Daylilly Delight!!

Here is one more favorite of mine the Daylily. I have heard that almost everything on a daylily plant is edible, from the tubers, to the flowers. The tubers are a little like very sweet potatos, and the flowers have been used widely as a food. The leaves are also edible but are best when young. Here are a few recipes for Daylilys.

Daylily Petal Salad:

6 cups washed and torn lettuce.
2 Tb. olive oil
2 tsp. lemon juice
Salt and pepper for taste
1/4 cup purple basil leaves
Petals from four to eight blossoms

Place the lettuce into a serving bowl. Drizzle the oil over the lettuce. Toss. Drizzle the lemon juice over the lettuce and sprinkle with salt. Toss again. Add the basil, but toss with only the top layer of the lettuce, so the beautiful purple leaves show through the greens. Grind a bit of pepper over the top. Garnish with daylily petals placing them randomly in it, or in a circle around the outside, or decoratively in the center of the bowl.

Cilantro-pesto-stuffed Stella D’Oro Blossoms with Grilled Chicken Cilantro Pest:

1 clove garlic, peeled
2 cups cilantro, chopped with stems into 3-inch bunches
1 tsp lime juice
1 Healthy dash of jalapeno Tabasco sauce
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup olive oil

Food processor with the metal cutting blade. Start the processor and drop the garlic through the feed tube. Open the processor and add the cilantro, wiping the cilantro along the sides and bottom of the bowl to lift the garlic from the bottom of the bowl. Process for 5 seconds. Add the nuts and process for 5 seconds. Add the lime juice and Tabasco. Start the processor and pour in the oil, somewhat slowly, through the feed tube. Scrape the contents into a zip lock bag and use within a couple of days, or freeze if you like.

Chicken:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves--rinsed and patted dry with paper towels
1/3 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
juice from half a lemon
4 Tb cilantro pesto
4-12 daylily blossoms, rinsed, with pistols and stamens removed

About half and hour ahead of time: Combine the garlic and oil in a large ziplock bag. Flatten the chicken using a rolling pin or meat hammer. Add the chicken to the bag, coating it with the oil. Squeeze out the air and refrigerate.

One-half hour before grilling, add the lemon juice, mixing it in well. Start the coals. When the coals are ready, grill the chicken on both sides until done. Please note that flattened breasts cook quickly. To check to see if they are done, press on the flesh with your finger. If it is mushy, it is not done. If it yields and then springs back, it is done, if it is hard, it is over done.

While the chicken cooks, stuff each of four daylilies with a tablespoonful of pesto. Serve the chicken on individual plates with grilled vegetables, polenta, or other side dishes. Garnish each plate with one filled daylily and additional day lilies or petals if you have them.

Daylily Cheesecake: Ingredients: 1 lb. cream cheese, softened 3/4 cup sugar 4 eggs 1 cup, half-and-half 2 cups daylily petals, sliced Coat a nine-inch cake pan with non-stick spray. Beat the cream cheese with a mixer on high speed until fluffy. Stream in the sugar and beat until dissolved. Beat the eggs in one at a time on medium speed (so as not the create a mother's disaster). Reduce the speed to low and stream in the half-and -half until completely mixed in. Fold the daylily petals in by hand. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Set into a shallow roasting pan and fill with warm water at least halfway up the outside of the cake pan. Bake for one hour or until the center is just set. Chill until completely cooled. Remove by setting the pan in a shallow bowl of warm water for about ten seconds and turning out onto a plate. Serve with fresh berries of your choice in a daylily.

Fried Rice With Golden Needles

"Golden Needles,"is a traditional ingredient in Chinese dishes, such as Hot and Sour Soup and Moo Shu, are actually sun-dried daylilies! Vast fields of daylilies, are grown for harvest in Asian countries including China and Thailand. The buds are picked when colored, but unopened, and dried in the sun for about a week. You can harvest your own (use the milder yellow varieties) and either sun-dry them or use a dehydrater. They may also be found in oriental markets. To use them, soak the dried flowers in hot water about ten minutes. Then pinch off the stem end, and cut in half if large. They add a chewy texture and are rich in carotene.

Ingredients:
4 eggs
4 scallions, sliced
20 golden needles
1 small can of bamboo shoots
1/2 pound snow pea pods, cut in half the long way
1 Carrot cut into match-stick (julienne) pieces

Substitutes: water chestnuts, bell peppers or broccoli, all cut in comparable sized pieces, can be used in place of any of the vegetables.

