So last week’s blog made me think about some other flowers that may be edible. According to whatscookingamerica.net the use of flowers in cooking has made a comeback in recent years.  Allegedly you can find petals garnishing plates at many of the top restaurants as well as being used in the dishes. So I did a bit of searching and came up with a few recipes I’d like to share with you that feature Begonias and Carnations.

  There are over 1,500 named species of begonias listed on the American Begonia Society website and according to an article written by Patrick Worley, the San Diego Poison Information Center lists all begonias as being non-toxic. A quick little search turned up a rather tasty looking recipe from myrecipes.com:

Strawberry-Begonia Salad.

 Ingredients

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey $

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• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel $

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• 2 quarts butter lettuce leaves, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups strawberries, rinsed and hulled $

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• 1 1/4 cups begonia blossoms, rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves, rinsed and drained
• Salt and pepper

Preparation

1. 1. In a wide shallow bowl, mix vinegar, honey, and lemon peel.
2. 2. Place lettuce in bowl. Cut strawberries in 1/3-inch-thick slices and scatter over lettuce. Top with begonias and tarragon.
3. 3. Mix salad and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Carnations are typically used in desert type dishes as the petals have a sweet taste. A little searching turned up this recipe:

Carnation Pickle

Ingredients

6 cups carnation flowers

Brown sugar

A few cloves

2 teaspoons coriander seeds

2 cups wine vinegar

2 bay leaves

1 stick cinnamon

Preparation

Strip the petals from the rest of the flower and remove the bitter white portion at the base of the petals with a sharp knife. Lay a thin layer of petals in a wide-mouthed jar and sprinkle with brown sugar. Add another layer and sprinkle with more brown sugar and a few cloves and the coriander seeds. Add more layers and more sugar. Warm the vinegar with the bay leaves and cinnamon for 10 minutes. Pour the hot vinegar over the carnation petals. Seal and let stand for 2 weeks before eating. A peeled, sliced cucumber, or pickling onions, or green peppers, and even sweet corn cut off the cob, can be added to the recipe, alternating layers with the carnation petals. Serve with cheese.

As always, a word to the wise: use only flowers that you have grown, pesticide free, or flowers form an organic market. Never eat flowers that have been treated with pesticides or that you pick on the side of the road. Use caution and do your research! Happy tasting!