Monday, July 16, 2012
Flowers as Food Part II: Presentation ideas
9:11 PM | 
Posted by
Kaplan Center for Health and Wellness
I hope my last post piqued your interest and had you
investigating the edibles in your front yard. How many did you find? Upon inspection, I realized I currently have
more than 17 types of edible flowers in my small space alone. This number does
not include herbs! A mentioned in my
previous post , the use of flowers in
current trends is one of novelty . I thought I would provide several “starter“
ideas , most centering around food presentation that may begin your utilization of flowers as food.
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| Some of the edibles from my flower garden! |
Gladiolas- Have a tart taste and while edible are best used
for presentation purposes. Pick individual flowers early in the morning . Wash the flowers
gently, pat them dry and place into a moistened plastic bag with a little air
space left in it. Put the bag into the fridge being sure not to crush them ! Remove the flowers a few minutes before you
need them and dip into ice-cold water to freshen them. Remove the stamens
before filling the flowers with your favorite salsa or dip ! I love presenting
peach or mango based salsa in a bright red gladiola !
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| Gladiola "bowl" stuffed with peach mango salsa |
Dandelions- You can make several wonderful
uses of this common "pest" .When serving a rice dish, use cleaned dandelion petals like confetti over
the rice. Please be cautious if you are allergic!
Carnations (Dianthus) - are surprisingly sweet one
the bitter white bas of the flower is removed.
Said to have a clove or nutmeg like flavor they can be sprinkled over
rice or salad. An interesting bit of trivia, carnation petals are one of secret
ingredients used to make Chartreuse, a French liqueur!
Nasturtiums-
my personal favorite! The leaves of this flower are spicy and watercress like. They
come in a variety of colors and if the flowers are “deadheaded” they can
produce all season long. I have found that the flowers can be stuffed with flavored
cream cheese or ricotta. They can also be used to present guacamole. Just be sure
to remove the stamen of the flower.
These flowers are a lovely substitute for the harvesting of zucchini
blossoms which can limit the production of zucchinis. The leaves can also be
used in a fashion similar to grape leaves as well. Recipes are to follow in my
next installment!
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