tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72657738985063706622024-02-07T08:04:04.376-05:00A Summer in New England- Cooking Wild PlantsMy goal for this blog is to inform readers about the uses of wild plants in the kitchen. Through the summer I'll harvest wild plants and test out recipes I find on the web. I plan on sharing some basic life history about the plants and then discussing how well they're incorporated into the recipe I pick. This is a first time experience for me, so hopefully this site is a place for all of us to learn about the wild flora in our yards and how we can use them to make delicious dishes!Charlevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05391454555483291650noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7265773898506370662.post-66328484406498086582010-07-25T14:53:00.002-04:002010-07-27T11:44:11.718-04:00Sweet Goldenrod in the Kitchen<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkVUBIeSKzIsAJQnz5GnjKMyJFBw4IQpsCnrizrqhfI9ow846XQf0TOhdZmqMstQ5dsi4FoJEKiXl7Q5u4erbz_9YyWIeaCLj0LPh4mWP7TUa29n7uHBngwJN-kbFI99mosJgAXiisOc5p/s1600/IMG_7604.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkVUBIeSKzIsAJQnz5GnjKMyJFBw4IQpsCnrizrqhfI9ow846XQf0TOhdZmqMstQ5dsi4FoJEKiXl7Q5u4erbz_9YyWIeaCLj0LPh4mWP7TUa29n7uHBngwJN-kbFI99mosJgAXiisOc5p/s320/IMG_7604.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498612237591284786" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">This week I tackled the tea making on my own. I have to say it felt like much less of an adventure. The Sweet Goldenrod was easy to find in a field by my house. I made sure to thoroughly inspect the plant with my ID book before harvesting. Sweet Goldenrod has long, straight leaves that come to a point at the tip. It’s very important to identify this plant correctly before ingesting it. I also would err on the side of caution if you know you’re allergic to a similar species of Goldenrod or a plant in the Asteraceae family. </span><o:p style="font-family: times new roman;"></o:p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: times new roman;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;">Harvesting was easy.<span style=""> </span>Since only the leaves are used for this recipe, you can pick them off and leave the rest of the plant.<span style=""> </span>I was feeling overheated, so I took the entire plant in attempt to save my fair skin from the blistering July sun. <o:p></o:p></p> <p face="times new roman" class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p face="times new roman" class="MsoNormal">The recipe I used was Jonathan M. Forester’s recipe from Slashfood.com entitled <a href="http://www.slashfood.com/2008/08/28/backyard-tea-sweet-goldenrod-leaves/">Backyard Teas: Sweet Goldenrod Tea</a>.<span style=""> </span>This site doesn’t have a recipe so much as a paragraph describing the plant and how to make tea from it.<span style=""> </span>I followed the author’s preference and dried my tealeaves.<span style=""> </span>According to Forester drying the leaves makes the tea less delicate with an agreeable bitterness.<o:p></o:p></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal">In between sneezes I plucked the leaves from their stems, placed them on a cooking sheet, and baked them in the oven on low until they were golden.<span style=""> </span>You simply have to watch them to get the timing right.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2H7jfP2J-XTcljYrtnmOyXR5rGpQUJlVr0Kdg0yhnyEMLe2wCgHIfEO7DRHEZb3h8jgprFHPbdG0jbYguCNKEllDk3dUJwatV-P9AwWUzw3Cc0ATnDax7Pp2ZeQ8fSVX4dez6k1t2gJz9/s1600/britt-4082.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2H7jfP2J-XTcljYrtnmOyXR5rGpQUJlVr0Kdg0yhnyEMLe2wCgHIfEO7DRHEZb3h8jgprFHPbdG0jbYguCNKEllDk3dUJwatV-P9AwWUzw3Cc0ATnDax7Pp2ZeQ8fSVX4dez6k1t2gJz9/s200/britt-4082.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497919378356329970" border="0" /></a><span style=""> </span>Cook time varies from day to day because of the moisture the plant transpired. Once cooled, I placed about a teaspoon of leaves in a mug and poured boiling water over them. After seeping for 5-10 minutes the tea was cool and strong enough to drink.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">The flavor was abrasive- herbal, yet bitter. I decided for fun I’d use the leftover leaves to make iced tea. Something about the change in temperature cut the bitterness and made it much more enjoyable. Considering Sweet Goldenrod’s season, it only makes sense to make it a cold drink anyways.</span><o:p></o:p></p> <!--EndFragment--> <o:p></o:p><a class="by" href="http://www.slashfood.com/bloggers/jonathan-m-forester/" title="Browse posts by Jonathan M. Forester"> <!--EndFragment--> </a>Charlevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05391454555483291650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7265773898506370662.post-83877645372216145382010-07-21T22:58:00.005-04:002010-07-25T14:11:39.511-04:00Sweet Goldenrod<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcqWA5VuvoIorpyIPyLR7G5DSl1NZhOwAeov1dE95DSvjWCdzsm40iy1xQHPJbuaGInlgAzlMnrq9rBEtOBca0dOuD6E0PtXgef5xRO5nhM535InbcB1KLbtULDuwdFG17nMnB0u7A1L3b/s1600/Sweet+Goldenrod+LDH_74712.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcqWA5VuvoIorpyIPyLR7G5DSl1NZhOwAeov1dE95DSvjWCdzsm40iy1xQHPJbuaGInlgAzlMnrq9rBEtOBca0dOuD6E0PtXgef5xRO5nhM535InbcB1KLbtULDuwdFG17nMnB0u7A1L3b/s320/Sweet+Goldenrod+LDH_74712.