Don’t Let Covid-19 Quash Your Sense of Adventure
We were traveling in our RV when Covid-19 first started to rear its ugly head, and we chose to cut our adventures short when it became clear that things were going to get out of hand fast. We made the decision for our own safety and for that of those we would have inevitably come in contact with on the road. Happy to be safe at home, we sheltered in place. And months later, like the rest of the country, we’re still sheltering. This has been a complete lifestyle table flip, but rather than gripe about adventures lost, we have been spending the time exploring our own back yard. Admittedly, it started off a little boring, but when you open your eyes to the world around you, you’d be surprised how many unexpected treasures are right under your nose!
Lunch-Time Walks
Now almost a ritual, John and I started doing a half-hour walk around the neighborhood at lunch time just to get out of the house. We’re now besties with a friendly neighborhood goat, and have discovered that many of our neighbors have very interesting tastes when it comes to yard decoration.
This friendly goat greets us every time we walk by. She has become a bright spot in an otherwise dull day.
One bonus to taking a new route is that you get to find new yard decor ideas!
In general, these walks have renewed a sense of wonder in what is right in our back yard. I have lived in the same place for about 15 years and I just recently discovered hidden trails in my neighborhood. There are small wooded connectors between parts of the neighborhood that provide the feeling of being in the woods without ever having to start the car. As you might have guessed though, there is more to this story than fun finds and hidden trails…this story is mostly about food.
Local Plant Life
The thing that has been most interesting about our walks has been to really pay attention to the different plants that are around and to see their various stages of growth from one day to the next. Of course I have been keeping an eye on the massive walls of blackberries near the park so that I can grab some at peak freshness, but I have also noticed a couple of wild fruit trees hidden among weeds and vines on a city-owned piece of property. I did a bunch of reading and found out that these are cherry plums, an edible fruit tree native to Europe and Asia. They are popular landscaping plants due to their beautiful spring flowers, but they can be found wild here in the Pacific Northwest, having escaped cultivation. Naturally, I had to harvest some and see what I could do with them.
Cherry plums harvested from a local wild-growing tree.
resulting cooking experiments
After finding out that these little fruits were edible, I had to find something to do with them! They were so plentiful that I was able to harvest a large bowlful in just a few minutes, so I rushed home to wash and slice them. I decided to try my hand at a kind of tarte tatin crossed with an upside down corn cake. Bear in mind that I have never made a tarte tatin, or an upside down cake, or a corn cake for that matter…
My first attempt at making something delicious out of cherry plums.
It turned out absolutely beautiful, and mostly edible, though my teeth may fall out soon due to all of the sugar I consumed in a single bite of this. Don’t worry, this is just step 1 in the experimentation process. I’ll let you know when I have a fully developed recipe ready for you to try! There is also another variety of cherry plum on the same property, is I’ll have to snag some of those when they are ready to harvest as well. Apparently cherry plums are a popular ingredient in Georgian cuisine, so I’ll definitely be doing more research.
Get Out and Explore More!
What I took away from this experience was that there is so much more to adventure to find right here at home than I would have ever known if I hadn't made exploring our neighborhood a priority. While I still do love to travel, and we’ll be out there on the road again some day, there is so much right here that I didn’t even know existed. It’s in slowing down and taking time to notice the little things that opens up a whole new world of discoveries. Covid-19 has taken so much from us, but it has also given us an excuse to literally stop and smell the roses.