love-in-a-mist seeds

image is from Gardenforks.com http://greenforks.com/2009/10/blooming-friday-october-week-1-shorter-days-and-cooler-evenings/ Love-in-a-mist, or nigella sativa, an annual of the Ranunculaceae family, has been growing and happily self-sowing in my side garden for many years. It's only recently that I've discovered that the seeds are edible. They are commonly used in Indian and Middle Eastern cooking, and are known as 'black onion' seed or black cumin(not onion family, however). When they are dry roasted, they taste a bit like black pepper or mustard seed but with a more herby flavour, and a bit of sweetness. Here is a recipe for Naan bread that uses the seeds: http://www.grouprecipes.com/70193/naan-bread-with-balck-onion-seeds.html And, if you're like me and don't weigh your flour, one pound of flour = approximately 3 1/2 cups sifted. Nigella's history is amazing ~ the seeds were found in Tutankhamun's tomb to assist him in the afterlife. Medicinally, the seeds are a power house and were used to cure everything, 'except death." Its many uses have earned nigella the Arabic approbation 'Habbatul barakah', meaning the seed of blessing. There's lots more info here: http://www.whitelotusaromatics.com/newsletters/nigella.html from the Fragrant Harvest newsletter.