Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Sakura Matsuri

This past weekend was Cherry Blossom time in Brooklyn, but most especially it was Sakura Matsuri, also known as the Cherry Blossom Festival at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens.

This annual festival draws over 60,000 visitors to the gardens in a single weekend!


The cherry blossoms are really something to behold. I shared a photo last week of the blossoms in my neighborhood.


and yesterday I posted a photo on Facebook of the blossoms after a rain storm washed them off the tree. Literally a river of petals.


So pretty, but sad to see those lush blossoms fade.

So back to the festival - You can check out the Botanic Gardens page here and see they have 60 events scheduled for Cherry Blossom weekend. 

If you go to the main page - you can see the Cherry Blossom esplanade in full bloom.

There is also a beautiful and peaceful Japanese Garden.





So I figured I could give a recipe for something Japanese, right?

Um, no. I don't have any.

I'm excusing myself because I'm in the midst of another week of state testing.

But I can Google and I discovered Huffington Post had a list of five favorite Japanese recipes to celebrate the Cherry Blossom Festival.

So, if you're feeling adventurous, give it a try.

5 Tasty Japanese Recipes to Celebrate Cherry Blossom Season

My daughter loves to cook with Japanese sweet potatoes. She makes a delicious dish with sweet potatoes, wild Japanese black rice and roasted papaya and pineapple.

I wish I had a photo.

So, what's blooming in your neck of the woods?

7 comments:

  1. I love the cherry blossoms, Cate! And one of our favorite dishes is a steak or chicken stir fry with steamed veggies and a (gasp!) pre-packaged ginger/sesame/soy sauce. And I love the raining petals.... blossoms don't last long up here in the spring because the proximity to Lake Ontario brings some cold snaps.... but right now I've got gorgeous, hearty tulips and the tiny jonquils.... and my Iris shoots are twelve inches tall but they're in a holding pattern because we're in a 50 degree and steady rain diet this week.

    OY. :)

    But things will dry out eventually.... right?

    Thanks for the pretty flower pics!

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    1. Ruthy, we were wet like you in 2015 and 2016. So yes, you will dry out eventually. Until then, rubber boots are the order of the day. ;)

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    2. It's been wind here. Crazy wind bringing down branches yesterday.

      The main part of the festival began on Saturday which was a gorgeous day. Unfortunately, that gorgeous day was preceded by the worst thunderstorm I ever remember at about 5am. Lots of downed blossoms. :(

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  2. Love those photos, Mary Cate. Cherry blossoms are simply beautiful.

    Here in North Texas, most everything is in bloom. My calla lilies are growing taller, but no blooms yet and the crepe myrtles generally don't bloom until June. Beautiful, delicate blooms, much like the cherry blossoms. They bloom all summer, though.

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    Replies
    1. I love crepe myrtles, Mindy. The BBG has a beautiful display of those as well but they haven't bloomed completely yet.

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  3. The cherry blossoms are beautiful!

    Here in the Black Hills, our cherry blossoms are still tight buds - but that's all right, because we normally have snow around Mother's Day (even some in the forecast for tonight!)

    But the daffodils are blooming, and the dandelions, of course! Most of our flowers show up in late May or June. No rushing things!

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  4. I'm glad your plants know enough to wait out the weather, Jan. Our Magnolias really suffered because of the iffy spring - warm February, messed up March. Usually our Magnolia blooms for Easter, but this year it went straight to leaf because the buds all froze.

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