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About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (March 30, 2016)
Polk County Living Polk County Itemizer-Observer • March 30, 2016 9A Plant two times the flavor with edible flowers Pop some flowers in among the beans and let- tuce and you’ll have two times the chance for an edi- ble harvest. “Edible flowers look great in the garden and on the plate,” said Brooke Ed- munds, horticulturist for the Oregon State University Ex- tension Service. “Some es- pecially pretty and tasty ones are the blue blossoms of borage, classic roses and chamomile with its little, white flowers.” Others on her list include annuals such as happy or- ange or yellow flowering calendula, marigold or nas- turtium; the distinctive faces of Johnny jump up or pansy; and traditional blue bachelor button. All of these are easy to start by seed indoors right now or directly seeded into the g ro u n d w h e n t h e s o i l warms up in May. Follow the directions on the back of the seed packet and you’ll be golden. Don’t for- get to thin the little seedlings, Edmunds said. Otherwise, they’ll compete each other out of existence. Herbs can’t possibly be left off the list, so mull over chive, basil, fennel, oregano, lavender and rosemary flow- ers, all of which do double duty with flower power and foliage flavor. Perennials such as pineapple sage and daylily do us a kindness in the kitchen as well, and don’t forget to use vegetable BIRTHS McKibben K YM P OKORNY Kolbie June McKibben was born to Micheal McKibben and Courtney Durbin, of Dallas, at 11:38 a.m. on March 11 at Salem Hospital Family Birth Center. He weighed 7 pounds, 14 ounces, and was 20 inches long. Kolbie joins Jace, 4, and Presley, 1. Grandparents are Paul and Kim Malvaney, of Red- mond, and Paul and Angi McCallum, of Dallas. Your Garden flowers like snap peas, broc- coli, squash, chives and scarlet runner beans in dish- es along with their more tra- ditional edible parts. Make sure the blossoms you plant are the blossoms you can eat, Edmunds said. Not all flowers are safe to consume, so always identify the plant first and verify that they’re okay to put in your mouth or mix into your recipes. The OSU Master Gardeners are a great source for help with plant identifi- cation. It’s also a good idea to try any new plant in small amounts. Deciding where to plant edible flowers needn’t be a conundrum. You can sprin- kle them about, line a bed or path, even add an entire row in the vegetable plot. Designing with edible flowers has more than culi- nary rewards, she noted. “Adding edible flowers to the garden is going to in- crease the diversity of plants,” she said. “This in turn will attract a diverse in- sect population, including beneficial insects such as pollinators or those that keep pest insects in check.” Avoid eating flowers from florists — like roses — be- COMMUNITY CALENDAR PHOTO BY CHRIS LABELLE A classic culinary lower, lavender pairs nicely with ice cream and sorbet, cookies and scones, tea, salad dress- ings and looks and tastes lovely frozen into ice cubes. cause they’re not being sold as food and it’s hard to know whether they’ve been treat- ed with chemicals, Ed- munds said. If you get them locally from a farm stand or a CSA (Community Sup- ported Agriculture), you can ask. In your garden, harvest flowers at their peak. Treat them like cut flowers and place the ends in water to preserve freshness. Keeping them cool can also help, Ed- munds said. Commercial companies will package and refrigerate cut, edible flow- ers. You’ve got them grown, cut and chilled. Now what? Here are a few of Edmunds’ suggestions: Nasturtium adds a pep- pery flavor and bright or- ange, red and white colors to salads. Borage has a mild cu- cumber flavor. Freeze in ice cubes and add a pop of blue to lemonade or summer cocktails. Use roses to flavor pastry cream, add it to a tart shell and top with raspberries. Candied flowers are good for topping cupcakes and desserts. St r a w b e r r y- l a ve n d e r milkshakes are amazing. Continued from page 8A — WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6 • Indoor Play Park — 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, First Presbyterian Church, 879 SW Levens St., Dallas. Drop-ins welcome. For ages infant through pre-K with parent. Free, but donations accepted. 503-623-3397. • Helping Hands Emergency Food Bank — 10 a.m. to noon, Monmouth Christian Church, 959 Church St. W., Monmouth. For eligible community members; available every Wednesday. 541-404-6517. • Senior meals, Dallas — 11:30 a.m. Monday through Friday, LaCreole Manor, 204 SW Walnut St., Dallas. Free, but $3 dona- tion suggested. Reservations required. 