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You know how there are some families where everyone is pretty easy to talk to even if a few people are a bit strange? While other families need to be navigated with a bit more caution since they contain total sweethearts as well as evil murderers, and sometimes it’s hard to tell which is which? Since I started foraging years ago, I have thought of plant families the same way. The mint family is like the first kind - none of those square-stemmed herbs are out to seriously hurt you (except for the temporary burn of nettle, who can get feisty at times.) The second family is totally the carrot family. You have to watch your back there. Make one wrong move and you could end up sleeping with the fishes, so to speak. This thought used to scare me far, far away from any members of this huge and diverse family, but now that I’ve spent a little more time gently feeling out the dynamics, it’s time to get to know them all a little better.

The Apiaceae (or Umbelliferae) family is full of sweetness and treasures. Just think of the aromatic properties of cumin, fennel, anise, dill, and caraway seeds, or the fragrant sweetness of fennel bulbs or spring carrots. Most people are familiar with these domesticated cousins… but let’s get to know the rest of the family a little deeper. Family reunions can be filled with the good, the bad, and the ugly and this family is no exception (though perhaps a more fitting description would be the sweet, the sneaky, and the deadly.)

I decided it is about time to get to know some of the members of this family, then use that newfound knowledge to infuse a carrot cake with a honey infused with other related plants, which creates a carrot cake like no other: complex layers of flavor, and a certain sweetness that couldn’t be achieved by honey alone. This hearty cake is well-spiced and paired with an aromatic cream cheese icing.

Find the rest of this post and the Secret Recipe over on Patreon.com/thewondersmith!

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