flowers are vegetables, too.

June 7, 2011

You’re familiar with the old adage, when life gives you lemons make lemonade?

Yesterday The Lab’s kitchen garden was ruthlessly attacked by a rogue gopher, leaving behind one fallen nasturtium plant. This after just having painstakingly lined the entire garden with impenetrable gopher wire. This after seeing the first couple of blossoms on our nasturtium plants and rejoicing the start of our edible flower crop.

darn you, rodent!

So instead of making lemonade from life’s lemons, we made nasturtium salad: one generous handful of home-grown baby greens, a smaller handful of pea shoots, two small carrots, shredded, and a healthy dose of nasturtium leaves and flowers (for which we shed a small tear). The larger lesson learned? As your flower crop begins to boom, bear in mind that flowers are vegetables, too! Well, technically, they’re edible herbs, but their contribution to everyday cooking can be surprising and beautiful. Here are a few of our favorite edible flowers, along with some ideas for ways to use them, most of which are interchangeable!

Roses
Brush clean petals with egg white, coat thoroughly with superfine sugar, let dry on wire rack. Viola! Candied rose petals to use as cupcake adornments.

Violets
Make an infused simple syrup with 1 part clean violet petals, 2 parts sugar, 2 parts water. Simmer until sugar is dissolved, strain out petals. Sweeten teas, lemonades & cocktails!

Calendula
Pick petals from stem, stamen and pistils. Add to salad for a sweet & delicate bitterness.

Lavender
Steep just-opened buds in hot water for a calming tea. Add mint for a more robust flavor. Or bruise dried blossoms with sea salt for a unique rub for veggies, poultry or lamb.

Dandelion
Young buds & blossoms can be sautéed with oil or butter for a meaty, mushroom-like side dish.

Peony
Combine 1 pound soft butter or butter substitute, 1 quart peony petals (taste yours first to make sure you like the flavor! Peony varieties can range in flavor from sour to almond and vanilla), and juice of 1 lemon in food processor. Blend thoroughly. Use compound butter to season seafood, vegetables, or spread on gluten-free toast.

. . .

The flowers you consume should, of course, be pesticide-free with stamens and pistils removed to avoid allergic reactions to pollen. Introduce edible flowers slowly into your diet to make sure you don’t have an adverse reaction to them!

Filed under: delicious,ingredients,recipes,vegan

Tags: edible flowers, gluten free cooking, herbs, vegan