2 cloves minced garlic
2 Tbs grated or minced garlic
4 cups cooked rice
2-4 Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs canola oil
1 Tb sesame oil

Heat the sesame oil in a 10-12 inch non-stick skillet or wok. Add eggs, spread over pan as thinly as possible. When done, but not brown, remove and slice into thin strips. Set aside. Heat canola oil until smoking. Add ginger and stir. After one minute add garlic, the vegetables, scallions and golden needles. Mix and stir-fry rice about three minutes. Lower heat and cook until vegetables are done but crisp. Add rice, egg and soy sauce to taste, and mix until heated through. Serves 4 as a side dish or 2 as an entree.

Daylily Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 cups daylily buds (about 50 buds), sliced
• 1 cup torn lettuce
• 1/2 medium cucumber, sliced
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 2 celery ribs, sliced
• 1/4 cup shredded red cabbage
• 3 radishes, sliced
• Salad dressing of your choice

Directions:

In a large salad bowl, combine the daylily buds, lettuce, cucumber, tomato, celery, cabbage and radishes. Serve with dressing.

Daylily Bud Sauté
Ingredients:
2 dozen daylily buds
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup olive oil
3 eggs
dash of nutmeg salt and pepper
I clove garlic, finely minced
Cut the base off the buds. Sauté the garlic in a small amount of olive oil. Beat eggs and mix enough flower to make a thin batter. To this add the sautéed garlic, 1/8 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and the dash of nutmeg. Add a teaspoon of milk if the batter is too thick. dip the buds in the batter and sauté until a golden brown consistency.

How to use Wild Violets!!

I have recently discovered just how useful those little wild violets, at the side of the road could be like per say, that you could turn them in to jelly, or just a plain old salad, I just thought that they were one of the many countless, nameless, weeds that you pass everyday, only a little prettier.
I have made violet jelly with this recipe and it worked out great!


VIOLET JELLY:

You will need:

2 heaping cups of fresh violet petals (see note below)
2 C boiling water
1/4 C well-strained, clear lemon juice
4 C sugar
3 oz liquid pectin (Certo)

Look for fully opened flowers, not partially opened buds, for better
color and more intense flavor.

Wash petals well, drain and place in heat-proof glass or nonreactive bowl. Pour boiling water over petals and let steep from 30 minutes to 24
hours. It usually takes about two hours for violets but you can go up to a day with the violets steeping in it. Strain through a fine sieve, reserving the clear, purplish liquid or infusion. If not using
immediately, refrigerate up to 24 hours.

Place jars and lids on rack in pan or stockpot deep enough to cover them with about two inches of water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, keeping the jars hot until ready to fill.

To make the jelly, stir lemon juice and sugar into reserved infusion in a two-quart nonreactive or stainless steel pan. Bring to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Add the liquid pectin and continue to boil two minutes, skimming any foam that may rise to the surface.

Ladle quickly into jars to within about 1/8 inch from the top; clean each rim and threads of the jar as it's filled, and place flat lid and ring on each before filling the next. Screw band on tightly and invert jar on tea towel for about five to 10 minutes. Jars should seal and lids should pop shut within 10 minutes as they cool. If they do not seal, you can place them in a hot water bath for 10 minutes or place in the refrigerator.
Sealed jars will last up to one year in a cool, dark place. Put any unsealed jelly in the refrigerator. it should keep about three weeks. Makes four or five half-pint jars.

Violet Tea:

A handful of fresh or dried violets and leaves may be crushed and steeped in boiled water for about 5 minutes. While this tisane is rich in both vitamin C and iron, sweetening the resulting hot tea with sugar or (especially) honey is recommended.

Sweet Violet Syrup:

2 cups boiling water
6 cups freshly-picked violet blossoms, washed thoroughly
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Place violets in a large bowl. Pour boiling water over them, then place a saucer on top to submerge the flowers. Let stand for 24 hours. Line a colander with cheesecloth and pour the violets and liquid through it, squeezing out the liquid. Discard the blossoms. Add lemon juice to the liquid and simmer in a non-reactive pan until the mixture is the consistency of syrup. Cover and refrigerate. Use within a week.

