I never thought I'd be writing about fruits and vegetables here at Ikebana Dreaming, but I recently participated in a workshop that opened my eyes to their infinite potential. Just as I did so many years ago with flowers, I discovered a whole new world. The produce aisle will never look the same!
An ikebana arrangement with fruits and veggies is called morimono (piled up). It utilizes the same elements as found in ikebana -- mass, line, space and color -- and employs them using a wooden base (dai), platter, tray or low stand.
Wanting to be economical, I chose for my arrangement a variety of items that my family likes and also some I thought might make a hearty soup. Immediately, I was smitten by, of all things, leeks. Have you ever really taken the time to consider a leek? How beautiful the stalk is when cut at an angle! Layers of fluorescent green and yellow leap out from an otherwise ordinary stem, creating what, on close up, might resemble a study by Georgia O'Keefe. Even the marine-like tentacles of its root ball were captivating. I felt like the chef whose mantra is nose-to-tail. I had to use every part.
Other fruits and veggies I fell in love with that day included purple and peach-colored cauliflower. Radishes! Ginger! Mushrooms! Tomatoes and peppers of all colors and shape! Out of my haul, I made a delicious cauliflower-leek soup topped with parsley, caramelized peppers and a pineapple fruit salad.
Veggies and fruit in morimono, like flowers in ikebana, give you the opportunity to really stop and consider a wondrous world. And, never discount the beauty in imperfection. Wabi-sabi is everywhere.
Home gardens or farmers markets may offer the greatest variety. However, in winter, you will often find battered and untrimmed treasures in the organic section of any supermarket.
So, next time you have friends or family over, buy a little extra produce and strut your ikebana stuff with a quirky and colorful centerpiece!
excellent essay😀