Images by Sara Morales at Terra Amico Farms : 680 California Ave . San Martin CA 95046 : terraamicofarms . com

With the myriad of beautiful spring flowers , how can we not love spring ? More than pleasing to the eye , flowers are my all-time favorite garnish . Yes friends , many springtime edible flowers are arriving and will soon be adorning your favorite dishes . Spring also ushers in a new bounty of micro-greens — those tiny plants loaded with flavor , antioxidants , and nutrients ! There are too many edible flowers and microgreens to list , but I do have my favorites ! Spring leaves behind my winter favs of squash blossoms and citrus flowers yet welcomes so many more varieties .

• Violets or Violas : these delicate flowers look like a small Pansy ( also wonderful and edible ). I love to use these beauties for any dish , dessert , or salad .

• Nasturtiums are divine . They have a peppery flavor and are great on salads or as a perfect garnish for cold soups .

• Dandelions are a common weed that can be found in many gardens and lawns . The flowers , leaves , and roots are all edible and can be used in salads or teas . Oh and get this — they can also be used as a substitute for coffee !

• Roses , who doesn ’ t love delightful rose petals to elevate your plate with a stunning visual . Roses are so much more than an edible flower . They are used in many ways like rose water , jams , teas , and in many middle eastern and Indian dishes .

• So many more : lilacs , fennel flowers , chamomile , lavender , marigolds , oh my !

I ’ m literally dancing with joy thinking of the bright dishes I can create . From amazing edible flowers to the bounty of spring produce — young roots , spring peas , asparagus , artichokes , berries , rhubarb , watercress — and those delicious bulbs of fennel — just to name a few of my culinary loves arriving this spring . With this in mind , what shall we create in this article ?

Well , when I think of spring , I think of sitting in the garden , a patio setting , and feeling the newly warmed air that ’ s still holding a mild crispiness . I think of sipping coffee with my mama outside watching her tend to her own beautiful garden . I think of mimosas with my girlfriends letting loose at the end of the week . Can you guess what foods come to my mind ?

Yup , you guessed it … BRUNCH ! If you don ’ t already know about brunch … Uh where ’ ve you been ? Just kidding ! Think of brunch as late breakfast and early lunch swirled together with a bubbly beverage to make everything right with the world !

Fun Facts : Although brunch is a widely accepted term and tradition across cultures in our modern world , the origins of brunch can be traced back to late 19th century England . The word brunch is a portmanteau — or blending of two words : “ breakfast ” and “ lunch .” Brunch became popular in the United States in the 1930s .

Word savvy British writer Guy Beringer first used the term ” Brunch ” in the publication “ Hunters Weekly ’ in 1895 . Bored of the long traditional post-church meals , Beringer suggested something different and lighter — breakfast with a lunch flare . I bet he never thought it would become an eating term that would gain popularity worldwide . Others give credit to the massive moment of progress for women in America . When women were allowed ( Me … taking a deep breath ) to enter the workforce , they needed a break from the “ women duties of cooking ” and pushed for going out to eat on the weekend ! ( Me … applauding !)

Some food historians say brunch was popularized by catholic parishioners , who would fast before Sunday mass and eat a late , lavish lunch . Wherever it started the United States gets the credit for perfecting it in my opinion ! Our restaurants were quick to jump in on the craze , adding in alcoholic beverages like mimosas and bloody Mary ’ s to lure us all in !! And it ’ s still working ! Now you ’ re a smarty pants when it comes to brunch facts . You ’ re welcome ! (© Grubhub staff blog March 14th , 2018 . https :// blog . grubhub . com / the-history-of-brunch )

38 SPRING 2024 gmhTODAY Magazine : Go . Make history ... gmhtoday . com