CANDIED VIOLETS:

Yield: makes dozens

• 1 egg white
• Violets
• Granulated sugar

Whip 1 egg white until it is frothy but does not stand in peaks. Gather perfect violets and their leaves; wash them gently and quickly in cold water and drip dry. When dry, dip each violet or leaf in the egg white and roll it quickly in granulated sugar to coat evenly, taking care not to get the sugar on too thick. Lay out on waxed papers to dry, well separated. In several hours or a day, the blossoms will be quite crisp and can keep for several months without losing fragrance or flavor. Store in an airtight tin, layered between waxed paper.

NOTE: These delicate edible confections can be used as decorations on cakes or simply put out for nibblers on a glass candy plate. Both scent and flavor are exotic.

Welcome To My Garden of Dandelions!!

I think I’ll start with my favorite weed the dandelions!! Yea I know what you thinking. dandelions are as common as dirt in the states and its not like dandelion salad ever really tasted that good, (trust me I’ve tried) but that would most likely be because you tried eating them when they were too old, when they get old they develop a bitter taste which is very hard to get ride of once it is in you mouth. Here are a couple recipes for Dandelions to make them taste better I found all of these recipes and I am thinking about trying some soon. Hope you enjoy!

Dandelion Salad with Cooked Dressing:


4 slices bacon of thick, cut in small pieces
2 c. chopped fresh dandelion leaves
2 hard boiled eggs, sliced or chopped
2 Tbsp. chopped onion
1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. cream or milk
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp. salt
dash of pepper
1/4 c. cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. flour

Toss together chopped dandelion, chopped onion and fried bacon pieces. Set aside. In skillet warm butter and cream until butter melts. Beat egg and then add salt, pepper, vinegar, sugar and flour. Blend the egg mixture into the slightly warm cream mixture. Increase heat and cook, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. Pour hot dressing over the greens and toss gently. Add eggs before tossing. Serve at once. Gather the dandelion leaves early in the spring before the plants flower or they will be bitter.

This is considered a delicacy in Europe. The long tap roots of the dandelion have a substance in them that is used as a natural laxative. The roots can also be roasted and ground, then used as a coffee substitute.


Cooked Dandelion Greens:

Cut the roots from the greens and discard. Wash well in cold water. Bring a large pot of water to a full boil and put the greens into the water by the handful. Bring water quickly back to the boil and cook just until wilted, two or three minutes. Drain and run cold water over to stop the cooking. Squeeze as much moisture out as possible. At this point you may wrap well in plastic wrap and freeze for future use, 8 to 10 ounces per package is a useful size.

These greens may be used as a substitute for spinach or Swiss chard in any number of recipes, from ravioli or lasagna fillings to a simple sauté in olive oil with garlic as a side dish. This can be used as a filling where spinach is called for.


Dora Dandelions:
INGREDIENTS:

* 5 pounds white potatoes, peeled and cubed
* 3 tablespoons butter
* salt and pepper, for taste
* 1 pound bacon, diced
* 1 pound torn dandelion greens
* 1 medium onion, diced
* 1 egg, lightly beaten
* 1/2 cup white vinegar
* 1 tablespoon white sugar
* 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour


1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, toss with butter, and season with salt and pepper.
2. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium heat until evenly brown. Remove the bacon and drain on paper towels. Set aside the pan with the bacon grease.
3. In a large bowl gently toss together the dandelion greens and onion.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, vinegar, and sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Stir the egg mixture into the skillet with the warm bacon grease. Mix in the bacon and flour, and whisk for about a minute, until thickened to the consistency of salad dressing. Pour at once over the dandelions and toss to coat. Serve the greens over the potatoes.



Dandelion Fritters:

1 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. Cinnamon powder
¼ tsp. Salt
1 egg
½ cup milk
2 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 cup chopped dandelion flowers
½ cup strawberry jam

Mix the dry ingredients. Beat egg and add milk and oil. Stir into the dry mix. Add the dandelion flowers and blend. Cook the same as you would pancakes heating until golden. Serve with strawberry jam.

Dandelion Sautee:

1 lb. dandelion roots
3 tablespoons olive oil
5 cloves garlic
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 tablespoon spicy sesame oil

Wash roots and slice thinly on a diagonal. Cook in enough water to cover until tender, should be about 10 minutes. Drain and sautee in the olive oil for five minutes, then add the sesame and garlic and sautee for five minutes more. Add the spicy sesame oil and serve.


I hope your enjoy!