Dog Rose & Midsummer

Scrap Kitchen 16- Pagan traditions, apricot icecream and roses galore

The longest day has now passed us by. How did you celebrate?

I spent my Litha, also known as midsummer, barreling down some rapids affectionately known as “Slaughterhouse”. I dumped out of the boat, not once but twice and only one time did I take the whole boat with me. The sun was soft (if a little fire hazy), the water was damn cold and despite fearing for my life it was a pretty great time. As a way to spend the year’s longest day, it was a solid one. Coupled with this fantastic Apricot Icecream (and accompanying ritual) from Miss Wondersmith and very careful use of fire, this day was marked accordingly.

The joy of Litha, which is one of the eight festivals within the wheel of the year, is that of fertility and growth. It marks the point in time where fields are planted and really getting growing, mirrored in the pregnant state of the Goddess who embodies the changes of the year. After working hard planting out the fields over the past few weeks, it feels like we are rounding the bend. The beds are jam-packed, the corn has sprung up, the greenhouses are filled with tendrils needing trellising, the squash is spreading out and now we all need to gestate a little. Within this time of life, this pregnant pause as we wait for crops to ripen, the nights begin again to slip in. Even within all this life is a reminder of death. What I love about celebrating the year cyclically is that no day is alone, each festival links to the next, reminds us that the only constant is change. And while this can be daunting, it can also be freeing. As the smoke makes the moon a little too yellow, this too shall pass.

Traditionally this day would be marked by a big bonfire but in this current climate that is a bit of a no-no. Although fire is a cleansing part of most cultures across the globe and can be very important for clearing and maintaining a forest, I would rather not risk it at the moment. Other ways to celebrate are to revel in the sunny side of life, witnessing the sunrises and sunsets on this long day, eating honey cakes, getting twatted at a stone circle, decorating oak trees (which symbolise the ‘door’ to the second part of the year) and placing offerings into water-sources to ensure water for thirsty crops. St Johns Wort is also in full flower right about now, reflecting back the state of the sun, I would suggest saving it for a later date in this snappy salve.

This weeks tarot card is The Chariot, a card of balance, drive and a lot of yellow. Linking it to the sun chariot which pulls Helios across the sky, but certainly needs a lot of stability and vigilance. It’s a little too apt. Ask yourself: where am I driven? How am I renewing this power? What markers do I have to keep me on track? Am I balanced in my pursuit of things?

Within this month my love, the elderflower, is out in full. I have seen countless stories of people making elderflower champaign, cordial, cakes, everything! But I am nowhere near any elders, and last year I remember an uptick in elderflower picking as people rushed to make pandemic cordials, this lead to a shortage of elderberries in the autumn. Thinking of this reminds me of why respectfully foraging is so important. To take without thought for the next person/animal is not the way to be using the abundance offered.

Dog Rose, will have no such problem. Found all over British hedgerows this vibrant five-pointed rose is edible, abundant and delicious. Petals from all roses are edible, just be sure they haven’t been sprayed with pesticides etc. I’ll be covering the wild and wonderful uses of rose-hips later in the season but for now, the focus is on the petals. Rose jam is a go-to for preserving roses if you find yourself with too many on your hands, either that or making a simple rosewater facial toner. If you want to get a little spicy in the kitchen this Harrisa will do the trick. On the sweeter side of things, there is this absolutely not vegan custard. Of course, there is tea, because most all herbs can be turned into tea.

When not foraging the shelves should be stocked with second spring’s early produce: bell peppers, courgette, peas and the first flush of radishes. We harvested our first Easter Egg Radishes last week, thinning them to allow space for those left behind to grow. They have so far made their way into salads, an adapted version of these daikon steaks, these roasties and some quick pickles. We have also been working through the litany of chard, spinach and kale that we harvest each week. For kale, I have been loving using the stems in stir frys and the leaves in a zesty pesto. In terms of pesto experiments, which I take very seriously, the only one better is dandelion. But as with all cooking, gardening and whatever else you do, fuck around with ingredients, combinations and flavours until you find what suits you. You can make some pretty marvellous things from messing around with what suits you.

This week’s podcast explores Midsummer and its associated traditions. If you learned something new here, or just want to let me know how you ahve been spending your longest day, please leave a comment down below.

As always I would like to thank each and every damn one of you for reading and supporting what I have to say. Anyways I’m signing off for now, save your seeds, send me a comment and share this bitch.

Until then, stay scrappy

M

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Image credit: Martin Gabriel, Courtnie Tosana, Corina Rainer, Jason Leung

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