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Taking a Leaf From Nature

By Sean Conway, Tribune Media Services, Source: Cultivating Life by Sean Conway

It appears that the next big revolution -- as in industrial revolution, or technological revolution -- will be about energy. Solar and wind energy are making leaps and bounds in our quest for renewable energy, but what seems like amazing new technology has actually been around since long before we have.

The simple leaf has been capturing and using the energy from the sun from the earliest days of life on this planet and converting it into food.

Amazingly diverse, leaves have evolved into countless different shapes and forms, and these forms have inspired and delighted us for centuries. Leaf motifs were used in Egyptian and Roman architecture. They played a prominent role in Victorian design, and they have been used since the dawn of time by indigenous people all over the world as vessels to hold water, for shelter, clothing and in some cases to cook in.

A few years ago on my television show, "Cultivating Life," a talented gardener and excellent cook, Jonathan Wright from Chanticleer Gardens in Wayne, Pa. (www.chanticleergarden.org), shared with us a novel recipe using very large banana leaves. He wrapped a piece of fish in a banana leaf and cooked it on the grill. As the thick leaf heated up, the moisture it released actually steamed the fish. Not only was it delicious, it made a beautiful presentation.

This week on the show we are using leaves in another fish recipe -- this time, grape leaves -- and we are boiling them first. Grape leaves are widely used in various Mediterranean cuisines, the most famous dish being perhaps dolmades, or stuffed grape leaves from Greece. Grape leaves are fairly durable and hold up well when cooked.

The fish we prepare is topped with a relish made from olives, toasted pine nuts, golden raisins, parsley and olive oil, and then wrapped in a pliable boiled grape leaf. The leaf not only holds the ingredients together, but it also protects the fish from getting burned on the grill and keeps it from falling through the grates. The small grape leaf bundles are fun to unwrap after they're cooked and plated, making this a great dish to serve to guests for the "wow" factor alone.

Large leaves like grapes can also be used for decorative purposes, and the aforementioned Jonathan Wright pays a return visit this week to show me how large leaves can be cast in cement for a variety of garden purposes. Concrete forms using leaves as molds can be used to create birdbaths, stepping stones, serving dishes or simple decorative garden sculptures. The process is simpler than you might think, and Jonathan shows some techniques and tips to ensure success.

The diversity in shape and form of leaves can also be a guiding factor in designing a garden. At the Juniper Level Botanic Garden in Raleigh, N.C. (www.juniperlevelbotanicgarden.org), founder Tony Avent has long been a proponent of designing gardens using foliage for interest rather than flowers.

Tony has been planting and laying out the botanical garden for more than 20 years. He points out that gardening in the heat and high humidity of the South means flowers and flower color fade quickly. Tony prefers instead to incorporate the vast array of colors, textures and forms from leaves to create beautiful gardens.

Using foliage plants as the background as well as focal points in his gardens allows him to demonstrate how plants can be used together to create different settings and moods. With more than 18,000 different plants incorporated into 6 acres, Tony has created gardens with a kaleidoscope of color, and with areas or "rooms" as different from each other as a rainforest is to a desert. Tony was kind enough to give us a tour of his gardens and show us how he uses foliage to great effect.

Leaves and their vast diversity have found their way into our lives in various forms since recorded history. Perhaps some day they will even provide answers in our search for better energy and renewable resources, which should give us even one more reason to be amazed by the simple leaf.

(Sean Conway's television series, "Cultivating Life," airs Saturdays at 12:30 p.m. ET on WGN America. His new book, "Sean Conway's Cultivating Life" (Artisan Books, 2009), describes 125 projects for backyard living. www.cultivatinglife.com.)