Flowers can be a taste treat, and they're not just for garnishing

Edible petals perfect for summer dining

By Carol O'Meara, Special to the Rocky

Published July 22, 2008 at 3 p.m.
Updated July 22, 2008 at 6:03 p.m.

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Photo by Photos by Ellen Jaskol, Rocky Mountain News

A pansy frozen in an ice cube

Fruit salad garnished with day lilies and fresh mint

Lavender-infused whipped cream

Herbed Bean Salad with scarlet runner bean blossoms.

Photo by Ellen Jaskol / The Rocky

Drop scones with rose petals and Pistachios

Eat your greens. And your reds, yellows, purples and blues, too. Because when it comes to the floral highlights of summer, nothing sets a table like edible flowers.

If you think the limit of delectable posies is nasturtiums, squash blossoms and chives, you're missing out on a bevy of blooms that will make your table the talk of the town.

"One of the reasons nasturtium is so popular is that they're beautiful and good, but there are many really tasty flowers," says Deb Whittaker, aka the Herb Gourmet, a personal chef who specializes in culinary herbs. "Flowers are just fun, and doggone stunningly beautiful on the table."

After 10 years of teaching cooking classes, Whittaker is passionate about thinking unconventionally. "You can think of flowers as mostly for garnishes, yet plenty of them are main-course fare," she says.

They can bring exotic elegance to the conclusion of a meal, too: Try serving a scoop of sherbet in a day lily blossom, says Lilias Skilbred, day lily grower of Boulder Lily Farm.

"At a wedding or special event, it's a tremendous surprise," Skilbred says. She and co-owner Trish Defries grow 30 varieties of day lilies for culinary use, from reds to double bloomers.

While their farm is a good source for locally grown day lilies, finding flowers for your table might mean growing them yourself. If you do, treat them as you would any vegetable and grow them organically, says Whittaker, who lists the five rules for eating flowers:

* Make sure you're absolutely positive about identification. All flowers look pretty, but not all are edible, and some can be harmful. Know beyond any doubt what you have before eating it.

* Common names are misleading, so don't pick a flower based on its moniker. Sweet peas, for example, are poisonous, while yucca is tasty.

* Because many greenhouses and florists spray plants, their flowers aren't suitable for eating. Use only those picked from your garden or from a reputable food-grade source. Never pick and eat flowers from the roadside.

* Flowers may cause allergic reactions in some people with asthma or hay fever. Start carefully when learning to eat flowers, and eat only small amounts at first.

* Many chefs garnish with flowers that aren't edible. Check with the kitchen before eating them.

Some petals for your plate . . .

Borage (Borago officinalis)

Delicious, cucumber-like flavor in a stunning blue flower.

* Prep: Pluck flowers within an hour or two of serving and place on a slightly damp paper towel to keep cool. If holding the blooms in the refrigerator, place paper towel in a perforated plastic bag to retain humidity.

* Tip: Getting ready to feed a crowd can be chaotic; snip borage blossoms, stem and all, before your guests arrive and pop them into a vase like cut flowers. They'll stay fresh until you're ready to pluck and serve them.

* Serve: Pop into salads, sprinkle on dips; the cucumber flavor adds to the dish. Freeze into ice cubes for a dazzling blue accent to chilled drinks.

Pansies (Viola x. Wittrockiana) With their cheerful faces and bright colors, pansies have pleased as candied garnishes and festive flags in salads.

* Prep: When harvesting, pick the stem all the way to the plant, keeping the flower intact.

* Tip: For easy candying, use 1/3 cup instant meringue powder (available at craft stores) mixed with 4 tablespoons of water. Holding the pansy facedown in a dollop of the meringue, brush the bloom with more, then coat with Baker's sugar (an ultrafine granulated sugar available at groceries). Flip the flower and sugar it, then dry at room temperature on wax paper.

* Serve: Pop petals into ice cube trays, fill with water and freeze for a beautiful float in drinks. Candy them whole for garnishing cakes, or use fresh in salads.

Roses (Rosa spp.) From light and perfumed to zesty with spice, rose petals are perfect as stars of the show or as supporting cast in summer cuisine.

