JUNE 2021
June Colors ~ OMBRE June is an incredible month for color! Flowers begin to shoot up into sky-high columns of trumpets and bells. Garden roses and sweet peas burst forth with such fervor, it’s known as the first flush. Though ombre is not specific to a particular color, it does describe the flowers of June perfectly ~ Magenta to Pink to White the ombre colors of Lathyrus latifolius, or perennial sweet pea, that colors the roadsides here in the Gorge shows up first in June & it is a sure sign summer is imminent. This color gradient also represents the skyscraping bells of glorious foxgloves that remind me fairies do live here ~ Navy to Baby Blue for the towering columns of delphinium that begin to appear, spot it wild along the highway between Cape Horn and Camas ~ Grape to Periwinkle for the stunning wild lupine that graces the hillsides just before summer’s heat sets in ~ Orange the lone anomaly in the cool ombre rainbow of June. There is a very special wild turk’s cap lily that finishes off this parade of color and gives the whole palette the sunny glow of a tropical sunset
June Fauna ~ Steller's Jays have been chattering up a storm, warning everyone that nest bandits are about ~ Crows also noisy, alerting of larger birds of prey & also acting the part of bully/opportunist, so often is the duality of nature ~ Coyotes with all of their spring pups are testing their voices in the hills lately June Fauna is all about chatter, baby birds chirping for food & adults teaching the little ones how live. It’s a glorious & noisy time!
June Flavors ~ Salad Greens are in full swing! Bitters like mustard greens, dandelion, and arugula should be gobbled up before they bolt ~ Dill and Fennel are making savory dishes with a little salt just to die for ~ Soft Cheeses are a favorite of mine this time of year, especially with dill ~ Pastry with the abundance of dairy and the last of the flour jar, it’s time to indulge in tarts and danishes and scones, oh my! With the flurry of activity in June, a morning sugar rush or an afternoon sweet pick-me-up can be downright heavenly. These ingredients remind me of the cuisine of Northern Europe and I often look to the Netherlands for food inspiration this time of year. If you’re in the Gorge, treat yourself to Scandanavian breakfast at Broder Ost & don’t skip the Danish Bloody Mary with yummy dill aquavit. Cheers to June!
June Treats ~ Strawberries the heat really made for a fleeting season, but it was sweet! Sticky and lovely, I didn’t even have time to freeze some for jam. It’ll have to live in my memory. Honestly, the only foraging I had time to do was a single bowl of strawberries. I looked longingly at the Elderflower along the road and hoped for just a couple of handfuls of the fragrant flowers to add to some lemonade, alas, that will also wait till next year. June is a fast one, 2021 almost snuck it right past me but I kept my senses lively and certainly glimpsed some magic.
Not to be missed in July ~ a trip to the Hood River Fruit Loop! July is berry season y’all… I can’t be the only one eating my body weight in Rainier Cherries.
