Geode Surprises! (from the EatDirt event)

I am feeling overwhelmed with gratitude and happiness this afternoon after my Eat Dirt event with Authentique Wine Cellars  went so well! I'm also really excited that I can show all of you some of the secret surprises the event held. I wanted to allow the adult attendees of this event to experience the same excitement as I did the first time I cracked open a geode at age 5, so I built that inspiration into the event and didn't tell anyone what I was up to. I felt like Willy Wonka Santa Claus and it was the absolute best! 

The above picture shows edible geodes as part of the second course, made with hibiscus-lemon fondant, wild rose and wild violet sugar crystals, white chocolate, and black sesame seeds. 

Here are the edible geodes pictured in the first photo with the other components of the second course (which focused on the treasures hidden in volcanic rocks.) On the left: black sesame choux au craquelin with charcoal sugar topping and a filling made of beets, goat cheese, roses, and honey. Middle: hibiscus-lemon fondant with wild violet and wild rose sugar crystals, white chocolate, and black sesame. Right: poppyseed and black cocoa choux pastry with raspberry-rose curd. The floral and lemony flavors of this course paired wonderfully with Authentique's 2013 Chardonnay. 

This is a close-up of the special geode lights I made to illuminate the dessert course (I even grew the alum crystals directly inside the lights!)

Last but not least, here are some porcelain necklaces with alum crystals that I hid as surprise treats as part of the vegetable course (I wrapped root vegetables with aromatic wild herbs and grape leaves, then coated those bundles in clay and roasted them for a couple of hours. Guests got to break open these clay lumps with a hammer to unearth their discoveries, and I hid the necklaces in colorful tissue paper inside some of the lumps as well so they'd find a special prize instead of a potato and make the hunt even more fun!) I had SO much fun watching the guests at this event let go of their inhibitions and dive right in to experience the joy of discovery. More photos of the event coming soon, and I can't wait to put an album together with full descriptions so those of you that missed it can follow along.