Uses for dandelions

If you have dandelions in the yard you can use them for salad -= just the leaves. Slip a knife at a shallow angle into the root and the rosette of leaves comes off. They’re bitter, like endive only more so. I like them with a dressing heavy in vinegar and salt. And maybe eat them with bread for relief. They’re rich in Vitamin A.

You can also make mashed potatoes and after mashing them, stir in dandelion leaves for some colour and contrast. They don’t seem quite so bitter that way. I was told this was “bubble and squeak” but I think the traditional recipe is made with leftover cabbage.

You can go on harvesting them as long as they are young and tender. When they bloom, they become even more bitter and it’s time for your lettuce to be up.

Sunday palm: the Everglades Palm

The Everglades Palm, or Acoelorraphe wrightii, is a member of the Arecaceae family. It is a clump-forming palm that is found in southern Florida, the West Indies, and Central America.

(Photograph taken by me at Fullerton Arboretum)
Previous palm: Palm au naturel
Next palm: Mediterranean Fan Palm

Sunday palm: palm au naturel

During my trip to California in January-February, I visited the Fullerton Arboretum in Orange, CA. I was fascinated by the variety of palm trees in their collection and tried to take pictures of both trees and their identifying labels. I’ve been wondering when and how to publish them and if people would be interested. Today is Palm Sunday so it seems like a good time to start with a Sunday palm.

This is what at least some ordinary palm trees look like without teams of gardners to trim off the dead leaves every so often:

Next palm: Everglades palm

Crothers’ Woods plan

Donwatcher reports on the new management plan for Crothers’ Woods in the Don Valley.