I've always been fascinated by edible plants, especially those that can be found in the "wild", or a plant that's grown more for its ornamental properties than its taste properties. Even if it's just the "wild" of my back yard, I enjoy taking leaves from the herbs on my deck to add to dishes, and I've been known to snip chive blossoms in the spring to make a dish look pretty. However, I've never before eaten part of a plant that wasn't marketed as a fruit or vegetable.
Although I know that some fertilizer from the lawn may have sprayed onto the blooms, I figured that eating just a couple of petals couldn't harm me too much. I picked two prime flowers-one for me and one for Tony, brought them inside and washed them thoroughly. When lunch was ready I put a flower on each plate. They really classed things up!When it was time to eat, I tore off a small piece of a petal, put it in my mouth, and chewed gingerly. The petal was sweet and crunchy, and almost like a crisp lettuce leaf. Not bad. I ate the rest of that petal, and soon finished off all the other ones.
Not that I've eaten the flower and lived to tell, next time I'll put the petals IN a salad. It would make it really colorful.
you need to try purslane... i cute small green leaf weed that grows wild well in my vegetable garden... i decided to try it after reading it was very good for you, per dr. oz... we eat it often now!
ReplyDeletestephanie