Flowers You Eat

I finally made it back up to the Ithaca Farmers Market. It's been a couple of months and I was really starting to miss Ithaca. There are so many neat places to go. Besides that, I was curious to see what was new at the market now that summer is in full swing.

My biggest delight at this trip to Ithaca was edible flowers. There's just something about the idea of eating flowers that makes me happy. I don't know what it is. Flowers are just so pretty, and they smell beautiful, and in a weird sort of way eating flowers make me feel beautiful. It's right up there with getting a manicure or a facial. That would be a perfect indulgence wouldn't it? Get a massage, a facial, a manicure, then eat a big salad full of fresh greens and flowers. And meat of course. But that's not the point...

Lots of flowers are edible- probably more than you think. More than I thought even. Seriously, dozens. What's surprising is how many you can eat right out of your own back yard. Dandelion, lavender, rose, violets and even gladiolus! Similarly, many of your favorite kitchen herbs have edible flowers, including basil, oregano, cilantro and mint.

Flowers can be eaten raw in salads or as garnishes for desserts, and can be made into delicious teas. Others are better cooked, or like dandelions downright inedible until they're cooked. I don't recommend eating dandelion flowers raw. They're not tasty. Other flowers, like squash, day lily and gladiolus are delicious when cooked and can be stuffed and fried. I've even heard of them being pickled! Flower flavors range from almost sweet to peppery, so they can be used for practically any kind of dish. The possibilities are almost endless.

Before you eat flowers, there are a few safety tips you should remember. 

1) Only eat flowers that you KNOW are edible. If you're not sure, find out!

2) Know where your flowers came from. Please don't eat flowers from a florist or nursery. They have probably been treated with chemicals or pesticide. 

3) Also, don't eat flowers from the roadside or in public parks for the same reason. A good rule is generally to avoid anything within 50 feet of the road. Roadside flowers may also be polluted by car exhaust.

4) It's recommended to eat only the petals and that pistils and stamens are removed before eating. It can cause the flowers to taste bitter otherwise.

5) If you have allergies you may want to start slowly and gradually introduce edible flowers into your diet.


Here is a list of all of the flowers I've found to be edible, according to the internet. I've personally only tried a few, but I'm hoping that will soon change.

Allium: All blossoms from the allium family (leeks, chives, garlic, garlic chives) are edible and flavorful. Flavors vary from delicate (leek) to robust (garlic.) All parts of these plants are edible.

Angelica: Depending on the variety, flowers range from pale lavender-blue to deep rose and have a licorice-like flavor.

Anise Hyssop: Both flowers and leaves have a subtle anise or licorice flavor.

Arugula: Blossoms are small with dark centers and with a peppery flavor much like the leaves. They range in color from white to yellow with dark purple streaks.

Bachelor's Button: Grassy in flavor, the petals are edible but avoid the bitter calyx.

Basil: Blossoms come in a variety of colors, from white to pink to lavender; flavor is similar to the leaves, but milder.

Bee Balm: The red flowers have a minty flavor.

Borage: Blossoms are a lovely blue hue and taste like cucumber!

Calendula / Marigold: A great flower for eating, calendula blossoms are peppery, tangy, and spicy--and their vibrant golden color adds dash to any dish.

Carnations / Dianthus: Petals are sweet, once trimmed away from the base. The blossoms taste like their sweet, perfumed aroma.

Chamomile: Small and daisy-like, the flowers have a sweet flavor and are often used in tea. Ragweed sufferers may be allergic to chamomile.

Chervil: Delicate blossoms and flavor, which is anise-tinged.

Chicory: Mildly bitter earthiness of chicory is evident in the petals and buds, which can be pickled.

Chrysanthemum: A little bitter, mums come in a rainbow of colors and a range of flavors from peppery to pungent. Use only the petals.

Cilantro: Like the leaves, people either love the blossoms or hate them. The flowers share the grassy flavor of the herb. Use them fresh as they lose their charm when heated.

Citrus (orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, kumquat): Citrus blossoms are sweet and highly-scented. Use frugally or they will over-perfume a dish.

Clover: Flowers are sweet with a hint of licorice.

Dandelion: Excellent when cooked. Very mild flavor.

Dill: Yellow dill flowers taste much like the herb's leaves.

English Daisy: These aren't the best-tasting petals--they are somewhat bitter, but they look great!

Fennel: Yellow fennel flowers are eye candy with a subtle licorice flavor, much like the herb itself.

Fuchsia: Tangy fuchsia flowers make a beautiful garnish.

Gladiolus: Who knew? Although gladioli are bland, they can be stuffed, or their petals removed for an interesting salad garnish.

Hibiscus: Famously used in hibiscus tea, the vibrant cranberry flavor is tart and can be used sparingly.

Hollyhock: Bland and vegetal in flavor, hollyhock blossoms make a showy, edible garnish.

