A Wild Harvest

Between the weather and the woodchucks, Brightside's cultivated gardens, orchards and berry plots have not been as productive as we'd hoped--at least thus far. (I always keep my fingers and toes crossed!) The happy news is that Nature truly does abhor a vacuum. Several wild foods have stepped up to fill the breech.

Ripe Autumnberries.

Just-picked Scarlet Bee Balm.

As of this week, autumnberry (Elaeagnus umbellata), elderberry (Sambucus nigra), and staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina) are in rare form, as bountiful as they are flavorful. Sweet cranberry-flavored autumnberry, also known as autumn olive, is nothing short of a miracle fruit, high in carotenoids, particularly lycopene. Antioxidant-rich elderberries are as prized for their health benefits as for their rich cabernet-grape flavor. Staghorn sumac berries, whose upright crimson clusters bear no resemblance whatsoever to the drooping white berries of their poison cousins, are very high in ascorbic acid. At Brightside, we enjoy a "lemonade" made from the cold water-soaked berries and routinely use a sumac concentrate as a lemon-substitute in cooking.

Add to this bounty the fact that our new favorite wild herb, scarlet bee balm (Monarda didyma), just keeps on coming. This delicate mint with a distinct citrus scent, from which it gets another of its common names, bergamot, is nothing short of a natural wonder. Merely picking this plant is aromatherapy.

Bush Cherries.

So far, the one true standout in Brightside's fruit crop has been our bush cherries, which have proven delightfully abundant and delicious. Our new Cherry Butter and Cherry-scented Peach Spread attest to this fact! To supplement our paltry crop, we've obtained organic blackberries, blueberries, peaches and rosehips from local farmers at lower elevations. (Yes, Rosehip Butter is back!)

All of this is good news indeed for fruit and herb lovers. Brightside will offer a wide selection of old favorites and new creations in both fruit preparations and herbal teas at our biggest festival of 2011, the upcoming Jackson's Mill Jubilee September 2-4.

Elderberries.

Located at Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson's family farm and mill in Weston, West Virginia, this heritage festival celebrates 19th century craftsmanship. Brightside was invited to attend by the festival organizer, who believes we're a "perfect fit."

I certainly hope she's right. I'll be wearing a classic turn-of-the-last-century gown for the occasion!

Staghorn Sumac berries.