Flower Power! edible flowers

You would be surprised to know how many flowers (and trees) are edible in your garden! Begonias, primroses, hollyhocks, Carnations, pansies, petunias, Roses, even Tulips are all edible. Herb flowers are also very good such as oregano, rosemary, sage, thyme or yarrow. Some vegetable blossoms are edible such as Zucchini, which are wonderful stuffed. Check it out: http://allthingsnice.typepad.com/tastebuddies My favourite flowers are nasturtiums, chives, and borage. The sky blue of borage is amazing contrasted against dark green leaves. I love the peppery flavour of the nasturtium leaves and flowers. The name "Nasturtium" means "nose twister" in Latin due to its spicy scent. Tree flowers such as creamy, white Elder are also very lovely. Flowers should be sprinkled onto your salad at the last minute ( and preferably picked last minute, too), on top of the dressed greens. A light raspberry vinaigrette made with fresh raspberries goes very well with the flowers. Fresh Raspberry Vinaigrette Ingredients: ¼ cup fresh or frozen raspberries (thaw if frozen) 2 tsp lemon juice 1 tbsp of Balsamic vinegar 1 tsp Dijon mustard 2 tsp Honey (liquid) Salt to taste Pepper to taste 80 ml of extra virgin olive oil/sunflower oil ( I prefer to mix the two) Place first five ingredients in food processor or blender, blend for a few turns, then while mixing, add in oil bit by bit. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Shelf life is for about a week in the refrigerator. Here's a pic of my flowery salad!