A Guide to Edible Flowers

In your attempt to eat local, you’ve probably introduced any number of unusual plants into the yard and onto the kitchen table. Take dandelion greens, for example, which you may have transformed from a nuisance to a salad star; or, that rotting log at the back of the garden? Well, it’s none other than a shiitake log, loaded with spores that will supply those magical mushrooms, right?

Yet, we often stop short of harvesting flowers, despite the fact that they can be a beautiful, tasty and healthy addition to green cuisine. In fact, flowers have been used since antiquity, in fresh, dried and powdered forms, to liven up many dishes. To add them to your dinner repertoire, all you need is a little culinary imagination and fresh blooms. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

image credit: flickr.com/SanchoPapa