There are elderberry bushes all along the slopes of the Sierra Nevada, and today I went to one of my favorite picking spots outside Bridgeport to harvest berries for this year’s cordial. I use this recipe from Hank Shaw. You just have to be careful to pick the berries off the stems because the stems are high in oxalates, which can be toxic. My dogs enjoyed the outing as well; it was the perfect day for it–rabbitbrush blooming, aspens starting to turn, sage smelling strong.
The Rookery 