Edible Flowers

Enjoying fine dining in a romantic restaurant is an ideal way to spend Valentine’s Day with your sweetie. But, for a variety of reasons and commitments, ideal plans are not always practical. A romantic dinner at home is an easy alternative to going out for a Valentine date, and you can bring the romance of fine dining to your dinner plate with edible flowers.

Enjoying fine dining in a romantic restaurant is an ideal way to spend Valentine’s Day with your sweetie. But, for a variety of reasons and commitments, ideal plans are not always practical. A romantic dinner at home is an easy alternative to going out for a Valentine date, and you can bring the romance of fine dining to your dinner plate with edible flowers.

Flowers and Valentine’s Day go hand in hand. Why not add them to your dishes? After falling out of favor with haute cuisine trends, edible flowers are back with a passion as a beautiful, natural way to garnish plates. And it’s much more interesting than a parsley sprig.

The idea of eating a flower may be a little strange at first, so consider flowers from vegetable plants as your first choice. Stuffed squash or zucchini blossoms make delicate and elegant appetizers. Their flavor is similar to the taste of squash, but much milder. Apple blossoms and citrus blossoms are other more familiar choices for soup and dessert garnishes. Find the blossoms at a farmers market or specialty produce store.

If you want to make a bolder culinary statement with flowers, choose vibrant day lilies, begonias, chrysanthemums and carnations. For any of these varieties, be sure to remove the thick, white base of the flower; it has a very bitter flavor. Chrysanthemum and carnation petals are a beautiful accent sprinkled on soups and salads, while begonias and day lilies have a stunning plate-side presence.

Before adding flowers to your plate, keep these tips in mind:

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• Do not experiment with eating random flowers. Stick to only those that are proven to be edible. Inedible flowers may be poisonous.

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• Wash flowers thoroughly, just as you would other produce.

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• Edible flowers may cause allergies in diners who are especially sensitive to pollen-related allergies. Start slowly if you suffer from allergies.

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• Remove the pistil and stamens from the flower. Use only petals on the plate.

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• Do not use flowers from a florist. These are often treated with pesticides not appropriate for food crops. Purchase edible flowers from produce suppliers.

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• Don’t feast only on flowers. Over-consumption may cause digestive issues—not a sexy finish to a romantic meal.

Ready to add class and romance to your homemade Valentine’s Day meal? Experiment with including edible flowers as a unique and beautiful dinner plate accent.

More ideas for a romantic Valentine’s dinner:

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• Valentine’s Day table settings

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• Napkin-folding techniques

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• Romantic candle ideas