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496560213472368866" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Okay, to start off, it is not crazy (though many of you may think so) to make a recipe from <a href="http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=SOOD">Sweet Goldenrod</a> </span><em style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-style: normal;">(</span><b>Solidago</b></em><span class="search" style="font-family:times new roman;"><b> </b></span><em style="font-family: times new roman;"><b>odora</b></em><em style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-style: normal;">)</span></em><span style="font-family:times new roman;">. It is a common misconception that the cause of hay fever and many allergy problems are due to the blooming of Goldenrod. This is not true; Ragweed, the culprit, blooms at the same time as Goldenrod, yet somehow goes under the radar. </span><o:p style="font-family: times new roman;"></o:p><br /><br />Goldenrod is commonly seen between late spring and early fall. Its bright yellow flowers make it hard to miss along roadsides and fields.<span style=""> </span>A word of caution- there are many varieties of Goldenrod and you absolutely should I.D. your plant before consumption.<o:p></o:p><br /><br />Sweet Goldenrod has an interesting place in American History- After the Boston Tea Party colonialists had to find alternative tea sources and became particularly found of Sweet Goldenrod Tea.<span style=""> </span>There was a time that the U.S. actually exported it to China! <o:p></o:p><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><br /><br />These teas are used as kidney and throat anti-inflammatory medicines, and digestive stimulants. Native Americans used all parts of the plant to make balms for curing cuts and burns.<br /></span><br /><b>Taxonomy<o:p></o:p></b> <p class="MsoNormal">Kingdom:<span style=""> </span>Plantae<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Order: <span style=""> </span>Asterales<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Family:<span style=""> </span>Asteraceae<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Genus:<span style=""> </span>Solidago<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Distribution: Native to North America, but introduced to South America and Eurasia.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Quote of the Plant</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">: <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The Goldenrod</p> <p class="MsoNormal">“Some day the fields of Flanders shall bloom in peace again,</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Field lilies and the clover spread where once was crimson stain,</p> <p class="MsoNormal">And a new, cheerful golden spray shine through the sun and rain.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">The clover's for the English who sleep beneath that sod,</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The lily's for the noble French whose spirits rest with God,</p> <p class="MsoNormal">But where our sacred dead shall sleep must bloom the goldenrod.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">For every flower of summer those meadows will have room,</p> <p class="MsoNormal">And yet I think no Flemish hand will touch the Kaiserbloom,</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Whose growing blue must evermore whisper of grief and doom.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">But clover for the English shall blossom from the sod,</p> <p class="MsoNormal">And glorious lilies for the French whose spirits rest with God.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">And where our own lads lie asleep the prairie goldenrod.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Once more the Flemish children shall laugh through Flemish lanes,</p> <p class="MsoNormal">And gather happy garlands through fields of bygone pains,</p> <p class="MsoNormal">And, as they run and cull their flowers, sing in their simple strains:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">'These clovers are for English who fought to save this sod,</p> <p class="MsoNormal">These lilies for the valiant French--may their souls rest in God!</p> <p class="MsoNormal">And for the brave Americans we pluck this goldenrod.'"</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">-W.D. Eaton<o:p></o:p></p>Charlevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05391454555483291650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7265773898506370662.post-19193760530057387042010-07-21T22:00:00.002-04:002010-07-21T22:10:21.744-04:00Beach Roses in the Kitchem<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHSOxtwDzBBGWHK5629kQy-PL-WqvTOYysi-kiuJLzC68RDoPbaQeAq6xcyaBmI6wacLEockd6q-feyv6xXzgYXRga8U4SgbQ4N5CkZFqvjjuq2-QMApw-TgNNRoHPrPtjbtp2DIad-uwO/s1600/IMG_7600.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHSOxtwDzBBGWHK5629kQy-PL-WqvTOYysi-kiuJLzC68RDoPbaQeAq6xcyaBmI6wacLEockd6q-feyv6xXzgYXRga8U4SgbQ4N5CkZFqvjjuq2-QMApw-TgNNRoHPrPtjbtp2DIad-uwO/s320/IMG_7600.