Think of this farm as a kind of living salad bar.

"Go ahead, you can taste anything in here. It's all edible," encourages Cinda Sebastian as she pauses to pluck a leaf from a greenhouse bed. "Lime basil. Smell it, taste it."

Sebastian, 38, and her husband, Scott Williams, 46, (with help from their children, Carlisle, 15, and Waverly, 11) operate Gardener's Gourmet, a small "niche" farm in Uniontown in Carroll County.

But don't expect to see the usual Maryland crops growing here. The family got out of the tomato, corn and cantaloupe business more than a decade ago. These 27 acres echo California.

How did Gardener's Gourmet become an incubator for such uncommon produce as arugula, tatsoi, Chioggia beets and pineapple sage?

"We started out growing what everybody does around here," says Sebastian, who grew up in Carroll County on a chicken farm. "And we tried to be as competitive as we could with the price."

They soon came to the realization that vegetables like potatoes are heavy and, pound for pound, aren't worth the effort to grow on a small-scale farm.

"Lugging them [to farmers' markets] was hard on the back," Sebastian said. "We decided to look for lighter things to sell."

You can't get much lighter than greens. The couple discovered a demand for gourmet baby and heirloom vegetables, European lettuces and fresh herbs.

In recent weeks, Sebastian has devoted a lot of time to preparing for the annual Baltimore Herb Festival, to be held Saturday in Leakin Park. She will be on hand with plants and advice for those who would like to try a hand at raising their own oregano or tarragon.

"The day is always a lot of fun. It's almost like a party," Sebastian says. "It's only once a year. And it concentrates solely on herbs."

Her husband also enjoys the laid-back atmosphere of the festival.

"I don't get as much involved in the selling," says Williams, a former chef. "I'm there for either 'ask the chef' or 'ask the gardener.' I spend so much time just talking about food [that] it's a lot of fun."

Sebastian and her husband raise more than 30 varieties of culinary herbs at the farm. Two greenhouses also keep optimal temperatures for raising trays of fennel, nasturtiums, mustard greens, mache and the like; all of which end up as part of the popular mesclun mix that Gardener's Gourmet sells by the bowl at area farmers' markets.

Although mesclun greens are grown year-round, spring heralds the arrival of the busy season. Fertilizing, watering and scouting for pests and disease are continuing projects. While the farm isn't certified organic, pesticides are kept to a minimum, Sebastian says.

The work is physically demanding, she says.

"You have to choose between your knees and back," she says with a laugh, referring to the constant bending and stooping. "There are not enough hours in the day to get everything done."

But she adds, "It's a wonderful way to live."

Because of zoning restrictions, you won't find a farm stand on Sebastian and Williams' land. Instead, Sebastian tirelessly makes the rounds of all the major area farmers' markets, going as far south as Falls Church, Va.

On Wednesdays, she delivers produce to a handful of restaurant clients.

"I have about a dozen queries from chefs, but I don't have enough time or 'stuff.' We're small," she says. "And we don't want to get much bigger."

For now, Gardener's Gourmet greens and herbs make it to the tables of Caves Valley Golf Club, Rudy's 2900 Restaurant, Gertrude's, Golden West Cafe and Spike and Charlie Gjerde's Baltimore restaurants.

Spike Gjerde is enthusiastic about the mesclun mix.

"It's really fresh and it's got herbs in it like chervil and wild fennel," he says. "When you eat it, the flavors are so bright. It blows all others away."

Thomas Rudis, owner and chef of Golden West Cafe in Baltimore, developed his relationship with Gardener's Gourmet by frequenting the Waverly Market stand.

"I buy mostly herbs -- cilantro, basil, mint and some greens, heirloom tomatoes, squash blossoms," he says. "I do a lot of Vietnamese cooking, New Mexican, Thai, California. ... '"You absolutely have to have fresh [herbs]."

At the markets, Sebastian keeps a stack of recipe cards on hand to entice would-be buyers to try an unfamiliar item.

"Most people don't know what to do with a lot of these herbs. It makes a big difference [in sales] when we have the recipes out," she says.

Herb Pancakes With Smoked Trout

Serves 6 as an appetizer

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

pinch of salt

1 egg plus 1 egg yolk

1 cup milk, or 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup plain seltzer water, more as necessary

3-4 tablespoons sunflower or olive oil

4-5 tablespoons coarsely chopped mixed herbs such as chervil, parsley, dill, fennel tops

6 smoked trout fillets

HORSERADISH SAUCE:

1/2 cup cream cheese

scant 1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon prepared horseradish, or to taste

Sift flour with salt. Whisk egg and yolk with the milk, add 1 tablespoon of the oil, then whisk in the flour. Mix until smooth for a consistency of light cream. Add a little more milk or seltzer as necessary. Add herbs; let rest for at least 30 minutes.

Mix ingredients for horseradish sauce, cover and chill. Use tweezers to remove any pin bones from the trout fillets.

To make the pancakes, heat a small nonstick skillet over medium heat and brush lightly with oil. Ladle in a little batter and quickly tilt the pan to spread it evenly across the bottom. When the pancake begins to curl at the edges, turn it with a narrow spatula to briefly cook the second side. Slide finished pancake onto a paper towel-covered plate. Repeat with remaining oil and batter.

To serve, place a trout fillet on each pancake, fold in half, with a dollop of sauce on the side.

-- From "The Classic Herb Cookbook" (Dorling Kindersley, 1997) by Jill Norman

Grilled Curried Shrimp in Basil and Mint Wrappers

Serves 4-6 as an appetizer

3 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons curry powder

3 teaspoons honey or brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1 pound large shrimp (about 30)

30 fresh mint leaves and 30 fresh basil leaves (about 1 inch long or larger)

salt

Combine cilantro, olive oil, lemon juice, curry, honey and cayenne in a medium-size bowl. Peel and devein shrimp, rinse and pat dry. Add shrimp to curry mixture, toss to coat and let marinate for 30 minutes. Soak 10 bamboo skewers in cold water for the same amount of time. (This will prevent skewers from burning on the grill).

Remove shrimp from bowl with a slotted spoon, reserving the marinade. Fold a mint leaf and a basil leaf around each shrimp and skewer (three shrimp per skewer). Brush with reserved marinade and grill, turning once, about 2 minutes per side, frequently brushing. Salt to taste.

-- From Scott Williams, Gardener's Gourmet

Mushrooms With Tarragon and Cream

Serves 2 to 4 over toast or noodles

2 tablespoons butter

1 pound mushrooms (white or cremini) sliced at an angle, about 1/3-inch thick

salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup light or heavy cream

1/4 cup creme fraiche or sour cream

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 garlic clove

2 teaspoons chopped tarragon

Heat the butter in a large skillet over high heat, add mushrooms and saute until nicely colored. Season with salt and pepper, add the wine, lower heat, and simmer until wine is reduced by half.

Add the creams and simmer until thickened slightly.

Chop parsley, garlic and tarragon together, add them to the mushrooms, and serve.

-- From "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone" (Broadway, 1997) by Deborah Madison

Baltimore Herb Festival

What: The annual celebration of herbs where visitors can enjoy wild herb walks, cooking demonstrations, live music, vendors and food.

When: From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday

Where: Leakin Park off Windsor Mill Road

Tickets: $4.

Information: 410-448-0801