LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – State Sen. Mike McGuire will hold a telephone town hall this Wednesday, April 8, at 6:30 p.m. for Lake and Mendocino County residents to hear the latest updates on the state and local coronavirus response.
“We’re working with all levels of government to ensure a unified response to the coronavirus here in Lake and Mendocino counties and all throughout Northern California,” McGuire said. “It’s critically important folks have the latest, most accurate information needed to protect themselves and their families, which is why we hope neighbors can join us for this informative Telephone Town Hall Wednesday evening.”
To attend, dial 844-767-5679, enter code 204015 and follow the prompts. You will be connected to the live town hall via telephone and you will be able to listen to the officials providing critical updates.
Email your questions and comments in advance and in real-time on Wednesday evening to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Stay up to date on coronavirus efforts across the state and here at home via the California COVID-19 response website, the county of Mendocino’s web page and the county of Lake’s web page.
At a former basketball arena being transformed into an alternate care site, Gov. Gavin Newsom said that California is making progress in securing additional beds to treat COVID-19 patients and relieve pressure on the health care delivery system.
On Monday at the former Sleep Train Arena, Gov. Gavin Newsom said that California has already secured up to 4,613 additional beds at alternate care sites and shuttered hospitals to care for an anticipated surge in COVID-19 patients, with even more capacity being finalized.
He said the state has aggressively planned for a surge in hospitalizations in the coming weeks and aims to add 50,000 beds to our existing hospital capacity of nearly 75,000 beds.
At least 60 percent of those additional beds, or 30,000, will come from within existing hospitals, and the state will secure the remaining beds, up to 20,000.
“California has been working closely with hospitals to aggressively expand our state’s ability to treat the coming surge in COVID-19 patients,” said Newsom. “As a result, California is adding tens of thousands more hospital beds, sourcing and distributing lifesaving medical supplies and ventilators, and significantly expanding our health care workforce. This is an all hands on deck effort, and I am extremely grateful to all of our partners in the medical community, the private sector and across government for helping us get this far. All of these efforts will only pay off if we continue to slow the spread of the virus. Staying home will save lives.”
The former Sleep Train Arena, now known as Natomas Arena, in Sacramento is one of several alternate care sites that will provide care for less sick patients, thus allowing hospitals to focus their resources on those with the most acute needs.
The state’s alternate care sites to date include:
– Eight federal medical stations operating or being set up across the state, each with a maximum of 250 beds; – The former Sleep Train Arena, which has a maximum capacity of 400 beds; – Fairview Developmental Center, with a maximum capacity of 520 beds; – Porterville Developmental Center, with a maximum capacity of 246 beds; – San Carlos Hotel, with a maximum capacity of 120 beds; and – CPMC - Pacific Campus, with a maximum capacity of 291 beds.
Alternate care sites will be staffed using a number of resources, including the newly established California Health Corps. The Health Corps is made up of health care providers, behavioral health professionals, and health care administrators who sign up to work at alternate care sites. They will add to the existing state health care workforce with underutilized and underemployed professionals, and with qualified student, retiree and out-of-state health care providers.
In addition, the state has leased two hospitals and received a naval medical ship from the federal government as surge facilities:
Seton Medical Center in Daly City, which has a maximum capacity of 220 beds; St. Vincent Medical Center in Los Angeles, which has a maximum capacity of 266 beds; and USNS Mercy, which has an easily-accessible maximum capacity of up to 550 beds.
Visit www.covid19.ca.gov for critical steps Californians can take to stay healthy, and resources available to those affected by the outbreak.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace said he has extended Lake County’s shelter in place order for another month.
Pace said the updated order will extend through May 3.
The order, which went into effect on March 19, had an original end date of April 10.
However, Pace said Monday that, with Lake County now having two confirmed cases of COVID-19, there are clear indications regional activity of the virus continues to escalate.
As of Monday morning, Pace said the California Department of Public Health had confirmed 15,158 total positive cases in California, and 350 deaths.
“Effects in cities and rural areas, alike, around the country have been truly sobering, and it has never been more important that we remain vigilant to protect those close to us, and those most vulnerable in our communities,” Pace said.
At the recommendation of Gov. Gavin Newsom and State Superintendent Tony Thurmond, the Lake County Office of Education acted on Friday, April 3, to extend its distance-based instruction “through the end of the school year, unless the situation improves and warrants a safe return to the classroom.”
Pace said he’s been in regular contact with Lake County Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg and others, and strongly believes this move reflects the actual conditions brought by the COVID-19 epidemic.
As a result, Pace said he issued an addendum to his school operations order and to the shelter in place order and its two addenda.
Through May 3, 2020, all individuals currently living within Lake County – including the incorporated cities of Clearlake and Lakeport – are ordered to shelter at their place of residence, unless leaving for essential activities, essential government functions, to work for essential businesses or to perform minimum basic operations for non-essential businesses. Each of these terms is defined as indicated in his Addendum 3 to Public Health Order No. C20-3.
