FLOWERS YOU CAN EAT

Brighten up summer salads

There’s nothing better than flowers for adding visual sunshine to your food. Before you dismiss the idea as overly weird or whacky, stop and think. Have you ever eaten broccoli or globe artichokes, drunk elderflower cordial or chamomile tea or added saffron to a risotto? Flowers are nothing new to the kitchen, yet many of us are reluctant to grow and harvest our own. Why not make this the summer you bring flower power to your plate? The quickest and easiest way to use flowers in the kitchen is to concentrate on those that can be added fresh to salads. Plenty of these will already be lurking in your garden but, before we go any further, a word of warning: be sure you know exactly what you’re picking and take extra care if you suffer from hay fever allergies. If in doubt, don’t risk it.

Few gardens are without violas, calendulas and nasturtiums, yet their flowers (or petals) are so sought after in the kitchen you can pay an eyewatering premium to buy them online. Viola’s sweetness makes them a natural partner in baking (sugared flowers are the prettiest thing) while nasturtium’s peppery edge gives a welcome kick to salads. Calendula petals are often added to stews or used as a saffron substitute but they’re also beautiful scattered over salad leaves. Thanks to their generous size and prodigious number, courgette flowers are more of a main ingredient than a garnish. With a sweet, slightly nutty flavour, they’re excellent stuffed and deep fried after being dipped in the lightest of batters. They also make a fine tart topping or pasta dish. If you grow herbs, the chances are you’ll have coriander, thyme, mint, basil and chives to hand, and each of their flowers mimics the flavour of the foliage. If you plan to use them in the kitchen, taste them first to work out just how pungent the flowers are. They’re a good choice for including in dressings. Borage still makes the best summer ice cube flower, but if you intend to eat them, make a point of removing the hairy bits (the sepals) from the back of the flower first.