Spice up cooking with tasty varieties you can eat

Spice up cooking with tasty varieties you can eat

Instead of loading up food with salt, use herbs and their flowers for flavor in cooking.

mcclatchy newspapers

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Herbalist Billi Parus rarely uses salt in any food she fixes. Instead, she uses herbs.

This year, the Herb Society of America names an edible flower calendula as its Herb of the Year.

“Herbs add flavor to everything they are put in,” says Billi, 56, chairman of the Tidewater (Va.) Unit, Herb Society of America and a national speaker on herbs.

“Almost all culinary herb flowers are edible – basil, bee balm, borage, chamomile, chive, cilantro, dill, fennel, garlic, lavender, lemon balm, lemon verbena, marjoram, mint, oregano, pineapple sage, rosemary, saffron, sage, savory, scented pelargonium, sweet woodruff, and thyme.”

Billi and husband John live in Virginia Beach, Va., where she nurtures a large herb garden and runs an online gift basket business at www.lavenderhillhouse.com. Their family includes a tarragon-loving cat named Patches.

“She’ll take tarragon over catnip any day!” says Billi.

Here’s the breakdown on the best edible flowers, says Billi:

UCalendula, or Calendula officinalis also known as pot marigold. This edible flower, popular back in early Roman times, is a cool-season annual. It grows easily in rich, fast-draining soil in full sun. The flowers are single or double — usually orange, apricot, cream or yellow in color. They tolerate light frost, but beware of slugs and snails. Flower petals are good in cooking, leaves are nice in salads; tangy, savory flavor.

UCornflower/bachelor button, or Centaurea cyanus. This annual sometimes over-winters. It’s a tall, slender plant with gray-green leaves and brightly-colored thistle-like flowers, usually bright blue. Plant in full sun, well-drained soil. Sow by seeds, seedlings do not transplant easily. Flowers used in cooking; sweet, spicy, clove-like flavor.

UDaylily, or Hemerocallis species. The flowers usually bloom for a day only, hence their name. This cold-hardy perennial likes good soil in light shade or full sun. Fertilize a little, keep fairly moist. Flowers and petals used in cooking; mild onion flavor.

UHibiscus, or Hibiscus rosa-sinensis. It’s an annual or perennial, depending on your cold zone. Only red-flowered plants are suitable for cooking. Likes full sun, well-drained, moist soil. Flowers and juices used in cooking; slightly acidic taste, cranberry flavor.

UJasmine, or Jasminum — grandiflorum or sambac (Arabian jasmine). It’s a tender perennial you bring indoors for winter. It likes rich, well-drained soil and full sun. Flowers are used in cooking; great in tea; delicate sweet floral flavor. Note: Do not confuse with Carolina jasmine, which is poisonous.

ULilac, or Syringa vulgaris. This cold-hardy, flowering shrub needs fast-draining soil and sun. Use its flowers in cooking; lemony, floral flavor.

UMarigold, or Tagetes tenuifolia (T. signata). In Hampton Roads, it’s a drought-tolerant annual that likes full sun and well-drained, fertile soil. Sow by seed for showy flowers that you pick to encourage continual blooms. Spicy, herbal or lemon flavor, depending on the variety.

UNasturium, or Tropaeolum majus. The hardy annual does well in well-drained, moist soil in full sun. It self-seeds freely and can become invasive. It’s a great companion plant to deter cucumber beetles and whiteflies. The leaves, blooms and flower buds are all used in cooking; buds are used as capers; sweet, peppery flavor.

UPansy — Viola x wittrockiana — related to violets and johnny-jump-ups — thrive in cool weather, fade in heat of summer, rebloom in autumn — prefer rich, loamy, well-drained, moist soil — prefer full sun or light shade — propagate by seed — picking flowers encourages longer flower production — both petals and whole flowers are used in cooking — very mild sweet wintergreen flavor — dark-colored flowers turn your tongue that color, temporarily. Also, don’t forget violets and Johnny-jump-ups are equally delicious and colorful in dishes.

UPineapple guava — Feijoa sellowiana — a member of the myrtle family — evergreen shrub, treat as very tender perennial (bring in for winter) — grows 8 feet tall — prefers rich, well-drained soil — sunny location, warm temperatures — flowers pink, cream, striking shape/texture — the flower petals are used in cooking — ripe fruit flavor. Another popular plant of this family is the strawberry guava.

UPinks, or Dianthus caryophyllus. Flowers range from white to pale pink to vibrant pink to purple. Give plants well-drained soil in full sun. Petals with the bitter white area are removed and used in cooking; sweet, clove flavor.

URoses, or Rosa rugosa, damascena or galica — perennial plants. These old roses like well-drained, moist, rich soil. Use petals or rose hips in cooking; sweet floral flavor, stronger with stronger fragrance.

USociety garlic, or Tulbaghia violacea. The perennial needs and prefers well-drained, rich soil in sun or partial shade. Leaves and flowers used in cooking; mild garlic flavor.

USquash blossoms, or Cucurbita pepo. Flowers are yellow, the plant a vine. Grow it in full sun with enriched soil. Flowers perfect for stuffing or cut up in a dish; flavor is mildly vegetal.