“Individuals experiencing homelessness remain exempt, but are strongly urged to find shelter, and I am grateful for the work of Pastor Shannon and the Warming Center to expand their services, and provide shelter for many at this critical time,” said Pace.
Anyone ignoring the shelter in place order is breaking the law and is subject to a misdemeanor citation and fine.
Precautions must be taken, especially for those leaving their residence to perform essential activities. Any individual leaving their place of residence, for any purpose allowed by the order, must strictly comply with the order’s social distancing and hygiene requirements, Pace said.
“Essentially all public and private gatherings of any number of people occurring outside a household or living unit are prohibited,” he said.
Pace said individuals working exclusively from home can continue work-related activities. However, all businesses with a facility in Lake County, except essential businesses, must suspend all activities at their facility, except minimum basic operations.
Essential businesses must prepare, post, and implement social distancing protocols and follow industry-specific guidance from the California Department of Public Health, and businesses with nonessential components to their business operation must scale down operations to only essential business operations, Pace said.
Pace offered some further clarifications of limited exceptions.
Real estate, for example, has been deemed an “essential business,” per Gov. Gavin Newsom’s supplemental guidance to Executive Order N-33-20, issued March 20. Pace said this order addendum requires that appointments and other residential viewings occur virtually, unless an exemption is specifically provided by the Health Department.
To discourage travel, and to protect those sheltering in place, exemptions will only be considered for local residents, and only when the unit is unoccupied. Hand washing and disinfecting of surfaces are likewise required, Pace said.
In the interest of limiting wildfire risk to Lake County, Pace said essential workers now explicitly include landscapers and tree trimmers that are working on wildfire abatement, to include vegetation services, tree maintenance, landscapers, gardeners and property managers.
Directives for hotels have likewise been clarified, noting Lake County residents with special medical or other needs for temporary residence outside of the home may be accommodated when specifically exempted by the Health Department, Pace said.
“Please know I am aware how disruptive these mandates are, and that many facets of basic family life and business activity have become more difficult, or been precluded, altogether,” Pace said. “Fortunately, there are some positive signs that statewide shelter-in-place orders are having a positive benefit, and slowing the spread of the virus. We were proactive, even anticipating the governor’s mandate, in the interest of giving our local healthcare system the best possible chance to keep Lake County’s cases at a manageable level.”
Pace added, “Thanks to the cooperation of so many residents, we were able to buy valuable time, and there remains no evidence of community spread in Lake County, which is a great positive.”
With the virus now confirmed in Lake County, Pace said everyone must commit to these primary strategies to limit entry and spread of the virus:
– Stay at home (and in contact with those in your immediate household, only) except for essential business; – Isolate, even from family, if you develop symptoms; – Wash your hands frequently; and – Use cloth masks (not N95 or surgical masks) when out of the house.
Guidance and options for making your own cloth masks are provided here.
For Lake County-specific Coronavirus information, visit the Lake County Health Services Department’s website, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call Public Health during business hours at 707-263-8174.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County’s Public Health officer on Monday said a second positive case of COVID-19 has been identified in the county.
On Sunday, Dr. Gary Pace reported that the first positive case in Lake County had been identified, and was an individual who had been in contact with a known case at an out-of-county workplace, as Lake County News has reported.
On Monday, Pace said the second case was confirmed, and it’s a family member of the first patient to test positive.
“There continue to be no signs of community transmission in Lake County,” Pace said.
He called Monday’s development “not unexpected,” adding that it reinforces the fact precautions must be taken.
Pace said people should:
– Stay at home (and in contact with those in your immediate household, only) except for essential business; – Isolate, even from family, if you develop symptoms; – Wash your hands frequently; and – Use cloth masks (not N95 or surgical masks) when out of the house.
“People strictly following these rules will give us the best chance of keeping the spread slow enough it is manageable for our medical facilities,” he said.
Pace said that anyone ignoring the shelter-in-place order, which went into effect on March 19, is breaking the law. They’re also running the risk of jeopardizing family and friends’ health, as well as the health of the vulnerable people in their area.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – As California’s COVID-19 case numbers continue to grow, a newly updated forecast is expecting the state’s cases and resource usage to peak mid-month, a week earlier than previously predicted.
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation is an independent global health research organization at the University of Washington School of Medicine that has been forecasting COVID-19 resource use and deaths across the nation, as Lake County News has reported.
The institute’s forecasts show California’s number of cases creates a far flatter curve than the nation as a whole and many other states.
In updated estimates issued over the weekend, which were based on newer and more complete information, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation puts California’s peak resource use – specifically, hospital beds and ventilators – on April 14, where last week it had been put at April 26.
The institute estimates that California’s deaths will peak on April 17 at about 70 per day. Previously, the forecast had expected deaths to peak at 100 per day on April 25.
