...And the tulips, dandelions, violas, nostrums, lavender, lilacs, chive blossoms...

Edible flowers add a bit of natural extravagance to any meal! My collection of books on culinary botinany include recipes for honeysuckle jam, borrage soup, fried day lilies, and other exotic dishes. Perhaps when my lilacs bloom we will try lilac ice cream! I’ve been eyeing that recipe for years, but haven’t had lilacs–last year we planted three bushes and all three are covered in tiny buds.

Yet, only rarely do I use the actual recipes, preferring to incorporate the flowers in a more impromptu manner–as a garnish, or tossed into the salad.

Most of the blossoms from culinary herbs are edible (consult a reliable list to be certain).  In general the flowers have a milder, but similar flavor to the herb itself.

Roses have a VERY faint apple taste, and tulips have a faint onion/chive flavor. Lavender is lovely in french cooking, or on fish and poultry, or rice.

My children love picking the flowers for dinner!  These pictures are of last night's meal, which would have been quite uninteresting without them.  (Grilled chicken, rice and tossed salad.)  Chives, dandelion, and a tulip garnish (and season) the rice, while violas liven up our salad.

(Violas are lovely on a fruit tray or with dessert too!)

Stay tuned for my favorite flower recipe--Stuffed Tulips!