This should maybe be named how not to cut your head off when making your own home video! LOL! I like how the video itself turned out except for that one flaw, so I am uploading it! The salad contains a variety of greens, lettuce, red mustard, purple basil, rose petals, dill and parsley – all organically grown in my early spring garden. Enjoy!
Filed under Edible Flowers, Stylish Edible Decor by on May 31st, 2010. Comment. 
Pansies and violas are often some of the first flowers of spring. In mild winters you may have some varieties of pansies that make it though the winter.
These beautiful flowers are easy to press for a multi-tude of floral crafts including book marks, candles, natural decorated lamp shades and potpourri. Besides being a popular craft flower, they make lovely garnishes on food, can be candied, added to salads and eaten in a variety of other ways. Be sure, as with all edibles, that you have properly identified the plant before consuming it. African violets are not edible and are not considered viola.
If you make homemade popsicles add a few pansy or viola flowers to them. For a real treat, add a flower or two to each ice cube tray when you freeze ice cubes.
Make a tea out of violets. Use 2 teaspoons of the dried leaf and 1 teaspoon dried violet flowers. Put this mixture in a tea bag or strainer, pour boiling water on it, cover and let steep for 10 minutes. This will make one cup of tea.
To crystallize either pansy or viola flowers, get a small paintbrush, one made for use on edibles which you can find in the candy making section of more stores. Whip an egg white until it is frothy. Paint the flowers with the egg white, then dip them into the sugar. Lay the flowers out to dry. These can be used to decorate cakes, cookies, etc.
Try dipping these edible flowers in chocolate or add them to a bowl of sugar. In a few days you can remove the flowers from the sugar and set them aside to use like crystallized flowers. The remaining sugar will have a violet scent to it and can be used however you wish.
Filed under Edible Flowers by on Feb 3rd, 2010. Comment.
Nasturtiums are not only colorful additions to your garden, but are beneficial in the vegetable garden. Nasturtiums are known for deterring bean beetles and aphids. They are also edible and are often grown for their bright colored flowers that make a great addition to salads, however the leaves are also edible. The flowers can be chopped up and added to butter, seafood sandwich fillings or added to salad dressings.
Lemony Nasturtium Butter
½ cup butter
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons finely chopped nasturtium blossoms from unsprayed, organically grown plants
Place the butter, lemon zest and lemon juice in a medium sized mixing bowl. Using a fork, blend the ingredients well until the lemon zest and juice are evenly distributed throughout the butter. If you are real big on the taste of lemon, use a bit less. You can taste the butter as you go to see if the lemon taste suits you. The peppery taste of the nasturtiums will increase the longer the butter sits.
Add the diced nasturtiums and blend gently with a fork. If you prefer smaller pieces of nasturtiums, feel free to grate them or combine the ingredients in a blender. Note however that the nasturtiums may change the color of the butter if you do this.
If you are going to use the butter in a few days, you can put it into a glass or plastic container with a lid then refrigerate it.
If you are going to freeze the butter for future use, roll it into a small log, snuggly wrap it with parchment paper making sure to twist both ends to secure the paper tightly around the log of butter. Place the sealed butter in a freezer storage bag, then put it in the freezer. Thaw the butter in the refrigerator prior to using it. This may take several days.
Serve the butter with corn muffins, biscuits, steamed vegetables, boiled or roasted new potatoes, salmon, or chicken. It makes a pretty spread for chicken or ham salad sandwiches.
Filed under Butter, Edible Flowers, Stylish Edible Decor by on Jan 27th, 2010. Comment.
