A Rose by Any Other Name Would Taste the Same

photo by kakisky

by Chewy

 April showers bring May flowers UNLESS you have a remarkably warm winter and a freakishly hot March in which case everything is a month early. The fact that April is National Garden Month and Daisy Flower Month seems a little anti climatic at this point, but never one to pass up a good food celebration, I shall persevere. What do daisies have to do with food, you query? They’re edible! In fact, there are a plethora of flora that range from enhancements to meals, to beverages, to main courses. That famous gardener Mary Contrary might have had her poem go:

                         Mary, Mary, quite contrary,
                         How does your garden taste?
                         With silver bells and cockle shells
                         And none of them we’ll waste!

     Before we consider the edible varieties that can make it to the dessert table, there are some very important safety tips that must be observed.

1. Never eat flowers treated with pesticides.
2. Never eat flowers collected from the side of the road ( possible contamination with      herbicides and exhaust fumes).
3. Never eat a flower you have not positively identified as edible (some flowers have look-alikes that are not edible. Don‘t even put them on the plate for decoration ).
4. Never eat flowers if you have asthma, allergies, or hay fever.
5. Only eat flowers that have been grown organically, pesticide free.
6. Only eat flowers at their peak, avoiding those that are not fully open OR are starting to wilt.
7. Collect flowers for eating in the cooler parts of the day (late afternoon or early morning after the dew has evaporated) .

     Now that we have the rules down, let’s have some fun with floral desserts.

     Bring the lavender out of the bedroom and into the kitchen for fragrant addition to baked goods. If using fresh flowers, make sure you wash thoroughly and while they are freshly picked. You can add the fresh or dried (culinary grade can be purchased reasonably on eBay) to cake and cookie batter. Suggestions would be chocolate cake, chocolate icing or brownies. Dried lavender added to sugar makes an aromatic sweet addition to teas and baked goods. If a recipe calls for lemon, throw in a little lavender with it as these two compliment each other.

     Roses can express your love in the kitchen too. The beauty and fragrance of rose petals make it a perfect and edible decoration on an iced cake You can make candied rose petals by dipping them in egg whites beaten with a little water and then dipped in sugar. Be sure to allow them to dry before placing on any dessert. Want o really “wow” them with an elegant rendition?  Hollow out a rose leaving only the external petals and fill with your choice of ice cream, flavored whip cream, pudding or any other soft sweet.

     Carnations and nasturtiums can finally come off the boutonniere list and start living a double life as cake decorations. A little spicy, they can be candied the same way as rose petals.

     Ah, pansies and violets! I call these my happy flowers as they always seem to be smiling. And their taste is as sweet as their disposition. Naturally endowed with a bit of spearmint flavor, they can enhance most desserts, especially cake and ice cream.

      With all new ideas, experimentation is encouraged and imagination rules. So next time you bring in a bouquet of flowers from the garden, don’t think vase, think dessert!