first fruits

strawberries are a month or so away, but these fruits of the elm tree are in peak season right now. they are not leaves but fruits, and they taste lightly crunchy and maybe slightly cucumber-ish. they go well on salads, or simply stripped from the branch and eaten raw by the handful (as long as they are still light green, soft and tender). many thanks to alan bergo of forager chef for being a constant source of fascinating information about wild land and wild food. my husband and i are both huge fans. you should be too.

elm samaras