Add some visual fireworks to your salads or risottos with edible flowers from local farms. These can be fiery—nasturtium flowers have a peppery bite, and chive flowers taste like onions—or sweet, like violets. You can also eat the flowers of herbs like dill, basil, and cilantro, and of some vegetables, like summer squash and peas. Flowers add beauty and flavor—sprinkle them on a green salad for instant beauty! If you’re daunted by recipes for fried zucchini blossoms, try just chopping them up and adding them to quesadillas for color and flavor.
By Margaret Christie
Farmer’s markets are a great place to find edible flowers – check out our online guide to find one near you!