The nation’s peak resource use remains at April 15, while the institute has pushed back its peak deaths to April 16.
As of Sunday night, the number of cases statewide totaled 15,182, with 350 deaths, according to a survey of Public Health departments across the state conducted by Lake County News.
Lake County Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace said the patient – who had been from contact with a known case at an out-of-county workplace – is currently doing well, following appropriate precautions, and is isolated.
Officials did not release the patient’s gender or community of residence.
As of Sunday, Lassen, Mariposa, Modoc, Sierra and Trinity have so far not reported positive cases.
Counties across the state are following separate reporting protocols. Some have online dashboards that break down case numbers, tests, gender and age, and recovery status, while others do not.
Meanwhile, the number of tests for COVID-19 are continuing to grow across the state.
The California Department of Public Health reported that, as of the latest numbers available on Saturday, approximately 131,500 tests had been conducted in California. At least 116,563 results have been received and another 15,000 are pending.
CDPH said those numbers include data California has received from commercial, private and academic labs, including Quest, LabCorp, Kaiser, University of California and Stanford, and the 22 state and county health labs currently testing.
The state’s numbers indicate that the number of male patients continues to trend higher than females, with the 18 to 49 age group having the largest number of patients – nearly the same as the 50 to 64 and the 65 and above age groups, combined.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors this week will hear the latest on COVID-19 in Lake County from the Public Health officer and discuss requirements regarding benefit zones formed last year to reduce the threat of wildland fire.
The board will meet virtually beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 7, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting can be watched live on Channel 8 and online on the county’s Facebook page or at https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx . Accompanying board documents, the agenda and archived board meeting videos also are available at that link.
Because the meeting will be held virtually, members of the public are asked to submit comments on items to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Please note the agenda item number addressed.
At 9:30 a.m., the board will consider an update on the requirements for the benefit zones established in the Clear Lake Riviera, Buckingham, Riviera West and Riviera Heights last year in an effort to reduce vegetation.
In a memo to the board, Supervisor Rob Brown asked that, in light of the COVID-19 crisis and likely overlap with the impending wildland fire season, he’s asking the board to consider an update on benefit zone efforts, a shortening of the abatement requirements for necessary fuel reduction, public notifications of the need for property owners to ramp up reduction of hazardous vegetation, and reinforcement and confirmation of the definition of “essential worker” to include vegetation services, tree maintenance, landscapers, gardeners and property managers.
“Given our current situation, with the very likely potential of COVID-19 in Lake County, we would be hard pressed to deal with an additional and avoidable disaster such as a wildland fire. We need to, more than ever, reduce that possibility and I am asking the Board to consider any action possible that would further the reduction to that risk,” Brown wrote.
In other business, at 9:10 a.m., the Lake County Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace will give the board an update on the COVID-19 situation.
In an untimed item, the board will continue its discussion from last week about sending a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom to suspend legislation that would affect private enterprise jobs.
In another untimed item, the board will consider a letter responding to the city of Clearlake regarding the city’s concerns with property tax sales by the Lake County Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
5.1: Approve late travel claim for County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson for January 2020, authorizing the auditor-controller to pay.
5.2: Adopt resolution approving Agreement No. 19-0737-008-SF with the California Department of Food and Agriculture to provide reimbursement for Asian Citrus Psyllid Winter Trapping Program for the amount of $8,762 beginning Oct. 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020.
5.3: Sitting as Lake County Air Quality Management District, authorize the air pollution control officer to submit the Ozone Emergency Plan exemption request to ARB and EPA.
5.4: Approve geothermal consultant agreement between the county of Lake and Harold W. Bertholf Inc. for appraisal services starting April 30, 2020, and authorize the chair to sign.
5.5: Adopt resolution authorizing Lake County Behavioral Health Services rate adjustment for substance use disorder services.
5.6: Approve agreement between county of Lake and Behavioral Health Services as lead agency of the Lake County Continuum of Care and Kelseyville Methodist Church as the fiscal agent of the Hope Rising Warming Center Project for Fiscal Year 2019-20 and authorize the chair to sign.
5.7: Approve Amendment No. 1 to the agreement between the county of Lake and Hilltop Recovery Services for Substance Use Disorder Intensive Outpatient Program and outpatient drug free services for Fiscal Year 2019-20, and authorize the chair to sign.
5.8: Adopt resolution of the Lake County Board of Supervisors authorizing Lake County Behavioral Health Services Department to advance funds in order to maintain COVID-19 shelter operations until receipt of COVID-19 emergency homelessness funding from the California Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council.
5.9: Approve 6th Cycle (2019-2027) Housing Element Update contract with EMC Planning Group for $51,960 and authorize chair to sign.
5.10: Adopt proclamation designating the month of April 2020 as Child Abuse Prevention Month.
