Edible Flowers

SUMMER 2006

THE VEGAN NEWS

Petal Power: How to Create Your Own Edible Flower Salad
By Pauline Lloyd

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Traditionally flowers have had many culinary and medicinal uses. However, one of the simplest (and in my opinion the nicest way) of using edible flowers is just to eat them raw in a salad. By adding a few edible flowers it is possible to turn a simple green salad into something quite marvellous and exotic. Edible flowers add colour, visual appeal, flavour and sometimes fragrance to a salad and are often very nutritious, providing antioxidants, minerals, vitamins and other health-giving substances such as carotenoids and bioflavonoids. Do use edible flowers sparingly though, as too many flowers can be overpowering and always be careful when introducing a new flower, eating only a small amount the first time in case of a reaction. Note: If you suffer from allergies such as asthma or hay fever, then it is a good idea to completely avoid eating flowers at all.

Try to consume flowers that you have grown yourself rather than gathering flowers from wild plants.

Avoid eating any flowers that may be contaminated with pesticides, animal excrement, or pollutants from passing cars.

Be aware that not all flowers are edible. Some flowers are poisonous, whereas others simply don't taste that nice. Always be sure of correct identification before eating any flower. If in any doubt, then leave it out!

If you are short of growing space, many edible flowers grow well in containers. These include: pansies, heartsease, violets, nasturtiums, cowslip, oxlip, primroses, geranium, pot marigold, chives, lavender and sage and others such as climbing nasturtiums can be planted in a container and grown up a trellis. So why not brighten up your balcony or windowsill with some edible flowers this year?

Leafy Salad Plants

To make up your flower salad you will of course also need a supply of fresh green salad leaves. Try growing a selection of the following green leafy plants, either in containers or in the ground. These can all be harvested when needed on a 'cut and come again' basis (supplier details given in brackets):

Rocket (T&M/TO/SH/OGC)

Landcress (T&M/TO/SH/OGC)

Corn Salad (T&M/TO/SH/OGC)

Watercress (T&M/TO/SH/OGC)

Niche Leaves Salad Blend (T&M)

Salad Bowl (T&M/TO/SH/OGC)

Claytonia (T&M/TO/SH/OGC)

Indian Mustard (T&M/OGC)

Baby Leaf (T&M/TO)

Parsley (T&M/TO/OGC)

Saladisi (T&M)

Chives (T&M)

Mixed Leaves (TO)

Mustard Spinach (TO/OGC)

Mizuna (TO/OGC)

Oriental Saladini (TO)

Burnet Salad (TO)

Perpetual Spinach (SH/OGC)

Catalogna (SH/OGC)

Dandelion (SH/OGC)

Ornamental Cabbage (SH)

Winter Cress (OGC)

Saladini (OGC)

Oakleaf (OGC)

To Make Up the Flower Salad:

Pick a mixture of different green leaves (both green leaves and flowers are best harvested just before eating to ensure peak freshness).

Wash the leaves well, place them in a dish and pour on a suitable dressing.

Garnish with an attractive mixture of edible flowers of your choice (see table below). Enjoy!

Note: Try to avoid washing the flowers as this removes the fragrance, but do check the flowers carefully for insects before use!

SOME OF THE MOST WIDELY USED EDIBLE FLOWERS

COMMON NAME LATIN NAME
SUPPLIER(S)
FURTHER INFORMATION

Anchusa

Anchusa azurea
SH/OGC
Genetian-blue flowers that look especially attractive when mixed with rose petals.

Borage
Borago officinalis
TO/SH/OGC
Cool, cucumber taste. Scatter these brilliant blue flowers onto the salad, removing the hairy sepals behind the petals just before eating.

Bergamot
Monarda didyma
SH
Use the pink/scarlet petals.

Chicory
Cichorium intybus
SH/OGC
Use whole flowers or petals. Slightly bitter taste.

Chives
Allium schoeonoprasum
SH/OGC
Mild onion flavour. Separate the florets before serving and scatter them onto salad, as the taste of the whole flower can be overwhelming.

Cowslip
Primula veris
SH/OGC
Use yellow flowers whole, but remove the stalks.

Daisy

Dandelion         Bellis perennis

Taraxacum officinale     SH

Sprinkle the petals on the salad.

Elder

Sambucus nigra

Add a few *unwashed creamy blossoms, just before eating the salad.

Geranium
Pelargonium spp.
SH/ T&M
Both flowers and leaves can be used, but use the leaves sparingly.

Heartsease
Viola tricolor
SH/OGC
A small dainty form of pansy. Use the flowers.

Hollyhock     Althaea rosea

SH/OGC
Many different colours. Use petals.

Lavender


Lavandula angustifolia
SH/OGC
Strong flavoured, use flowers sparingly.

Nasturtium
Tropaeolum majus
SH/OGC
Add flowers, peppery leaves, or the pickled seeds to salads. Similar flavour to watercress.

Oxlip
Primula eliator
SH
Remove stalks and use whole flowers as a garnish.

Pansy
Viola wittrockiana
SH/OGC
Use petals or whole flower. Wide range of colours.

Pot Marigold

Calendula officinalis
TO/SH/OGC
Orange/ yellow flower petals that add colour and nutrition.

Primrose

Primula vulgaris
SH/OGC
See Cowslip.

Rose

Rosa spp.

Petals have a delicate taste, but add colour and fragrance. Remove the bitter white base of the petal.

Sage
Clary Sage
Painted Sage
Salvia officinalis
Salvia sclarea
Salvia horminum TO/SH/OGC
The flower bracts of these plants add colour to a salad.

Violet

Viola odorata
SH/OGC
Small dainty violet flowers that look very pretty in salads.

