Pretty enough to eat
January 25, 2009 – 10:39 am
Camellia japonica 'Purple Swirl'
Last night a friend told me that all of her broccoli had gone to flower. My response? Eat the flowers. Believe it or not, they taste very similar to the florets and can really add color to salads. Eating the flowers is just another benefit of organic growing.
Chances are many of you reading this have lots of edible flowers in bloom right outside your door: Pansies, Oregano, Rosemary, Lavendar, Nasturiums, Roses, and Camellias are just some of winter’s edible flower stock.
So here are some recipes I found online to brighten your day and your Sunday dinner.
Can’t wait to try these:
From: http://www.sheknows.com/articles/804900.htm
Lavender Lemonade
Serves 8
Sit back and enjoy a tall glass of iced lavendar-kissed lemonade.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon fresh lavender buds
1 cup boiling water
6 cups fresh squeezed lemonade
Lemon slices
Sprigs of fresh lavender
Directions:
1. Place lavender buds in a large glass and add boiling water. Cover and let steep for 5 minutes. Pour mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a 2-quart pitcher. Discard lavender buds.
2. Stir lemonade into mixture in pitcher. Cover and chill several hours or overnight. To serve, pour lemonade mixture over ice cubes in stemmed goblets. Garnish each with a lemon slice and fresh sprig of lavender.
Rosemary Flower Biscuits
Rosemary bushes in bloom
Serves 8
Rosemary bushes produce tiny purple flowers that can liven up biscuits, quickbreads and salad dressings. They also make a lovely garnish for finished dishes. Serve these tasty biscuits with oven-fried chicken and roasted asparagus for a savory satisfying meal.
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) plus 2 tablespoons butter, cut into tiny pieces
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary flowers
3/4 cup milk
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.
2. Cut in 1/4 cup butter with a pastry cutter or two knives until mixture is a coarse meal. Stir in rosemary flowers. Stir in the milk until ingredients are moistened.
3. Turn dough out onto a floured board. Shape and knead just until dough forms a square shape about 1-1/2 Inches thick. Transfer dough to a heavy cookie sheet. With a sharp knife, cut dough into 8 squares. Dot squares with remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned.
Pansy Herb Salad
Serves 4
With their beautiful array of colors and mild lettuce-like flavor, pansies brighten any dish. For this salad, only lemon juice is used as a dressing. The walnuts and feta add quite enough flavor.
Ingredients:
4 cups mixed greens
1/4 cup fresh sprigs of dill
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
4 large basil leaves, rolled up and thinly sliced crosswise
1 large lemon, halved
Pinch of salt
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 cup toasted walnuts
3/4 cup crumbled feta
1 cup fresh pansy flowers
Directions:
Toss salad greens and herbs in a large bowl. Squeeze lemon juice (without the seeds) over the greens and season with salt and pepper. Toss again. Add walnuts and feta and toss well. Divide salad and pansies among four serving plates and serve.
2 Responses to “Pretty enough to eat”
BTW, I tasted a Camellia yesterday – yuck! But, Rosemary flowers are delicious.
By Trish on Jan 26, 2009
These recipes sound delicious!
Yum!Yum!
Joyce
By Joyce Southwell on Jan 26, 2009