5.11: (a) Waive the formal bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 38.2, as it is not in the public interest due to the unique nature of goods or services; and (b) approve Amendment No. 1 to the agreement between the county of Lake and Mountain Valley Family and Child Services for specialty mental health services for Fiscal Year 2019-20 increasing the total amount payable from $25,000 to $48,400 and authorize the board chair to sign the amendment.
5.12: Adopt resolution approving county of Lake Health Services to apply for one time grant funding in the amount of $158,987 through the California Department of Public Health for Fiscal Year 19/20.
5.13: Approve extended leave of absence for Deputy Probation Officer III Claudia Acosta from March 9 to May 10, 2020.
TIMED ITEMS
6.2, 9:06 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating the month of April 2020 as Child Abuse Prevention Month.
6.3, 9:10 a.m.: Consideration of Update on COVID-19 .
6.4, 9:30 a.m.: Consideration of (a) update on benefit zone requirements, (b) shortening abatement requirements for necessary fuel reduction, (c) public notifications of the need for property owners to ramp up reduction of hazardous vegetation, and (d) reinforcement and confirmation of the definition of essential worker to include vegetation services, tree maintenance, landscapers, gardeners and property managers.
6.5, 10:30 a.m.: Public hearing, continued from March 24, industrial hemp zoning ordinance text amendment (AM 20-01) categorical exemption (CE 20-07).
UNTIMED ITEMS
7.2: Continued from March 31, consideration of letter to Gov. Newsom asking to suspend legislation that would affect private enterprise jobs.
7.3: Consideration of ratification of county administrative officer's action to send letters to tenants of the Harbor Village Artist Cottages to offer relief of rent during the COVID-19 Health emergency.
7.4: Consideration of letter responding to the city of Clearlake regarding concerns with property tax sales by the Lake County Treasurer-Tax Collector.
7.5: Consideration of acceptance of a donation of a refrigerated trailer for disaster response by Hub Group Inc. of Oak Park, Illinois.
7.6: Consideration of Change Order No. 3 with Coleman Environmental Engineering Inc. for FEMA FMAG Culvert Replacement No. 1 & No. 2, Federal Project No.'s FMAG DR 5093-1-1R & FMAG DR 5112-1-1R, Bid No. 19-01, For an increase of $2,540.94 and a Revised Contract amount of $647,841.27.
CLOSED SESSION
8.1: Conference with labor negotiator: (a) Chief Negotiator: M. Long; county negotiators: C. Huchingson and P. Samac; and (b) employee organizations: LCDDAA, LCDSA, LCCOA, LCEA, LCSEA and LCSMA.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – April is National Alcohol Awareness Month, and it will be celebrated locally and nationally, with the aim of educating people about prevention and treatment of alcoholism, especially among our youth.
This also highlights the important role parents of young adults can play in providing their children a better understanding of the impact that alcohol (and drugs) can have on their lives, and the lives of those around them, according to Lake County Behavioral Health Services officials.
Alcohol and drug use by young people is extremely dangerous, not only to themselves and the community at large, but is also directly associated with educational failure, violence, traffic fatalities, suicide, unsafe sex and alcohol overdose. This even applies to those who may never develop dependence and/or addiction.
Adolescence is the prime time of elevated overall risk-taking, and as alcohol and drugs enter the picture, parents are often faced with a very unique set of challenges.
Parents sometimes justify underage drinking or drug use as a “rite of passage.” Parents must adjust their attitudes and take an active role to learn about alcohol and drugs, and how to assist their kids in doing the same.
It is not always an easy task to discuss the perils of drinking and drug use with children, but is well worth the effort parents put into it.
Studies have shown that children who have conversations with their parents early on and learn about the dangers of alcohol and drug use are more than 50 percent less likely to use these substances than those who did not have such discussions.
This is the opportunity for parents to reinforce the fact that imbibing alcohol is not a “rite of passage.”
When parents foster a change in attitude about alcohol and drug use in both themselves and their children, it helps them all to understand drinking is not a way to be or feel independent, “cool,” or to fit in, socially.
Young people can learn alcohol and drugs are not a requirement in order to have a good time, and non-use of any substance is a viable and, most importantly, the healthiest option. We must learn to honor and respect another individual’s decision not to drink alcohol.
Behavioral Health Services said that alcohol and drug use is a very risky business for young people, and parents are the lynchpin in making a difference. The longer young people delay alcohol and drug use, the less likely they are to develop the inherent problems associated with it.
For more information, please contact Lake County Behavioral Health Services at 707-274-9101 or 707-994-7090.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed an executive order expanding consumer protection against price gouging as California continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The order generally prohibits sellers of any kind from increasing prices on food, consumer goods, medical or emergency supplies, and certain other items by more than 10 percent.
The order also gives additional tools to the California Department of Justice and Attorney General’s Office, among others, to take action against price gougers.
“This crisis has impacted every Californian and our normal way of life, and we are ensuring that all consumers are able to purchase what they need, at a fair price,” said Gov. Newsom.
