June Ephemera Forecast

This month’s Forecast is sponsored by strawberries. Strawberries: fresh from the forest to your basket, plump June strawberries will not disappoint!

Bounty of the Skies

The new moon of June rises on Friday, the 15th. The full moon rises on Friday, the 29th.

The June moon is called by a variety of names: the Moon of Roses, the Strawberry Moon, the Moon of Flowers and the Honey Moon.

The Summer solstice will occur on Thursday, June 21st. Following the year's zenith of light, the hours of day begin subtly to wane, and the hours of night begin slowly to grow. Even as we experience the world in its full ripeness, already beginning is its inward-turning once more.

Bounty of the Earth

What delights are in our market basket in June?

Spinach, watercress and invigorating bitter greens, herbs and lettuces, scallions and shallots, leeks, green garlic, fresh chives, spring peas, strawberries and mulberries, red currants, tender shoots of asparagus, and don’t forget fresh wild mushrooms after the rains!

Seasonal Recipe

Dovga, a Fresh Herb Soup with Sorrel
Serves 6

A delicious dish from Azerbaijan, dovga may be served chilled or hot from the soup pot!

If you wish, you may substitute spinach for one of the cups of sorrel. Be sure to pull the leaves from the stems of the sorrel or spinach as this will improve the texture of the soup.

1 quart chicken or vegetable stock

2 cups yoghurt

1 1/2 tablespoons flour

3 cups sorrel leaves, packed full

3 scallions, white and pale green parts only, finely chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint

a pinch of cayenne pepper

salt and pepper, to taste

chopped dill or chives for garnish

- Bring the chicken broth to a simmer in a soup pot.

- Whisk yoghurt and flour together until smooth.

- Chop sorrel leaves into small shreds.

- Whisk a cup of the simmering broth into the yoghurt mixture and then return yoghurt mixture to the soup.

- Add remaining ingredients and simmer 1 minute. Garnish with dill or scallions, if desired.

(From a recipe in James Peterson's Splendid Soups.)

Lore & Miscellanea

"A swarm of bees in May is worth a cow and a bundle of hay;

a swarm of bees in June is worth a silver spoon;

a swarm in July is not worth a fly."

This folk saying reminds us that bees which swarm earlier are more valuable in honey-making. Even if you have no special affection for honey, remember that without bees there would be far fewer flowers. I so like to watch bees at their chores... from the least little wild bee zipping past my nose to the great fuzzy bumblebees climbing into roses, dancing from bloom to bloom beneath the warm Summer sun!

Midsommardans (1897) by Anders Zorn

A beautiful Midsummer to you!