Edible Flowers

Edible flowers are a simple way of making a striking, memorable presentation on the plate. Packages of edible flowers are available in the fresh-herb section of many supermarkets, but if you know what you're looking for and follow safety guidelines, you can find a lovely garnish in your own garden. "I especially like pansies," says Cindy Corley-Crapsey, who gives presentations on edible flowers as part of the St. Louis Master Gardeners, a joint program of the University of Missouri Extension and the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Sorry, Gertrude Stein, but you got it wrong with "Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose. " The flower has a whole new identity: out of the bud vase and onto the plate. Long used in Persian and Indian cooking, rose is a flavor not commonly found in American fare. But some creative local chefs and bakers are working it into desserts, drinks, even savory dishes. Rose syrups, rose water and petals fresh, frozen and dried lend a surprising floral note to fruit-topped pastries and chocolate eclairs, strawberry mojitos and a couscous served with lamb.

Spring flowers are blooming, bringing a rainbow of colors to brighten your home. But the tulips, lilacs and pansies now in season can be more than a bouquet for your table; they can bring new tastes to your plate. If you think only goats and bunnies eat flowers, you're wrong. In fact, you've probably eaten some flowers already. Artichokes and broccoli are immature flowers, and many herbal teas contain rose petals, hibiscus, mint, chamomile and other flowers, says Cathy Wilkinson Barash, author of "Edible Flowers, From Garden to Palate" (Fulcrum Publishing, 1995, $24.95)

The sun moves over the Saturday Pico farmers' market in Santa Monica, Calif., filtering through the canopy that protects the delicate herbs and baby lettuces at the Kenter Canyon Farms stall. The salad of market lettuces that we take for granted on the menu these days, an edible bouquet that tastes as good as it looks, effectively began in owner Andrea Crawford's garden. To be more accurate, Alice Waters' garden. Twenty-six years ago, Crawford began growing lettuces and herbs for Chez Panisse, literally in Waters' backyard.

The red shiso leaf experiment is not going well. Chef Mark Henry shakes his head at three paltry plants poking their heads up from a 2-foot-long row of seeds he planted last spring. "These leaves sell for 14 cents apiece," he says of this Japanese delicacy often rolled into sushi or used to garnish a sashimi plate. Still, he does not despair of producing his own. This is the first year for his new garden at the Oregon Grille restaurant in Cockeysville. "We're still trying to see what will grow well," he says.

Cooking with herbs and learning how to candy edible flowers are two demonstrations being offered at The Rites of Spring, an annual event sponsored by The Union Memorial Hospital to benefit outpatient physical therapy. The event, which is in its fifth year, will be held at the State Fair Grounds at Timonium on April 12, 13 and 14. Admission is $4. Senior citizens are admitted for $3.A gala preview party, including cocktails and appetizers, will be held the evening of April 11. Tickets are $75 each.

An incorrect phone number was listed in "What's Cooking" in yesterday's A La Carte section. The correct number for Bittersweet Hill Nurseries of Davidsonville is (410) 798-0231.The Sun regrets the error.Q: I recently bought a package of edible flowers and noticed that some were snapdragons. Are these any different from the snapdragons I grow in the garden?A: Hildred Morton of Bittersweet Hill Nurseries (specializing in herbs and edible flowers), in Davidsonville says that these snapdragons are likely to be the same as the common garden variety and are edible as long as they haven't been treated with pesticides.

Louise E. Schuerholz takes time to smell the roses -- and eats them, too.The 71-year-old Ellicott City resident, who has been a member of the Ellicott City Branch and Twig garden club since 1967, grows edible flowers and other plants on her half-acre lot."If you can't eat it, don't plant it," said Mrs. Schuerholz with a grin.The gardener became interested in edible flowers 22 years ago, after volunteering to do a program on the subject for her garden club."This woman wanted to charge our club $75 to speak about edible flowers, and I thought she would talk about dandelion wine, so I decided I could do as much," Mrs. Schuerholz said.

The sun moves over the Saturday Pico farmers' market in Santa Monica, Calif., filtering through the canopy that protects the delicate herbs and baby lettuces at the Kenter Canyon Farms stall. The salad of market lettuces that we take for granted on the menu these days, an edible bouquet that tastes as good as it looks, effectively began in owner Andrea Crawford's garden. To be more accurate, Alice Waters' garden. Twenty-six years ago, Crawford began growing lettuces and herbs for Chez Panisse, literally in Waters' backyard.

Every once in a while a single flower sprouts up that seems to capture the spirit of the decade. Remember the sunflower in the '80s? No shelter magazine photo spread was complete without a vase of the brilliant yellow blooms. In the '70s, birds of paradise were perched on all the chicest coffee tables, and in the '60s, bunches of daisies were jammed into crockery pots.In this issue, writer Mike Klingaman reports that the hydrangea is the blossom of the moment. Easy to grow and simple to arrange, these snowballs of summer are a natural choice for a decade dedicated to the low-maintenance lifestyle.

