Ideal Bite

Tired of the serving the same old salad at your dinner parties?

04.07.2006

Submitted by idealbite on Fri, 04/07/2006 - 5:00pm.

The Bite:

Next time you entertain, dress up your salads, plates and cocktails with organic edible flowers. Toss a handful of blossoms into your next dish, and encourage your guests to give these nutrient-rich beauties a try.

The Benefits:

They won’t go to your waist. Rich in pollen and nectar, flowers are nearly calorie free, and many are packed with wholesome vitamins and minerals.
Edible flowers must be free of any chemical residue. Many imported cut flowers contain residues from pesticides ruled unacceptable for food production in the U.S.
Help organic farmers diversify. Farmers cannot make a living from edible flowers alone. Purchase the chemical-free blossoms along with other goods - herbs, specialty lettuces, and cut flowers.

Personally Speaking:

Heather is planting her nasturtiums (her favorite edible flowers) as we write this tip. If she ever has time to throw a dinner party again, she’ll have her guests visit the blog and tell how they liked them.

Wanna Try:

Hit up your local farmers’ market to see what is available and check out these sites to learn more:

The Edible Flower Garden - packed with planting schemes and recipes ($19).
Edible Flowers, Desserts and Drinks - a good read to get prepped for an edible flower cocktail party ($11).
Seeds of Change (Certified Organic) - an avid gardener’s dream, seeds to plant edible flowers.
Home Cooking - chart on edible flower varieties, with information on what flowers to avoid.

Cocktail Fact

Flowers as food are nothing new. Swiss archeologists have evidence that Stone Age man ate rose hips.

Bang For The Bite

Organic edible flowers are pretty, nutritious, and can help your local farmer thrive, but be careful: for some asthmatics, the pollen could trigger attacks.

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