What a GORGEOUS way to begin rose season in the Pastures of Heaven! I attended the Monterey Bay Rose Society’s annual rose show and competitions…and brought along newly minted rose confiture.

a gathering of prize winning roses

two examples of “Marylin Monroe”….how appropriate, the show was held in Watsonville, CA…her birthplace

Tomika, our fantastic club photographer and website editor grew this beauty…

mini beauties in an English rose box

the proud grower….Shiv Mehdiratta

if you would like to see the full final results of the competition…
http://www.montereybayrosesociety.org/results12.html

And, I held down a corner of the tent with my rose confiture, delighting one and all with their first taste of a rose. Life is beautiful!!

my first rose show display…

HOW DOES IT GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS?

Back in the pastures of heaven… one of my most favorite places in the world… Bro and I have been rockin’ out on the hill with the new roses that arrived from Regan Nursery. They were chosen for their intense fragrance and their compatibility with the growing conditions of the central California coast. We rarely have a good freeze here, maybe a dusting of snow once in a while, which doesn’t last long, and of course the intense sun! Can’t wait to see these new roses bloom beginning in May!

Well, Bro got his jackhammer out (a necessary tool learned from past hole digging), and the games commenced.

Wow Bro, those are some really commodious holes, the little rose darlings are going to be happy with all that room!

Our fabulous friend Nadereh stopped and took a photo of the “rose slaves,” as only she could put it!  Are those rose fairies dancing around there? hmmm…the magic of the pastures of heaven…

Job well done, Bro…you are the best!
XO

Lauren, founder and owner of Lithe fitness studios in Philadelphia, has just blogged about “salt of the earth”!!! Thanks Lauren, I am sooo happy that you love my salt combo, it’s really gratifying when I hear how passionate you are about my new product. Merci my cherie Paige, for gifting our salt to the fabulous Lauren!

I am so very excited to be delivering my rose confiture to Metropolitan Bakery on Rittenhouse Square! The premier bakery in Philadelphia is dedicated to bringing high quality baked goods and other deliciousness to their lucky customers.

Thank you for the opportunity to make my rose confiture available in your lovely bakery!

Presenting....

Intrigue! From the gorgeous Intrigue rose ... a lovely, intense, violet rose.

The “salt of the earth” is not yet available in retail stores…will let you know when that happens, in the meantime…

There are four confiture varieties available at Jan de Luz, Carmel CA. http://www.jandeluz.com/boutique/    Brigitte, the very most charming owner on earth, has collected a superb array of home linens, tableware, etc.for her customers. And I am so very fortunate to be able to offer the confiture from her boutique! Not to be confused with Brigitte’s husband’s interior and exterior antique extravaganza out in Carmel Valley.

The boutique, on Delores, between Ocean and Seventh (there are no address in Carmel!) 831.622.7621

Maybe you will also love the hand towel from Brigitte’s store, with a free monogram! I am a fine linen devotee…and I travel with this one!

What I love about “salt of the earth” is that you can add it to anything and it simply gives a hint and a depth of flavor. I do not feel, nor have I had any feedback, that you can detect “rosemary” or “lavender” as an individual flavor. Now. I’m sure there are a few palates in the world who could impress me with their sensitivity, but I haven’t found them yet!

One of my favorite ways to use “salt of the earth” is in soup. And I love a simple easy way to blend up vegetables with my immersion blender after a brief simmering….mmmm, a healthy, tasty, warm way to enjoy your veggies!

Salt of the Earth Creamy Carrot Soup
about 2 lbs carrots, scrubbed and cut into small pieces
med onion, diced
a few tbs. butter, olive oil, or ghee
1 Tbs. “salt of the earth “

Saute onions in oil or butter until translucent. Add carrots to pan and add water, cover carrots with 1 inch of water. Add “salt of the earth” and simmer on low heat until carrots are soft, about 15 minutes depending on the size and density of the carrots. ( I find that organic carrots are sweeter and tastier.) Blend with immersion blender until creamy. If it is a bit lumpy, cook a little more and blend again. You may add cream, coconut milk, or a bit more butter if you like it richer.

Serve with your favorite bread or rice cakes…you have a satisfying meal!

To continue on the soup subject….I also love this recipe and method with cauliflower! Use less water for cooking (barely cover), because there is more water in cauliflower. I intend to experiment more with vegetable cream soups, because I find them so satisfying…. please let me know if you have a new idea!

Salt of the Earth tuna salad

2 cans of your favorite tuna, or cook fresh
1/4 onion minced
a few Tbs. of pickle relish
mayonnaise to taste
1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1 tsp “salt of the earth”

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and try to let flavors blend for at least 15 min, while refrigerated. Serve and enjoy! My niece Katherine, said that it was the best thing she ever tasted…high praise indeed!

Popcorn…is a fun way to enjoy “salt of the earth”!  I sprinkle a little olive oil on the warm popcorn and add “salt of the earth” to taste. (hedonists beware)

Last year when I was dazzled by the abundance of lavender and rosemary on our hills, I went about finding new uses for them. I played with making lavender oil, which was lovely, but there are so many beautiful lavender oils available, it didn’t seem worth developing. I do love lavender oil in cuisine, and usually have a small bottle of olive oil on hand with a few spoons of lavender which have settled on the bottom. It is good on bread, over pizzas, in salad dressing, and anywhere you would normally use a delicious olive oil.

rosemary in bloom on the hill

Then, I began experimenting with salt mixed with lavender and rosemary. I became addicted to it and always made sure that wherever I was cooking, I brought my special salt with me. I do so much traveling, and therefore normally cook in my friends and families kitchens. Well, there was such an enthusiastic response to the results of cooking with this lovely additive that the requests for the salt began accumulating. I would travel with the rosemary and lavender mixture cross country and then add the salt when I was on the east coast or France, due to the weight factor. Where there is a will, there is a way!

harvested by hand, and ready to blend

rosemary ingredient amid the rosemary blooms

After I began building my stock of confiture, I decided to add my favorite salt, “salt of the earth,” to my offerings. And THAT is how the “salt of the earth” was born.