By CHRISTINE LYNCH
Chrysanthemums
Clever cooks know that herbs and edible flowers are a nutritious resource that can enliven breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts and snacks. If you haven’t dabbled with them, do yourself a favor and learn more about them either by talking with a local garden center or finding information online. And, should you want to begin growing some, spring is a perfect time to consider planting. Herbs are a cook’s friend, adding a palette of distinctive tastes. Even basic cooks know to toss oregano on pizza and spaghetti, and that cilantro livens up guacamole and fish tacos. And, maybe there are others like me who can’t resist sprinkling parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme into a Thanksgiving stuffing. Besides adding flavor for cooking, certain herbs provide nutritional and healing properties. It’s much more effective to snip them fresh than swallow them as a pill or supplement. One plant provides plenty and can be used either fresh or dried. Leaves and stalks typically are used, but the flowers of herbs such as chives, sage, rosemary and mint lend a pleasant, subtle flavor.
Violas
Not so widely used as herbs, edible flowers are a fun surprise that provide color and unexpected bursts of taste. A wide variety including calendula, johnny jump ups, jonquils and violets all lend their own delightful essences when incorporated into food. My first encounter with edible flowers was a cup of chrysanthemum tea. Looking through the fragrant steam in the ceramic cup I was surprised to see several chrysanthemums jammed into the bottom. This seemed odd, but the taste was delicate and botanically sweet. Since then I’ve enjoyed numerous culinary treats using edible flowers—for instance, salads topped with peppery nasturtiums, stir fried squash blossoms, and many types of teas brewed from flowers and herbs. In fact, edible rose petals graced our daughter’s wedding cake. For safety, use only flowers that have not been treated with any insecticides, fungicides or other -icides. So, it’s best to get them from a reliable source or keep a handy supply by growing them yourself. For maximum flavor, flowers should be picked in early morning and be kept damp by putting stems in water or placing stemless ones between wet paper towels. Use them that same day. Gently clean them, checking for insects before adding to food. Palmer House Inn
Squash Blossoms
The Palmer House Inn, located by Falmouth’s Village Green, was built in 1901 by local businessman Joseph C. Fish. Current owners Tom von Zabern and Bill Brown along with Audrie Brown, Bill’s mother, oversee the welcoming inn and gardens. The property boasts an acre of gardens where guests can stroll, lounge or enjoy wine by the firepit, while admiring the inn’s ambassador Brodie, a magnificent Leonberger. About the gardens, Bill Brown said, “We have it set up in zones for both the flowers and herbs.” These are harvested each morning during the growing season for use on their breakfast tables. Pansies, chive flowers, and mint are picked for their flavor as well as garnishes. Mr. Brown said, “I let the chives go to flower, because they’re lovely and have a citrussy taste.” The inn also grows lemon balm, which he said is light and citrusy; honeysuckle that’s sweet and honey-like; and flowering hibiscus, which they use both raw or dried for teas. Audrie Brown relayed a cute anecdote about a family who were guests. At breakfast, a little boy encountered pansies on his plate and his mom encouraged him to try them. He popped one in his mouth, and really liked it. A week or so after their visit the mom sent the inn an amusing email message. It seems their breakfast started something because her son now wants to sample every flower he sees. Mahoney’s & Bad Martha’s Collaboration
Jonquils
In a unique collaboration, Mahoney’s Garden Center is supplying its East Falmouth neighbor, Bad Martha Farmer’s Brewery, with lush landscaping, flowering baskets for the porches, and herbs for their brewed beers. Chris Bell, the greenhouse manager, spoke highly of Bad Martha’s management team and head brew master Jacobi Reid. He added, “Here at Mahoney’s, we have a strong sense of service towards our customers and Bad Martha’s does, too.” Besides flowers and plantings, he said, Mahoney’s supplies Mr. Reid with herbs such as lavender for some different brews: “We have an ongoing working relationship.” They also discussed the possibility of growing hops in their gazebo. Mr. Bell joked, “There could be a Mahoney’s IPA.” For home gardeners, he said, “We carry a full selection of herbs, plus some that are not so well known.” These include tropical herbs such as cardamom. “These are trickier to keep in stock year-round, but we’re striving for that.” Mr. Bell also said Mahoney’s stocks a wide variety of edible flowers. The greenhouse is bursting