Desert Candle
MARCH INGREDIENT: DESERT CANDLE (CAULANTHUS INFLATUS)
Spring is officially here, and this month’s test kitchen features a timely Mojave native from the same family as kale…Desert candle!
It’s almost like eating cabbage from your garden. Considering we’ve had ample rain over the past few months, you should begin to see these thick chartreuse stems speckled in white-purple flowers. You may need to head a bit north to find it; highway 395 just west of Barstow is a pretty sure bet. The young leaves and tender parts of the stalk can be cooked in any number of ways, so roll up your sleeves and relax—this month is easy!
For more information on HDTK, as well as helpful tips on where lamiaceae grows and it’s many uses, check out Sarah’s website.
Monday, March 20th at 7pm
Copper Mountain Mesa Community Center
65336 Winters Road, Joshua Tree, CA
From September 2016 to July 2018 Sarah Witt organized High Desert Test Kitchen (HDTK), a monthly dinner gathering at the Copper Mountain Mesa Community Center in North Joshua Tree. Each month a different ingredient was featured with the challenge of incorporating local desert roots, fruits, insects, or a handful of twigs into a culinary repertoire. Participants would bring a dish to share, gathering together to discuss where the ingredients were sourced, the manner in which they were processed, and to consider their EQ (or edibility quotient). To read more about these native ingredients visit Sarah’s website.
