Bay Meadows

Everyone enjoys a big, cheerful bouquet of flowers, but did you know that many of the flowers you know and love are also edible? It’s true – everything from roses and nasturtiums to violas and chamomile can be sprinkled in your salad, rubbed into poultry, steeped as a tea, or dropped into a cocktail! Join Star Apple Edible Gardens on Saturday, June 7th at 1PM in front of the Welcome Center as we learn everything you need to know about growing, harvesting, and using edible flowers in your kitchen. In the meantime, though, here’s quick introduction to edible flowers to whet your appetite:

1) If at first you’re not sure how many edible flowers you’ll need for your cooking, start by picking a beautiful bouquet to display in your kitchen and then use as needed. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a bouquet and taking a few petals or leaves here and there as the week progresses! The above bouquet includes mint, lavender flowers, and variegated sage that are great for teas, as well as purple violas and bronzed beauty calendula whose petals can be sprinkled in salads or on top of a sweet dessert.

2) Harvest often! Most edible flowers like to bepicked, as it encourages the plant to produce new flowers. Above you have sweet, candy-like blue borage flowers, purple and yellow violas, and a pretty mix of peppery yellow and red nasturtiums.

3) Let your veggies go to seed! Many leafy vegetables (including arugula, chicory, and mustard greens) produce delicious flowers once the greens are too tough and bitter to eat. Above is a white, arugula flower that has a great peppery taste and gives a nice kick to your favorite salad mix.

Intrigued? Want to learn more? Bring the whole family and join us on Saturday, June 7th to learn more. And don’t worry, sampling and taste testing will be encouraged.

Bring those smartphones to snap photos of the growing garden and fun day! Use #baymeadowslife

Fame x Frame Photo Contest
As we develop community, we want to see how you live or play at Bay Meadows. Share your fun lifestyle photos with our community by using #baymeadowslife. You could WIN $50 or our Grand Prize of $500 at the end of 2014 and be featured in a live pop-up gallery exhibit event.

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