When fire sweeps the landscape in the Northwest, one of the first plants to emerge from the scorched earth is fireweed. The hardy perennial blooms magenta-pink flowers in August, representing new beginnings.
For local chef Lynette Pflueger, the plant’s symbolism struck home. After years away from high-end kitchens, she returned to Spokane’s culinary scene to open a bakery of her own, Fireweed Baking Co., in a Browne’s Addition’s retail and office building called The Dormitory.
A descendant of the Spokane Tribe of Indians on her mom’s side, Pflueger’s new bakery aligns with her heritage.
“Our priorities when it comes to sourcing [ingredients] is local, sustainable — including being organic — and from producers who have the good of the Earth in mind,” Pflueger says, adding that she tries to purchase from BIPOC- and women-owned companies when possible…