* Prep: Pull or snip petals from the bud. The white inner portion of the petal is bitter, so snip it off before using.

* Tip: A rose's perfume gives a clue to its flavor, and varieties that have a stronger scent generally taste better. Look for those that smell like food; you'll find roses can be citrusy to spicy, sweet to mild.

* Serve: An all-around bloom, roses can be used fresh in salads, blended into butter, suspended in jellies and brewed into teas.

Day lilies (Hemerocallis fulva) Large bloom that opens and closes in one turn of the sun; adds elegance to your garden party. Packed with vitamins A and C, these also provide 3 grams of protein in each bud. (Note: Oriental lilies are not edible.)

* Prep: Harvest buds when they're 11/2 to 2 inches long; larger than this and they're bitter. Because the flowers fade within the same day, pick just as they're fully open, pull off the stamens and pop them into the refrigerator to keep them cool.

* Tip: The color of day lilies gives a clue to flavor. Reds are a little bitter, while yellows and pale colors are lettuce-like and mild. The tender buds have a delicate, zucchini-like flavor.

* Serve: Unopened buds are more versatile in the kitchen, but open flowers turn average desserts or appetizers into easy elegance. Saute buds or use them in soups; chop them for pancakes. Open flowers make a stunning bowl to hold fruit or sherbet or can be stuffed with your favorite cheese or rice.

Runner beans (Phaseolus coccineus) Carrying the delicate flavor of young beans into the bloom, runner- bean blossoms range from scarlet to pink to white.

* Prep: Runner-bean flowers can be eaten whole, and the more flowers you harvest the more the plant will produce. Pinch - don't pull - the flowers from the stem.

* Tip: They'll stand up to heat better than some flowers, but for best crunch, serve them cool.

* Serve: Saute for soups, toss over steamed green beans for garnish or add to your favorite salad.

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) It has been in use for centuries, its aromatic blooms accenting the versatile Herbs de Provence mixture popular in kitchens worldwide. Darker types are better for culinary use, but flavors vary by the conditions in which they grow.

* Prep: Pull the petals from the bud, and pinch off the tiny white ends.

* Tip: Lavender can turn bitter when dry; use fresh for sweetest flavor. Because the taste is bold, a little goes a long way - use petals sparingly.

* Serve: Leave several buds whole to garnish dishes, but pull some petals to drift alongside them.

RECIPES:

Drop Scones with Rose Petals and Pistachios

Makes two dozen

21/4 cups unbleached white flour

2 teaspoons sugar

3/4 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 or 3 pinches cinnamon

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/3 cup shelled pistachios, lightly toasted then coarsely ground

1 cup whipping cream

1 teaspoon rose water (available at groceries)

1 large handful of rose petals, washed, patted dry and finely shredded

For icing:

1 cup confectioners' sugar

1 tablespoon red currant jelly mixed with 1/2 teaspoon rose water

* Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

* In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients, mixing thoroughly.

* Cut in butter until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.

* Stir in pistachios.

* In a small bowl, stir together the cream, rose petals and rose water.

* Add liquid to the dry ingredients, mixing to form a soft dough.

* Drop the dough by heaping tablespoons onto an ungreased baking sheet.

* Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.

* While the scones are baking, prepare the icing by mixing the confectioners' sugar with currant jelly and 2 teaspoons water.

* Whisk until smooth.

* If icing is too thick, slowly add up to one teaspoon more of water.

* Remove scones to rack and cool slightly.

* Drizzle with icing, then serve warm.

- Flowers in the Kitchen, Susan Belsinger

Nutritional information per serving: 123 cal., 6 g fat (4 g sat.), 18 mg chol., 15 g carb., 2 g pro., 1 g fiber, 104 mg sodium

Lavender- Infused Whipped Cream

Makes about 2 cups (16 servings)

1 cup whipping (heavy) cream

1 to 2 tablespoons lavender petals, washed and patted dry

3 tablespoons powdered sugar

* Steep lavender in whipped cream overnight in the fridge, then strain out the petals.

* Beat cream and sugar in chilled bowl with electric mixer on high until stiff.

