Burnet

One of the first herbs up very early in the season and ready to be used on tea sandwiches or in soups and salads is this charmer. Burnet, (Poterium sanguisorba), is one of the great mimic plants in the herb garden. The flavor of this pretty plant is that of cucumber but without the peptic after effects cucumber has on some people. A quite hardy perennial you can harvest burnet all year round, even under heavy snow, which is a good thing because it loses its flavor when dried. It reaches only about 1 foot in height and the flowers are long stems with a nondescript reddish oval. It might occasionally self sow but for the most part Burnet is a well behaved plant and will not take over your herb patch. We love to use the pretty leaves as garnish or on top of a tomato sandwich.

You can also use it to make a flavorful sandwich spread.

Easy Burnet Tea Sandwiches

8 oz cream cheese

2 Tbl mayo

1/3 C chives freshly snipped

1/2 C fresh burnet, chopped

Soften the cream cheese with the mayo(or a splash of white wine if you prefer). Add the herbs. Spread on 12 slices of thin bread. Top with 12 slices of bread, remove crusts, and cut into fancy shapes.