COVID has sparked the urge in many of us to “go back to nature,” seeking out and harvesting wild plants. In my book Eating Wild, I listed fifty different wild plants that we can safely consume, along with numerous recipes. However, the truth is that there are dozens of plants in our own gardens that we ignore, despite the fact that they are perfectly safe and often very tasty.
Topping the list for me is the Nasturtium. The flowers, seeds and leaves are unique and delicious. I pick the leaves to use in sandwiches (tuna is my favorite with this plant) and in salads. The leaves are wide and crisp, giving a spicy flavor to any dish. However, be sure to harvest them before the bugs get to them and start peppering the leaves with white acne bumps. The flowers are great in cold beverages, add color and flavor to salads and appetizer trays, and have a tart and sweet flavor of their own. The seeds are particularly valuable. Use them fresh and green as an accent to fish dishes or pickles (apple cider vinegar seems to go well) to pop as winter snacks.
Of course, purple echinacea (coneflower) is healthy and edible, and its root substitutes for seneca root as a cold and cough remedy. Of the nine North American varieties, three are definitely edible, while the others are not toxic or poisonous. Make a tea from the roots or flowers and use the grated dried root as a somewhat bitter dressing for beef. Soaked in vinegar, it acts a bit like horseradish!
Who hates the smell of marigolds? (I personally love the aroma) However, calendula flowers provide the color of turmeric and a somewhat saffron-like flavor in foods. The tender green part of the leaves adds a strong flavor to salads and can be mixed with boiled vegetables for a unique flavor. Sprinkle flower petals on ice cream and custard, or in cold drinks like 7-Up or Sprite. Even gin can be enhanced with a few sprigs of marigold flower. As a bonus, marigold petals in a closet can freshen you up for weeks.
One of my favorite display flowers is the portulaca. Purslane, a weed, is a close relative and both are edible. Portulaca buds and flowers, like most edible flowers, go great with salads. It’s pretty high in vitamin A, too.
Pansies, dahlias, and roses are also edible. Dahlias are interesting because the flowers and the roots of the tubers are the most edible portions and both taste very similar. I find they remind me of Christmas, with a chestnut flavor. I slice the root thinly and use a tartar sauce with it, or mayonnaise (not a whipped dressing). Pansies, like their wild relatives the viola, are edible, but because they are so small, they impart little flavor of their own. Interestingly, they have a slight mint flavor but are not a member of the mint family (which can be identified by their square stem). Roses in the wild or in the garden have edible flowers and leaves.
Too often, we ignore what’s right under our noses as food, which is peculiar, given that one of the main draws of flowers is, well, the joy they bring to our sense of smell!
