In this month's Seasonal Kitchen, correspondent Sylvia Fountaine explores cooking with roses.

Here's an excerpt:

 

Spicy, musky and sweet with hints of the exotic, roses are a clear signal that summer is finally upon us. Wild roses are said to be the very first roses, ancient perennials, long predating humans. Their soft-pink, five-petaled blossoms are easy to spot around here once you have them on your radar. They’re plentiful and abundant in natural areas within and surrounding Spokane. These rugged and resilient shrubs bloom annually in late spring and early summer, and carry their hips into winter, providing food for birds and color for the eyes. … Inviting these age-old, indigenous flowers into the kitchen connects us with the seasons and cycles of the earth. They’re only here for a short while, and believe it or not, culinary uses abound. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate summer’s arrival than by collecting their fragrant petals and creating something delicious. 

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