The Help of a Story

The Help of a Story 

It was only two weeks ago I was telling this story about a friend of mine; whose father-in-law had a huge arbor of spinach. I have it growing in my backyard. Its leaves make a quick but strong dose of iron to all who need it. But in recent months the vine has not been called upon for its magnificent green leaves. 

As I retold the story, it was not the benefit of its leaves why the old man cherished this vining spinach. It was for its fruits, a tiny layer of pulp surrounding the seed. My dubious look then, was converted to an appreciative smile when I first tasted the product, a purple colored fruit liqueur. 

There is a built-in intimacy and partnership between plants and those who tend to them. Clearly the design is out of this world. This relationship has often been taken for granted or simply lost in the commonly held view of today’s youth that food comes from the supermarket. Plants provide benefits to their hosts so that their seed could be disseminated. 

The picking process is long and could be exhaustive if not for the help of a story and the memory of this great tasting medicinally sound liqueur. Here are some pictures of the tale of the tape so far: 

Malabar Spinach seeds borne as berries on the vine.  Berries bagged, weighed and stored for making liqueur. 

This product brings to mind the unique ways our ancestors captured and stored herbs for their medicinal properties. These skills must be rekindled by home gardeners as we discover the real prizes beyond those that readily meet the eye. 

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