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Out and About: Kanapaha Botanical Gardens

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Kanapaha Botanical Gardens

Ever heard of the Kanapaha Botanical Gardens in Gainesville?  Me neither.  KInd of sounds Hawaiian to me.  But no, Kanapaha means something about Native American’s living in palmetto thatched huts along a lake.  When we saw that the Citrus County Corvette and Camaro Car Club was planning a driving excursion there, we said “why not?”  

And that garden was amazing!  It was actually 25 specialty gardens on sixty-two acres of beautiful land bordering a lake.  (Kanapaha Lake–must be where those Native Americans lived in their palmetto huts once upon a time.)

Unusual plants, both native and from around the world, shade meandering paths; flowering vines entwine pergolas and gazebos; concrete mythical creatures hide in quiet corners; a bamboo forest shades a contemplative Buddha. Lovely.

We had two hours to explore and wander through the various gardens. Most of the plants and trees had markers and I was able to identify some of the unknown plants in my own yard, plus decide what plants I needed to add to my own gardens.   (I can’t stop thinking about those brick paths bordered with mondo grass and how good that would look in my shaded areas or how much I want to put in my own bamboo forest and Buddha.)

I took about 150 photos–all beautiful.  But 150 might be just a few to many to post here.  So I’ve just put up some of my favorites and in no particular order. 

Vine

ViewViewPineapple GingerDragon in Children's GardenChildren's GardenOne of many gazebosSucculent gardensucculent GardenPapaya

 PapayaGriffinGazeboChenille PlantBridge and padsPadspadsflowerflowerBirds Nest FernBambooBambooBambooBambooBudda in Bambo GardenBananasBottle Tree

Cars
There’s even a nice view in the parking lot!

The Garden is approximately 75 miles north of Citrus County–about an hour and a half drive.  According to the literature from the Garden, the best time to visit for blooms is from June through September.  They allow dogs as long as they are on a leash and we saw one little adorable Westie.  It would be a lovely spot for a wedding or just for a family photography session.  The admission fee for adults is $7 and there’s a discount for large groups.  A fun and inexpensive day trip.

CPK Salad : What to do with that quinoa

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Last week or so I posted a little ditty about quinoa, what it is and how to cook it, etc. One thing most people do with it is to add it to a salad. One of my all-time favorite salads is at the California Pizza Kitchen. Called ‘Quinoa & Arugula Salad’, it’s just as advertised,…only better. This is a light tasting salad with enough protein punch to carry you for hours. Since I’ve mastered the quinoa,…let’s make some.

 

CPK Salad; copycat

Step 1
Step 1

Step 1

Gather some quinoa to cook up, and asparagus to steam. 

Really good when you do it right.
Really good when you do it right.

Check that post from last week on making that quinoa!

Step 2
Step 2

Step 2

Clean up that asparagus. Bend the end of one until it snaps, then use it to measure where to cut the rest in one whack.

Step 3
Step 3 : ready for steaming

Step 3:

Steam the asparagus. I used a steamer on the stove , but you can use the microwave. To be honest, I let mine cook too long – busy taking photos! Unless you shock them in ice water while they’re cooked, but crunchy, there will be ‘carry-over’. That means mushy veggies. Don’t do it ! Respect the ‘grass.  

Step 4
Step 4

Step 4:

The Dressing. 

CPK serves theirs with a champagne vinaigrette. Most online recipes have a slightly different variety, but I’m going full blown copycat here. I love this salad! Why are they so far away !? (the closest CPK is more than an hour drive for me)

My Champagne Vinaigrette:

3 Tbl Champagne Vinegar

1/2 Tbl Dijon Mustard

1/4 tsp Oregano, dried

3 Tbl Olive Oil (the good stuff! – I even used a Meyer Lemon infused version )

1/8 tsp Pressed Garlic (like the tiniest clove from the inside-smashed)

2 or 3 dashes of Hot Sauce

1 1/2 tsp Honey or agave

Get it together and whisk to combine. The mustard will help emulsify the mixture.

The Salad:

OK, so as a salad, it’s a make as you like deal…but here’s what I did.

On a big plate of arugula mix (I love those baby green mixes), drizzle with some of the dressing and toss. Then sprinkle on about a 1/4 cup of cooked quinoa, 1/3-1/2 cup steamed asparagus, 4 or 5 pieces of sun dried tomato, chopped, a sprinkling of feta cheese AND some red onion*.

* Note: How to calm down an onion. Ever get those salads and the onion could take your head off? Yeah, me too. Well, at CPK they don’t – why? Are they pickled? No,…it’s a head-slappingly simple trick. Slice the onion thin first, let it float in a little ice water while you put together the rest of the salad. Ta-da! Onion taste that won’t leave you with ‘onion breath’.

CPK Salad - copycat
CPK Salad – copycat

That’s it – my CPK Salad – enjoy!   

 

[yumprint-recipe id=’12’]