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496545136930101282" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Once again my friend, Lauren, and I set out on a cooking adventure. We had no problem finding enough rose hips for our recipe and were happy that a bush was conveniently located right outside our favorite coffee shop. Pretty much anywhere you are in a beach community you’ll be able to find Beach Rose bushes. Be careful when harvesting- the bushes are covered in thorns, especially close to the fruits you’re picking.</span><br /><br />We decided that we prefer jam to jelly and were pleased to find an easy and incisive jam recipe on SimpleRecipes.com.<span style=""> </span>About 2/3 the way down the webpage you’ll stumble across the <a href="http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/rose_hip_jelly_and_jam/">Rose Hip Jam</a> recipe we used.<br /><br />The hardest thing to tackle with this recipe was prepping the rose hips.<span style=""> </span>Inside the rose hips are a bunch of small hairs that need to be removed. These hairs are so tiny they slip into your finger pores and make your hands itch terribly.<span style=""> </span>I’m not even going to say that gloves are recommended- they are <i>necessary</i><span style="font-style: normal;">!</span><br /><br />Once again we tweaked the recipe a bit (this time due to lack of certain equipment).<span style=""> </span>We didn’t have a grater so the pieces of fruit in our jam are meatier than the recipe intended.<span style=""> </span>I don’t feel this is a loss; our jam just has a chunkier texture.<span style=""> </span>Also, we didn’t have cheesecloth to hold the apples in, so we added them to the mix. <span style=""> </span>If anything this made the jam thicker and sweeter.<br /><br />The recipe wasn’t difficult and we made out with a few jars of decent jam.<span style=""> </span>Jam keeps for a long time if stored properly, so I’d recommend making a large batch and saving it for last minute birthday presents or hostess gifts.<span style=""> </span>If any of you are as forgetful as I am, last minute gifts are essential to have around.<br /><br />I really like our jam and am proud that our first time jam making was such a success! <!--EndFragment-->Charlevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05391454555483291650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7265773898506370662.post-45601295374623998102010-07-21T21:19:00.007-04:002010-07-21T22:15:05.437-04:00Beach Roses<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia6GC3fiR5Vs2fHFgYJU_HNJN8tKtF-vDpxOOn-zhm6ppb86UpvI9j53m73juD1Ffad7p7tKhYQDyXFm3vzMmaJIFq2vMkVmP0Ay_Y_9AFN3qsmsEJpawWDKQaa7qL7jvw4NxS8r0ucgF1/s1600/beach-rose-1.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 222px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia6GC3fiR5Vs2fHFgYJU_HNJN8tKtF-vDpxOOn-zhm6ppb86UpvI9j53m73juD1Ffad7p7tKhYQDyXFm3vzMmaJIFq2vMkVmP0Ay_Y_9AFN3qsmsEJpawWDKQaa7qL7jvw4NxS8r0ucgF1/s320/beach-rose-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496534163592152530" border="0" /></a><br /><b style="font-family: times new roman;"><i>Rosa Rugosa</i></b><span style="font-weight: normal; font-style: normal;font-family:times new roman;" >, although this name could be mistaken for a character from the Harry Potter series, it is in fact the scientific name for a <a href="http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=RORU">Beach Rose</a>.<span style=""> </span>Beach Roses litter the sand dunes of every Rhode Island shoreline.<span style=""> </span>They are the bushes with little pink flowers that make the </span><span style="font-weight: normal; font-style: normal;font-family:times new roman;" >dunes so pretty, and scratch the hell out of eager youths ankles attempting to have a free beach day.<span style=""> </span>They bloom in the summer and produce a fruit called a rose hip. <o:p></o:p></span><br /><br />Rose hips were first used by Ancient Greeks to make rose oil perfume- the scent being associated with Aphrodite, the goddess of love.<span style=""> </span>Still to this day 50% of male and female perfume contains rose oil.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p><br /><br />In addition to being used as a type of “love potion”, rose hips were used to treat a myriad of ailments.<span style=""> </span>Its high content of Vitamin C and antioxidants make it a useful medicinal plant.<o:p></o:p><br /><br />Today we use rose hips in teas to cure inflammation and simply for their pleasant flowery taste.<span style=""> </span>They are also commonly used to make jams and jellies.<o:p></o:p><b><br /><br />Taxonomy</b><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLGFDBuoue9WQmq_hyphenhyphen9gxQ0uuncacMZqauQIWuMEL-Qne6FRgRBN2mQFPFvgCJ24MTSTg7KkDA0iaGvioVY6ycILPYrOwpuUznMCOe0MrDlPFRHQzxFQ14pAEX3pCNQK-VGHLjWk1MZIGP/s1600/rose-hips-2006a-1.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLGFDBuoue9WQmq_hyphenhyphen9gxQ0uuncacMZqauQIWuMEL-Qne6FRgRBN2mQFPFvgCJ24MTSTg7KkDA0iaGvioVY6ycILPYrOwpuUznMCOe0MrDlPFRHQzxFQ14pAEX3pCNQK-VGHLjWk1MZIGP/s200/rose-hips-2006a-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496548183257193314" border="0" /></a> <p style="text-align: left;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal">Common Names: Japanese Rose, Beach Rose, Saltspray Rose, Beach Tornado.