FROM THE GARDEN

SALT SPRAY ROSES ARE BEAUTIFUL AND DELICIOUS

The rose family is one of the larger plant groups and includes many familiar fruits such as apple, pear, plum, raspberry, strawberry and cherry. Between our house and the ocean, we have about 300 Rosa rugosa, also called salt spray rose or sea tomato, prized for its cherry-size fruit and ability to grow in a wild, unkempt swath. There is nothing more beautiful than these roses in mid-summer, with their pink and white blossoms and fragrance wafting through the air. The leaves are crinkly, glossy and attractive on their own, and their densely spiny limbs make a stunning protective hedge. Rosa rugosa may sprawl a little more than hybrid tea roses and the flower petals tend to flop around-it often has a kind of unkempt, casual air about it.

Some roses, especially Rosa rugosa, form rose hips that are as big as crab apples-the size of a quarter. In fall, they turn brilliant colors of red and orange. Most plants will try to produce fruit or seeds and roses are related to apple trees; the hip is the apple that the rose bush produces. Many enthusiastic gardeners never see the evolution of rose hips because as soon as blossoms fade, they are snipped off to tidy up the garden; blossoms must be left on the plant to naturally fade and fall for hips to develop. Wherever you gather rose hips, be sure they have not been treated with herbicides or pesticides.

Pick ripe rose hips after the first frost in fall, when they've turned bright orange or red (the frost helps sweeten the flavor). I find that the flavor of Rosa rugosa is better tasting than most rose hip, resembling cranberries, and is used increasingly in holistic health treatments. The hips that stay on the bushes all winter provide food for wintering birds and nibbles for the human wanderer. The seeds are nourishing, too, containing a large proportion of vitamins C and E, but they tend to be too bitter, unlike the sweet and sour flesh. I have been gathering rose hips and making jelly and preserves at the end of the season. Because of their large size, they are easy to gather and I am able to put up a sizeable amount of preserves in a short time. After gathering the rose hips, trim off the stem and green leaves and cut in half. Seed the hips using a lobster pick; although it's not necessary, removing the seeds before cooking enhances the flavor. When I skipped this step the first time I made jelly, I had a heck of a time straining all the seeds out. I like to add some blueberries or raspberries and a bit of lemon juice for a bit of tartness and a little acidity, and the addition of fruit adds pectin to help the jelly set up better.

Rose hips have been used medicinally for years. You can use the whole hip in a tea or in a tincture for heat, swelling, auto-immune excess, digestive irritation or respiratory inflammation where there is a runny nose and a sore throat. To make tea with whole rose hips, you will need five per cup of water, and you should steep for at least 10 minutes. Rose hip tea has a tangy, tart flavor and a pinkish color.

The other reason to grow this beauty, besides the low maintenance, is for cooking. I combine them with Champagne and create a gorgeous, hot-pink rose petal and Champagne sorbet that is our house specialty. Another favorite use for the rose petals is rose and rhubarb syrup. I drizzle this syrup on everything from French toast and beignets to ice cream and cakes; the only limit is your imagination.

During World War II, when the government urged householders to grow victory gardens as part of the war effort, rose hips were stressed as a high-C food. At that time, there were plenty of recipes for eating the actual berries as dinner vegetables and in various preserves and jams. The seeds of the rose hip were saved, dried and ground, and mixed with flour to use in baked goods. In the past, Rosa rugosa hips or "sea tomatoes" were a standard fruit item, especially in coastal communities like ours, and were regarded as one of the finest sweet fruits of autumn. I like rediscovering old-fashioned finds in my garden; the fact that this one is beautiful and favorable only adds to my pleasure. Click here for some of my favorite recipes for Rosa rugosa petals and hips. Buon Appetito!