Day Lily Fritters

As a kid I can remember driving up and down the road looking for wild asparagus. They were a tough find, and never really that good. What I didn't realize, at least not completely, was the orange flowers on the side of the road were a much easier, much tastier find. We used to call them Tiger Lilies, but in truth they're Day Lilies, and it would seem that most of the plant is edible.
I haven't experimented with the rest of the plant, but I have dabbled with the flowers. Most recently, I cut the newly opened flowers from the plants in my back yard. It's easier to cut the flowers in half, dip them in egg and toss them on the frying pan. With a little salt and pepper they are absolutely delicious. You can also toss the whole flower on the frying pan, and dump some egg right on top once they cook down a bit and have a tasty omelet. It's also said in different places that the dried flowers can be used to thicken soups. We'll see how that experiment works out...

I'm Not A Cow!

Lately, I've been reading a fair bit online about Red Clover and it's versatility. To be honest, I wasn't sure. I know it's edible, but it's just a cover crop to help restore nitrogen back to the Earth and keep the soil intact while it lies fallow. It is also a fodder crop and last I checked, I wasn't livestock...

Needless to say, I had to try some. It grows in abundance outside in the fields and along the edges of the sidewalks. Surely no one would miss it, and I wouldn't actually have to go digging around looking for it. The next time I went for a walk with my son, I brought along a bag hanging from his stroller and started picking clover heads and popping them in the bag so I could make tea when we got home.

While I waited for the water to boil, I began stripping the leaves from the clover heads and tossing the flowers into my French Press. Finally the water boiled and it was time to combine and steep. I let it sit for sometime - 25 minutes or so - then dumped it into a half gallon mason jar added some ice and a bit of honey and away we went. I have to admit it wasn't the best tea I've had, but easily something I'll do again. Perhaps a lemon or lime slice might help. Next time I'll try a combination of white and red clovers.