Lilacs and Pickles (Vegetable Trigger Warning for Certain Trombles)

Yesterday we joined Anwyl's friends-since-high-school Fred and Charlie, with their spouses Letitia and BK, for lunch at an unusual eating spot, "The Cultured Pickle". We got there first and while we were waiting I saw this lilac bush, which reminded me of the beautiful long lilac hedge that along our driveway in Lewis. Lilacs aren't common here, although this one seemed old and well established. The scent is glorious, at least to my nose. The Cultured Pickle was an eating adventure -- a little like a brewery except with smaller tanks of fermenting vegetables. And eggs. I did not try the eggs, but had a good go at tastes of maybe a dozen different pickled or fermented things -- parsnips, burdock root, sweet potato, etc. etc. beautifully arranged on a bowl of rice with sprig of kale dried with miso sticking up out of the middle. I don't think I'll be repeating the experiment -- I had to stop due to sudden quease at half the bowl -- but it was fun to have something so different and Anwyl will be delighted to eat my leftovers for lunch today.