The Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe turned take-for-granted table items into a sensory adventure at the Fruit and Vegetable Festival last weekend. Hundreds of brave and curious souls took the hot-pepper challenge, rubbed and sniffed candy-scented plants and learned about the plants people eat in about half a dozen other ways in the two-day event, which introduced the public to the newly opened Regenstein Fruit and Vegetable Garden.
Lake Zurich youngster Kelly Hoffman, 7, was drawing a sunshine scene on a cup she would soon plant with bean, coffee, corn or garlic seeds at the “Make a Germinator” table. But when asked what she liked best at the festival, Kelly referred to the “Take the Hot Pepper Challenge” station.
She did not take the challenge. “But my aunt did!” Kelly said with Dennis-the-Menace glee.
The line of peppers ranged from the eye-watering habanero, poblano and serrano peppers to the mild bell pepper.
A sign at another table suggested that people rub each plant gently and then sniff their fingers. “Does Your Nose Know?” a sign asked. No, not if people closed their eyes while sniffing the Pelargonium tomentosum. Eyes closed, it smelled like a candy store. Eyes open it looked like a geranium.
“It’s the chocolate mint geranium,” said volunteer Arlene Johnson of Winnetka.
The Discovery Patch hut, with its microscopes, plants and books, appealed to Vernon Hills resident Barb Cutting. “This is a nice thing for kids,” said Cutting. But trying almost everything that was offered, she and her sister, Nancy Cutting of Highland Park, seemed to enjoy the fruit and vegetable section and the Botanic Garden as much as the youngsters traipsing through.
“Oh, we come here all the time. My sister and I come almost every Sunday to walk and to see what’s cooking in the kitchen,” Barb said.
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Salads by Highland Park chef David Jarvis, proprietor of Melange American Eatery in Northfield, were what was cooking in the kitchen during the festival.
Although the fruit and vegetable area now contains several new or upgraded facilities, including a greenhouse and auditorium, the demonstration kitchen has existed since 1985. And 17 chefs have been doing their thing there on Sundays this summer. Chefs will visit on Sundays through Sept. 18.