I'm taking some "Comp Time" today to recover from symptoms of Heat Stress. Working outside in direct sun, high temperatures, and high humidity were causing me to start making plans to move to Alaska (i.e., irrational thought patterns were setting in ... I really DON'T want to move to Alaska.). Couple that with a DEcreased sense of humor, INcreasing apathy, insomnia, and continuous, generalized dampness of skin (AKA, sweat!), and you have a recipe for someone who was becoming very unhappy. OK ... I admit it. In other words, I was falling apart. So, I gave myself the day off ... smile. Comp time!
But, the Flower of the Week THRIVES in this weather we've been having - the Helianthus annuus, or Sunflower. It's the flower that looks like our favorite star, the sun. It is native to Central America and spread from there to Europe in the 16th century.
The more I read about it, the more admiration I have for this informal flower that seems to symbolize life in the country. Did you know that very recently in Japan they have been planting acres and acres of sunflowers in fields near the nuclear power plant in Fukushima? The power plant has been leaking radiation since the March 11 earthquake there. Apparently, after the Chernobyl disaster, scientists found that the sunflower was able to absorb large quantities of radioactive cesium-137 through its roots. So, the Japanese are trying the same decontamination method. We all know how wonderful Vincent van Gogh thought they were, as he painted them in his famous still life. The flower head is perfectly designed in meticulous, interconnecting spirals for the most efficient packing of seeds. And, sunflowers also produce latex, a hypoallergenic rubber. And oil. I could go on and on ... but, I won't.
I suppose my favorite sunflower is the variety called Soraya, named after an ancient European princess. The word "soraya" is actually a female name of Persian origin and means "rich" or "princess." In 2000, Soraya was the 1st sunflower ever to be named an All American Selection Winner. It grows 5-6 feet tall and is "well branched". This means that each plant can produce 20-25 beautiful orange-gold flowers with dark centers and strong stems about 90 -100 days after planting. If the blooms are picked just as they are opening, it can last 7 days in a vase. They just seem to glow with radiance!
Today marks the official opening of the 2011 Seiberling Corn season. I believe they picked two varieties for the stand this morning... Temptation and Polka. I can attest to the sweetness - had THREE ears for dinner last night. Here's a pic of one of them. What a treat!!!
Fresh,
tender,
dripping with butter
and a dash or two of salt.
There's nothing better than Seiberling Sweet Corn in the summer. Nope, there isn't!
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