Harvest, Exchange, Celebrate Food with Friends

(Page 4 of 4)

September/October 2005
By Carolyn Dille 
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Per half cup: 308 calories, 29g carbohydrates, 6.67g protein, 4.5g fiber, 22g fat

RELATED CONTENT

CAROLYN’S LAVENDER LEMON VERBENA POTPOURRI

The clean, lasting fragrance of this potpourri doesn’t require fixatives or fussing. It’s simple, keeps its scent until the next season, and looks lovely in sheer, purple-toned gift bags. Two lavender plants (Grosso de Provence and Fat Spike Dutch) and one lemon verbena plant will give me enough material for about two dozen 4.5-by-7-inch potpourri bags. The secret is to dry the lavender and lemon verbena completely.

YIELD VARIES

Equal parts lavender buds and lemon verbena leaves

Dried rose petals, if available

4.5 x 7-inch potpourri bags

Cut lavender stems when they are still in bud with a few open flowers. Lie flat in a cool, dark place with good air circulation.

Harvest lemon verbena stems with few flowers. Spread flat in a cool, dark place with good air circulation.

Remove buds from the lavender and leaves from the dried verbena stems. Toss together with rose petals, if you’re using them. Pack into potpourri bags.

STARTING A Harvest Exchange Celebration

• Start small and expect to grow. Friends will want to invite other friends who share a love of harvest. The more people, the more interest and excitement.

• Decide if you’d like to host or share hosting. You can begin by hosting the first gathering and see how it goes. Perhaps others in your group would like to do the honors next time.

•Provide a simple meal. Cook it all yourself or make it easier with potluck.

• Establish a seasonally appropriate date and invite people in enough time so they can prepare. It’s lovely if you can exchange during the late-harvest bounty when there are some last peppers and tomatoes in the garden and apples, persimmons, or nuts to share.

• Bring enough to exchange with everyone. If you don’t exchange everything, give it away.

• Encourage people to share their creativity. Though the theme is mostly harvest food, everyone enjoys the non-food items people make.

• Have fun choosing or making attractive containers and labels and setting the harvest mood with colored cloths and the festive late-summer bounty of flowers, fruit, and vegetables.

• Date all preserves and write out storage instructions. This is especially important if foods need to be refrigerated.

• Be fluid and easy about exchanging. It doesn’t have to be an exact this-for-that for everyone to go home happy.

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