By Ratna
The faint smell of roses by the roadside hit me only after I had walked away a bit. Like an afterthought. These are Wildroses, growing abundantly in the bushes in the Prairies. Differing from their uptown cousin Damask roses in both looks and fragrance. The single layer of petals and the faint fragrance may indicate how humble they are. Far from contrary. Below their plain looks they are extremely resilient. Surviving the minus forty Prairie winters, they come back year after year.
Our little Prairie town turned one hundred this year. This rural town doesn’t boast of a skyline with skyscrapers. We have the grain silo as the backdrop instead. Lakes fed with natural spring water dot the landscape. The Trumpeter Swans nest in them year after year. They bring up the Cygnets and migrate to the warmer south in winter.
In the early days people migrated here from the east as well as Europe. With limited resources, little bit of trepidation and a lot of determination they started farming. They toiled the earth. The growing season is short but the longer daylight hours rewarded them with bountiful crops.The winters were harsh. They did not give up though. Just like the wild roses, they were resilient.
Berries grow in the wild here. Blueberries, strawberries, Saskatoon berries to name a few. This summer has been very hot. The fruits did very well too. Sweet and juicy you can’t have enough of those. We went to U-pick farms and Farmer’s market to get the freshest, juiciest berries.
Rosewater is a very common flavour in desserts in India. I used Rosewater flavour for these popsicles which I made from locally grown Saskatoon Berries.
Recipe:
Ingredients:
Saskatoon berries One cup
Greek yoghurt One Tbsp
Honey One Tbsp
Walnut chopped One Tbsp
Lemon juice One tsp
Method;
Wash the berries. Blend them with the yoghurt and honey in a blender. Add bit of water if needed. Strain the mixture to get a smooth residue. Throw in the walnut pieces. Add the lemon juice and Rosewater and stir well.
Fill up the popsicle molds with this solution using a funnel. Put them in the freezer for 24 hours. To remove the popsicles from the mold, let it sit in warm water. It separates from the popsicle.
Inside Scoop:
Rosewater is available in Indian grocery stores.
All measurements can be tweaked to your taste.