Edible Flowers ❀❀❀ ( Pansy's ✿+✿ Johny jump ups ✿+✿ viola ✿+✿ Jumping jack )

Edible flower Black Pansy + gourmet flowers

While most people wont even consider flowers in food, me on the other hand find the consumption logically essential. If dietitians call for eating every colour of fruit and veggie possible then what would consuming a flower with all those phytochemical's do?  I find it humorous to think there is a whole class of food/ nutrients not even being consumed all because the idea of eating a flower seems "silly", when what really is silly is not eating them at all.

I tell ya, there is not a dish that doesn't look better for having them in it, even burgers, it just seems to make everything look like high class cuisine if you ask me. If you really want to impress your friends, when bringing a cake for birthdays/gifts/ or parties, take a few seconds to add some neatly placed flowers around and watch how your cake goes from (nice) to (food network fantastic).

If your are interested in edible flowers here is a few links with lists of edible flowers you might like.

http://homecooking.about.com/library/weekly/blflowers.htm

http://whatscookingamerica.net/EdibleFlowers/EdibleFlowersMain.htm

Edible flower Pansy 

( Johny jump up blend )

☝These look stunning on a white cake☝.

( Earwig eaten pansy )

 ( Viola - jumping jack - Johnny jump up )

( Edible flowers - Pansy Hybrid )

This tops my list for best looking flower on food, put a couple of these on a burger with some veggie and you've got a $100 dollar burger IMO.

( Salad with edible flowers )

Just remember, when people look at you weird for putting flowers in your food, just look back at them weird like, ......you don't put flowers in your food ? Its all relative.

Strawberry spinach ☼☼☀☀☀☼☼

Strawberry Spinach

When We first planted the strawberry spinach seeds aka ( chenopodium capitatum ) last year it was a little to late, We never got to see it flower/fruit, and to be honest I didn't even realize it would come back ( Im a little to use to my exotics right now ). But as soon as spring rolled around I recognized it right away. Now that june has arrived these beauties are shining in all there glory. When I first tasted the leaves I was stunned, there was something to it I just couldn't figure out, I've heard people say its a nutty flavour, but that didn't seem right, and I've heard others say spinach, but that isn't it either, and then all of a sudden it hit me, WHAAM!!.. 

!≥≤! GRAPE !≥≤!  

To me its like a very light grape minus the sugar, and unlike lettuce there is no bitterness thankfully, even in flowering. Now heres the odd part, when I tasted the berry I expected something strawberry like, or heck.. just some type of berry at least,  

this was not the case. 
I guess I'll be the one to say it, {{DrumRoll}} ❍!❍!❍!❍!❍!❍!❍!❍!❍! 
THEY TASTE LIKE SPINACH!!!! 

Its....Hmmmm.... not as bad as it sounds. 
Its only a light spinach taste, but I really wasnt expecting that. While it has little in berry flavour, they go perfect in salads or yogurts, fruit parties, bragging rights, experiments 
( ice cream, strawberry and rhubarb desert, vinegars, pickles or jarred vegg  ). 
But the fact that these seeds/plants survived our winter and are quick to flower, providing edible leaves and fruit most of the year,  
puts this plant on top of the edible landscapers list for me. 
And just between me and you.... ( looks cautiously from side to side ) 
I think the leaves taste better then lettuce.    

Strawberry spinach fruit

Strawberry spinach + strawberry spinach leaves + fruit 

Native plants + North american plants +Strawberry spinach