Impatiens: Flowers don't have much flavor--best as a pretty garnish or for candying.

Jasmine: These super-fragrant blooms are used in tea; you can also use them in sweet dishes, but sparingly.

Johnny-Jump-Up: Adorable and delicious, the flowers have a subtle mint flavor great for salads, pastas, fruit dishes, and drinks.

Lavender: Sweet, spicy, and perfumed, the flowers are a great addition to both savory and sweet dishes.

Lemon Verbena: The diminutive off-white blossoms are redolent of lemon--and great for teas and desserts.

Lilac: The blooms are pungent, but the floral citrusy aroma translates to its flavor as well.

Mint: The flowers are--surprise!--minty. Their intensity varies among varieties.

Nasturtium: One of the most popular edible flowers, nasturtium blossoms are brilliantly colored with a sweet, floral flavor bursting with a spicy pepper finish. When the flowers go to seed, the seed pod is a marvel of sweet and spicy. You can stuff flowers, add leaves to salads, pickle buds like capers, and garnish to your heart's content.

Oregano: The flowers are a pretty, subtle version of the leaf.

Pansy: The petals are somewhat nondescript, but if you eat the whole flower you get more taste.

Radish: Varying in color, radish flowers have a distinctive, peppery bite.

Rose: Remove the white, bitter base and the remaining petals have a strongly perfumed flavor perfect for floating in drinks or scattering across desserts, and for a variety of jams. All roses are edible, with flavor more pronounced in darker varieties.

Rosemary: Flowers taste like a milder version of the herb; nice used as a garnish on dishes that incorporate rosemary.

Sage: Blossoms have a subtle flavor similar to the leaves.

Squash and Pumpkin: Blossoms from both are wonderful vehicles for stuffing, each having a slight squash flavor. Remove stamens before using.

Sunflower: Petals can be eaten, the bud steamed like an artichoke.

Violets: Another famous edible flower, violets are floral, sweet, and beautiful as garnishes. Use the flowers in salads and to garnish desserts and drinks.


I'm really starting to look at ways I can eat more flowers. A friend recently asked me "Have you tried violet candy?" I haven't! But now I must. I also just made some green tea with jasmine. How delicious! Next time I make a salad, I'm picking a bunch of red clover flowers from the back yard to add to it.

It's so neat how much more festive food is when you add a little floral enhancement. Go out and give them a try! And if your neighbor gives you a weird look when he catches you snacking on your roses or nibbling on your yard, just wave, smile, and keep on snacking.

A Return To Fasting

I used to fast regularly. By regularly I mean once a week- every Saturday. My fasts would generally last between 36 and 48 hours and I would often "feast" the day before, allowing myself some restaurant food I wouldn't normally enjoy. This was long before I "went Primal." My reason for fasting was simple. Weight loss. Granted it did have other spiritual and emotional benefits that I couldn't ignore. I find myself fasting again for much the same reason.

There's a long, interesting history behind fasting that I'm not going to get into tonight. A great deal of it is religious in nature, which I totally understand and relate to, which is why I'm liking the idea of doing my fasting on Sunday, the "day of rest" for a majority of the country. Why not make it a day of rest for my physical body as well as my spiritual one?

I will wholly admit that my weight has crept up over the last year or so. It's not a terrible amount of gain, but enough for me to decide to change it up a bit. Eating will be essentially "normal" through the week. Saturday is a bit of a "free" day where I can indulge a bit, then fasting starts Saturday night before midnight and runs for approximately 36 hours into Monday.

I'm definitely curious to see how fasting weekly works without tracking calories or macros, and just eating freely like I have been. Last time I did regular fasting it was carefully controlled, what I would eat and how much. Now I'm just going to let my body do the thinking for me. What it will decide, I'm not sure, but it'll be a fun experiment to see what happens.

A couple things I've learned already...

1) Alcohol is not the last thing you should consume before fasting.

2) My urge to forage and hunt is definitely stronger when my belly has been empty for a while. Today I was very aware that the burdock is almost out of season, and that the milkweed is (and has been) quite edible. I saw a woodchuck in my yard and was plotting a way to catch and club it, and probably would have if I hadn't been dressing to leave the house. Even the chipmunks were looking more like targets. I think perhaps fasting prior to any time I plan to hunt would be a wise idea from now on.

Here's to another new phase in Primal eating. Wish me luck! I will update as I see progress, assuming I do...

Fun With Kefir

I sort of ended up making kefir by accident because of a friend who works at my local Wegmans. We chat a couple times a week when I stop by to see what she's got cooking, and we compare notes on each of our hobbies and projects, and toss around ideas. Recently we did a culture exchange- kefir grains for kombucha scoby. It was a great trade.