<o:p></o:p><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal">Kingdom: Plantae<o:p></o:p></p><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><p face="times new roman" style="text-align: left;" class="MsoNormal">Class: <span style=""> </span>Magnoliopsida<o:p></o:p></p><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><p face="times new roman" style="text-align: left;" class="MsoNormal">Order: <span style=""> </span>Rosales<o:p></o:p></p><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><p style="font-family: times new roman; text-align: left;" class="MsoNormal">Family: Rosaceae<o:p></o:p></p><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><p style="font-family: times new roman; text-align: left;" class="MsoNormal">Genus: Rosa<o:p></o:p><br /></p><p style="font-family: times new roman; text-align: left;" class="MsoNormal">Species: R. rugosa</p><p style="font-family: times new roman; text-align: left;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal">Distribution: Native to eastern Asia, but naturalize in the sand dunes of many coastlines.<o:p></o:p></p><p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><b>Quote of the Plant</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">: <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal">Sand Dunes<o:p></o:p><br /></p><p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal">“Sea waves are green and wet,<br />But up from where they die,<br />Rise others vaster yet,<br />And those are brown and dry.<br /><br />They are the sea made land<br />To come at the fisher town,<br />And bury in solid sand<br />The men she could not drown.<br /><br />She may know cove and cape,<br />But she does not know mankind<br />If by any change of shape,<br />She hopes to cut off mind.<br /><br />Men left her a ship to sink:<br />They can leave her a hut as well;<br />And be but more free to think<br />For the one more cast-off shell.”<o:p></o:p></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal">- Robert Frost<o:p></o:p></p> <table style="" border="0" cellpadding="0"> <tbody><tr> <td style="padding: 0.75pt;"> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" spt="75" preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter"> <v:formulas> <v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"> <v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"> <v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"> <v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"> <v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"> <v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"> <v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"> <v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"> </v:formulas> <v:path extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" connecttype="rect"> <o:lock ext="edit" aspectratio="t"> </v:shapetype><v:shape id="_x0000_i1025" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="" style="'width:16pt;"> <v:imagedata src="file://localhost/Users/charlevecarey/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/msoclip1/01/clip_image001.png" href="http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/images/_conv.gif"> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><img style="font-family: times new roman;" src="file:///Users/charlevecarey/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/msoclip1/01/clip_image001.png" shapes="_x0000_i1025" border="0" height="12" width="16" /><!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> <!--EndFragment-->Charlevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05391454555483291650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7265773898506370662.post-49231861505450126642010-07-16T11:16:00.002-04:002010-07-21T20:55:32.784-04:00Queen Anne's Lace in the Kitchen<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnjw6x7INBlS_61HpjXnmHboOvCY_vepHaekbtkJ74uyCBGyBkd9aJOZSCy9P6xEJOap3fUrwfWjAliaYAhfq9QScyg1pdrecyvzWieJa8JWTjH7b_QdOWejdh8R0Qg1lJZV1ONjhIUH13/s1600/IMG_3234.JPG"><img style="float: right; 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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjahXiTrahciMHbT7vDfOX0dR3QjnRMqmQPso9HoQ6JDKyIPa5wSD_nNOiHxL2HBSSNCdUbn1J75reYD9y7ZENs4EZIUtwlG7y0ZdkaTuqbpleXyP5ZUIRYZL2PNA4qsIzLuH4qCyRz0KbI/s1600/IMG_3234.JPG"><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"> <meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"> <meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"> <meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:documentproperties> <o:template>Normal</o:Template> <o:revision>0</o:Revision> <o:totaltime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:pages>1</o:Pages> <o:words>285</o:Words> <o:characters>1629</o:Characters> <o:lines>13</o:Lines> <o:paragraphs>3</o:Paragraphs> <o:characterswithspaces>2000</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:version>11.1287</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:donotshowrevisions/> <w:donotprintrevisions/> <w:displayhorizontaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:displayverticaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:usemarginsfordrawinggridorigin/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> <style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Times New Roman"; panose-1:0 2 2 6 3 5 4 5 2 3; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:50331648 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-parent:""; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --></style></a>One of my favorite carrot treats is carrot cake. I found a recipe specifically using Wild Carrots on Cooks.com. <a href="http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,186,153173-245202,00.html"> Queen Anne's Cake</a> seemed like a simple cake recipe that only took about 45 minutes including prep time. I was fortunate enough to have my dear friend and fellow cooking enthusiast, Lauren, joined me in the wild food making this week.
