Incredible edible flowers
When my husband put in two elevated garden boxes a few years ago, we jokingly said they were “his” and “hers” and entered into a friendly growing competition. It has become apparent that I may not have a green thumb, or maybe it’s patience I’m short on, but I’ve tried a variety of herbs such as basil, cilantro and oregano. My basil always dies. The cilantro bolts. My sage, rosemary and thyme are in the ground, so they are good. (Yes, I know I’m missing the parsley.) They say mint is impossible to kill, but I think I have. Really it just got too big for the pot and I didn’t tend to it in time. My chives are planted in the ground and besides looking pretty, the lavender-colored sphere-shaped flowers make lovely garnishes. Through all of this, I’ve determined that I like to grow pretty little fragrant food garnishes and flavorings that are accessible only a few steps off my patio to decorate a dish or garnish a dessert. Last summer I decided I needed some edible flowers and planted chamomile, pansies and violas in my garden box. The latter of which are just starting to pop up again to say hello.
Last week when I was shopping at PCC Community Market, upon entering the produce section I pounced on a container of That’s Tasty edible flowers.
I didn’t really have a plan for them, yet I was giddy with excitement over the possibilities. I’m of the mantra, if you LOVE it, you’ll find a reason or a place for it. (Same goes with home décor, art and dishes.) It may be an understatement to say that I went a little crazy over the selection. It was a food blogging shopper’s paradise. Or maybe I have spring fever. In any case, I could not get enough of all the beautiful colors. I honestly went there because I knew they would have a watermelon radish for my Easter brunch. And left with so much more.
Not to fear, I came up with a plan for my edible flowers before I even got home. I had been eyeing a recipe for Vanilla Slices from Edd Kimber’s One Tin Bakes book.
It’s basically a rich vanilla custard that tastes like pure unadulterated bliss sandwiched between puff pastry sheets and dusted with powdered sugar. Traditional recipes include an icing but that’s not necessary. In my opinion, you want to taste all vanilla in every bite. This pastry is very unassuming in its looks, making it a perfect palette for my colorful prized flowers. All the recipes in The Boy Who Bakes' book use a 9x13 pan, although I halved it and used an 8x8” pan. My first bite was divine. Very familiar. It reminded me of a cross between a Boston Cream (the milk and eggs turned to custard) and a Bavarian Cream (the powdered sugar) donut. I’m pretty sure it double-qualifies as a breakfast pastry and a dessert in my book. Somehow, I missed the memo on vanilla slices all my life but now they are on my favorite desserts list.
Along with the Vanilla Slices, my edible flowers were the star of my Easter salad, alongside the watermelon radish of course. My salad was simply arugula with the cutesy micro greens I’d picked up from PCC, sliced almonds and blueberries, topped with the radish and flowers. I used a light apple cider vinaigrette to toss it.
If you’re not up for growing your own, you may be wondering where to get edible flowers. I never see them at the Kroger store in my little town but I’m pretty sure bigger stores would carry them. Good places to look are specialty and high-end grocers and Trader Joe’s. You can buy them online but will pay for speedy shipping. During the summer, you can find them at farmer’s markets. They need to be stored in their plastic container in your refrigerator drawer like your other produce and will last a few days. Your baked goods and cocktails will thank you later. The That’s Tasty website suggests putting edible flowers in an ice cube tray and filling with water to make cocktails that’ll impress your guests, and my new favorite way to show off edible flowers is their suggestion for “amping up your avocado toast.” I’m still kicking myself because I let the last of my flowers wilt before popping them into my oversized ice cube tray. Dang. Oh well. Cocktail season is young.
Speaking of cocktails
I took a “Garden to Glass” mocktails/cocktails class a couple years ago from Simple Goodness Sisters. I love this women-owned company. One of the sisters owns the Happy Camper Cocktail Company and the other sister grows edible flowers and herbs for the cocktails on a farm in Buckley, Wash. (Plus one of the sisters has a journalism major. Don’t all the great, creative, fun people have journalism majors? I think so.) If you’re thinking about growing edible flowers and herbs, they sell both a physical and an ebook on their website titled Garden to Glass that walks you through growing and using edible flowers such as hyssop, borage, marigolds, chamomile, nasturtium, bachelor buttons, calendula, pansies, and more, along with several herbs. Oh and they sell floral sugar and floral salt cocktail rimmers. Perfect.
Cocktails. This may be just the reason you need to start your own edible flower garden.
Here are some resources:
In the meantime I need to order some seeds myself to fill in my garden box with more flower varieties. I want to try nasturtiums and plant more chamomile. I wanted Johnny Jump-ups for the name, but realized I already have those; (they are a variety of viola.) So bachelor buttons it is.
Oh and a confession. I don’t really eat the flowers. My husband, son and daughter all ate them. And you can too. But I’m more about the presentation. Boy did that salad look beautiful on a misty dreary Easter Sunday in the PNW.
And if you’re dying of curiosity …. here’s my watermelon radish in all its glory.
