By AMY GRISAKFor the Tribune
In life, sometimes you just have to stop and eat the flowers. Colorful petals and blossoms are a surprising, yet tasty, addition to sweet and savory dishes and shouldn't be overlooked in the garden or kitchen.
Edible flowers are used in everything from garnishes in salads to the main ingredient in delicious appetizers.
Jay Buckley, owner of Organic Heaven in Great Falls, said there's an "ah-ha" moment when people learn they can eat certain flowers. Buckley said one of the joys of his business is teaching people which flowers are edible. He said their response is usually, "Oh, you can eat those!"
"There's a little trepidation when they take it from the plant and put it in their mouth.'
Edible flowers are so popular that Buckley developed a Chef's Special Basket filled with selections for the kitchen.
"It's become enormously popular," he said.
Some of the choices are familiar to many cooks and gardeners.
"Basil is a huge one," Buckley said. "But most people are used to just the green part." The tiny flowers that range from white to purple are wonderful as a garnish in any savory dish.
The cheerful, daisy-like white and yellow blossoms of chamomile are a more unusual inclusion in the basket. Buckley said most people are accustomed to having chamomile tea, but few actually pluck off the blossoms and use them from the fresh plant. Having it on hand allows people to make their own after-dinner drinks.
Growing edible flowers in containers is a convenient way to keep them close to the kitchen. Buckley said they're also practical because they can be moved inside when the weather becomes cold, allowing gardeners to harvest throughout the year.
Including edible flowers in the landscape is a great way to do double duty since it will look good and offer something for the dinner table.
As with most herbs and vegetables, these plants need at least 8 hours of sunlight per day, fertilizing and frequent watering. Some, such as nasturtiums, are annuals that need to be replanted every spring, but other varieties will come back every year or reseed themselves.
Penny Rubner of Penny's Gourmet-to-Go is no stranger to creating beautiful meals. She uses sugared pansies on wedding cakes on some occasions.
"The pansies are actually very easy to make," she said.
Simply brush the fresh pansy flowers with a light coating of beaten egg whites and dust with sugar. Place these candied blossoms on cakes or other desserts for a fresh decoration that can be eaten like candy.
While she doesn't use a tremendous amount of edible flowers in her work, Rubner does use nasturtiums at home.
The brightly colored nasturtium flowers surprise many people with their festive look and radish-like flavor.
"There's a wonderful, visible experience on people's faces (when they try one)," Buckley said.
Nasturtiums thrive in the hot weather of mid-summer and will produce blooms up until a heavy frost shuts them down for the season. They do as well in containers as when they're planted directly in the garden, and their unusual looking leaves are as attractive as the orange, yellow or red blossoms.
Toss the entire flower in salads or on top of a sautéed vegetable dish for a hot, tasty bite. You also can stuff the inside of the flower with guacamole and serve the blossom on a tortilla chip or slice of jicama for an unusual snack.
Sydne George is a Great Falls food writer and creates her own recipes for national competitions.
"I love adding edible flowers as garnishes," she said. "They add color, contrast and interest to the plated meal, I think."
George also uses sugared pansies on cakes and desserts, plus freezes the unsugared flowers in ice for a decorative drink.
"Their bright colors are so pretty with food," she said.
"I use chive blossoms to garnish grilled shrimp and scallops in the summer," George said. "Their lavender color is so attractive on the plate."
Chives provide a potent onion-like flavor that enhances many dishes without overwhelming them. They work very well in salads and stir-fries.
Another edible flower that's available to most home gardeners is squash blossoms. If the zucchini is overwhelming, literally nip it in the bud.
"I have prepared and eaten squash blossoms," George said. "Last summer we had some friends over for dinner on the deck, and I served squash blossoms stuffed with ricotta, parmesan and chopped pistachios. The squash blossoms paired well with the grilled salmon, providing a cool counterpoint and beautiful color on the plate."
Edible flowers are used in everything from garnishes in salads to the main ingredient in delicious appetizers.
Jay Buckley, owner of Organic Heaven in Great Falls, said there's an "ah-ha" moment when people learn they can eat certain flowers. Buckley said one of the joys of his business is teaching people which flowers are edible. He said their response is usually, "Oh, you can eat those!"
"There's a little trepidation when they take it from the plant and put it in their mouth.'
Edible flowers are so popular that Buckley developed a Chef's Special Basket filled with selections for the kitchen.
"It's become enormously popular," he said.
Some of the choices are familiar to many cooks and gardeners.
"Basil is a huge one," Buckley said. "But most people are used to just the green part." The tiny flowers that range from white to purple are wonderful as a garnish in any savory dish.
The cheerful, daisy-like white and yellow blossoms of chamomile are a more unusual inclusion in the basket. Buckley said most people are accustomed to having chamomile tea, but few actually pluck off the blossoms and use them from the fresh plant. Having it on hand allows people to make their own after-dinner drinks.
Growing edible flowers in containers is a convenient way to keep them close to the kitchen. Buckley said they're also practical because they can be moved inside when the weather becomes cold, allowing gardeners to harvest throughout the year.
Including edible flowers in the landscape is a great way to do double duty since it will look good and offer something for the dinner table.
As with most herbs and vegetables, these plants need at least 8 hours of sunlight per day, fertilizing and frequent watering. Some, such as nasturtiums, are annuals that need to be replanted every spring, but other varieties will come back every year or reseed themselves.
Penny Rubner of Penny's Gourmet-to-Go is no stranger to creating beautiful meals. She uses sugared pansies on wedding cakes on some occasions.
"The pansies are actually very easy to make," she said.
Simply brush the fresh pansy flowers with a light coating of beaten egg whites and dust with sugar. Place these candied blossoms on cakes or other desserts for a fresh decoration that can be eaten like candy.
While she doesn't use a tremendous amount of edible flowers in her work, Rubner does use nasturtiums at home.
The brightly colored nasturtium flowers surprise many people with their festive look and radish-like flavor.
"There's a wonderful, visible experience on people's faces (when they try one)," Buckley said.
Nasturtiums thrive in the hot weather of mid-summer and will produce blooms up until a heavy frost shuts them down for the season. They do as well in containers as when they're planted directly in the garden, and their unusual looking leaves are as attractive as the orange, yellow or red blossoms.
Toss the entire flower in salads or on top of a sautéed vegetable dish for a hot, tasty bite. You also can stuff the inside of the flower with guacamole and serve the blossom on a tortilla chip or slice of jicama for an unusual snack.
Sydne George is a Great Falls food writer and creates her own recipes for national competitions.
"I love adding edible flowers as garnishes," she said. "They add color, contrast and interest to the plated meal, I think."
George also uses sugared pansies on cakes and desserts, plus freezes the unsugared flowers in ice for a decorative drink.
"Their bright colors are so pretty with food," she said.
"I use chive blossoms to garnish grilled shrimp and scallops in the summer," George said. "Their lavender color is so attractive on the plate."
Chives provide a potent onion-like flavor that enhances many dishes without overwhelming them. They work very well in salads and stir-fries.
Another edible flower that's available to most home gardeners is squash blossoms. If the zucchini is overwhelming, literally nip it in the bud.
"I have prepared and eaten squash blossoms," George said. "Last summer we had some friends over for dinner on the deck, and I served squash blossoms stuffed with ricotta, parmesan and chopped pistachios. The squash blossoms paired well with the grilled salmon, providing a cool counterpoint and beautiful color on the plate."
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