Edible Sacramento Summer 2022

Popular Edible Flowers I nterested in trying edible flowers in some of your dishes at home? Bask Farm’s Chanel Cameron o ers the following list of flowers that are safe for human consumption, along with their flavor profiles and suggested uses. Be sure that any you plan to eat are free of pesticides, herbicides, and other chemicals. Whether you’re looking for harvested blooms or you’d like to try growing some of these at home, be sure to only purchase seeds, starts, and blooms from reputable sources to ensure purity.

Pansy/viola: Minty, earthy, floral. Used as a pressed flower for cakes, sour dough bread, and rolled cheeses Primrose: Bland, mild, floral. The flower buds also can be pickled, steamed, or fermented into wine. Squash: Delicate, mild squash flavor. Blossoms are typically stu ed with pesto or goat cheese and herbs. Sunflower: Mild, nutty. Great addition to charcuterie boards, cocktails, and salads. Can be steamed or grilled and served whole Violet: Sweet, floral. Can be candied and added to iced drinks

Daylily: Melon, cucumber taste. Used in cocktails, desserts, and salads. Can be stu ed with cheese Hollyhock: Basil-like taste. Petals are often chopped and added to salads. Lavender: Slight floral-perfume taste, sweet. Can be used fresh or dried, as a garnish on desserts, candied, pressed into baked goods, or steeped for tea Marigold: Pungent, citrus, lemon. Petals can be used in salads. Nasturtium: Spicy, peppery. Blooms and leaves are often used in salads, stu ed with goat cheese, and added to spring rolls. Seeds can be used as one might use capers.

Aster: Mild, salty. Often dried, steeped in tea, and added to salads Basil: Herbal, basil-like flavor. Blossoms can be broken apart and sprinkled into pasta. Borage: Refreshing, cucumber-like taste. Often frozen in ice cubes or added to salads Calendula: Honey, floral, peppery, bitter. Also known as “poor man’s sa ron” as it releases a similar flavor when sautéed. Frequently infused in oils, steeped in teas, and used in skin care Chamomile: Apple-like taste. Usually steeped in water for tea Cosmos: Floral, bitter. Often used in des serts, charcuterie, cocktails, and salads

ITALIAN CHOPPED SALAD WITH SUNFLOWER MICROGREENS (courtesy of Chanel Cameron, owner, Bask Farm in Wilton. Serves 4) 1 large head romaine lettuce, chopped 2 ounces sunflower microgreens 1 pint cherry tomatoes, chopped 4 ounces mozzarella, diced ⅓ cup fresh basil, julienned 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons everything-bagel seasoning mix

Himalayan salt and pepper, to taste Balsamic glaze (see recipe below)

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice and toss. Sprinkle everything-bagel seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste. Pour a generous amount of balsamic glaze over salad and serve.

For Balsamic Glaze ½ cup balsamic vinegar 3 tablespoons maple syrup, honey, or brown sugar

Add balsamic vinegar and sweetener of choice to a small saucepan set over medium heat. Once mixture begins to bubble, reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool before serving.

Italian Chopped Salad with Sunflower Microgreens. Photo courtesy of Bask Farm

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