The mulberry fruit does not bud until frosts are past: they symbolize patience. Once the danger of the last frost passes, mulberries produce their buds so quickly that they appear almost over night, thereby acquiring their symbolism of expediency and wisdom. I like to think that eating the mulberry somehow makes me all the more patient and wiser.

I love the mulberry, not just for its symbolism. It’s one of my favorite fruits. It’s the fruit with which my best friend, Brooke, and I painted our faces and dyed our hair in middle school; it’s the fruit I eat by the bowlful when I arrive in the summertime at my parents’ home; and If I ever get a tattoo, it would likely be of the mulberry. A couple of years ago I found dried mulberries, and while they are not the same as the Persian Mulberry buy at the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market, they certainly fill that mulberry void while in Austin and I buy them by the bagful.

This Halloween, instead of eating all of the candy, I made this trail mix for friends to munch on during the escapades in our neighborhood. It’s so good I was hardly sad when the last kid took the last box of junior mints. To me this is all about the cashews and mulberries together in every bite, so I go heavy on those two. Feel free to mix and match how you see fit.

Mulberry and Cashew Trail Mix
1/2 cup dried mulberries
1/2 cup raw cashew pieces
1/4 cup raw pecan pieces
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup raisins
2 Tablespoons toasted hemp seeds
pinch of salt

Toss together in a bowl and leave on your desk or toss in a ziplock baggy and eat it my the handful when you need a snack for the road.