Greenmantle has a whole article (very long article) on the history of roses, making oil/perfume and using roses in cooking.
http://www.greenmantlenursery....
"The chief culinary use of rose Blooms has always been Conserve of Roses, a jam of preserved petals luscious in color and delicious in taste. While fragrant red rose petals (an essential) have a fairly astringent and acidic flavor, lots of honey - or sugar - gives this confection a sweet spin. One rose was central to the manufactury of the confection: Rosa gallica, in a form of the species with additional size and extra petals that had been cultivated in the Eastern Mediterranean for milennia."
"The rose petals were picked early - when the dew of dawn had begun to dry - and at the moment blooms were just reaching the point of fully open. Once the bitter white "claws" at the base of the petals were trimmed off...... the petals were rinsed thoroughly and checked for floating insect life. Placed in a non-reactive vessel and covered with fresh water, blooms were stewed until their color infused the water. The addition of a great amount of sweetening, whether honey or sugar - and the simmering & skimming & stirring of the mixture with a wooden spoon until thick - resulted in a delightfully tinted and tasty preserve of roses petals. Modern versions of this conserve can be found in such books as Rose Recipes from Olden Times by Eleanor Sinclair Rohde (1883-1950) and the 2 vol. encyclopedic A Modern Herbal by Maude Grieve (1858-1941). Both works are excellent sources for how to use (ORGANIC) Roses in your kitchen.
Perhaps one of the simplest things to do with petals is make a cup of Tea - mixed with a favorite Green or Oolong type.... also along with a mint or lemon balm or chamomile tisane. A Rose Vinegar can be created by steeping a good quality cider or white wine vinegar with deep red petals until some of the color and fragrance has been infused. Rosewater or homemade Tincture of Roses can be used to dilute the strong acidity of pomegranate or cranberry juices if desired... For all of these uses, most of the varieties recommended above for Potpourri etc. are appropriate - the classic types of Gallicas and Damasks are the traditional favorites, and the repeat-blooming Portlands and Rugosas are exceptional, providing masses of scented blooms throughout the season."
He then goes into various types of roses whose hips are used in cooking, etc. It is towards the end of this long article, but it should help you get the types of roses that you want for this and then see how they will react to your new climate.
