Lilacs at the farmers market
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
When lilacs last in the dooryard bloomed, to quote Whitman, it was about this time last year. But it still came as a glorious surprise to see (and smell) the boughs of flowers at the Santa Monica farmers market yesterday. Intensely purple, gloriously perfumey, the stunning blossoms are an instant mnemonic device for some of us (trees, Iowa). These are from Weiser Family Farms, where they’ll continue to have the flowers (weather permitting) until about Mother’s Day. The folks at Weiser, by the way, advise hammering the stems and putting ice into the vase water.
And lilacs aren’t just for gracing your kitchen table. Keep an eye on the menu at Joe’s
Restaurant in Venice, where chef Joe Miller (who gets his flowers from Alex Weiser too) likes to make lilac ice cream this time of year. His recipe is fairly simple (I made it two years ago): Miller infuses a basic creme anglaise with carefully washed lilac blossoms, lets the mixture steep overnight, then strains it before putting it in an ice cream machine. VERY yummy, and utterly gorgeous -- especially strewn with a few fresh flowers. Enjoy while reading ‘Leaves of Grass.’
Lilacs, available from Weiser Family Farms, $10 a large bunch; also from Windrose Farms, $1 a flower.
-- Amy Scattergood
