Making Edible Centerpieces

By: Brian Dakss

When guests try to take centerpieces home when parties end, it's usually because they're pretty floral arrangements. But The Early Show celebrity event planner Colin Cowie has ides for centerpieces that will be sought for a different reason – because they look, and are, good enough to eat!

Cowie shows six centerpieces made with a variety of fruits and vegetables, then displays samples of delicious foods and sauces that can be made once the centerpieces are no longer needed.

These centerpieces could be created year-round, though Cowie uses items that are in season at the moment. Artichokes and asparagus and tomatoes are best in summer, but you can make a delicious tomato sauce and freeze it and use it in December or January and still have the flavor of June. You don't always want to work with fresh flowers for centerpieces during the summer because of the prices and the bugs, but Cowie offers innovative alternatives.

He starts off with a wooden bowl filled with coconuts, kiwis and limes. This is a beautiful and earthy way to display nature's wares, and it will last you a week or two before you have to do anything with it. Then, you can slice up the fruit and have yourself a gorgeous fruit salad.

Second is an artichoke candle or votive holders. We all know there are a million things we can do with artichokes, and they have a great shelf life. For this, Cowie cuts off the bottoms of the artichokes, so they stand up straight. Then, just open them up and insert a candle in the middle. It's so easy and adorable! You can also use this on a place mat. Afterwards, you can make steamed artichokes or you can use the hearts to make soup or make a dip: whatever you like.

Third, Cowie has a tomato centerpiece. "I just love tomatoes," he says, "particularly when you're mixing these organic tomatoes in and it all looks like sculpture." You beef it up with bunches of basil and add some long, red chilis, which you could also use as place cards. When you're finished, you can use it to make many things. Cowie has arrabiata sauce (utilizing the chilies), tomato salad with sliced onions, caprese salad, roasted tomatoes and tomatoes Provencal. If you do make a sauce, you want to be sure to write the date on the container before you freeze it.