, there are plenty of plants, and apparently the leaves make a good medicinal tea.

And Saskatoon Berries!!!

One good thing about the rain this year is that the Saskatoon berries (photographed above) are really plump. Normally they're on the pitty side, but this year they're juicy and delicious.

Saskatoons are one of my favourite. But Saskatoons are firmer than blueberries, which makes them especially great for canning and baking.

I made some wicked tarts by modifying This Martha Stewart Recipe and froze the rest of my winnings. Ok, so by the time I was done picking the berries, I wasn't up for making tart shells or running to the grocery store for ingredients that I didn't have. I used the pre-made shells that I already had in the freezer and substituted bottled lemon juice for the fresh kind, orange zest for lemon zest, and of course saskatoons for blueberries. Even with all that substituting, they were delish, and I would definately make them again!