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<br />To start off we harvested the plant: As my partner in cooking-crime and I discovered the roots of Queen Anne’s Lace do not give very easily. I highly recommend using a harvesting devise (a shovel would due) and pulling them anytime other than the time we chose- on the roadside at midday in July. Despite some difficulty harvesting the plants we were able to collect all that we needed. Queen Anne’s Lace is incredibly abundant on the sides of roads; we hardly put a dent in the small patch we found.
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<br />Once back to the kitchen, I began prepping the carrots as Lauren measured and mixed the other ingredients. The recipe says to grate the carrots; unfortunately we didn’t have a grater so I tried having the same affect as one using a knife. I didn’t realize that Wild Carrots would be as tough as they are. If I were to use them again I would first boil or sauté the Wild Carrots with butter to soften them.
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<br />We cut the recipe in half, because we didn’t want two whole cakes. In addition, we tweaked the recipe slightly by adding brown sugar and making a crumble topping out of brown sugar and walnuts instead of using icing. Our final product, therefore, would be better titled: Carrot and Brown Sugar Crumble Bars.
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<br />Despite how potently Wild Carrots smell of carrot, they don’t carry the same amount of flavor to the taste as our Domestic Carrots. I definitely think in the future I would use more carrots (in addition to softening them). Overall I believe these changes would make the texture and flavor more enjoyable. Our final product, however, was very yummy, even if it didn’t hold as much carrot flavor as I had hoped.<p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" ></span><b><o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <!--EndFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <!--EndFragment--> Charlevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05391454555483291650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7265773898506370662.post-62783676001333794582010-07-13T15:02:00.003-04:002010-07-21T22:17:55.422-04:00Queen Anne's Lace<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj7Hkr3dbV5f2FV-d208MbIZW2aGRcdL_zPWasrJ95crR3HZt974r80sbEk1sNp5z1orYGonVQom0BkkJQvbrHRliWoEpJEeK1c0b6GQWmacQGfjmIWmXqxz4wzESUbF7rKIIuo8A0qZTQ/s1600/DBF+980822+Queen+Anne%27s+Lace.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 231px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj7Hkr3dbV5f2FV-d208MbIZW2aGRcdL_zPWasrJ95crR3HZt974r80sbEk1sNp5z1orYGonVQom0BkkJQvbrHRliWoEpJEeK1c0b6GQWmacQGfjmIWmXqxz4wzESUbF7rKIIuo8A0qZTQ/s320/DBF+980822+Queen+Anne%27s+Lace.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493471100573561986" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">As the summer progresses more and more of our weedy friends have been sprouting up and I’ve been thinking of what recipe I can conduct </span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">next. Luckily I remembered that deep in the roots of that sea of lace on the sides of the roads is a close relative of our domesticated carrot. </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" >Daucus carota</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">, most commonly known in the US as </span><a style="font-family: times new roman;" href="http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=DACA6">Queen Anne’s Lace</a><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> is in fact a </span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">wild carrot! I’ve never cooked with them before, but have heard that they can be great in recipes as a substitute for our common </span><a style="font-family: times new roman;" href="http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/docs.htm?docid=5231">Domestic Carrot</a><span style="font-family:times new roman;">.</span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><br />Queen Anne’s Lace are extremely abundant along roadsides. They are easy to identify with their long green stems that blossom into a tuft of intricate “lace”. The large lace flower is reminiscent of the collars that Queen Anne, fourth wife of Henry VIII, wore, hence were the common name originates. Queen Anne’s Lace are biennial weeds- meaning they grow through two seasons, and only flower and release their seeds in the second summer.</span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><br />The Wild Carrot root holds no resemblance to a Domestic Carrot; it is yellowish-white with many small roots sprouting forth from the core. In addition, although it smells just like a Domestic Carrot, it is much tougher and “rootier” than one. I don’t recommend trying to eat the wild variety without some sort of </span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">curing beforehand.