Super Bowl Update

There has been at least one personal upside to governmental budget tightening -- the day lilies that line our road haven't been mowed this year. And so last night when a friend gave me a ride home, they were in full, glorious, beautiful bloom.

"Did you know you can eat those?" my friend asked.

I did not.

My friend had learned this, she said, from reading Euell Gibbon's Stalking the Wild Asparagus many, many years ago. Now she would never call  herself an old hippie, which I do. Or at least I used to. I'm not sure someone who's never read Euell Gibbon's 60's classic is still allowed to do that . . .

This morning, I got up and did some research about the culinary possibilities of day lilies. It turns out they are not only edible, but somewhat nutritious.

Day Lily (per 100g)
Hemerocallis fulva
Calories 42
Protein 2g
Fat .4g
Calcium 87mg
Phosphorus 176mg
Iron 1.2mg
Sodium 24mg
Potassium 170mg
Vitamin A 3,000 I.U.
Thiamin .16mg
Riboflavin .21mg
Niacin .8mg
Vitamin C 88mg

And they are also versatile--who knew one could prepare stuffed day lilies, day lily fritters, and day lily cheesecake. Not to mention

Oriental Daylily Buds

2 cups daylily buds
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1/3 cup almond slivers
1 tsp. freshly grated ginger
1 Tbs. Rice wine vinegar
1 Tbs. Tamari or soy sauce
1 Tbs. Water
2 cups cooked brown rice 

Steam daylily buds for 10-15 minutes, until tender. In a wok or heavy skillet, heat the oil over a high heat until very hot. Add the almond slivers, saute until browned. Quickly remove the almonds from the pan, set aside. Turn heat down to medium. Add grated ginger and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Add vinegar, tamari, and water. Stir to mix. Toss in daylily buds. Serve over hot rice, topped with sauteed almonds. Serves 4.

So why am I blogging about day lilies on the day General McChrystal may lose his job, the Gulf Coast is under siege from its own economic life blood,  Nicky Haley wins the GOP nomination for governor in South Carolina, the U.S. must win or go home in World Cup soccer, and Kenneth Turan gives a Tom Cruise movie a good review?

Because, as Sir Edmund Hillary said of Mount Everest, they are there, all those lilies of the fields; allowed to bloom this year as an accident of governmental cost-cutting. And, I thought that even in the midst of all the other turmoil in our lives, they are worth taking note of.

Even if you decide not to stir-fry them for lunch.