- Deb Whittaker

Nutritional information per serving: 56 cal., 6 g fat (4 g sat.), 21 mg chol., 2 g carb., 0 pro., 0 fiber, 6 mg sodium

Stuffed Day Lily Appetizer

Serves 8

15 to 20 day lily buds (at least 11/2 inches)

4 ounces goat cheese

Raspberry-chipotle sauce to taste (available at groceries)

* Mix together goat cheese and sauce in small bowl, then place in a pastry bag.

* Pull out center of day lily buds containing pollen and fill with cheese mixture.

* Refrigerate until ready to serve.

- Boulder Lily Farm

Nutritional information per serving, not including raspberry-chipotle sauce: 38 cal., 3 g fat (2 g sat.), 6 mg chol., 0 carb., 3 g pro., 0 fiber, 52 mg sodium

Gingered Golden Needles with Sugar Snap Peas

Serves 6

2 tablespoons butter or olive oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes or to taste

3 cups day lily buds (use buds close to opening)

2 cups sugar snap peas

Salt and pepper to taste

* Melt butter in pan over medium heat. Add ginger, orange juice and red pepper flakes; cook until thickened.

* Add day lily buds and peas and saute approximately 3 minutes or until some of the buds open partially.

* Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

* Serve warm.

- Boulder Lily Farm

Nutritional information per serving: 58 cal., 4 g fat (2 g sat.), 10 mg chol., 5 g carb., 1 g pro., 1 g fiber, 32 mg sodium

Pasta Salad with Borage Blooms

Serves 2 to 3

Salad:

2 cups tricolor pasta, cooked al dente

1 cup sugar snap peas, stringed and cut in thirds

1 cup sweet red pepper, thinly sliced

4 scallions, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons borage flowers

Dressing:

3 tablespoons safflower oil

2 teaspoons rose vinegar (see below)

1 tablespoon grated ginger

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon tamari (found in stores with the soy sauce)

* Whisk together all dressing ingredients.

* Mix salad ingredients with the dressing, reserving three tablespoons of borage blossoms.

* Let stand at room temperature for several hours.

* Garnish with remaining flowers just before serving.

* To make rose vinegar, add about 1/4 cup of rose petals to 1 cup heated white vinegar. Bottle when cool and store at room temperature for a couple of days. Strain.

- Edible Flowers From Garden to Palate, Cathy Wilkinson Barash

Nutritional information per serving: 335 cal., 2 g fat (0 sat.), 0 chol., 67 g carb., 12 g pro., 5 g fiber, 42 mg sodium

Herbed Bean Salad with Scarlet Runner Bean Blossoms

Serves 6

11/2 pounds snap beans, ends snapped off and halved

1 medium shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon parsley, minced

1 tablespoon basil, minced

1 teaspoon tarragon, minced

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup scarlet runner bean blossoms, rinsed and patted dry

* Blanch beans in lightly salted boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes, until crisp-tender.

* Rinse under cold water and drain.

* While beans are cooking, in a small bowl stir the shallot, lemon juice and olive oil until blended.

* Add the herbs and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well.

* Pour vinaigrette over the warm beans and toss well, then cool to room temperature.

* Top with blossoms just before serving.

- Flowers in the Kitchen, Susan Belsinger

Nutritional information per serving: 101 cal., 9 g fat (1 g sat.), 0 chol., 5 g carb., 1 g pro., 2 g fiber, 17 mg sodium

Tips for picking and using flowers:

* Flowers degrade faster than herbs, so plan to use them within a few hours. Keep them fresh by storing in the refrigerator.

* Pick flowers in the morning when it's cool. Or if shopping for them, choose those that are just becoming fully open. Avoid those that are wilted or starting to decline.

* Taste a flower before spending a lot of time picking. Different growing conditions affect floral flavors; be sure you like what you're selecting.

* Wash flowers with a fine, gentle spray just before using them.

* With many flowers - such as roses, tulips and lavender - only the petals are edible. Remove the stamens, styles and pistils from inside the flowers, and snip off the outer green sepals. If the flower is tiny, gently pull the petals from the bud to use. Others - like runner beans, honeysuckle and pansies - may be eaten whole.

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