</span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><br />Folklore claimed that the flowers could be used to cure epilepsy and increase fertility in men and women. Today we associate its nutritional value to be similar to that of the Domestic Carrot.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" >Taxonomy</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8egkBklZCa2VtJ22VtHpEIyo-kLBVhMCPWgczZkCvW81chdNii87caL5FCLLgn-4NmpXx9WKto6I1ov2ZCsVjNz3RfmMcDSpMsXR4kJ776cLw0lMao3IrLir8a8tV7dR2uxUoac_FCd72/s1600/Carrot_Queen_Annes_Lace_or_wild_carrot_roots_DP860.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 132px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8egkBklZCa2VtJ22VtHpEIyo-kLBVhMCPWgczZkCvW81chdNii87caL5FCLLgn-4NmpXx9WKto6I1ov2ZCsVjNz3RfmMcDSpMsXR4kJ776cLw0lMao3IrLir8a8tV7dR2uxUoac_FCd72/s200/Carrot_Queen_Annes_Lace_or_wild_carrot_roots_DP860.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496549033686985618" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Common Names: Queen Anne’s Lace, Wild Carrot, Bird’s Nest, and Bishop’s Lace.</span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Kingdom: Plantae</span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Order: Apiales</span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Family: Apiaceae</span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Genus: Daucus</span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Species: D. carota</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Distribution: Native to Europe and southwest Asia, but naturalized in northeast North America and Australia.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" >Quote of the Plant</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">: “God send me well to keep” –Motto of Queen Anne of Cleves.</span>Charlevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05391454555483291650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7265773898506370662.post-14502673855274533352010-06-08T19:19:00.001-04:002010-07-21T21:00:17.675-04:00Red Clovers in the Kitchen<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBwtHPnyhu56uYnhOnDRkBgYWsMefUkAG7O29R_8UabXSHOZJedZkiDEPi_hmcKnZR6DqGzbgSsfvNS6H79-CdyqqGkU-cndF-5wJnqaUoNK-9-nWVeoS11-yiHYfq4ODx_min3NVFzH77/s1600/IMG_7593.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBwtHPnyhu56uYnhOnDRkBgYWsMefUkAG7O29R_8UabXSHOZJedZkiDEPi_hmcKnZR6DqGzbgSsfvNS6H79-CdyqqGkU-cndF-5wJnqaUoNK-9-nWVeoS11-yiHYfq4ODx_min3NVFzH77/s320/IMG_7593.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480548132062790002" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;" >The recipe I thought sounded the most interesting was </span><a style="font-family: times new roman;" href="http://www.prodigalgardens.info/red%20clover%20recipes.htm">“Red Clover Rice”</a><span style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;" > from Prodigal Gardens.</span><span style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;" > </span><span style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;" >I collected the best looking flowers I could find from my yard and my neighbor’s.</span><span style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;" > </span><span style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;" >The total amount of flowers I collected came to about 2 cups.</span><span style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;" > </span><span style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;" >The recipe doesn’t have the specific recipe outlines that I’m used to, so I decided to improvise it.</span><br /><br />First, I made 1 cup of brown rice, with 3 cups of water and ½ tbs of butter in my rice cooker, seasoned with salt and pepper.<span style=""> </span>While that was cooking, I cut the Clover flowers off from their stem and sautéed them with 1-2tbs of butter, salt and pepper at a low temperature.<span style=""> </span>You’ll notice that the flowers shrink up a lot.<span style=""> </span>Keep this in mind when you’re picking them.<span style=""> </span>I took the recipe’s advice to sweeten the dish, but only used ¼ cup of walnuts and 1/3 cup of honey.<br /><br />Once finished I plopped the rice in a bowl and put the sautéed Clovers on top with fresh Clover as garnish.<span style=""> </span>I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the dish.<span style=""> </span>The flowers had a really rustic taste to them that went particularly well with the sweetness of the honey and the crunch of the walnuts.<br /><br />I would definitely recommend this recipe to others and strongly encourage tweaking it to your liking. <!--EndFragment-->Charlevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05391454555483291650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7265773898506370662.post-79985567579573349692010-06-08T18:48:00.003-04:002010-07-21T20:58:06.247-04:00Red Clover<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxT73wmd6WW-QUhiAVlXUrMDNw_NAaEVSCDtAqXqJ7uUStnzqNdlBmUBhZp5c3UPkUnf5iZPHedsm-r8LbHQU1rFPW_U-4hJhkiV1sSWVEBgLWnw4Gb8XREwT2yY-p4JHWSNj6uQ7rqXqF/s1600/red_clover.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxT73wmd6WW-QUhiAVlXUrMDNw_NAaEVSCDtAqXqJ7uUStnzqNdlBmUBhZp5c3UPkUnf5iZPHedsm-r8LbHQU1rFPW_U-4hJhkiV1sSWVEBgLWnw4Gb8XREwT2yY-p4JHWSNj6uQ7rqXqF/s320/red_clover.