Recipes (click here for printable version)

Cattail Casserole

2 cups fresh (or frozen) cattail blooms
1 cup buttered breadcrumbs
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
Pepper, salt, and grated cheese to taste

Combine 2 cups of the cooked blooms (scraped from the spike) with 1 cup of buttered breadcrumbs and 1 beaten egg. Stir in 1/2 cup of scalded milk. Season with salt and pepper. Top with grated cheese and bake in a buttered casserole dish for 25 minutes at 350ºF (175ºC)

Habitat and Flowering Time

Very common in shallow water of sloughs or marshes, also along lake or river shores, often in damp roadside ditches. Early summer.

Food Use

The white, tender inner part of the young shoots can be used raw in salads or cooked as a vegetable.

The central part of the rootstock, which is mainly starch may be dried and ground into a sweet tasting flour from which an excellent bread can be made.

The root can also be cooked.

Dandelion Root Coffee

In the fall dig up Dandelion roots, scrub well and drain dry. Roots may be peeled if a milder flavour is desired. Cut in pieces and roast in an oven at 250ºF (120ºC) until dry and hard. Store in a dark room in an airtight container and grind as needed.

Wild Gooseberry Tarts

Plain pastry
1 1/2 tablespoon flour
4 cups green Gooseberries
1/8 tablespoon salt
3/4 - 1 cup sugar (to taste)
1 1/2 tablespoon butter

Roll out slightly more than half the pastry and line 5 individual tart pans; chill in refrigerator. Pick over Gooseberries, discard any soft ones and remove stems and tails, then wash. Combine sugar, flour and salt. Sprinkle over berries, stirring to distribute. Turn into unbaked pastry-lined tart pans, dot with butter and brush edge of pastry with water. Cover with rest of pastry rolled slightly thinner than lower crust and gashed to let steam escape. Press edges together firmly, trim. Bake at 450ºF (230ºC) for 15 minutes or until crust is delicately browned. Reduce heat to 350ºF (175ºC) and continue baking for 30 minutes or until berries are tender.

Habitat and Flowering Time

Common in aspen woods, thickets, and stony hillsides throughout the Qu'Appelle Valley. Early to mid spring.

Food Use

The ripe berries are good to eat raw and also useful in making jams and jellies.

Rhubarb Muffins

Preheat oven to 375 º F (190 º C)

1 1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup oil
1 tsp. almond flavour
1 1/2 cup diced rhubarb

Mix first five ingredients thoroughly. Add rest of ingredients except rhubarb; mix again. Finally, add rhubarb and mix again.

Use jumbo muffin papers, fill 3/4 full. Sprinkle mixture with 2 tbsp. white or brown sugar before baking. Bake 15-20 mins.

Rhubarb Custard Pie

2 1/2 cups rhubarb
2 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp. flour
1 tbsp. melted butter
1 tsp. almond flavour

Beat egg yolks into a thick froth, gradually add sugar, flour and butter. Add rhubarb cut in 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) pieces. Pour into uncooked pastry shell and bake at 300ºF (150ºC) until soft and bubbly. When baked top with meringue made of the egg whites.

Rhubarb Dessert

5-6 cups cut rhubarb
1 square (250g) margarine
1 cup brown sugar
1 white cake mix

Melt margarine in a 9 inch (23 cm) x 13 inch (33 cm) bake pan in an oven heated to 350 º F (175 º C). Add 1 cup of brown sugar; melt together by stirring. Add rhubarb to melted margarine and sugar. Keep warm in oven while making cake mix according to package instructions. Pour cake batter over rhubarb. Cook approximately 45-60 mins.