I love food. There I said it! I am a Foodie! Not just any food carelessly thrown together, but real food, with unusual flavors, new and interesting combinations of ingredients that tantalize the senses, and it has to be healthy food - things that not only taste fabulous, but also have a good reason to be put in my body.

So, combining my two passions of good food and growing plants, just seems to make sense, providing a continual source for unusual flavors, healthy ingredients, and beautiful looking food.

For you fellow foodies who are always willing to try something new and interesting, here are some ideas to ponder when planning both your gardens & your menus….

Many of you who have visited my greenhouse may already tried edible flowers such as pansies & nasturtiums as a pretty & tasty addition to salads. Some of you may also have tried petals of Calendula or roses to add color & flare to your dishes, but one flower that I have personally not tried yet but intend to, is daylilies! Apparently the flower buds, as well as open blossoms are edible. The buds are best steamed or stir fried much the same as you might do with green beans, while the opened blooms work well shredded in salads, or breaded and fried similar to what you would do with squash blossoms. By the way if you have never tried squash blossoms stuffed and fried, they are truly a delicacy! What better way to deal with an overabundance of zucchini that to eat the blossoms before they get out of control. (We can only eat so many chocolate zucchini cakes after all.)

While on the topic of fried flowers, I was unaware that the flowers of rhubarb can also be eaten, fried, for an unusual treat. Keep in mind however, when dealing with rhubarb, that the leaves and roots are highly toxic. Only eat the stems or cooked flowers.

You are probably aware of the benefits of common weeds such as dandelions from my previous rants, but other weeds such as lamb’s quarters, which is a member of the spinach family, is eaten much the same way as we use spinach. I have eaten it while pulling it from my garden, and it really does taste a lot like spinach. Chickweed, which is also rampant in my gardens, makes a great tasting addition to salad mixes as well. I am beginning to think I have a gold mine of gourmet salad greens on my property if I could just market it to the right gourmet foodie. Maybe I could convince them to come and hand pick it themselves? Hmm….. something to ponder….