If you have any interest in herbs, Margaret Roberts’ book, 100 Edible and Healing Flowers, has something to offer you. Believing that the use of natural products enhances health and well-being, the author presents a variety of herbaceous, flowering plants that can be used in the kitchen as well as for medicines and cosmetics. She tells you how to grow, harvest, and use the plants so that you can have you own supply of organically grown herbs to use in the ways that will best enhance your life.
Each of the 100 plants is given a two page spread that included a photograph, brief historical background, cultivation information, and medicinal and culinary uses. Recipes are provided for such health aids as lotions, politices, and scrubs as well as culinary treats such as goldenrod soup, ajuga and butterbean stir-fry, and carnation pickle. Old favorite herbs such as rosemary, basil, and thyme are included as well as plants more commonly grown for their ornamental value such as wisteria, hollyhock, and snapdragon. “Cooks Notes” are inserted throughout the text with such tidbits as “peeled and friend stems [of burdock] make a tasty snack, “a dandelion’s long tap root can be dried, roasted and ground to make a pleasant, healthy version of coffee”, and ‘try using safflower petals to color cheese sauces, white sauces and liquors.”
Karen Meyers