Sunny Meadowland

Meadowland
5 avocados
1 lemon
1/2 c broccoli tips
1/2 c chopped watercress
1/2 c chopped flowers
Dandelion greens
Salt

Place spears of dandelion greens around the edge of a plate. Seed avocado and mash with juice of the lemon. Salt to taste. Place avocado mixture in center of plate. Finely chop the very tops of broccoli florets, watercress leaves and flower petals and sprinkle on the avocado mixture. This can be used as a salad with more greens added, or as a dip.

Sunshine
1 large round sweet potato
2 small golden beets

Make circular cuts in beets and potato so that the beets are cut in half and the sweet potato in fourths. Boil until barely soft. Cool. Peel. Slice into circles that are strong enough to pick up like thick potato chips. Cut out sun rays from circles. Place on edge of plate to use with meadowland salad or dip.

Colored Squash

There are many small squash of brilliant color and pattern that can be attractively presented and filled. To prepare, wash and cut in half, then puncture with fork to let the steam out while cooking in the microwave for 3 to 5 minutes or until just soft. After spooning out the seeds and fibers, the squash can be filled with mixtures of rice and herbs, assorted chopped vegetables and nuts, or chopped meats and potatoes.

Berry Sauce

Edible mountain berries include blackberry, chokecherry, gooseberry, thimble berry, wild strawberry, serviceberry, sugar bush berry, lemonade berry, huckleberry, elderberry and raspberry. For this recipe, I have used commercial raspberries, elderberries, dried blueberries and 1/4 c currants.

l package fresh raspberries or other fresh berries
1/4 c currants
1/4 c dried blueberries
1 T dried elderberries
1 t cornstarch
1 c water

Mix and cook to a boil and simmer until the piquant mixture becomes slightly thick. Cool in a large bowl or several small individual bowls with berry leaves surrounding. This mixture can be used like cranberry sauce with various entrees or with ice cream as a dessert.

Pine cones, Raspberry Leaves and Bark

Corn meal/acorn bread
1/3 c oil
1/3 c sugar
1 egg
1/4 c milk
1/3 c acorn flour
2/3 c flour
1 c cornmeal
1/2 T salt
3 t baking powder

Stir and spread in a baking pan, 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes. Cool.

Presentation
Pine nuts
Hazelnut butter
Dried Raspberry leaves
Wild berry spread

With knife, cut out pine cone shapes and add pine nuts. Cut strips for bark and spread with hazelnut butter and dust with chopped walnuts. Cut out raspberry leaves, also spreading with hazelnut butter and sprinkle dried raspberry leaves on top. Serve with wild berry spread.

Acorn Pudding

Surprisingly enough, this dessert starts out with acorn base which is just a mixture of acorn flour and water which is boiled until gelatinous. It has a very mild, somewhat nutty flavor and as such takes well to many additions.

Acorn Pudding
Mix 3 T of acorn flour (available at some Korean markests) with 1/4 c water. Mix thoroughly and continue stirring for about 8 to 10 minutes. When a little bit is dropped into cold water and it floats, it is finished. Mixture will turn dark.

Presentation
Pour mixture into small bowls, about 1/2 inch thick. Cool. Prepare two more bowls, one with chopped walnuts and chocolate, another with mixed dried berries, raisins, currants etc. and sprinkle these mixtures on the pudding. Serve with whipped cream, ice cream, soy ice cream or rice ice cream and a spring of mint.