Visit www.covid19.ca.gov for critical steps Californians can take to stay healthy, and resources available to those impacted by the outbreak.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – On Sunday, Lake County Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace said the first positive case of COVID-19 in Lake County has been confirmed.
The transmission appears to have been from contact with a known case at an out-of-county workplace, Pace said.
Pace said there is no evidence of community spread of COVID-19 at this point.
The patient is currently doing well, following appropriate precautions, and is isolated, Pace reported.
Public Health nursing is communicating with the patient, and helping the person to safely follow the home isolation protocol. Pace said contact tracing is underway, as well.
“In order to slow community spread, we want to take whatever steps possible to identify any close contacts that could be infected, and separate the sick people from those that aren’t sick,” he said.
Pace said all of the efforts people have been making over the last month to avoid travel and unnecessary activity have paid off.
“Compared to Sonoma County and the Bay Area, we have had a few extra weeks to prepare for the presence of the virus in our midst. Almost certainly, we would have had cases earlier, and seen a sharper rise in numbers, had we been less proactive in recent weeks,” Pace said.
Pace said that now it is even more important that Lake County residents continue to follow the “shelter in place” order, which went into effect on March 19.
“Most likely, there will be more cases in the coming weeks. Since spread of the virus can occur for a few days before symptoms are evident, keeping out of the public and taking precautions continues to be extremely important, even if you ‘feel fine,’ or no one nearby ‘seems sick,’” he said.
He said adhering to the following strict practices will slow the spread of the virus in our community:
– Stay at home (and in contact with those in your immediate household, only) except for essential business; – Isolate, even from family, if you develop symptoms; – Wash your hands frequently; and – Use cloth masks (not N95 or surgical masks) when out of the house.
Pace said people strictly following these rules will give us the best chance of keeping the spread slow enough it is manageable for local medical facilities.
“By ignoring the ‘shelter in place’ order, you run the risk of jeopardizing your family and friends’ health, and also the health of the vulnerable people in your area,” he said.
For Lake County-specific Coronavirus information, visit the Lake County Health Services Department’s website at http://health.co.lake.ca.us .
If you still have questions, send an email request to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call Public Health during business hours at 707-263-8174.
Nasturtium flowers are edible, as are the leaves, stems and seeds. Photo by Esther Oertel. To quote a favorite verse, “Flowers appear in our land; the season of singing has come.”
Spring is my favorite season, and I truly do feel like bursting into song (my heart sings, at least) when wildflowers spread madly in Lake County fields clamoring for our grateful attention. The colors are astonishing, a feast for the eyes and soul.
And as if that weren’t enough, the beauty of flowers in the field or garden can become part of what we create in our kitchens. Many are edible and can be used to add uncommon flavor to our dishes, as well as vivid color.
There are far too many edible blooms to chronicle completely here (a good internet search or thorough book can do that), but I’ve curated a diverse list of nine that can grace our plates.
Apple blossoms
The pink-white blossoms of the apple tree are among the first to appear in our small orchard, and I think of them as harbingers of spring.
Like me, the bees are fond of these graceful blooms, and I occasionally find myself hypnotized as I watch them buzz from flower to flower.
Apple blossoms are quite aromatic, scented with nuances of wild rose, jasmine, water lily and honey. This isn’t surprising, as apple trees are relatives of the rose.
As to flavor, they’re described as being subtly like honeysuckle, with a delicate texture, making for a delightful addition to a fruit salad (they’re particularly nice with pear, apricot, lemon and quince) or as a garnish on any plate.
They may be dried and steeped as a tea (some claim apple blossom tea relieves stress and aids digestion), made into jelly or syrup, and even aged in vodka for an aromatic cordial.
As a plus, apple blossoms are high in antioxidants, which are important in ridding the body of free radicals, unstable molecules which can damage cells in the body.
Borage
Starflower and bee bread, two of the herb borage’s aliases, are inspired by its five-pointed flowers, which are immensely attractive to honeybees. If you happen upon a borage plant in bloom, chances are bees will be busy burrowing into its enticing blue blossoms.
Borage’s beautiful Wedgewood-blue blooms may be employed as an edible garnish for salads, fruit dishes, soups and desserts. They have a honey-like taste and are one of the few truly blue edible foods found in nature.
Borage is easily grown in one’s backyard. In fact, it reseeds itself so prolifically that it’s more likely to take over a garden space than fail to thrive. It’s a recommended companion plant for legumes, strawberries, spinach, strawberries, tomatoes, and brassicas such as broccoli and cauliflower.
Dandelions
Dandelions are prolific and can be found almost everywhere. Though often thought of as an invasive weed, dandelions can be quite useful, as every part is edible, from root to green to bloom. In addition, they’re highly nutritious and have been used in home remedies through the years.
As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “A weed is a plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.”
