Foraging in Los Angeles
As a first-time visitor, I was pleasantly surprised about the hills, the fruit hanging everywhere you look, the fact that everything here isn’t just smoggy highways and traffic. I think L.A. gets a bad rap (based on my 7 days’ worth of experience here). I was lucky to have thoughtful hosts with eyes also focused on the things I most enjoy, flowers, fruit, leaves and trees.
;)
Emily took me on a morning foraging walk in her neighborhood over the weekend. Here lies our loot (above): [From left, clockwise] Pink peppercorns, a monstrous fig I knocked off a tree with a bamboo stick, prickly pears that were soon gutted to make an infused vinegar, elderflowers that were dropped in booze, and green walnuts we’re chopping in half to make David Lebovitz’s nocino recipe.
Here’s my L.A., enjoy!
Bougainvillea bursting over a fence on one of many of the hillside steps
Meyer lemon blooms on Emily’s stoop
Naranja agria/bitter orange, tree full of fruit hanging over Emily’s garage
Avocados in someone’s front yard
Cactus flowers, nasturtiums in the background
Quince?
Elderflowers
A couple different red mystery flowers (know what they are?)
Lemons, just hangin’ around
A Peruvian variety of peppercorns that grow all over the place on trees here
Black walnuts, before they’re black, aka green walnuts
The mighty hibiscus
Foraging, Garden & Outdoors, Gardening
Reader Comments (6)
The first mystery flower looks like pineapple guava. I've heard the flower is actually better than the fruit, which I personally don't like. The quince(?) is definitely a quince. :-)
Thanks Ghislaine!
Those red mystery flowers are definitely pineapple guava (aka feijoa) blossoms. You can eat the white petals, but you can also leave them on the tree and wait until October for a full pineapple guava harvest. They're ripe when they fall off the tree, and are very sweet and fragrant and tropical-honey-ish. We have a gigantic tree and never know what to do with all of them.
We have those pink peppercorn trees in the bay too--but I never knew you could eat them. More foraging for me. :)
There is an article in the September issue of Sunset magazine re: pineapple guava. The article includes a recipe! Probably can find it on their website. BTW, I love the blossoms in salads.
you gonna give it up? especially the black walnuts??? :) love the post. e
The second mystery flower is a coral tree, Erythrina crista-galli. The flowers are gorgeous and it attracts bees, but it is very messy and has big seed pods that result in baby trees everywhere! Also, those baby trees have thorns. Ask me how I know :(