Delicious Recipes Using Edible Flowers
Summer bouquets look gorgeous on your front porch and windowsills. But, did you know that you can eat some of those colorful blooms? A growing trend in the food world is creating delicious dishes using edible flowers. So, we tip-toed through our tulips in search of some recipes. We found everything from Pansy pancakes, which make crepe-like pancakes filled with flowers, to honeysuckle simple syrup! Mix up a batch today and try out our other edible delights below!
*You can substitute vegetable oil, if you like.
Place all ingredients except pansy flowers in a blender and blend together until the mixture is smooth. Refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
Let batter come to room temperature before frying. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat until a bit of butter melts quickly when added to it.
Lift skillet from heat and pour 1/4 cup of the batter in the middle, tilting and swirling the pan to distribute it quickly and evenly. Return to heat. After about 1 minute, sprinkle with pansies. Use a spatula to loosen the edges of the pancake from the sides of the skillet. Flip it and cook for another 30 seconds. Turn or slide it onto a serving plate. Repeat with remaining batter.
Dress pancakes with Honeysuckle Simple Syrup or any syrup you prefer
Bring your sugar and water to a boil in a saucepan. Whisk to combine the ingredients and remove from the heat. Add your flowers and let steep.
Once mixture is room temperature transfer syrup to a glass container and seal. Refrigerate. Strain flowers prior to using.
Wildflower & Arugula Salad with Orange Blossom Vinaigrette & Farmer’s Cheese
Combine the first 7 ingredients in a large bowl (arugula through chives), arranging as you see fit. You can also arrange the ingredients on individual plates, if you prefer.
For the dressing: Combine the honey, oil, vinegar, Dijon, and basil in a bowl or jar. Shake or whisk to combine and emulsify. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over the salad.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a 9"x9" baking dish or line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Cook the bacon, then remove from pan. Cut the bacon into small pieces and set aside.
Keeping 2 tablespoons worth of bacon fat (absorb excess fat with paper towel), add the mushrooms and rosemary and cook until browned, 3-5 minutes. Drain and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Combine the ricotta, bacon, mushrooms, and egg yolk together. Season with salt if needed.
Gently open the blossoms and stuff with the ricotta/bacon/mushroom mixture, about 1-2 teaspoons per flower depending on the size of the flower. Lay stuffed zucchini flowers on prepared sheet pan or baking dish and drizzle with olive oil.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until browned. Serve warm.
Prepare the flowers. Wash, then remove the yellow petals by pinching firmly and pulling.
Cream the sugar and butter until fluffy. Add the egg and lemon zest.
Sift in the dry ingredients and combine well. Add in the lemon juice and petals and mix.
Dollop by spoonfuls onto a baking tray and cook for approximately 12 minutes at 350 degrees until golden. Cool on a wire rack and enjoy with a cup of tea!
Pansy Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup buckwheat flour
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 eggs
- 12 pansy flowers (about 1 cup)
*You can substitute vegetable oil, if you like.
Directions
Place all ingredients except pansy flowers in a blender and blend together until the mixture is smooth. Refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
Let batter come to room temperature before frying. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat until a bit of butter melts quickly when added to it.
Lift skillet from heat and pour 1/4 cup of the batter in the middle, tilting and swirling the pan to distribute it quickly and evenly. Return to heat. After about 1 minute, sprinkle with pansies. Use a spatula to loosen the edges of the pancake from the sides of the skillet. Flip it and cook for another 30 seconds. Turn or slide it onto a serving plate. Repeat with remaining batter.
Dress pancakes with Honeysuckle Simple Syrup or any syrup you prefer
Honeysuckle Simple Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup honeysuckle flowers
Directions
Bring your sugar and water to a boil in a saucepan. Whisk to combine the ingredients and remove from the heat. Add your flowers and let steep.
Once mixture is room temperature transfer syrup to a glass container and seal. Refrigerate. Strain flowers prior to using.
Wildflower & Arugula Salad with Orange Blossom Vinaigrette & Farmer’s Cheese
Ingredients
- 5 cups baby arugula, washed
- 1/2cups edible flowers
- 3-4 ounces crumbled farmer’s cheese (you can sub feta or goat cheese if you can’t find)
- 1/2 red onion, sliced
- 4-5 radishes, thinly sliced
- 1/2 red apple, thinly sliced (more or less)
- Chives (to taste)
- Orange Blossom Vinaigrette:
- 2 tbsp. orange blossom honey
- 1/4 cup canola or grape seed oil
- 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp. finely chopped basil (optional)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
Combine the first 7 ingredients in a large bowl (arugula through chives), arranging as you see fit. You can also arrange the ingredients on individual plates, if you prefer.
For the dressing: Combine the honey, oil, vinegar, Dijon, and basil in a bowl or jar. Shake or whisk to combine and emulsify. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over the salad.
Oven Roast Zucchini Flowers Stuffed with Bacon, Mushroom & Ricotta
Ingredients
- 12-14 zucchini blossoms, center pistil or stamens removed
- 4 slices bacon, cooked and cut into small pieces
- 4 ounces (113g) mushrooms, small dice
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
- 1/2 cup ricotta
- 1 egg yolk
- Kosher or sea salt, to taste
- Fresh cracked black pepper to taste
- Olive oil, for drizzling
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a 9"x9" baking dish or line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Cook the bacon, then remove from pan. Cut the bacon into small pieces and set aside.
Keeping 2 tablespoons worth of bacon fat (absorb excess fat with paper towel), add the mushrooms and rosemary and cook until browned, 3-5 minutes. Drain and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Combine the ricotta, bacon, mushrooms, and egg yolk together. Season with salt if needed.
Gently open the blossoms and stuff with the ricotta/bacon/mushroom mixture, about 1-2 teaspoons per flower depending on the size of the flower. Lay stuffed zucchini flowers on prepared sheet pan or baking dish and drizzle with olive oil.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until browned. Serve warm.
Dandelion and Lemon Biscuits
Ingredients
- 20 Dandelion flower heads
- 1/2 cup and 1 tbsp. butter
- 1/2 cup caster sugar
- 1 egg
- Zest of 1 lemon, plus 1 tbsp. of its juice
- 1 cup and 6 tbsp. plain flour
- 1/4 cup corn flour
- 1/4 tsp. baking powder
- Pinch of salt
Directions
Prepare the flowers. Wash, then remove the yellow petals by pinching firmly and pulling.
Cream the sugar and butter until fluffy. Add the egg and lemon zest.
Sift in the dry ingredients and combine well. Add in the lemon juice and petals and mix.
Dollop by spoonfuls onto a baking tray and cook for approximately 12 minutes at 350 degrees until golden. Cool on a wire rack and enjoy with a cup of tea!