The Edible Flower, by Erin bunting and Jo Facer, offers and introduction to growing edible flowers and incorporating them into everyday cooking. They focus on flowers that add flavor as well as beauty to dishes and include annuals such as borge ,french marigold and calendula, perennials such as primrose, dahlia, and lavender, as well as woody plants such as hawthorn, magnolia, and lilac. Using anecdotes, historical tidbits, and personal experience in the garden and kitchen, the authors provide inspiration to anyone wishing to raise the bar on their culinary skills.
After general comments about growing edible flowers, the author’s present over 25 plants with edible flowers with specific information on each plant followed by recipes using the flower. Each entry features a large picture of the plant and discusses why the authors grows it and how to grow, propagate and harvest it. Information about its life cycle, size, light requirements, bloom time, and taste is also included along with hints to improve cultivation or use in cooking. The highlight of each entry are the recipes that are introduced by background material and have information on servings, an ingredient list, step by step direction, and a full page photograph of the finished dish. Some of the tasty delights are pot marigold soda bread, green tulip satay slaw, and floral babka with cornflowers and carnations. Yum!
Written from the heart, the text exudes warmth and enthusiasm for the subject mater. The authors farm and cook in Northern Ireland where the shortest day in winter has only 6 hours of light so some of the gardening information may need adjustment. The basic information, however, is factual, well presented, and accompanied by bright colored photographs that enhance the text and inspire creativity
To buy The Edible Flower from Amazon, click here.
To buy The Edible Flower from Amazon.com, click here.