Edible Bouquet for Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day, or as they call it in the florist business, The Super Bowl! Instead of getting mom and bouquet of flowers this year, how about you make her a dish using flowers? Did you know many flowers are not only edible, but they’re also delicious? Yes, you can cook with flowers, and mom might just think it’s the most original gift yet!

While flowers such as violas, violets, scarlet runner beans, honeysuckle, and clover are entirely edible, some flowers have only edible petals. You can eat the petals from roses, calendulas, tulips, chrysanthemums, yucca, and lavender. Just make sure they haven’t been sprayed with chemicals. It’s not usually a good idea to eat flowers from the florist, as these are usually sprayed with stuff you do not want to eat! But if you have these growing in your garden, or you purchase them “organic” or from a supermarket packaged to eat, they are safe.

My favorite edible flower are zucchini flowers. They are tender, meaty, delicious, and eat more like a vegetable than a flower. Most flowers are very subtle in taste, and are used more for a garnish than for flavor. They look great, sprinkled on salads, soups and arranged within a main course dish. Below is a recipe for stir-fried zucchini flowers.

Stir-Fried Zucchini Flowers

The zucchini flower has been used for a long time in Italian cuisine. It is most often battered and deep-fried, and/or stuffed. There are several Italian variations of dishes using this ingredient, that we, in North America, might find elusive.

In this recipe, you will use an Asian stir-fry technique to give these subtle vegetables a Chinese flair with the use of aromatic garlic, and a mild, glossy sauce made from chicken stock and corn starch. You can also use coconut oil, instead of the peanut oil, for a more flavorful aroma!

Ingredients:

  • Zucchini flowers
  • 1 carrot, julienned
  • 1 red bell pepper, julienned
  • 6 cloves of garlic, sliced
  • 1/4 cup of peanut oil (or Coconut Oil)
  • 1/2 cup of chicken stock
  • 1 1/2 tsp of corn starch
  • 1 tsp of sugar
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. Wash and drain your zucchini flowers under cold water. Julienne (cut into thin strips) the carrot and peppers. Slice the garlic. Mix the sugar and corn starch well with luke-warm, or cold chicken stock (not hot).
  2. Pre-heat a non-stick wok pan or large skillet and get it nice and hot.
  3. Put oil in pan. When oil starts to smoke, add the garlic and fry for a few seconds. Keep the garlic moving so it doesn’t burn.
  4. Add the vegetables. Stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes.
  5. Add the chicken stock mixture, toss and stir until all vegetables are covered by the sauce and are glossy – about another 30 seconds to a minute.
  6. Serve, sprinkle salt and pepper, and enjoy!