Dandelion Spring Soup

Collect wild dandelions with their roots only from areas that have not been exposed to pesticides, herbicides and harsh fertilizers. These store best. Or, use cultivated, cleaned picked leaves which must be used quickly

Immediately refrigerate them to prevent wilting.

Select bright green leaves; avoid yellowing or limp ones. Dark green leaves look great but are actually the most bitter.

Preparing your dandelions: Clean them by removing the leaves from the root and soaking the leaves in cold water. Agitate the water to loosen dirt, then drain the leaves in a colander. Repeat if necessary, especially if the dandelions were harvested after a recent rainfall. Spin-dry the leaves.

To serve:

Ladle the hot soup over the presentation bowl.

Garnish the soup Pancetta, perfect dandelion leaves, sprinkles of red radish, chives, and add freshly ground black pepper (the more the merrier).

Are you free this afternoon for tea?

Cherry Blossom Pickles

from the kitchen of a friend

1. Prepare 2 cups of cherry buds (of the double-petal variety; unopened; pink color), don't remove their 2cm. stems

2. Wash the buds carefully, then place on a bowl

3. Add 3 tbsp of salt (no water!), then mix thoroughly

4. Put the salted flowers on a pickling jar, close tightly

5. Place covered in the refrigerator

In a week or so, you'll have a wonderfully pickled cherry blossoms on your dinner table!

Japanese New Year's foods...

At New Year's time in Japan, three-tier lacquer are filled with delicious foods. These boxes are only used at New Year's time.



The foods are separated and a large variety of different foods are displayed in the boxes.

Recently, all foods from different areas of Japan are available for purchase in many different areas.



All of these foods are served at room temperature with a delicious warm soup and green tea.

Ham and cheese crêpes

1 Basic crêpes (prepared)
1 cup ham (chopped)
1/3 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
1/3 cup Monterey Jack cheese (shredded)
1/4 sour cream
1/2 tsp mustard
1/4 tsp horseradish (optional)
2 tbsp sliced green onions

Combine ham and cheese. Arrange mixture over the crêpes.

Fold crêpes over and place on a serving platter.

Combine sour cream, mustard, and horseradish. Spoon sauce over crêpes and garnish with green onions.

Microwave for 2 minutes or until warm.

Serve immediately.

Basic crêpes

1/3 cup flour
Dash of salt
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 tbsp butter (melted)

Place egg, milk, and butter in blender; add flour and salt.

Blend ingredients for about 1 minute or until ingredients are combined.
Refrigerate batter 1 hour before using. (Flour particles will expand in the liquid. This insures tender crêpes.) Batter may thicken as it stands. Beat in a few tsp of water into batter if it is too heavy.

Prepare crêpes: Melt butter in fry pan. Spread very thin file of batter. Cook quickly on both sides until done. Remove from pan.

Note: finished crêpes should be thin!