I have a spruce tree in my yard. Every April, it produces small male cones on its lower branches. If I’m quick and gather these before they start releasing pollen, I can make some pretty delicious meals out of them.
Here is a very basic recipe for spruce cone with pasta. Ideally, use this as inspiration for coming up with your own spruce cone recipes. The flavor works really well in many salads and almost anything with lemon.
New to spruce cones? Read this post on how to eat conifer cones.
Recipe Instructions:
- Cook pasta. Drain and set aside.
- Saute some garlic in olive oil. Add spruce cones.
- Let the spruce cones sauté for 1-2 minutes.
- Add some chopped spinach and sauté until just wilted. Season with salt, pepper and herbs like rosemary and thyme.
- Put sauted mixture on top of the pasta.
- Pour lemon juice on top and serve.