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480538926690388450" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">This week I noticed thousands of small white buds, like snow, sprouting up all over the yard.</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> </span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">It occurred to me that it was </span><a style="font-family: times new roman;" href="http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=TRRE3">White Clover </a><span style="font-family:times new roman;">(</span><i style="font-family: times new roman;">Trifolium repens)</i><span style="font-style: normal;font-family:times new roman;" >.<span style=""> </span>All of a sudden I started noticing it everywhere, as well as its larger and colorful relative the <a href="http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=TRPR2">Red Clover</a> <span style="font-weight: bold;">(</span></span><b style="font-family: times new roman;"><i>Trifolium pratense).</i></b><span style="font-weight: normal; font-style: normal;font-family:times new roman;" ><span style=""> </span>It was then that I decided to search for recipes.<span style=""> </span>I found a multitude of Red Clover dishes, honeys and syrups.</span><br /><br />Clovers are used as nitrogen-fixing crops to improve soil fertility between crop seasons.<span style=""> </span>In addition, it is used as crop for grazing cattle.<span style=""> </span>Red Clovers specifically are used to treat symptoms of menopause, but also have been known to help treat other medical conditions such as cancer, whooping coughs, and bronchitis.<br /><br />Clovers have a very short flowering season, so to avoid my mistake last time (picking too late) I went out right away to harvest them.<span style=""> </span>Red Clovers are not as abundant as White Clovers, but are easy to find in most yards near shading areas.<o:p></o:p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" face="times new roman" class="MsoNormal"><b><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></b></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><b>Taxonomy<o:p></o:p></b><br /></p><p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal">Common Names: Red Clover</p><p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal">Kingdom: Plantae<br />Class: Magnoliopsida<br />Order: Fabales<br />Family: Fabaceae<br />Genus: Trifolium<br />Species: <i>T. pratense</i><b><i><o:p></o:p></i></b></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><b><i><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></i></b></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal">Distribution: Native to Eurasia but naturalized in North America.<b><br /></b></p><p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><b><br /></b></p><p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><b>Quote of the Plant</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">: <span class="body">To make a prairie it takes a clover and one bee, One clover, and a bee, And revery. The revery alone will do, If bees are few.</span> <span style=""> </span>–Emily Dickinson.</span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Charlevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05391454555483291650noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7265773898506370662.post-66201891640766320342010-06-04T16:47:00.001-04:002010-07-21T20:59:13.912-04:00Dandelions in the Kitchen<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizYb276vUtchRypkVYqYNqJtuu6LpreEFrv4WPZfjyPNDL1g8DkRBNSRwnCI8pb1eVbu0On04_SlaOU7Ap-cZTojIv_xMFgiJmXIFdu2NSNmFRm6U1CB9oa-Sif1QD_Ds1pQR2MxnOetVN/s1600/dandelion+soup.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizYb276vUtchRypkVYqYNqJtuu6LpreEFrv4WPZfjyPNDL1g8DkRBNSRwnCI8pb1eVbu0On04_SlaOU7Ap-cZTojIv_xMFgiJmXIFdu2NSNmFRm6U1CB9oa-Sif1QD_Ds1pQR2MxnOetVN/s320/dandelion+soup.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479024275856038866" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">I </span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" style="font-family:times new roman;">didn</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">’t realize when I chose Dandelions as my first recipe that it was so close to the end of their season.</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> </span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Therefore, despite their typical abundance it was somewhat difficult for me to find them.</span><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> Luckily there were </span><span style="font-family:times new roman;"> a few in my yard and I was able to collect enough for 3 cups.</span><br /><br />The recipe I decided on was Melissa <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Breyer</span>’s “<a href="http://www.care2.com/greenliving/cream-of-dandelion-soup-recipe.html#%29">Cream of Dandelion Soup Recipe</a>” from Care2.com.<span style=""> </span>Her recipe called for 6 cups of Dandelions, but since I only found 3 cups worth, I simply cut the recipe in half.<span style=""> </span>I’m not sure if this had any significant affect on my final product.<br /><br />When using mature Dandelion greens it is essential to blanch them in boiling salt water.