I had a conversation with a friends' parents the other night about the growing popularity of chefs around town using edible weeds in their dishes. The conversation got me to wondering what other "everyday" plants could be eaten and how. With all the spring flowers in bloom around here, edible flowers are an exciting place to start. Most of us already eat a few flowers and/or flower buds, but we don't think of them as flowers, just as food. An artichoke is a flower whose petals are, indeed, just that, petals. Delicious, tangy and lemony capers are flower buds that have been brined and a broccoli crown is actually hundreds of little flower buds grouped tightly together...
The flowers of herbs and vegetables are generally edible, but there are always exceptions so check before you start plucking the blooms off everything in your garden. ;) The flowers from asparagus, tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant and peppers are not suitable for eating. Squash and pea blossoms are safe though, and delicious! Radish flowers are also a go and are said to have that spicy, distinctive radish flavor we love.
In the flower garden Tulip petals, Rose petals, Violets, Queen Anne's Lace (also referred to as wild carrot) Peonies, Pansies, Marigolds, Scented Geraniums, Lilacs, Impatiens, Hibiscus and Hyacinth are all edible and tasty. My favorite though, is steamed sunflower buds which taste similar to artichokes, yum. I'm also a big fan of fried dandelion blossoms, but those are a weed...
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