In contrast to the bitterness of dandelion greens, the flowers are sweet and crunchy. Dandelion blossoms can be made into wine, jelly or syrup, or infused into lemonade. The fluffy yellow petals can be a surprise ingredient in cookies or other baked goods. Blooms can be breaded and fried, made into fritters or simply sautéed in butter.
Unopened buds can be marinated and used in much the same way capers are.
Dandelion blooms are best harvested when the sun is shining and the blooms are fully open. When using, be sure to remove any green that remains under the flower, as it will impart a bitter flavor.
Lavender
There are many types of lavender (well over 25), but the lavender used in cuisine is the English variety, so called because the Romans brought lavender with them when they conquered southern Britain. What they planted there was the ancestor of the many varieties of English lavender we know today.
Though lavender is most widely known in the sunny Mediterranean region, it is speculated that this member of the mint family originated in Asia. It’s grown in gardens throughout the world, and since lavender cross-pollinates easily, there are countless variations within each species.
Lavender can be used in a wide swath of culinary genres, both sweet and savory.
It can be made into vinegars, salad dressings, flavored oils, and rubs for fish and meat. It flavors whipped cream and chocolate, is baked into scones and is added to lemonade. It’s added to stews, sauces and ice cream, makes a fragrant aioli, and is delicious when paired with goat cheese. It’s steeped for tea, flavors coffee and adds an aromatic element to spiced teas, such as lavender chai.
The trick to using lavender in cuisine is to have a light hand. It has a very strong flavor, and as lavender is also used to scent perfumes, shampoos, lotions and the like, too much lavender can make food tasty unpleasantly soapy.
My favorite pairing for lavender is lemon (think lavender lemonade or lavender-lemon scones), but its sweet, fragrant flavor complements a range of foods, including strawberries, pears, orange, honey, sage, rosemary, oregano, thyme, black pepper and chocolate.
Lilac
My love affair with lilac began when I was a child in upstate New York. Our rented farmhouse had glorious lilac bushes flanking our front porch and I was enticed by the smell of them.
More recently, I was thrilled to learn that we have lilac bushes at our current home. They surprised me by blooming during our first spring here, making a childhood dream unexpectedly fulfilled.
What makes it more wonderful is that the flowers of the lilac are edible. With a lemony and pungently floral taste, these blooms have a variety of culinary uses.
They can be made into jelly, infused into vinegar, tossed into salads or added to scones, cakes or cookies.
Blooms can be soaked in vodka for a few weeks to make lilac cordial or can be made into wine.
Lilac blossoms, whether fresh or candied, can beautifully decorate cakes and other baked goods, and delicate lilac-infused sugar is perfect for baking. Lilac flowers can be infused into a simple sugar syrup to flavor iced tea, lemonade or to make Italian sodas.
It’s lovely to see pink buds slowly sprouting into light purple blooms on our lilac bushes. I can’t wait to use them to create delicious lilac concoctions!
Nasturtiums
When I was a girl, my mother, a chef, garnished plates in our family restaurant with nasturtiums from our garden.
These relatives of watercress and mustard have been used in culinary applications through the centuries. Nearly every part of the plant is edible – blossoms, leaves, stems and seeds – making them a natural for edible landscapes.
If you’re lucky enough to have these bright beauties in your garden, they should be ripe for the culinary picking from late spring through early summer and beyond.
The blossoms can be added to salads, floated in drinks, made into vinaigrette, tossed atop pizza, become a star in risotto, and can even be featured in spring rolls along with carrots, cucumbers, mint and the like.
The blossoms have a somewhat peppery flavor (though mild and sweet) and they have far more to offer than their common use as a graceful garnish.
When stuffed with cream cheese and chives (or other herbs, if you like), they make a wonderful appetizer. Guacamole works well as a filling, too.
Nasturtium-lemon butter may be made by combining the blossoms with softened butter and a bit of lemon juice and lemon zest.
And lastly, when eating the blossoms out of hand in the garden, be sure to look for a longish spur just under the flower head. These are full of nectar and are a sweet treat when eaten. As kids, my brother and I used to pinch them off near the tip and suck the nectar out.
Redbuds are in bloom throughout Lake County, Calif. Photo by Esther Oertel. Redbud blossoms
This is the time of year when masses of bright magenta-pink blossoms sit like clouds on redbud trees throughout Lake County. It’s hard to drive anywhere without noticing them along the roadways.
The California redbud, namesake of local parks, is actually a member of the legume family. This shrub played an important role in California native culture for centuries, most significantly for basketry.
The bright pink blooms add color and flavor when tossed raw in salads. They can also be pickled or added to sorbets and baked goods like muffins.
Their flavor is interesting, best described as a green bean-like flavor with a lemony aftertaste.
Roses
The rose may be the most popular edible flower on our planet.
