The Free Radical

For many years I regarded the Mesa as a relatively barren flat-topped hill sporting a few sparse grasses and scrub. In fact, I thought of it as more of a giant anthill than anything else. After this summer’s countless discoveries however, I have revised my opinion, now having realized that the Mesa consistently provides the most fabulous variety of flavours imaginable.

I dig my onions there. I first developed a taste for saskatoon berries there. The very best tasting berries I’ve ever had come from a juniper bush on the Mesa. When in the spring I collected the new growth tips from fir trees for brewing beer, the best tasting ones all came from the Mesa. Crocuses, arnica and mariposa lilies grow there. And now this:

Had I not been growing the domestic variety at home, I probably wouldn’t have recognized or even noticed this patch of Wild Tarragon. As I walked by for… oh… the bazillionth time I thought “Hey, that looks exactly like tarragon!” (I might’ve even said it aloud; I do that a lot.) I plucked a small leaf to taste. It had the soft texture of tarragon and a flavour resembling things vaguely tarragon. I was pretty sure it was tarragon, and a quick look in my reference guide confirmed that indeed this was a member of the sage family, Wild Tarragon.

“Variety is the spice of life… but consistency, uniformity, conformity are the demands of commerce. In a marketable world, tarragon must taste exactly like tarragon tasted yesterday, and tomorrow it had better taste the same. Any bold variance is too risky… no matter how interesting or unique.

“Wildness introduces the unknown… waiting to be discovered… again and again… forever. Perhaps not every variation pleases equally, but it is authentic.”

When I returned today I tasted leaves from each of the individual plants. Indeed, there was an astonishing variety of flavours among such close neighbours. The real treat however was when I tasted the one which had flowered and gone to seed. The taste of the tiny florets, each containing a seed, was the perfect blend of liquorice and vanilla. I think I will try it in a stout.

[This Wild Tarragon Stout will likely be the last of this year’s brewing cycle. The date for Beerfest 7 has been set: Saturday, October 12th. It is the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, and as always, will be at my house. You are invited. I supply the beer; you provide a thirst. This year’s menu includes Christmas Tree Red Ale, Wild Rose Petal Cerveza, Chilli Chocolate Stout, Black Pepper Pilsner, several Cream Ales, and many others including limited supplies of all of last year’s brewing cycle ( the double archiving system)!]

“All perspectives are equally valid in integrated systems,” continued Wild Tarragon. “You can share a collective vision while maintaining the uniqueness of each perspective. Indeed, that is the greatest value individuals may bring to any collaboration– all the many angles from which a vision can be viewed.

“You, as authentically you, is all of the value… as it is for all. Any values outside of that are illusory. Your true perspective is EXACTLY what’s needed… now and forever.”

Sage advice, I’d say. Sage advice!