Edible Flowers

This time of year is one of my favorites, when edible flowers like nasturtiums, johnny jump ups and calendula are all in bloom. Thanks to encouragement and stupendous tremendous help from my garden bud partner Colleen, and sidekick Cheryl, we served up a first class edible flower program with tastings that were a big hit.

Our menu consisted of:

• Secret Garden Rosemary Tea (recipe included in past blog)
• Sage Cheese Log slices
• Calendula petals sprinkled over Mexican Mint Marigold butter from Lucinda Hutson's book
• Alice's homemade crackers and heart shaped breads,
• Fennel flavored Black Olives
• Fresh cut Garden Tomatoes with sprinkled with Basil, Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar
• Chicken Salad with Grapes, Valencia Orange slices, Pecans (pecans supplied by Valley Pecans, new vendor at the Brownsville Farmers Market by the way) and Nasturtium flowers on a bed of fresh garden gourmet lettuce leaves sprinkled with olive oil and fig balsamic vinegar
• Deviled Eggs that included herb sprigs of Johnny Jump Ups, Parsley, Violas, Chives, Thyme, Chervil
• Purple, Cheddar Cauliflower, Romanesco, Broccoli  (which are vegetables of immature flower heads) with Spicy Cilantro Dip
• and Dark Chocolate Brownies with Johnny Jump Up Flowers and Pistachio Lime Basil Cookies

Thanks to Marylyn for the Sunnyside Garden Gallery setting showcasing talented Brownsville Art League members surrounded by gardens full of birds, butterflies and Alice of Alice's Kitchen for her home made crackers, heart shaped bread and pistachio cookies, Don for the wonderful edible flowering plants, Valley Nuts for the Pecans - all of which are available for sale every Saturday at the Brownsville Farmers Market, TX on Saturday's 9am to noon at 6th and Harrison.