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.

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.

Bees and Beehive

1/2 avocado
1/4 lime
1 jalapeno cheese tortilla
l radish
oil
salt
Using hive and bee cookie cutters, cut out both from jalapeno cheese tortilla by pressing hard on a strong surface. Add enough oil to frying pan to cover. Medium heat. Place bees in pan, 3 at a time, and heat until golden and tortilla puffs up. Fry hive separately. Drain on paper towels and salt. Mash avocado with lime juice and salt. Place hive in center of plate. Put avocado mixture around and edge with finely chopped radish. Surround hive with bees, placing extras in avocado mixture.

Straw Sticks

Thanks to George Lofland for suggestions for the sauce.

Sauce
1 t brown sugar
1 t Worchestershire sauce
1 t instant coffee
1 very small onion, chopped
1 T rosemary lemon vinegar
2 small tomatoes, chopped
1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 t wild chapparal
Mix. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 minutes

1/4 avocado

1 large jalapeno cheese tortilla, cut in long thin strips and fried until golden brown.

Place sauce in bottom of bowl. Add avocado and fill cavity with sauce. Arrange strips of tortilla around edges of bowl.