2008 Woodie Awards
Isabella's birthday: "Let them eat flowers"
Nicole Mongeon
Issue date: 4/6/06 Section: Lifestyle
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'Tis the season for the museum's annual display of 15 to 20 foot long nasturtium (nuh-stir-shem) vines, as well as entrée and desert specials which feature nasturtium flowers as both an ingredient and a garnish.
The flowers are on display in the museum's lavish courtyard March 26 through April 16.
Nasturtium flowers in bloom have a vivid orange color and a pleasant smell. The petals themselves have a slightly sweet, citrus taste; a nasturtium flower petal might be mistaken for an orange or clementine.
Stan Kozak, primary gardener at the ISGM, is the man behind the plants.
"I usually start growing the nasturtiums in June or July with seeds or cuttings," he said. "They're not easy plants to take care of when I grow them to be this length."
Nasturtiums are pleasing to the eye, but are not suitable for dorm room plants, Kozak warns.
"You have to grow them outside," he said. "Or you'll have lots of bugs inside your house."
The nasturtium dessert item in the café, priced at $6, is a citrus pound cake. It consists of a scoop of orange blossom sorbet on top of a small round of light yellow cake, drizzled with sweet syrup made from nasturtium flowers.
The sorbet is surprisingly light and pleasing to the palate; its orange color might make some nervous, but there is nothing to fear in this savory dessert.
The dessert plate is garnished with nasturtium petals meant for eating.
The nasturtium entrée at the café is a pricy $14 and consists of duck confit with honey, potato gratin and a nasturtium flower salad.
If the idea of eating flowers for lunch just doesn't tickle your fancy, the café also has a full lunch and dessert menu. With other exotic items such as olive oil ice cream ($5) and thyme and sweet onion quiche ($13), there are plenty of interesting menu choices at the ISGM Café.
The café is open Tuesday-Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends. The museum and café are closed Mondays. According to the ISGM Web site, the café's menu changes regularly and its dishes emphasize seasonal ingredients.
According to Edith Fenton, a volunteer at the ISGM, the nasturtium exhibition is a tradition that was started by Isabella Gardner when she opened the museum in 1903.
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