Treasure from the Keweenaw

I have done a number of posts about the new or exotic foods that I have come across during the course of our lives in New Zealand. (Another is coming up very soon.) Jeanne has said that my interest in them exceeds the average person's and amounts to a hobby. Maybe so. I have recorded each new food I've tried and the count now stands at 209. It's growing more slowly these days but by no means has the supply been exhausted. (I'm just giving my family a break from a constant stream of, "Hey, do you want to try something Really interesting?")

Well, I was given a gift while at home and just before I returned to NZ. It is this jar of thimbleberry jam.  I consider it to be every bit as exotic and wonderful as any of the unique foods I've encountered here. 

This was gifted to me by Kath and Lee, long time friends who live in a place that most Americans might regard as exotic; that is, the Keweenaw Peninsula of Northern Michigan. 

They visited me at home toward the end of a multi-state historical adventure they were on. They then rescued me (for a few hours) from my nearly empty house and treated me to dinner.  Unfortunately, I have no pictures to share with you of that evening or of the next morning when we met again for breakfast and shopping at a farmers' market. It was during our walk past the stalls of produce, honeys, and home-made soaps that I think I asked whether they still picked thimbleberries.   

About a week later, I received a box in the mail and to my delight, found this very thoughtful gift. I brought it back with me and have been sharing it with the family. My nine year old grandson Amiri has especially enjoyed it on scones and cibatta rolls. I have been pleased with his reaction to this 'new food.'  I think at nine years old, he is beginning to be able to appreciate that some food items are truly unique. And some are truly delectable. And some are both. T-berry jam is one of them.

One of the things that make thimbleberries almost worth their weight in gold is that they are mainly a wild plant. The label on the jar attests to that.

Our thimbleberries are Rubus parviflorus. They are not grown commercially and their soft nature means they ship poorly. Therefore, the supply available to jam makers is limited and their product each year disappears from store shelves quickly. I felt honored to receive a jar. 

Parviflorus, I read, is a mis-nomer. It means 'small-flowered.' In fact, it has one of the largest flowers of any Rubus. 

While a student at Northern Michigan University in Marquette, (1969-1973) I often walked past thimbleberries on my way to Tourist Park Lake. I wonder if they're still there?

I find it interesting that although the species Rubus parviflorus is widespread across the U.S., Wikipedia, in it's Cuisine section on thimbleberries, chooses to specifically mention the Keweenaw Peninsula as producing 'a local delicacy.' It even gives the recipe for the jam.

So, thanks, Kath and Lee, for providing both a nostalgic experience for me and a learning experience for my family.

You know, it's fun to research many of the food items I come across. I learn so much, and not necessarily just about the subject of my research. For example, while reading about t-berries, I was reminded of it's relative, the salmonberry, Rubus spectabilis. 

And that in turn got me thinking of my 'old friend' k. d. lang. No, I don't really know her, but she feels like an old friend because I've loved her voice since I first saw her on tv many years ago and was blown away by her performance. I either bought or was given gifts of her cd's for years. I had, at one time, researched her early career, and found that she played a lead role in the movie Salmonberries when she was about 30. 

I think that music is very much like food in some ways. Why do you think it is that people talk about their 'taste' in music, or art, for that matter? There is every sort under the sun. Not every type is 'palatable' to our ears but they all are interesting in some way. Even if I don't really like a particular piece of music, I think I learn from the experience of 'tasting' it. 

With that in mind, here is k. d. lang singing Hallelujah at the 2010 Olympics.

A little more surfing through YouTube video's having to do with Kathryn Dawn also lead me to Stompin' Tom Connors. His music has a very different 'flavor.' BTW, they called him 'Stompin' because he did so much of it while performing, he actually damaged some of the stages he performed on. He took to bringing along his own sheet of plywood to stomp on. Introduce him k. d...(she's a lot younger in this one.)

Well, there you have it. I've talked a bit about travels and friends and family and food and music. I guess that's enough for today. 

Thinking ahead, I may do a post that is about music. I'm not an expert who can teach you much, but I do like to 'study' certain songs and using Youtube, it's easy to do so. I'll tell you about it sometime and give some examples. Maybe you'd like to try it yourselves some time.  -djf