My Herbal Program Goes On The Road

This morning

Soon after the sun came up,

and my car filled with "things",

I headed to Springfield, Missouri

for I had a program to give

A program on herbs and cooking with herbs

Eons ago, friend Francie contacted me about giving a program on herbs to her Garden Club,

The Pink Dogwood Garden Club

Of course, I said yes, we set a date and met last month in Joplin

to finalize details.

My "props" -- a couple of pots of herbs, a few herbal cookbooks and my

herbal "bible", Betty Crocker's Kitchen Gardens  by Mary Mason Campbell

I adore herbs and I love giving talks about them

And the audience was attentive!

But my talk was only part of the event

For the garden club had a regular meeting

and after, we had lunch!

Francie sets a pretty table

(with my love of blue and white I covet that tablecloth!)

Matching napkins, a white plate

My contribution was the recipe for dessert

And a cookie to take home for afternoon tea

An elegant and simple centerpiece of green apples in a compote

I'm not sure Francie could have picked a more perfect centerpiece

for the green of the apples absolutely "popped" against the blue and white

The dining room table was set differently.

A bare table with a runner and matching napkins

(Those I coveted as well and Francie told me that they were April Cornell  . . .

They are on order and should get to Linderhof in time for the September Lunch Bunch luncheon)

A rattan charger, different plates and napkins that matched the runner

It was really a pretty and elegant table!

 And the real orchid centerpiece in the Oriental blue and white bowl

was perfect!

As part of the meeting, one of the ladies brought a box of gardening books

from a member who had passed away.     Her family wanted to share the

books with her garden club.

One by one, the members took a book to take home and savor.

I, as a guest, however, had first choice!

I've never heard of this book although I have her Memories of a Midwestern Farm and I like the stories and there are a couple of recipes that I use from that book,

so I was delighted!

The lunch Francie fixed was seasonal, fresh, and elegant

Tomato pie with fresh basil, a salad of spinach, fresh berries, candied pecans tossed with a vinaigrette, and pumpkin muffins with a homemade cinnamon butter

It made a pretty plate

Whenever I give an herb talk, I like to bring an herbal dessert.

People always think of herbs in savory dishes but people don't bake enough with herbs

I chose to bake an orange yogurt cake

garnished with candied stems of rosemary

Francie thinks of everything . . . 

Each guest received a jar of Francie's homemade pesto as a take home favor

And I brought cookies.    Yes, those are cookies, not seed packets!

Cookies that looked like seed packets!

Each put in a cello bag and tied with a ribbon.

And one put at each place.

For every afternoon, you should stop at half past three

And have a cup of cookie and a nosh!

I can't thank Francie enough for a delightful day,

I missed most of the rain coming and going

But the clouds ket the sun from my eyes as I headed east early in the morning,

And I always enjoy sharing my love of herbs

And my love of cooking.