Edible flowers are a simple way of making a striking, memorable presentation on the plate. Packages of edible flowers are available in the fresh-herb section of many supermarkets, but if you know what you're looking for and follow safety guidelines, you can find a lovely garnish in your own garden. "I especially like pansies," says Cindy Corley-Crapsey, who gives presentations on edible flowers as part of the St. Louis Master Gardeners, a joint program of the University of Missouri Extension and the Missouri Botanical Garden.

The red shiso leaf experiment is not going well. Chef Mark Henry shakes his head at three paltry plants poking their heads up from a 2-foot-long row of seeds he planted last spring. "These leaves sell for 14 cents apiece," he says of this Japanese delicacy often rolled into sushi or used to garnish a sashimi plate. Still, he does not despair of producing his own. This is the first year for his new garden at the Oregon Grille restaurant in Cockeysville. "We're still trying to see what will grow well," he says.

Susan Hood and 12-year-old Eliot, the eldest of her five children, go to Knill's Farm in Mount Airy about this time every year, greeted by the chilly October wind, to shop for pumpkins. They buy several for carving jack-o'-lanterns and others for baking autumn treats. Hood explained the rules for pumpkin shopping. "It has to be a bright, deep orange, with a good stem that has a nice curl to it. We try to get a variety of different-shaped and -sized pumpkins and see how they look together," she said.

Susan Hood and 12-year-old Eliot, the eldest of her five children, go to Knill's Farm in Mount Airy about this time every year, greeted by the chilly October wind, to shop for pumpkins. They buy several for carving jack-o'-lanterns and others for baking autumn treats. Hood explained the rules for pumpkin shopping. "It has to be a bright, deep orange, with a good stem that has a nice curl to it. We try to get a variety of different-shaped and -sized pumpkins and see how they look together," Hood said.

"I keep saying tomorrow is another day, and I will start. But by the end of the day, I am disgusted with myself." I didn't write this, but I could have. These words came from a discouraged reader. She's 54, at her all-time heaviest, with the unfortunate job of cashier at a middle-school cafeteria where "fresh french fries" are made every day. The woman asks, "Do you think at our age we should just settle at the weight we are?" No. I don't. This morning, walking with a friend, we passed two older women who look a lot better than I do. Sure, they had wrinkles, but they didn't have cottage-cheese thighs.

Spring flowers are blooming, bringing a rainbow of colors to brighten your home. But the tulips, lilacs and pansies now in season can be more than a bouquet for your table; they can bring new tastes to your plate. If you think only goats and bunnies eat flowers, you're wrong. In fact, you've probably eaten some flowers already. Artichokes and broccoli are immature flowers, and many herbal teas contain rose petals, hibiscus, mint, chamomile and other flowers, says Cathy Wilkinson Barash, author of "Edible Flowers, From Garden to Palate" (Fulcrum Publishing, 1995, $24.95)

"I keep saying tomorrow is another day, and I will start. But by the end of the day, I am disgusted with myself." I didn't write this, but I could have. These words came from a discouraged reader. She's 54, at her all-time heaviest, with the unfortunate job of cashier at a middle-school cafeteria where "fresh french fries" are made every day. The woman asks, "Do you think at our age we should just settle at the weight we are?" No. I don't. This morning, walking with a friend, we passed two older women who look a lot better than I do. Sure, they had wrinkles, but they didn't have cottage-cheese thighs.

It's flower power with a beautiful purpose: to transform dishes as simple as pizza and french toast or as complex as grilled salmon and homemade ice cream into glorious treats for the eye as well as the palate.Edible flowers give food fresh tastes -- ranging from sweet to peppery -- crisp texture and dramatic color.The edible flower phenomenon has been creeping eastward from California, where widespread organic farming and innovative chefs have been bringing flowers to the table on plates as well as in vases for the past few years.

Yikes! That is the reaction of many guys who, until a few hours ago, didn't quite seize on the fact that Valentine's Day has landed. We have been meaning to do something for our mates. We have seen the blizzard of ads urging us to buy pink roses, pink balloons or pink teddy bears. We have thought about taking some action on the hearts-and-flowers front. But we never quite got there. Now the day devoted to romance dawns, and, as the French might say, our derriere is in a sling. Fortunately there is still time to act. Some quick shopping and fast cooking can produce a savory supper, and postpone anyone's being treated like an inconsiderate oaf. A few years ago, I stumbled onto a recipe for fried oysters with hot sauce that has bailed me out of the Valentine's Day dilemma of appearing to forget the big day. Here is what you do: Go to the grocery or seafood market and buy a pint of oysters, which are known for their aphrodisiac qualities (see accompanying story)

Every once in a while a single flower sprouts up that seems to capture the spirit of the decade. Remember the sunflower in the '80s? No shelter magazine photo spread was complete without a vase of the brilliant yellow blooms. In the '70s, birds of paradise were perched on all the chicest coffee tables, and in the '60s, bunches of daisies were jammed into crockery pots.In this issue, writer Mike Klingaman reports that the hydrangea is the blossom of the moment. Easy to grow and simple to arrange, these snowballs of summer are a natural choice for a decade dedicated to the low-maintenance lifestyle.