It's All About the Roses ~

It's a Darling Bakers Event ~ this time the theme is ROSES!

In my area of Oregon our roses begin their show in June, so cuttings were slim for our party. Only the very earliest have begun to bloom, so I cobbled the meager offerings from the garden ~ there will be more next month.

Once again, most of these recipes just sprang from my head ~ there are no formal recipes, just general directions, and lots of pictures! I hope you enjoy. :)

Let's start with cocktails ~ and a toast to our host

Jain, at Once in a blue Moon ~

Rose Martinis ~ Vodka, with Rose Water in place of Vermouth.

They are VERY good!

Next, I thought a refreshing soup would be welcome ~

<>

Chilled Mango Soup with a little yogurt, a dash of rose water andgarnished with rose petals and violas.

The rose petals are from climbing "Golden Showers".

Next month I'll highlight some of the roses from the garden.

,

I'm an organic gardener ~ so the flowers are completely edible.

Our main course ~ Chicken Bundles

Boneless Chicken Breasts, topped with goat cheese mixed with Herbes de Provence and minced rose petals, then enclosed in Filo pastry then baked.

I served them on a pool of Lemon Beurre Blanc ~

And garnished each with a rosebud, a couple of blooms of the early Lavender, and a lemon slice.

The fragrance was heavenly!

Here's what the inside looks like.

~*~*~*~

For dessert ~ I served Rose Hip tea ...

Along with Vanilla & Rose Scented Cupcakes ~baked in a Nordic Ware Sweetheart Rose Mini Bundt Pan

The rose is David Austin, old fashioned Mary Rosa. The earliest blooms are always smaller, the blooms increase in size as the season progresses.

Mary Rosas are incredibly prolific bloomers in my garden, giving an incredible show throughout the entire summer. The pink blossoms fill the air with the delightful scent of honey and almonds.

Interestingly Mary Rose (also his sister's name) was named after King Henry VIII's flagship of the same name, when it was recovered after sinking 400 years earlier.

It's been so warm here lately, I also served ...

Strawberry - Rose Frozen yogurt

Showered with rose petals to carry out the theme

I use the electric ice cream maker all year round for all sorts of frozen desserts, not only ice cream but sorbets, gelatos, custards, and often for frozen yogurt. I appreciate being able to control the quality of the ingredients ~ and custom flavors you can't find anywhere else. :)

I always keep the canister in the freezer so fresh, frozen treats can be enjoyed within minutes.

Helpful Tip~ get an extra canister, it really comes in handy if you want to serve two kinds of frozen desserts, and if you store it in the freezer there is no waiting for a canister to freeze.

Someone in my family has sugar issues, so this time I sweetened the frozen yogurt with Spenda, it turned out creamy and delicious.

Thank you for visiting me today ~ I only wish you could have been here in person to attend our little party. :) xo~m.