<span style=""> </span>I blanched my greens once, but found the soup still had a bitter taste.<span style=""> </span>When I researched a little further I discovered that many cooks recommend multiple trials of blanching.<span style=""> </span>If cooking late in the season, like I did, I strongly advise at least three rounds of blanching with boiling salt water.<br /><br />The recipe was fairly simple. A word of caution though- vigorous whisking of the milk is a very important part of the soup making process. Milk is sensitive to curdling when heated; I feel that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Breyer</span> doesn't stress the importance of this step enough in her recipe.<span style=""> </span>Garnishing with a flower is a very nice addition to the plate presentation (especially since the soup color could be a bit off-putting).<span style="font-family:times new roman;"> Other than the bitterness from lack of blanching, it was a tasty dinner that we all enjoyed.</span><o:p></o:p><br /> <!--EndFragment-->Charlevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05391454555483291650noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7265773898506370662.post-39926311540102374172010-06-01T12:29:00.000-04:002010-07-20T11:53:35.502-04:00Dandelions<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ0ApY9wy9QIrsX-BV0CeCR-akOr-mL5_qLK7MZKpVCVOsTtAhimlDazIlFItvLEghHaqB2MJUac_LrMPRMSL_GKJHzzy97jIBozFG0VRxc9KXrvga86xoLVy7khFu-uyMCmM6QGvzpgP9/s1600/dandelion.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 230px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ0ApY9wy9QIrsX-BV0CeCR-akOr-mL5_qLK7MZKpVCVOsTtAhimlDazIlFItvLEghHaqB2MJUac_LrMPRMSL_GKJHzzy97jIBozFG0VRxc9KXrvga86xoLVy7khFu-uyMCmM6QGvzpgP9/s320/dandelion.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477844865939396418" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: times new roman;">We’ll start off with </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: times new roman;">Taraxacum officinale</span><span style="font-family: times new roman;">, otherwise known as the </span><a style="font-family: times new roman;" href="http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=TAOF">Common Dandelion</a><span style="font-family: times new roman;">. Dandelions are one of the most abundant species of wildflower in Rhode Island this time of year. They are easily identifiable by their bright yellow florets that glow in yards, on roadsides, and even in parking lots. As most of you know the Dandelion is the bane of many a landscaper’s existence. They are prolific growers and despite the number of times one plucks, it seems 10 more show up in a single stalk’s stead.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: times new roman;">I personally have always had a soft spot for these weedy foes. To me, they seem to have an overall cheery disposition, with their buttery appearance and carefree lifestyle. Also they are the bellwether for the coming of summer. But as the case with many an American homestead, they just won't do on my father’s lawn. As a comprise I am going to remove the plants by hand (not by chemical) and see if my father’s stomach changes his opinion about my golden friends.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: times new roman;">The entire Dandelion plant is edible and they are considered to have medicinal value. The flower is most commonly used to make wine, whereas the greens are typically used for soups and salads. Honeys, syrups, breads, cakes, and jams are made with Dandelions as well. The roots are used to make a type of coffee good for digestion and liver problems. The leaves are high in vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, and calcium; it’s no wonder they have been used for centuries as medicinal herbs to fight off sickness, cure headaches and prevent bone, heart, liver and stomach problems.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: times new roman;">Taxonomy</span><br /><span style="font-family: times new roman;">Common Names: Common Dandelion, Lion's Tooth, Priest's Crown, Pu Gong Ying, Swine's Snout, Dent de Lion</span><br /><span style="font-family: times new roman;">Kingdom: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: times new roman;">Plantae</span><br /><span style="font-family: times new roman;">Order: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: times new roman;">Asterales</span><br /><span style="font-family: times new roman;">Family: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: times new roman;">Asteraceae</span><br /><span style="font-family: times new roman;">Genus: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: times new roman;">Taraxacum</span><br /><span style="font-family: times new roman;">Species: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: times new roman;">T. officinale</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: times new roman;">Distribution: Native to Eurasia but naturalized in the Americas, Africa, Oceania and India.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: times new roman;">Quote of the Plant</span><span style="font-family: times new roman;">: Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them. -Eeyore</span>Charlevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05391454555483291650noreply@blogger.com0