Once upon a time when we sat down for a meal it was considered good manners not
to eat the garnish, but those days are gone!
Did you know that day Lily Buds have a nutty flavour and are delicious cut into
salads… or that you can fry the flowers in light batter? Did you know that
Sunflower buds can be steamed like artichokes and tossed in butter, or that you
can eat the flowers of tulips?
Other flowers that can be eaten which are healthy and delicious are: Rose
Petals, Golden Majoram, Borage, Calendula, Dianthus petals, sweet Peas,
Fuchsias with the centre taken out, and Snapdragons minus leaves. The flowers
of Garlic Chives are also edible, and Dill flowers taste of aniseed. Then of
course there are the flowers we can use in salads: Violets, Nasturtium,
Pansies, and Honeysuckle. Edible fLowers are great for growing in pots outside
the kitchen door along with your herbs. Decorate your next cheesecake with
Angelica and Alpine Strawberries with a Pansy centrepiece. Or Pavlova covered
with whipped cream and berry yoghurt, mixed together and applied with a
spatula. Fresh Blueberries, Raspberries and Strawberries are piled on top with
icing sugar sifted over, and the base is decorated with whole green stalk
Strawberries, Viola flowers and tiny Angelica leaves.
RECIPES
OMELETTE WITH COURGETTE FLOWERS
400g Courgette Flowers
Lemon Juice
Flour
Olive Oil
4 eggs beaten
Salt & Pepper
Soak the flowers in lemon flavoured water for 30 minutes, shake out the excess
water and dry gently. Remove stalks and pistils very carefully. Set flowers
aside on a tea towel, tap dry carefully. Dip flowers in flour.
Pour enough olive oil into a heavy bottomed pan to come to a height of 4cm and
heat until sizzling. Add flowers in batches and fry until golden and crisp on
all sides. Spoon out most of the oil and return flowers to the pan.
Season beaten eggs with salt and pepper... and pour over flowers, cook until
the omelette is golden underneath. Turn out onto plate and slide back onto pan
the other way up and cook until the other side is golden. Serve with a salad.
Cook flowers on their own the same way.
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FLOWER SALAD
Some flowers of nasturtium, borage, chive, violet, heartsease, calendula,
carnations, pineapple sage, elderflowers.
Add a handful of rocket leaves, young mizuna leaves, oakleaf lettuce, miners
lettuce and add your favourite vinaigrette.
Mix the flowers with the salad greens. Add the dressing and serve immediately.
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