In anticipation, I watch the rain from my kitchen window. The arrival of spring rain means that my garden will soon be in bloom. Spring blossoms, new lettuces, fresh dandelion greens and late winter flowers add color, fancy and even flavor to the dinner table. Their sweet, peppery, minty or bitter tastes add variety to otherwise bland recipes.
The culinary use of flowers is not new. Perhaps you have read that the Dutch were forced to eat tulip bulbs to avoid starvation during the winter of 1944-1945. You might have an old cookbook with a recipe for stuffed squash blossoms. Maybe you watched Martha Stewart use candied violets on cakes. I add flowers to my cooking just for fun (and to show off.) When selecting flowers, I follow a few simple guidelines. First, I choose flowers that I know are non-toxic. Second, I grow my own flowers to ensure that they are pesticide and herbicide free. Then, I pick the blossoms immediately before use and serve them at their freshest. I also choose brightly colored flowers since pastel blossoms tend to fade- especially when cooked. In addition, when serving edible flowers to guests, I warn them that although I only use the petals, they may wish to be cautious if they have pollen allergies. Finally, I don't get insulted when my husband picks the flowers out of his salad. I have learned to ignore those picky eaters who don't share my enthusiasm. Here are some of my favorite, unique recipes using common, edible spring flowers.
Spring Salad
young dandelion greens, torn
rose petals
Johnny-Jump-Up petals
pansies, stems and leaves removed
spring lettuce, torn
Combine all ingredients. Leafy lettuces such as Black Simpson, Romain or red-leaf complement the wild taste of the other ingredients. Garnish with whole pansie faces. Serve with a light dressing such as a raspberry vinagrette or honey-Russian.
Lavender Lemonade
Prepare 1 can of frozen lemonade. Crush 1/4 cup lavender blossoms. Steep the lavender in the lemonade using a tea steeper or a small tulle bag for at least 30 minutes. The lemonade will have a light purple tint to it. Garnish with floating violas and lemon slices.
Flavored Spreads
Mix 1 cup torn nasturtium flowers with 8 ounces of softened cream cheese.
or
Try diced rose petals and minced chives mixed with butter.
or
Combine dandelion petals, chopped chive blossoms and finely torn violets with equal parts margarine and softened cream cheese.
Confetti Sugar Cookies
Confetti:
Carefully pick and wash lilac blossoms, lavender flowers, rose petals and pansies. Remove stems. Spread them to dry on a clean towel. Air dry until the flower petals are brittle. Crunch to create a confetti mixture of dried flowers.
Cookies:
1 C butter
1 1/4 C sugar
1 egg
2 1/4 C flour
2 T dried lemon thyme leaves
2 T flower confetti
Cream butter and sugar together. Add egg. Mix well. Add remaining ingredients and mix carefully. Shape into 1 inch balls and roll in sugar. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 8 minutes at 400°F.
Filled Tulips
Yellow Tulips with Chicken Salad
8 yellow tulips
1 C Miracle Whip salad dressing
1 1/2 C diced or shredded chicken
1/2 C red seedless grapes, quartered
1/2 C green seedless grapes, quartered
1/4 C viola petals
Remove the pistils and stamens from the tulips. Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl. Just before serving, fill each tulip with the chicken salad mixture.
Chocolate Bavarian Tulips
6 white tulips
2 envelopes plain gelatin
1/2 C hot milk
2 egg yolks
1 C ice
1/4 C cold water
6 ounces chocolate chips
1 C cream
Prepare tulips by removing the pistils and stamens. Stabilize each tulip bud inside a Dixie cup or muffin tin. Set aside. Have all remaining ingredients measured and ready. Pour the water into a blender. Sprinkle gelatin over the top. Add hot milk and blend on high for 40 seconds. Add chocolate chips. Blend. Add remaining ingredients and blend until slightly thickened, approximately 45 seconds. Fill tulips immediately or mixture will become too thick to pour. Chill until ready to serve. This dish should not be made more than 2 hours in advance.
Tulip Cheesecakes
6 giant red tulips
8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened
1 C powdered sugar
1 T milk
8 ounce tub of Cool Whip
fresh berries
Remove the pistils and stamens from the tulips. In a bowl, combine cream cheese, milk, powdered sugar and Cool Whip. Fill each tulip with the cream cheese mixture. Garnish with fresh berries.
Primrose Jelly
An American version of the British classic!
2 packages Sparkling White Grape Jell-O
Boiling water
Carbonated lemon-lime soda pop
Zest and juice from one small orange
20 white primrose flowers, stalks removed
Following the package directions, prepare two box of Jell-O substituting lemon-lime soda pop for the cold water. Add the zest and juice from one small orange.Pour about 1/4 of the mixture into a gelatin ring. Place in the fridge until lightly set. Arrange a ring of 5 primrose flowers, face down on the surface of the gelatin. Press the petals gently onto the surface. Pour an additional 1/4 of the Jell-O mixture on top. Take care not to disturb the primroses. Return the mold to the fridge. Repeat the process until four layers have been created. Set for three hours. To unmold the desert, dip the mold for a few seconds in hot water. This recipe may be varied by mixing different colors of primroses and different flavors of Jell-O.
Be smart; Be safe! Many common flowers and plants can be poisonous. Most universities and poison control centers have information on local flowers and plants that are safe to eat. If you have difficulty identifying non-toxic flowers, please click here: http://uuhsc.utah.edu/poison/publiced/plantGuide.pdf.
0 comments:
Post a Comment