Recipes utilizing rose as an ingredient are quite diverse, including fresh tuna salad, pesto, rosewater rice, rose-basted chicken and a medieval bread with raisins. Rose is used to flavor sorbet, ice cream, jams and cookies.
It imparts a subtle, aromatic flavor to a diversity of dishes, both sweet and savory, and is popular throughout the world, especially in the cuisines of Middle Eastern countries, parts of Asia and Western Europe.
Fresh petals may be used for making tea, rose petal butter or rose sugar. The flavor may be extracted from the petals by making rose water or rose syrup, both ingredients used in cooking.
Rose petals can garnish vanilla ice cream or be mixed in a salad with baby greens. Whole petals can be floated in a punchbowl, and chopped petals can be frozen in ice cubes for an interesting drink accompaniment.
All rose varieties are edible and there are differences in flavor depending on the type. Not surprisingly, those with darker colors have more pronounced flavors.
Wild violets
When I think of violets, a lovely metaphor comes to mind: “Forgiveness is the scent of the violet on the heel that crushes it.” Authorship of this beautiful phrase is often attributed to Mark Twain, but there is no evidence that it was he who penned it.
One thing is certain: violets grace our nostrils with a fragrance as beautiful as forgiveness. They also please our palates with sweet flavor.
Many species grow wild throughout North America, including in California, typically blooming in the spring. Colors range from purple to yellow to white, and most have heart-shaped leaves. Thankfully these delicate-looking plants can be easily cultivated in a home garden, making them available to us without foraging in the wild.
Violets are often added to salads for color and flavor, but the culinary applications don’t stop there. They can be used to make vinegar, jelly, tea and syrup, and fresh or candied violets often decorate desserts.
Violet blossoms are rich in vitamins A and C (by weight they have more vitamin C than an orange), and the leaves, also rich in these vitamins, may be used as well as the flowers.
There is one note of caution, however. Wild violets should not be confused with African violets, a houseplant that is NOT edible. Though they share a name, they are unrelated. Edible violets are of the genus Viola, and the African violet genus is Streptocarpus.
Today’s recipe is for floral jelly, appropriate for many different varieties of flowers. Of the flowers covered here, I’d recommend apple blossoms, dandelions, lilac, roses or violets. You may combine types; just be sure the flavor profiles are compatible.
How to make floral jelly
Gather 2 cups blossoms. Apple blossoms, dandelions, lilac, roses or violets are recommended. (If using dandelion blooms, be sure all green under the flower is removed to avoid bitterness.)
Create a tea by pouring 4 cups boiling water over blooms.
Allow to cool, then place in refrigerator for 24 hours to fully infuse.
After steeping, strain well, squeezing out as much liquid as possible.
Measure out 3-1/2 to 4 cups of the floral-infused liquid and pour it into a large pot.
Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1 pouch of powdered pectin. Bring this to a boil.
Add 4 cups of sugar, stir well and return to a boil.
Boil the jelly for 1 to 2 minutes and remove from the heat.
Since flowers can lose their vibrant color when processed, add a little food coloring, if desired.
Pour the jelly into hot canning jars leaving 1/4 inch of headspace.
Run a spatula around the inside edge to remove any air bubbles. Then wipe the edge of the jar clean and place the lids and rings on tight.
Place the jars in a water bath canner and process for 10 minutes or according to your altitude.
Remove the jars from the canner and place on a towel. Allow them to sit undisturbed for 24 hours to let the seal harden.
Any jars that haven’t sealed need to be put in the fridge to use first or reprocessed.
Yield: About four cups of jelly
Esther Oertel is a writer and passionate home cook from a family of chefs. She grew up in a restaurant, where she began creating recipes from a young age. She’s taught culinary classes in a variety of venues in Lake County and previously wrote “The Veggie Girl” column for Lake County News. Most recently she’s taught culinary classes at Sur La Table in Santa Rosa, Calif. She lives in Middletown, Calif.
Apple blossoms can be used in a variety of culinary applications. Photo by Esther Oertel.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has announced the launch of a new website, www.covid19supplies.ca.gov , to get critical medical supplies to the front lines of California’s fight against COVID-19.
The website will allow individuals and companies to donate, sell or offer to manufacture 13 of the most essential medical supplies, including ventilators, N95 respirators and testing materials.
Gov. Newsom also announced the COVID-19 Testing Task Force, a public-private collaboration that will work with stakeholders across the state to quickly and significantly boost California’s testing capacity. The task force plans to scale up testing as demand increases.
“These actions marshal the generosity and innovative spirit of Californians to help us achieve two essential goals: getting more lifesaving supplies into our health care system and increasing our testing capacity,” said Gov. Newsom.
Gov. Newsom called on companies, organizations and individuals who have medical supplies to contribute, either for donation or purchase, to support California’s response to COVID-19 and visit www.covid19supplies.ca.gov .
