Edible Flower Salads

When my roses begin blooming in late May, I know it's time for edible flower salads. Prior to last year, the only flowers I knew you could eat were nasturtiums and blue borage blossoms. Then while I was completing my Holistic Nutrition program my classmates shared several edible flower recipes with me. I began adding Calendula, Rose petals, Pansies and Violets to my salads. They are such a nice treat and a welcome addition during the early spring when my garden is just yielding greens and herbs.

PLEASE NOTE: NOT ALL FLOWERS ARE EDIBLE!!!!!!

I was recently chatting with my manager & friend, Laura Alvatar of Portland Nursery. She shared with me some other edible flowers: Bellis "English Daisy", Bachelor Buttons, and Marigolds. I'll be trying those soon.

ANOTHER NOTE: Do not buy florist bouquets for eating. These cut flowers have been chemically treated to the MAXIMUM and would not be healthy for you.

Grow your own edible flowers for salads and other recipes. Also, the flowers you eat should be grown organically. I do not eat rose petals from a rose bush that has been treated with chemicals, such as a systemic. The flower plants I purchase from a nursery are not grown organically. Once I've transplanted them into my garden I grow them organically. So I wait to eat the flowers until a couple of bloom cycles have passed just to be safe I'm not eating blossoms and petals that have been chemically sprayed by the growers.

Here's my improvisational edible salad recipe:

Handful of each:

• Red Butterhead & Green Looseleaf Lettuces
• Sorrel, Arugula, Mustard Greens
• Snow Peas
• Petals of: Roses, Calendula
• Whole Blossoms: Pansy, Violet, Blue Borage
• Nasturtiums-blossoms and leaves

Add a light dressing of your choice, one that won't cover up the unique flavors of the flowers.

I hope that you enjoy experimenting and discovering edible flowers!

In Health,

Miss Jolie Ann