Wisteria Agua Fresca

The Wisteria (W. sinensis) is blooming around here.  It's one of those plants that you either love or hate.

My dad was one of those that hated the plant.  One vine had grown, uninvited at one corner of our house.  The tendrils slid under the shingles, between the rafters, and slowly began to tear the house apart.  Dad ripped it out, stubbornly it returned.  Dad poisoned it.  The plant came back with a vengeance.  Eventually a five-year war ensued to remove the vine from the skeleton of the house.  For a couple of years, the battle seemed evenly matched,  but finally the plant seemed to acquiesce and disappeared from the yard.   But it was only a clever strategy.  The root sat there for almost twenty years, waiting for it's nemesis to die.  And soon, one morning not long after my father passed, I noticed a snake of a tendril creeping out from that long-dormant root and marching back toward a window casing.

The stuff is tenacious.

An abandoned homestead near me is a solid square of purple in the spring.  The vine has shrouded an Italian Cypress.  It's lovely in spots like this and reminds me of a ghostly plantation.  Long racemes give the appearance of purple icicles dripping to earth.  And the smell, oh my goodness, the smell.  If angels wear perfume, it must come from the wisteria blossom.

The flowers of the Wisteria are edible.  But only the flowers.  The seeds, stems, leaves and bark are all toxic.  Bring the flowers into your kitchen and your house will smell of spring for days.  The problem is, the color of the flowers doesn't hold up in heat.  Eating it in cold preparations or adding it just before serving a hot dish will keep the color nicely.

So the next couple of blogs will be focusing on ways to serve wisteria while maintaining the fragrance and the beautiful color of the flowers.

We drink a lot of agua fresca here in the summer.  It's a light, fruity summer drink that utilizes just about any mixture of fruit and vegetables.   Our summers get hot, and we often have days that max out about 110 degrees.  Cooking anything is a chore.  So an icy cold drink that just involves a whip in the blender is a treat.  Normally, I might use tamarind, cantaloupes  watermelon or even cucumber.  Made with Wisteria, agua fresca takes on a whole new profile, fragrant and sweet-tart.

Whirl 3 cups Wisteria blossoms, 2 cups water, 4 tablespoons lime juice, 3 cups of water, a shot of simple syrup to suit your taste,  and half a cucumber together in a blender.  Strain.  Serve over ice with a sprig of mint.

Now, sit back on a chaise lounge and enjoy.