Nathalie Krull is taking a well-deserved holiday, so we are taking this opportunity to combine her cooking column with our Discover feature on roses to showcase Julia Child. This is one of TNT Publisher Bonnie Morgan’s favorite roses—the one in her garden is nearly 10 feet tall and blooms continuously from April to October. The story goes that rose breeder Tom Carruth asked Julia Child if he could name a rose in her honor. The famous cook was too modest at first and told him she wasn’t worthy of the honor, but she relented when she fell in love with a yellow rose, and told him that if she ever had a rose named after her, that would be the kind of rose she would like best. The Julia Child rose was introduced two years after Child’s death in 2006. Carruth, curator for the Huntington Garden’s rose collection, has developed more than a hundred named rose varieties, but Julia Child remains one of his favorites. He describes the flowers in kitchen terms as “butter-colored,” and the fragrance as “strong sweet licorice and spice.” Florist’s roses are often treated with a variety of toxic chemicals, but organic garden roses are edible, and have been used for centuries to make flavor dishes, serve as a garnish, and even in place of fruit as a conserve or jam. Rosebuds can be frozen in ice cubes and added to summer drinks. Dried, they are a fun and flavorful addition to teas or cocktails. Rose petals—fresh or dried—make a pretty, confetti-like (and all natural) garnish for cakes and pastries. We bet Julia Child would approve.