At first the process started slow. I only had a few grains. Not to mention buying organic milk from the grocery store is expensive. Wickedly expensive! However, it's been a few weeks and I happened to stumble across a goat farm. *wicked laugh* That's right, all the goat milk my little heart desires!

So, I've been making kefir. Lots and lots of kefir. More kefir than one person could, or should, drink. Because I have so much, it's given me license to experiment, and oh I have!

First, flavors. Blend that beautiful goat kefir with some berries and you have the most miraculous smoothie your taste buds have ever been coated with. Do one better and add cocoa powder and stevia, and it's a chocolate milk like you've never known before. I think as drinking kefir goes, dark chocolate is really my favorite way to go. Do strawberries AND cocoa, and oh baby... do I even have to tell you?

Next, textures. Hmm... I wonder what happens if you strain it? Tart, delicious Greek-style yogurt is what happens. Strain it some more and you have kefir cheese, which is strangely similar to cream cheese but with tang. Oh it's good stuff. Such good stuff.

I got to playing around with the strained kefir, using it in place of mayo for tuna salad. Yup, that qualifies as delicious. Then I got all insane with it and made a crazy curry fried egg salad, which when put over fresh salad greens will send your mouth into orbit. Seriously, I only got mine back down to terra firma an hour ago.

It's so ridiculously simple to make too, this Curry Fried Egg Salad. So simple I'm not even going to give you a standard recipe. Just pay attention.

First, whisk together some eggs and curry powder, then fry them in coconut oil. Put your scrambies in a bowl and plop in lots of delicious strained kefir. (You can use Greek yogurt if you don't have strained kefir, but it's not quite the same.) Dash in more curry, and more curry, as much as you like. Mix it all together and plop it on top of a bed of greens.

Sure, it sounds too simple to be gourmet, but how can your mouth possibly tell the difference? Better yet, make it for a summer picnic and your guests won't be able to tell the difference. Dress it up with some slivered almonds, or throw in some dried fruit. Get all fancy shmancy with it if you want.

I'm gonna keep experimenting with the kefir, especially in the form of "cheese" and whatnot. Dessings? Dips? Spreads? I'm always open to suggestions and ideas, so hit me with some if you've got anything neat to try with all this goaty goodness happening in my kitchen.


PS: I blame the zaney tone of this post on the Paradise Island Organic coffee at my local coffee house. It's to die for and I've had entirely too much!

Old Toad

What a beautiful bar!

If you're looking for an authentic English Pub in Western New York, you really can't do any better than Old Toad. It's the number one English Pub in New York, and is so authentic that it's actually a training ground for UK students wanting to learn how to run a pub of their own.

Old Toad was one of five restaurants I'd scoped out for my trip to Rochester, and I'm really glad it's the one the family decided to pick. I was really impressed by the look and atmosphere of the place. It was so comfortable and inviting. I'd say downright cozy! When we got there it was empty but once the dinner hour came around it started to fill in, with obvious regulars. It's no doubt people love the place.

One thing I noticed right off the bat is that when we ordered, the waitress didn't write anything down. Granted we didn't have a huge party- there were four of us- it was a great surprise. I sure sign of doing things the right way. I also loved the waitress' accent, which of course was a true accent. Being that these are UK students, it really added a lot to the experience. Granted, probably sort of a novelty for those going "for the experience," it certainly works.


What We Ate:

A lot.

Delicious Scotch Egg

Scotch eggs, Old Toad Drunken Cheddar Soup, Yorkshire Pudding dinner, Fish n Chips, and OT Gourmet Stilton Burger. Unfortunately we didn't have room for dessert too, otherwise I'd have gone with Rhubarb Chocolate Pavlova.

I'd never had Scotch eggs before, and even though it's not Primal, I had to give them a taste. They were fantastic! I have to find a way to make a Primal version. The soup was absolutely delicious. Light and not overly cheesy, and the veggies were cooked but not mushy.

Yorkshire Pudding Dinner

The Yorkshire Pudding was so good. Again, something I've never had so I don't know how "right" it was, but they did it so well that I would definitely try it again. A good impression was definitely made. The roast beef was so tender I cut it with a table knife, and the mashed potatoes were the real deal. The gravy that smothered it all was (dare I say) better than mom makes. Shh... don't tell.

Fish n Chips

I also sampled the burger, the fries, and the tartar sauce for the fish. Home made! The burger was so tender, almost like gourmet meat loaf, and the fries were hand cut and so crisp. The dill in the tartar was perfectly refreshing and light. I regret not getting the fish myself.


Really, I have not one thing I can criticize about the place, except perhaps that I have to drive 2 hours to get there. And don't think it'll cost you a fortune to go there either. It's very well priced at about $20 a person, and that included drinks!

Not a very Primal restaurant, but a great place to eat non-the-less. I very much enjoyed the food, the atmosphere, and the staff. If you find yourself in Rochester and needing a place to eat, Old Toad is definitely on my short list.