Recipes
“There are unlimited possibilities for this butter -- use it in place of regular butter on crisp French bread or canapes, put it on grilled or baked salmon or chicken, or cooked vegetables, such as baked potato. The recipe is from The Edible Flower Garden by Rosalind Creasy.” —The Vancouver Sun
- 10 large, barely open common chive flowers or garlic chive flowers, florets (petal clusters) separated and chopped (about 2 tablespoons/30 mL)
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon (15 mL) chopped fresh chive leaves
Preparation: Remove petals from flowers; wash well in cold water (check for critters). Gently pat dry in towel or dry in salad spinner. Using a very sharp knife, finely chop flowers. (Chopping is easier if you roll blossoms into small ball before cutting them.)
In a small bowl, mash butter with wooden spoon. When butter is fairly soft, slowly incorporate chive flowers and leaves. Using a rubber spatula, transfer mixture to small butter crock or bowl.
Cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze in sealed containers for up to 2 months. Alternatively, roll butter up in plastic wrap, sausage style, and put into freezer bag. You can then slice off rounds of butter as needed.
Makes about 1/2 cup (125 mL).
Daylily Pods: The Hemerocallis species, to which Stella D'Oro daylilies belong, are said to be edible. According to Raintree Nursery, “The flowers are followed by edible pods resembling green beans. Both are excellent additions to salads.” The Edible Flowers Chart accessed through About.com notes “Tastes: sweet, crunchy, like a crisp lettuce leaf, faintly like chestnuts or beans.” I've hesitated to try this, however, as the chart also says: “Many Lilies (Lillium species) contain alkaloids and are NOT edible. Daylilies may act as a laxative.”
Violets: I've read that violet leaves are high in vitamins A and C, and can be cooked as greens or used in salads with the flowers sprinkled on top. I'd want to research that a bit more before giving it a try, though.
