Blue Ribbon Lady at Farmers Market

Laura at August 2, 2016 Rolla Farmer's Market, just after her ribbon haul from Phelps County Fair.

Laura the Blue Ribbon Lady at Rolla's Farmers Market

Over the years, I have toyed with the idea of entering something into the local county fair contest. I have been a judge at fairs, and since then have enjoyed seeing winning entries when I was visiting communities with fairs. I can honestly say I have never met someone with so many blue ribbons!

I didn't catch her last name but her first name is Laura. She was talking to a couple of customers when I stopped by so I took the time to look at what all had won the coveted blue ribbons. There were the standard salsas, pickles, relish and jams next to the unusual pickled eggs and pineapple salsa.

Some of the award-winning canned fare Laura won at the 2016 Phelps County Fair.

After carefully perusing each and every jar, I selected a jar of her mild salsa. I like to use salsa on my summer salads, I told her.

Most definitely, she said. And do you add onions to your scrambled eggs?

Of course, I said, along with green peppers and tomatoes at the end to add color.

Don't forget the mushrooms, Laura said.

More of Laura's award-winning jars from the 2016 Phelps County Fair.

Did I forget to mention the cute floral hat she was wearing? Hard to miss, channeling comedian Minnie Pearl even with a price tag on the side.

Not sure if it's polite to ask for a favorite recipe or not but it did cross my mine.

I may have to try some more of her jars. The pineapple relish looks interesting!

Charlotte

Spring Salad Garnish

Eastern redbud flowers make for a pretty, and healthy, salad garnish.

Eastern redbuds add not only beauty to spring landscapes but a dash of color to a spring salad as well. The pink flowers of one of Missouri's native trees are edible and were consumed in Native American diets.

The trees have been used as landscaping ornamental trees since the 1600s. 

Before picking the flowers, make sure you are selecting from trees that haven't been exposed to any chemical sprays. Some landowners will spray nearby fruit trees in spring and you don't want to be consuming any residual spray.

What do they taste like? Eastern redbud flowers have a very clean taste, similar to a lettuce.

Charlotte

Spring Decorated Deviled Eggs

Edible pansies make a lovely garnish on deviled eggs.

One of the advantages of meeting monthly for a bee club are the goodies people bring to share.

During our March 2016 Rolla Bee Club meeting, a plate of deviled eggs showed up for a snack beautifully garnished with small spring pansies. Pansies are edible and make a lovely garnish for eggs as well as salads and other dishes.

How to Use Flowers as Garnish

For many of my friends, pansies mark the beginning of the growing season. If you buy them from a garden center, you are buying plants that have been treated with pesticides to prevent bug damage.

Please wash them before using. Use a spray bottle with warm water and gently spray so you don't damage the delicate petals. Allow to dry. Cover if refrigerating.

Other Quick Green Garnish

Adding color to any dish does not have to be complicated. Herbs not only make a nice garnish but add a nice pop of color.

These deviled eggs also had a sprinkling of fresh sliced green onions that added a nice touch of green. Delicious!

Charlotte

Strawberry Ladybug Garnish

These are so charming, strawberry ladybugs garnishing cupcakes served at the March 15, 2016 Salem, Mo. gardening club meeting I was invited to attend.

I knew from a distance these were cupcakes. Carrot cake, to be exact but I didn't realize they were ladybugs until I got closer and saw the front.

These are easy to make and what a fun garnish for cakes and other desserts.

Easy to make strawberry ladybug cupcake garnish with blueberries and chocolate dollops.

The ladybug dots are dollops of chocolate. The head is a blueberry. The rest can be any kind of cupcake.

Fun!

Charlotte

Why yes, Parsley!

Parsley is not just for garnish.

This herb is an anticarcinogen that is also useful as a digestive aid and helps to purify the blood. It contains three times as much vitamin C as oranges, and twice as much iron as spinach. Parsley contains vitamin A and is a good source of copper and manganese.

I read somewhere it is added to a plate so that eaters have a natural breath freshener at the end of a meal.

Charlotte

Ode to Chives

Not really but I do love chives.

These milder-flavored cousins of the onion are a personal favorite herb  - love them cut up fresh in salads, sprinkled on mashed or baked potatoes, as a garnish on creamed soups, baked chicken and fish.

Chives are very easy to grow either in a corner of the garden or in pots. They also make a great pest deterrent in the garden.

Although I don't usually let most plants bolt, or form flowers because it reduces their flavor, I let some of my chives go to flower - the flowers make a charming garnish!

Charlotte

Always Plant Radishes

There's a good reason why gardeners make good cooks and vice versa. Having fresh produce is one of the secrets to a good meal, and one of the must haves in any spring garden is radishes.

These red tuberous vegetables are almost impossible not to grow. They row quickly, and add such a dash of color and peppery flavor to any salad or special dish, even if they are not included in the recipe. 

The whole radish is edible; use green tops in salads or steamed as a side dish, and if they happen to flower before you can pick them, the flowers are pretty garnish and edible, too!

Do you grow radishes in your garden?

Charlotte

Plant Celery Stalk Ends

Have you ever wondered what happens to that celery stalk that's starting to sprout in your vegetable bin?

I decided to plant one of mine since celery is one of my go-to vegetables. I also like to use celery for garnish but I don't always have it handy.

The celery I planted already had teeny tiny celery plants growing from the bottom. To make sure I was tracking the right plant, I used a popsicle stick to mark it. After a couple of weeks, it was off to a good start. I would like to tell you it's still growing but I can't.

A deer ate it.

Have you tried to grow celery from your crisper?

Charlotte

Pansies Salad Garnish

Pansies are more than just something pretty to enjoy in a pot.

Late winter, when grocery store tomatoes have little flavor, be creative with salad garnish. Miniature or regular pansies, high in vitamin C, are not only beautiful but delicious.

After picking, wash thoroughly with a vegetable wash to remove any chemicals. Pat dry gently with a clean dish towel.

If you can, use only pansies you've raised yourself so you know the flowers haven't been treated with chemicals. In most growing zones, pansies are perennials and should come back every year with the proper growing conditions.

Charlotte