Flowers on the Menu
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We’ve all heard the saying, “Eat your veggies.” But what about “Eat your flowers”? Pansies and nasturtiums add a zing to salads and make a colorful garnish. Squash blossoms can be battered and fried, and daylily buds are tasty sautéed. Chive blossoms impart flavor and color to herb vinegars. Flowers of herbs usually have the same flavor of their leaves. Avoid eating blossoms of plants sprayed with pesticides. Also, be sure the flowers you dine on are safe to eat. Ask your cooperative extension agent for a copy of “Edible Flowers” (Horticultural Leaflet No. 8513) or download it at www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/hortinfo.html