Earth Day, Essence of Spring
Earth Day is a day when it’s hard to ignore the call of the garden, the forest, the ocean. Wherever it is you find sanctuary in the outdoors, Earth Day is a celebration of those places and a ritual of giving back in our small, human way. This day of tuning in to Mother Earth comes at the most fitting time of the year. Spring rains are coaxing wildflowers from every crevice that was lucky enough to receive a seed in the previous season. The days are warming and we are stretching our arms to shake off the winter’s slowness. We feel the urge to run through tall grass and dig into soil that smells of life, to plant seeds and watch in enraptured anticipation for germination, that magic spark when the fire of new beginnings catches. Our immediate senses are filled with fresh green things, warm, damp, fertile. Buds dot the branches of trees, bursting into flowers, then swelling into fruit. As humans, we are caught up in the swiftly flowing streams of spring and carried in the forward momentum that flows toward something bigger and wider and full of potential.
This Earth Day might look different than past years’ celebrations and offerings. Young trees are still being planted and the ground is still being tidied up by good citizens. But hopefully we are collectively pausing and breathing a little deeper, and embracing the truth that is not new, but newly impressed upon us. Mother Earth has whispered to those who can hear the real truth of our actions and the need for less talk and more action. We have known for a long while that our footprint on this ground was too heavy and too deep, but habits are hard to break. We find ourselves in a place where we are called to embrace the big reset. If we want to hear the chorus of spring frogs and crickets in years to come, we need to take our boots off and go barefoot.
You don’t need us to tell you how to go about this. We won’t list best practices for having a lighter carbon footprint and respecting our planet. There’s plenty of that in the world, and we all know the consequences. What we will offer is encouragement and solidarity in embracing real changes. We will be your silent partner while berry hunting in the woods, foraging by the river bank, and cutting flowers in a sunny meadow. We will empathize with you if coconut and pineapple can’t be part of your diet, because they aren’t locally available. We will enjoy new recipes with you from plants that do grow in our climate, that we’ve never tried before. We will stoke your curiosity about the possibilities of that green, flowering world outside.
To celebrate Earth Day, and spring, and new life, and joy in what clean rain and sunshine bring forth, here is a recipe for Lilac + Elderflower Cordial, a seasonal favorite and staple in our kitchen.
Spring Lilac + Elderflower Cordial
3 cups of lilac blossoms3 cups of elderflower blossoms1 quart of filtered water2 3/4 cups of cane sugar2 tsp of lemon juicePick the flower blossoms fresh and do not rinse. Rather, gently shake the blossoms to rid them of insects or debris. Be sure to only pick blossoms from plants that are removed from roads and not sprayed with any chemicals. Do not remove the individual flowers from the stem, as most of the nectar is at the base where the flower meets the stem. Just cut away any extra stem below the flowers.
Add the water and sugar to a medium pot and bring to a boil. Stir until all the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and immediately pour into a non-reactive bowl, glass or ceramic. Add the lemon juice, stir, then add the lilac and elderflower blossoms to the hot sugar water mixture. Stir gently, agitating the mixture for a few minutes. Place a plate in the bowl to keep the flowers submerged in the sugar water. This prevents oxidation of the flowers.
Cover and leave the mixture on the counter for 24 hours. After 24 hours, move the bowl to the refrigerator for another two days. Stir the mixture periodically through this process.
After 48 hours in the refrigerator, strain the mixture into a clean bowl by pouring through a sieve lined with cheesecloth. Squeeze the flowers in the cheesecloth to wring out all the syrup. Pour the mixture into sterilized bottles and store in the refrigerator. It will keep for 4 weeks.
A cordial is a concentrate, so you need to dilute to taste. Fill a large glass with ice and pour 1/4 cup of Lilac + Elderflower Cordial over the ice, then add sparkling or still water. To enjoy it in a cocktail, add 2 ounces of vodka or gin to the glass and a wedge of lemon.