# Colorful Spring Salad



## oldcoot (Apr 12, 2003)

Spring is sprung.  So I decided to  try something I've thought about a long time: a true, floral spring salad.

I started with soome peppery Nasturtium - leaves, flowers, and nost importantly, the little green seed pods.  Then a few fragrant rose petals, followed by the tartnes of Wood Sorrel (sourgrass?), again, flowers, leaves, and stems.  All of those tossed with some crusp  iceberg lettuce and  a very light honey vinaigrette dressing.

That, enjoyed in the garden on a sunny Saturday noon, proved to be an interesting and flavorful choice,.  Perhaps a little more of the Nasturtium would have been even better


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## kitchenelf (Apr 12, 2003)

I love the bitterness of edible flowers!!!  I just wish we had somewhere here to buy them - and I don't have enough sun to grow them - and even if I did I'd have to do something to keep the squirrels out :-(

Your salad looks wonderful oldcoot and BW!!  What a great way to spend your lunch!


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## oldcoot (Apr 12, 2003)

Bitterness, "Elf?  None of these flowers (NAsturtium, Rose, or Wood Sorrel) were at all bitter to mmy taste.  I really dislike "bitter".  The Nasturtium - all parts of it, are quite peppery - especially the seed pod, wihich, when nearly ripe, is downright HOT!  Rose petals have little flavor, but add a pleasant - if fleeting - aroma.  Wood Sorrel flowers also have little flavor, but the stems, particularly, are quite tart - almost lemony.

In addition to the more commonly enjoyed (except by Carnivore) flowers, such as cauliflower, broccoli, and artichoke, we've indulged in  yucca and squash, that I can think of offhand.  None of them are bitter, either.  

Then, of course, there are the herb flowers: sage, mint, rosemary, etc, which are used more for decoration, but reflect the flavor or their herb.

So what flowers have you found bitter?   Ah - dandelion occurs to me, for one!


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## Coco (Apr 13, 2003)

Jeez, oldcoot. You'll contradict anything won't you?


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## oldcoot (Apr 13, 2003)

O.K., having the name, I'll play the game:  To contradict you, Coco, that about bitter flowers was not intended as a contradiciction, but a question.  

Kitchenelf finds flowers bitter, I don't.  So are we tasting the same flowers?

This is a Discussion board, is it not?  How can one discuss without questioning and, yes, disagreeing at times?


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## Coco (Apr 13, 2003)

For goodness sake.....I was just teasing! Point taken...Have a good day!


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## kitchenelf (Apr 15, 2003)

I think I had - geez, now I can't remember the name of the flower - was it dragonfly?  You know, the ones you can put your thumb and pointer finger in and you made them talk or bite when you were little!  I know for sure that that was one of the flowers - and it could be that the term bitter is a little off - peppery could be more like it - I'll just have to go graze in someone's garden   .

I know there were others oldcoot but I can't remember what all they were - maybe some johnny jumpups - 

I'd give anything for some sunshine to grow my own!!!!!!  

I'll have to make a trip to Charlotte - it will be my sushi and flower eating trip! LOL


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## Spice (Nov 14, 2003)

*Nasturtiums*

I wish I'd seen this a couple of months ago! My nasturtiums were huge and overflowed their beds. I used the flowers to decorate my salads--the colors were wonderful--from palest yellow to oranges and deep red. I didn't know the leaves were edible. Do you pickle the seed pods before you use them?
--Spice


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