with color from annuals like nasturtiums, violas and pansies. In addition, he mentioned day lilies, which have an asparagus-like flavor. “People don’t think of these as edible, but they are great for cooking and we have a large assortment of them.” Serving Suggestions As with day lilies, gardeners tend to grow copious amounts of zucchini. If you have an excess, collect the blossoms, wash and dry them well, then remove the stamens. You can use them plain or try stuffing them with a soft cheese. Prepare a light batter, dip the flowers, then fry. Serve dusted with grated cheese or with a good marinara sauce. Curious to see whether anyone I know attempts to cook with edible flowers, I asked around the staff room at work. Several people said yes and shared nice ideas. One said she picks the chive blossoms to jazz up her dishes, but only on occasion to keep it a special touch. The flowers add an oniony taste to savory meals and salads. Another prolific cook and baker said she enjoys cooking with lavender and has found some fun ideas on the internet. She makes lavender-infused sugar by processing a tablespoon of dried lavender into a cup of sugar, then, blends it with one additional cup of sugar and stores it in a tightly capped jar. When it’s ready, she mixes it with lightly mashed blueberries, saying, “It’s wonderful over biscuits (think strawberry shortcake) or ice cream.” She also infuses rose petals in sugar, layering freshly snipped rose petals with the sugar in a jar with a tight lid. This gets stored away in a dark, cool area for a few weeks so that the floral fragrance permeates the sugar. When ready, she stirs this in when making strawberry jam. She said, “Their flavor lasts a bit longer when swirled in with creme fraiche and jams and is subtler than using rosewater.” For her favorite vinaigrette dressing she stirs in dried lavender buds, then pours it over a salad of baby greens accompanied by baked goat cheese disks. Flowers also meld nicely when blended into unsalted butter, honey and liquors. Other garnishing ideas include using lovely pansies on baked goods. Place them atop frosting on cakes just as they are or brush the pansies first with melted jelly for a jeweled effect. You also can create decorative ice cubes by putting clean blossoms into cube trays and freezing. When company comes, they lend a festive note. There are countless ways to explore the beauty and taste of herbs and edible flowers.
Edible Landscapes Of Cape Cod
Dave Scandurra started Edible Landscapes of Cape Cod in 2013 to promote the healthiest, most sustainable gardening practices for the community by offering instruction, garden design, planting, maintenance, and other services. It customizes a gardens specifically for each owner, using organic materials and local, renewable resources. He and his business partner, Marina Motas, will soon add two-three additional hires as the busy growing season begins. Edible Landscapes of Cape Cod is permaculture design certified. Mr. Scandurra said, “We’re not just about using organic products.” They approach each project holistically, interacting with the land to meet human needs while increasing the ecosystem’s well-being. With their careful designing and planting, the components create a self-sustaining, low maintenance habitat. Mr. Scandurra said they offer landscaping services Capewide, have consulted on Martha’s Vineyard and worked over the bridge. Into every garden design, they introduce edible plants and herbs for color and taste, whether it’s a new or existing landscape, ornamental, or vegetable garden. Their fitting business slogan is “Have your yard and eat it, too.” The company maintains a “micro nursery” on their property where they sell plants. “We focus on fifteen or so perennial edible plants, she said.” Some of these include asparagus and sea kale. Once established, he said, this type of kale is “very resilient, adaptable, and not bothered by pests.” He also mentioned a relatively unknown vegetable called skirret. “That’s one of our absolute favorites,” he said, describing it as a perennial parsnip with slender roots. As for the many perennial edible flowers that he enjoys, he listed anise hyssop, fennel ”the whole plant is edible, but the flowers are particularly good,” garlic, and chives. Also, the flowers of the spiderwort, day lilies, violets, and the petals of the rosa rugosa, also know as rose hip or beach rose. In addition to working with property owners, Edible Landscapes of Cape Cod offers public workshops. It has worked with some Cape schools establishing garden projects on school grounds. Recently, it has designed gardens for two YMCAs in Barnstable and teaches an after-school gardening program at the West Barnstable Y. Summer campers also benefit from a garden they’ve created at Camp Lyndon, where they regularly stop by to help campers maintain and enjoy it.