new-to-me

You know how much I like surprising you with new subjects :-). Here’s one I am guessing at least some of you haven’t seen before, the flower of a caper bush. As most of you know, Steve has a passion for all things Mediterranean, and has been trying to grow as many mediterranean culinary plants as possible. Right now we are proud owners of VERY large bay laurel tree (that overwinters in our basement under grow lights, a Meyer lemon tree, a fig tree, and a caper bush. We’ve had a hot summer here, so right now all of them are thriving.

Here are few fun facts about capers:
Capparis spinosa is native to almost all the circum-Mediterranean countries, and is included in the flora of most of them, but whether it is indigenous to this region is uncertain. The family could have originated in the tropics and later spread to the Mediterranean basin. The plant is best known for the edible flower buds (capers), used as a seasoning or garnish, and the fruit (caper berries), both of which are usually consumed salted or pickled.

caper flower (Capparis spinosa)