I never imagined, 29 years after my mother ran the Show of Summer (now part of the American Flower Show) at the Chicago Botanic Garden, 
that I would be on the Esplanade with Jane running our own show – the zen of slow cooking – at their Farmers Market.

When I see the announcement for the upcoming show, my mind wanders to 1986. The excitement and busyness of that time is fused with the memories of engagement showers, a new apartment and my upcoming wedding that Fall.

As I stroll through the Elizabeth Hubert Malott Japanese Garden I marvel at it’s beauty. And while I enjoy the “zen” like quality of that space it’s the boldness and elegance of it during the winter that really captivate me. It is in those times that it reflects the garden’s namesake. Elizabeth “Ibby” Malott was a tall and elegant woman. Ibby was also a neighbor, family friend and one of my Girl Scout Leaders. As a brilliant and bold woman, she always encouraged us “her Girl Scout girls” to speak with conviction and integrity.

In more recent years, the CBG holds the memories of my children’s youth. Going to The Garden has been a ritualistic Mother’s Day outing.  And this summer, the garden has become a central meeting place for my dear friend Kate and I to share the details of our life.

While the CBG is internationally renowned, to me it feels more like a glorious backyard garden that I’ve watched grow and mature over the years.

And this summer as Jane and I have spent the first and third Sunday of each month selling our Zen Blends at the CBG Farmers Market I’ve come to realize that thousands of other people feel the same way.

I love the early morning set-up when the air is still. Our first set of visitors are generally joggers who head to our table after their morning run to sample one of our delicious fruit breads.

Followed by the early morning strollers – most of them young fathers who chase their children through the Esplanade and stop by to pick up our smokey Carolina Pulled Pork blend to try their hand at slow cooking. By mid-day we meet families from all over the world. Many of them are unfamiliar with a slow cooker but eager to try something new in their Le Creuset.

As the market draws to a close we share our wisdom with young couples and families heading home eager to learn the art of slow cooking. The final, welcome stragglers are often bikers happy to pocket something handy that fits their “gone all day” routine.

So in celebration of the CBC annual herb garden weekend we asked one of their instructors, Nancy Clifton, (or as she commonly referred to as the CBG Martha Stewart) to prepare an edible herb arrangement for a garden party, hostess gift or 4th of July arrangement.

Edible Herb Arrangement

Prep Time: 10 minutes

The 3 F’s principles

Foliage is the foundation, green background

basil, bay laurel, chives, pineapple mint, sage

Flowers add color, fragrance and in some cases food

orange calendula, nasturtium, chive flowers, scented geranium

Fillers break up the space and add texture

columbine, umble, cilantro, dill, parsley, lovage, feverfew, small herbs and flowers

Supplies

1 mason, jam or jelly jar

3 purple basil stems

1 laurel stem

3-5 chive blossoms

3 columbine stems (non-edible)

3-4 pieces of cilantro

2 pea pods adds a focal point

Step 1

Clean an old jam, jelly or mason jar

Step 2

Fill ½ of your container with water

Step 3

Add foliage. Cut them in so they are 1-2 inches above the rim. Add basil add 1

piece of laurel.

Step 4

Add flowers. 3-5 chive blossoms of different heights tall, medium, short creates a

triangle. Add in stages. Non edible columbine 3 stems to sit just below the chives

Step 5

Add filler between of the flowers. It can be layered to create depth and

lightness into an arrangement. Add 3-4 pieces of cilantro. For this arrangement

and to add a focal point tuck in 2 pea pods at the end.

Options: Add more color with calendula

Step 6: Enjoy!

Step 7: Alternative arrangements

We hope you enjoy a Happy 4th of July! As a reminder, summer is a great time to try out some of our slow cooking recipes. Put it in during the morning, head out for a picnic, the beach, or a baseball game and come home to the aroma of dinner ready to eat. Jane is plucking garden produce from her own garden and adding fresh and dried herbs for a month of veggie side dishes and lunch accompaniments.

Zen Toolkit

Nancy recommends investing in a good set of kitchen culinary sheers. Her favorite are by Silvermark.

Zen Moment

In my garden there is a large place for sentiment. My garden of flowers is also my garden of thoughts and dreams. The thoughts grow as freely as the flowers, and the dreams are as beautiful. ~Abram L. Urban