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| EDIBLE ELEGANCE |
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2010 - Volume 1 Issue 1
¡Comidas Sabroso!
Cooks Marketplace |
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| Article: Joe Burgess |
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Nothing says posh quite like edible flowers, but more importantly, adding a colorful orchid or sprig of lavender to top off a salad, soup or a cool summer drink speaks volumes about the hosts. You see edible flowers at high-end restaurants and galas, but individuals can also overnight them for their own formal dinner or backyard party.
Color coordination and timing are important factors for edible flowers, as they are for every facet of your dinner or party. The color and type of flower ordered must not only coordinate with the food or drink it will crown, but also the china and crystal chosen for the setting. Avoid the embarrassment of ordering edible flowers that clash with both the color and pattern of your salad bowls by simply planning ahead. Visualize the whole table, from centerpieces to napkins, or better yet, work with the decorators who create table settings for a living. The idea of using edible flowers is to compliment a dish with a touch of pure elegance that enhances the overall setting.
Edible Flowers are raised in a hot house and so generally are available year round. Always check ahead, however, to insure that someone doesn’t snatch up all the nasturtiums for some big bash in Hollywood that you intended to use for your special function in El Paso or Las Cruces.
A few examples from Melissa’s Produce in Los Angeles, part of the largest distributor of specialty produce in the United States, include:
- Mixed Edible Flowers
(whole or petal confetti) A colorful
pack of variety flowers of the season’s
best flowers.
Uses: salads, salad dressings, all
around for colorful garnish
- Orchids
Appearance: smaller than common
orchid, purple to white
Flavor: spicy, tangy, peppery
Uses: mainly in Asian dishes as garnish
- Lavender
Appearance: long puff ball, light purple
Flavor: lavender floral
Uses: soups, salad, tea, juice, grilling, omelets, garnish
- Nasturtiums
Appearance: commonly yellow, orange
and red with round leaves
Flavor: spicy, peppery flavor,
watercress-like
Uses: salads, salad oils, pasta,
sandwiches, garnish
- Pansies
Appearance: blue, yellow, purple,
red, white and multi-colored with five overlapping petals on individual stems
Flavor: varies from sweet to tart
Uses: very popular all around, cold beverages, garnish
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- Rose Petals
Appearance: full size petals, not
whole flowers
Flavor: peppery
Uses: garnishing, juice, teas
- Chive Flowers
Appearance: puff ball, light purple
Flavor: onion flavor
Uses: soups, omelets, garnish
- Bachelor Buttons
Appearance: mainly blue, but also
sometimes available in pink, white,
purple, or red flowers, 1/2 dollar in size
with long, thin stems
Flavor: varies from sweet to spicy,
clover like
Uses: salads, salad dressings,
fruit, garnish
- Borage
Appearance: light-blue to lavender color
Flavor: cucumber flavored
Uses: add to salads, salad dressings,
fruit, punch, cold pasta dishes, fruit
compote, garnish
- Marigolds
Appearance: yellow, orange, nickel
to quarter-sized flowers
Flavor: spicy to piquant, bitter
Uses: salads, garnish
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Other varieties include carnations, hollyhocks, daisies, chrysanthemums, day lilies and violets. Edible flowers are added to provide a glamorous glow and sense of freshness, most have very little flavor. /// |
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