Supplier Key:
T&M = Thompson & Morgan
TO = Tamar Organics
SH = Suffolk Herbs
OGC = Organic Gardening Catalogue

Listed above are some of the most popular edible flowers, but there are many others. For more information, please read one of the following books, or visit some of the web sites listed below. Some edible flowers/or their plants are also beneficial to wildlife, so try not to use up all of the flowers you grow! To find out more about the wildlife benefits follow the link in the table. Unfortunately, due to lack of space, I am unable to provide the exact growing details of all of the plants mentioned in this article. Please consult individual seed packets for precise growing instructions.

Some Vegan Flower Recipe Suggestions:

Cucumbers with Nasturtiums: Mix peeled, sliced cucumber with plenty of small, variegated red nasturtium leaves. Dress with a mustard-flavoured vinaigrette and garnish with a few nasturtium flowers.

Purslane & Flowers: Arrange young purslane in a bowl. Add some chicory, nasturtium and bergamot flowers and a few rose petals. Sprinkle with chives, marjoram and basil. Add a light vinaigrette dressing made with walnut rather than olive oil, just before serving.

Red Lettuce & Borage Flowers: Place red lettuce and green lettuce leaves in a bowl. Toss thoroughly in a walnut oil vinaigette and garnish with mint and lemon balm leaves and borage flowers.

Source of these Recipes: The Salad Garden by Joy Larcom.

Further Reading:

The Salad Garden by Joy Larkom (Windward, 1987), p125-129.

The Edible Flower Garden by Rosalind Creasy (Periplus Editions, 2000).

Edible Flowers (a leaflet by Thompson & Morgan). *

Edible Flowers by Kitty Morse (Ten Speed Press).*

Flowers in the Kitchen by Susan Belsinger (Interweave Press Inc).*

Edible Flowers by Kathy Brown (Aquamarine).*

Edible and Medicinal Flowers by Margaret Roberts (David Philips). *

* These books/leaflets are available from T & M.

Edible Flower Websites:

http://whatscookingamerica.net/EdibleFlowers/EdibleFlowersMain.htm

http://starchefs.com/edible_flowers/html/index.shtml

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-8513.html

http://homecooking.about.com/library/weekly/aa052598.htm

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/07237.html

http://lancaster.unl.edu/hort/Articles/2004/edibleflowers.shtml

http://www.thegardenhelper.com/edibles.html

http://www.seedsofknowledge.com/edibleflowers.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/mostof_edibleflowers.shtml

http://asiarecipe.com/flowers.html

Seed Suppliers:

The Organic Gardening Catalogue, Riverdene, Molesey Road, Hersham, Surrey, KT12 4RG. Tel: 0845 130 1304. E mail: enquiries@chaseorganics.co.uk

Thompson and Morgan (UK) Ltd, Poplar Lane, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP8 3BU. Tel: 01473 695225.

Suffolk Herbs, Monks Farm, Coggeshall Road, Kelvedon, Essex CO5 9PG. Tel: 01376 572456. E mail: sales@suffolkherbs.com

Chiltern Seeds, Bortree Stile, Ulverston, Cumbria, LA12 7PB. Tel: 01229 581137. E mail info@chilternseeds.co.uk

Tamar Organics, The Organic Garden Centre, Gulsworthy, Tavistock, Devon, PL19 8JE. Tel: 01822 834887. E mail: sales@tamarorganics.co.uk

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SOME OF THE MOST WIDELY USED EDIBLE FLOWERS
COMMON NAME	LATIN NAME	SUPPLIER(S)	FURTHER INFORMATION
Anchusa	Anchusa azurea	SH/OGC	Genetian-blue flowers that look especially attractive when mixed with rose petals.
Borage	Borago officinalis	TO/SH/OGC	Cool, cucumber taste. Scatter these brilliant blue flowers onto the salad, removing the hairy sepals behind the petals just before eating.
Bergamot	Monarda didyma	SH	Use the pink/scarlet petals.
Chicory	Cichorium intybus	SH/OGC	Use whole flowers or petals. Slightly bitter taste.
Chives	Allium schoeonoprasum	SH/OGC	Mild onion flavour. Separate the florets before serving and scatter them onto salad, as the taste of the whole flower can be overwhelming.
Cowslip	Primula veris	SH/OGC	Use yellow flowers whole, but remove the stalks.
Daisy Dandelion	Bellis perennis Taraxacum officinale	SH	Sprinkle the petals on the salad.
Elder	Sambucus nigra		Add a few *unwashed creamy blossoms, just before eating the salad.
Geranium	Pelargonium spp.	SH/ T&M	Both flowers and leaves can be used, but use the leaves sparingly.
Heartsease	Viola tricolor	SH/OGC	A small dainty form of pansy. Use the flowers.
Hollyhock	Althaea rosea	SH/OGC	Many different colours. Use petals.
Lavender	Lavandula angustifolia	SH/OGC	Strong flavoured, use flowers sparingly.
Nasturtium	Tropaeolum majus	SH/OGC	Add flowers, peppery leaves, or the pickled seeds to salads. Similar flavour to watercress.
Oxlip	Primula eliator	SH	Remove stalks and use whole flowers as a garnish.
Pansy	Viola wittrockiana	SH/OGC	Use petals or whole flower. Wide range of colours.
Pot Marigold	Calendula officinalis	TO/SH/OGC	Orange/ yellow flower petals that add colour and nutrition.
Primrose	Primula vulgaris	SH/OGC	See Cowslip.
Rose	Rosa spp.		Petals have a delicate taste, but add colour and fragrance. Remove the bitter white base of the petal.
Sage Clary Sage Painted Sage	Salvia officinalis Salvia sclarea Salvia horminum	TO/SH/OGC	The flower bracts of these plants add colour to a salad.
Violet	Viola odorata	SH/OGC	Small dainty violet flowers that look very pretty in salads.