Redbuds for Lunch?

Redbuds in bloom dot the countryside.

Spring is here in force, and with it many warm days filled with sunshine. (If I write this loud enough, perhaps the chilly gray clouds overhead will take the hint and float away.) We're readying garden beds for planting and goat stalls for kidding. (Leslie Lupine, our red-brown Nubian doe is due anytime. She had a pedicure this evening in preparation for the Big Event.) Wherever one goes, the bright purplish flowers of Eastern Redbud trees abound--along highways, edging pastures, or in parks.

Trays of peat (and newspaper) pots filled with growing medium are sprouting seedlings galore. Gardeners and farmers examine the earth, checking the soil for warmth, texture, and the presence of earthworms. The cold days remind us to keep seedlings inside, or beneath protective row covers for the time being. Within a few weeks, gardens will begin hosting the young plants in preparation for this year's harvests.

A cluster of pea-like Redbud blossoms.

The Redbud trees lift my spirits and always draw my eyes. Until recently I saw them as mere harbingers of spring, eye-candy as it were, until my friend from Second-Life Farm in Macon County posted a link to an article informing readers of further possibilities. Look closely at Redbud blossoms. Notice how the blooms resemble the flowers on pea plants? Well, apparently they are related.

Following the blossoms, Redbuds put forth slender green pods. While I have seen them in prior years, this year I'm eager to try them--apparently they're quite tasty. The pea-like pods of the Redbud tree are best, I understand, when new--before their seeds achieve significant size. They are said to be tasty in salads and stir-fry dishes. I can't wait to try them!

Check it out on the TennZen blog!