Picking
Petals for Your Palate
Looking
to garnish your plates
with something bright
and beautiful or add a
unique flavor to your
favorite salad? Whether
you prefer sweet and subtle
or spicy with punch DAINA
BENSON serves up a
plate full of edible flowers
|
Sept
2008 Cover MOM Joey Coates |
Consumption
of flowers have been traced back
as early as 140BC. Many of us
have been unknowingly consuming
flowers for years such as broccoli,
cauliflower, artichokes and capers.
Candied
flowers are a popular decoration
for wedding cakes and dessert
garnishes but with each petal
embodying flavors as unique as
their colour it is no wonder why
people are taking advantage of
this lovely addition to their
favorite meals.
Sweet
& Spicy
When looking for something sweet
try Pansies, Mallow, Squash Blossoms,
Violets or even Roses. Marigolds
and Arugula Blossoms have a spicy
or peppery flavor that is a lovely
addition to a salad or soup. Day
Lilies (not to be confused with
other members of the lily family
which may be poisonous) and Gladiolus
are also great salad blooms with
their fresh beany flavor and lettuce-like
crunch. Dandelion buds are said
to have a nice mushroomy flavor
when sautéed with butter.
Check
out: http://flowerscanada.org
for edible flowers that you
can grow right in your own back
yard.
Obviously
you must do the research and make
sure that your favorite flower
is not a poisonous one but there
are several other factors to keep
in mind.
Grow
your own
If you are growing your own they
must be grown organically. Often
the bedding plants which we pick
up from the greenhouse or local
department store have been treated
with fertilizer and pesticides
- not fit for consumption. Wild
flowers can be exposed to car
emissions and garbage.
Your
own garden flowers can be exposed
to animal feces. Allergies are
important to keep in mind as well.
People often know what food they
cannot consume but not necessarily
what flowers they should avoid.
All
in all this petal pushing trend
is a lovely way to improve the
look, taste and texture of your
summer favorites.
Do
the research and don’t be
afraid to try something new!
Edible
Blooms
Contact your local Epicure consultant
and try out their ‘Edible
Blooms’. These Canadian grown
flowers have been captured- flavor
and all -and ready to go straight
into your next meal. Give it a
try! M