503-623-6232. • Senior meals, Monmouth — 11:30 a.m. Monday through Friday, Monmouth Senior Center, 180 S. Warren St., Monmouth. Free, but $3 donation suggested. Reservations required. 503- 838-2084. • Scrabble with Betty — 1 p.m., Independence Public Li- brary, 175 Monmouth St., Independence. Scrabble games irst Wednesday of every month. Free; refreshments and prizes available. 503-551-7687 or 503-838-1811. • Willamette Valley Food Assistance Program Food Bank — 1:30 to 6:30 p.m., 888 Monmouth Cutof Road, Building E, Dallas. Weekly distribution for eligible community members. 503-831-5634. • Yarning for Others — 3 to 5 p.m., St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 1486 SW Levens St., Dallas. Knitters and crocheters gather to make clothing and accessories for those in need on the irst Wednesday of every month. 503-689-7222. • Brew and BS: The Old Testament — 7 p.m., St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 1486 SW Levens St., Dallas. A lecture series on the Old Testament. Bring brew of choice — cofee, tea, chai, beer, wine, cider. 435-503-4304. MI TOWN This coming weekend, we turn the calendar to the brand spanking new month of April, and we’re looking forward to a new month of longer and sunnier days, and hopes that we can make some headway against the weeds that — given half a chance — could easily take over the garden. — Weeding the backyard garden is much simpler than getting rid of the nox- ious weeds that seem to be growing everywhere, in the form of anger and mean- spirited hate speech — in small towns and big cities, in farms and factories and in coffee shops and living rooms. I’ve been a political junkie since I met Adlai Stevenson when he was campaigning for president and I was writing for my high school newspaper. I cast my first presidential P ATTY T AYLOR D UTCHER Columnist vote for Barry Goldwater and my most recent for Barack Obama, and I’ve voted for candidates from both political parties over the years. I’ve been called a bleeding-heart liberal by conservatives and a rock- ribbed conservative by lib- erals. — It’s an understatement to say that people from all sides of the political spec- trum, as well as members of the public, have been be- having badly. When elected officials are spat upon, hor- rid things are said and threats are made against their families, it is time to seriously think about what we have become as individ- ual citizens and what it says about our values. We all need to take a few moments to really evaluate what’s being said about whom, is it true or just something to get better TV or radio rat- ings. What is truth and what is myth and folklore? What values does a particular candidate share with you? What has the candidate ac- complished that reflects positive things? What does a candidate promise and what steps does he or she outline to make it a reality? What candidate shares your values and ideas? Vote for the best candidate, not the loudest. — Let’s celebrate our brand new month with breakfast at the Monmouth Senior Center on Saturday from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Bring the family and friends and start off a busy weekend with pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage, biscuits and gravy served by cheerful volun- teers. — After the breakfast on Saturday, stop by the Mon- mouth Public Library meet- ing room, where Lyle Wal- lace, Ph.D. student at Ore- gon State University will show adults how to grow the most favorable tomato possible in their gardens, beginning at 11 a.m. — Mark your calendars for Tuesday when Monmouth Public Library hosts Family Coloring Night from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Join the fun and enjoy a great evening dis- covering this great pastime. All supplies and snacks are provided by the Friends of the Monmouth Library. Friday, April 8th Food and Silent Auction begin at 5 pm Outcry Auction begins at 7 pm • Live Music Suggested donation $5 per meal, $20 maximum for immediate family Menu: Spaghetti and sauce Green salad Garlic bread Choice of drinks (Until 7:00 pm while it lasts) Auction items include: • Antiques and other old stuf • International arts and crats • Quilts and wooden boxes • Local crats and goods Silent Auctions close at various times. Auctioneer: Al Sieverson For tickets for the dinner or more information: Christ’s Church Oice: 503-838-1724 Denvy Saxowsky: 541-223-4462, saxowsky@gmail.com Kay Graven: 503-623-5495, gkr@q.com Tami Bookey-Kuhlmann: 2015relayforlifepc@gmail.com Organized by Relay for Life teams such as Footprints, Determinators, Minions Fighting Cancer, Cleaning Up Cancer Babes and more. All proceeds go to the American Cancer Society to help Finish the Fight against Cancer. New to the area? Number change? Call us to update! Contact the Advertising Department for more information. Itemizer-Observer 503-623-2373