Additionally, three specific collaborations have launched today as part of the testing effort:
– Collaboration with the University of California, San Diego and University of California, Davis to establish high throughput testing hubs. – Collaboration with Stanford Medicine to launch the first serology test invented in California. – Collaboration with Abbott Laboratories to deploy the first rapid point-of-care test across 13 health care delivery systems and 75 sites.
The task force, co-chaired by California Department of Public Health Assistant Director Charity Dean, M.D., M.P.H. and Blue Shield of California President and CEO Paul Markovich, will ensure the state has sufficient capacity and supplies to administer a significantly greater number of tests.
“The task force is connecting with laboratories across California to tap into unique technologies to improve and refine our testing capabilities to ensure we’re meeting the needs of patients across the state,” said Dr. Dean.
The Testing Task Force is focusing on:
– Ensuring California has lab capacity to rapidly turn around test results and increase capacity strategically to meet demand; – Improving the supply chain to ensure that California can both collect samples and evaluate results without delay; – Enabling new, high-quality tests to launch in California as soon as possible; – Improving our ability to accurately track and evaluate COVID-19 testing capacity, results and reporting; and – Building the workforce necessary to meet testing goals.
“The task force will work together with California academic systems, private systems, public health experts and others to ensure we’re creating the most streamlined and effective way to evaluate testing data,” Blue Shield of California President and CEO Paul Markovich said. “This kind of public-private collaboration will allow us to tap into the systems needed to get the results California deserves.”
A few days ago, I completed my 2020 U.S. census form.
My latest book details the fundamentals and significance of the 2020 census. By April 1, every residence in the United States will be contacted, usually by mail, to answer only seven questions. This year you may respond online, although there are options for paper, telephone and even talking to a census worker.
Special efforts will be launched to reach the homeless, people in transit and those living in unconventional housing, such as a houseboat. The census will cost billions of dollars.
All this effort and expense raises the issue of whether there is an alternative. The short answer is no, not unless the U.S. Constitution is amended.
Other countries, however, have different ways of counting and tracking their populations. The U.S. system is moving in their direction.
Undercounting just one child in poverty may cost a school district nearly $1,700 a year in Title I funds. According to one study, the people most likely to be undercounted are often the very people who would benefit the most from Medicaid and other programs.
The census is a snapshot of the country’s population. The nature of a snapshot is that it is fixed at a point in time. According to the U.S. Constitution, that snapshot is taken once every 10 years.
The census will not change or go away unless the U.S. Constitution is amended, a lengthy process requiring the agreement of a supermajority of both Houses of Congress and three-fourths of the state legislatures. However, a continuous population register would be one alternative, perhaps enhanced with an occasional “light-touch” census supplementing the register information with just a few questions asked at long intervals.
In reality, however, the population is more like a video, with people moving in and out as they are born and die and change residences in between those two events. A continuous population register is more like a video than a snapshot, with every birth, death and move tracked for every resident.
How population registers work
Population registers – which require citizens to keep a current address with the government and to register births and deaths – have existed for centuries in parts of Asia and Europe, especially in Scandinavia.
Population registration in China dates back at least to the Han dynasty (206 B.C. - A.D. 220). Later, birth and death registration laws were part of the T'ang codes, one of China’s earliest recorded legal codes.
The Japanese system of registration, which was adapted from China, featured distinctive household registries that were intended to be the basis of periodic land reallocation in the seventh century A.D. – though it isn’t clear that Japan ever used the data in this way. National registration was restored and strengthened during the Tokugawa shogunate in the 1600s.
The European origins of registries were parish records of baptisms, marriages and burials. Later, the nation-state coordinated the registry, including the movement of citizens from one place to another.
Today, the registries are digitized. As I note in my latest book, the Swedish tax authority, for example, maintains the registry for Sweden, and Swedes have unique PINs and the right to see anything in their file.
For most of the U.S. population – at least those who are reached by the IRS, Social Security or Medicare – it is highly likely that the federal government has their address. There are some potential barriers to using a population register, because tracking births and deaths is a responsibility of individual states, but the states cooperate with the federal government in compiling vital statistics.
The biggest flaw with the population register is keeping accurate track of international migration.
Entry into the United States might go undetected, or a visa may expire. Emigrants are not required to notify the United States that they have relocated to another country, and the U.S. does not employ exit visas.
Even if “net migration” – immigrants minus emigrants – is estimated for the country as a whole, the state or locality where people have entered or left may be unknown. This would be important information for local governments that must provide roads, police and fire service, and other services for all.
This year, the U.S. Census Bureau will use an unprecedented amount of administrative data, such as Social Security records, to check the accuracy of census data, to edit missing information and to estimate the citizenship status of respondents. This latter use of administrative data has been mandated by a presidential executive order to ascertain citizenship, after the Supreme Court prevented a citizenship question being put on the 2020 census.
So, while there is not yet a population register, it might be at America’s doorstep. In the meantime, however, please complete your census form – it is your democratic duty.
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