Sweet Spring Violets

About author / Christine Gable

Culinary enthusiast; kids cuisine and slow cooking; magazine recipe developer; professional writer. Her simple recipes are great for family dinners.

Now that spring has truly sprung here in the northeast, my daughter joyously picks blooms and green sprigs, often surprising me with fistfuls of colorful wild-growing violets, dandelion and bittercress. Did you know that many of the wild flowers and green sprigs that inhabit your yard are edible? Kids are often intrigued to learn that common weeds are easy, fun food for the picking.

For even though my daughter comes with bunches of violets clutched in her hand, she loves it even more when we actually use some of those wild flowers for food. And I like the thought that she's seeing the earth in a new way, perhaps catching a glimpse of the earthly respect that the Native American way embodied.

One day, not long ago, I stepped away from my adult-life of lists and responsibilities and took my daughter's hand, joining her in plucking some small violet blossoms. We started by picking a handful of violets, but as time seemed to slow down and expand, we kept picking in the hope of filling the small basket she carried.

"What are we going to do with all these flowers, Mommy?"

"How would you like to make a fruit salad or some purple violet vinegar that we could use on salads for the rest of the year?"

She loved both ideas, and we researched how to steep the vinegar from Susun Weed's book, Healing Wise. After filling a pint jar with washed violets, we topped it off with apple cider vinegar; in five weeks we had delightful violet-hued vinegar. When it was snack time, we sprinkled a handful of violets atop fruit salad, and topped it with a sweet, creamy vanilla yogurt dressing (see recipe below).

Why eat violets? Well, for those of you who may cringe at the prospect of eating a flower, violets provide a perfect starting point, since they are mild and delicate, yet provide a bodily vitamin C boost. The tender leaves of both the flower and plant also make a colorful, nutritious addition to green salads.

(Whenever gathering wild edibles, positive identification is vital. Remember to stay away from roadsides and sprayed areas—and always get permission from the landowner.)

With today's modern grocery stores, it's easy to become separated from our own food supply—-and easy to think of food as originating from cans, bottles and packages, instead of the earth. What a nice surprise to find edible greenery growing right in our yard. Not only are many of those weeds edible, but they're filled with vitamins and minerals, many times more than standard grocery store fare.

By opening up to our children's sense of wonder, we can experience a whole new world of taste and sensation. Sometimes the rewards are just waiting to be discovered. Here's hoping that sometime this week—-even this month—-you'll stop and smell the fresh, spring flowers with a child. And listen, really listen, to what they have to say. It may just be the best moment of your week.

Serves/Makes: 4

• 1 banana, sliced
• 1 can (8 ounce size) mandarin oranges, drained
• 1 can (6 ounce size) pineapple chunks
• 35 violets, washed

***Dressing***

• 8 ounces vanilla yogurt
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon sugar