Fiddlefest was a grand success

Last night's Fiddlefest, the annual fundraiser for Slow Food Portland, was a smashing success. Fiddlehead-based entrees were accompanied by fiddle music and a silent auction. At the risk of slighting the cooks whose recipes I didn't get, I want to commend particularly Hugo's Restaurant for its salad of nutty, tangy, garlicky, smoky, salty, vinegary wild greens, including fiddleheads, beach pea shoots, and frog's bellies. Also, Fore Street for its wild rice crackers and sorrel sauce. There were fiddleheads sauteed, quiched, aspic'd, pickled, in tomato flavored spreads, and many other fine dishes. And a great time was had by all. Thank you, Slow Food!

Cornus florida outdoes itself

Couldn't resist sharing my flowering dogwood, Cornus florida, which has really outdone itself this year. There is no question that the cool, rainy weather in May has fostered an amazing display of flowering trees and shrubs; what remains to be seen is whether a host of fungal diseases will follow.

Cornus florida is something of an endangered species in the wild as well as in cultivation, due to the devastating effects of anthracnose infection. C. florida is native to the southern Appalachian highlands and as far north as New Hampshire, commonly found as an understory tree on the edge of the forest. But the glorious clouds of white that once lined the roads of Connecticut and other states have largely disappeared and in their place are the blackened stumps of anthracnose-killed trees. Anthracnose is a fungal disease, imported into the US on plant material in the early 1900's.

Anthracnose has been reported on the West End of Portland. C. florida is marginally hardy here, and should only be planted very close to the coast, in a sheltered location, preferably in the partial shade of larger trees. To prevent anthracnose, make sure the tree is not crowded and gets plenty of air circulation, and water during periods of drought. If the disease strikes your dogwood, pruning out diseased branches and a fungicide may prolong its life.

Trees of Munjoy Hill

Munjoy Hill has some beautiful and unusual trees, thanks to the efforts of the city of Portland's tree planting program and homeowners around the Hill. Can you identify these trees? Some are on Congress Street, some in private yards. Click on the "comments" link below for the answers.

Fiddleheads, the first green crop of spring

Fiddleheads have just begun to appear in the stores, and Slow Food Portland is hosting its annual celebration of of the delicious fronds on May 21 at SMCC, from 5-8 pm. Open to all, this year's Fiddlefest not only features fiddleheads, but also fiddlers and delicious food prepared by area chefs. Tickets are $20 for adults, $5 for kids. More information is available on the Fiddlefest web site