Many cooks look to their garden for inspiration as well as ingredients, and James Beard was no exception. In a column on summer fruit, he fondly recalled "the delight of seeing the first strawberries each year" and encouraged readers to choose fruit with care and "treat it with imagination." Taking up his own challenge, he provided us with Elizabeth David's recipe for
geranium cream. Heavy cream is infused with the leaves and then mixed with cream cheese, creating a lush, textured topping for the berries—or, if you prefer, peaches, nectarines, or even a pie.