Tonight I'm attending a dinner party so of course I'm bringing flowers for the hostess. There are so many fun fall shades to choose from. I've got rusty-orange lilies, yellow celosia and yellow-gold spray mums, accented with bright green leaves, sort of like the one below.
I don't know what the menu will be, but it got me thinking about flowers we can eat.
For centuries, cultures around the world have brightened their recipes by adding flowers. In Roman times, for example, roses were used for cooking and flavoring food. (Rose water was also put in fountains and baths to help people freshen up.)
Edible flowers include citrus blossom, clover, daisies, dandelions, hibiscus, honeysuckle, lavender, lilac, mums, nasturtium, pansies, roses, sunflowers and violets, among others.
That said, it is important to proceed with caution because several flowers, such as azaleas, buttercups, daffodils, delphinium and wisteria, just to name a few, are poisonous. Always check to make sure a flower is edible and, when in doubt, don’t eat it!
Follow recipes carefully or, if you are improvising, introduce these petals to your diet in small amounts so that you can gauge your body’s reaction. If you have allergies, you should proceed with extra caution; you may want to check with your doctor first. (Also, when dining out, don’t be afraid to ask if a flower used as a garnish is edible.)
A great place to start is with flowers from your own garden. That’s because you know how they have been grown and you can be confident that they are entirely free of pesticides and chemicals. Do not eat flowers unless you are sure that they have been grown without the use of these substances.
Pick your flowers at a cool time of day; morning is often best. Remove the pistils and stamen, and be sure to wash petals carefully. Also make sure there are no insects stuck inside your flowers.
For more information and recipes, visit Linda Stradley’s site: http://whatscookingamerica.net/EdibleFlowers/EdibleFlowersMain.htm.
Flower Fact of the Day: "It soothes headaches and aids sleep - now lavender has been shown to help cope with a trip to the dentist." Learn more at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7611862.stm.