SKY HIGH ON HEALTH reports on nutritional, wellness, and green lyfe fads both crazy and helpful.
They’re magical and kooky, enchanting and charming—not to mention pretty. But, edible flowers add more to your plate than just their beauty. I had a dinner party and invited our floral friends along. What’s on the menu? Vitamins A, B, and C, and unexpected doses of anti-fungal and antibacterial remedies.
The meal started with nasturtium spread. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of eating at my place, you’d discover my moderate-to-severe obsession with pesto. I try to fit it into any dinner party, so when I found fresh nasturtium leaves from the farmer’s market, I knew exactly what to do with them. Nasturtiums are a natural antibiotic, have loads of vitamin C, and contain lycopene and lutein, two amazing cancer-fighting nutrients. In South America, nasturtium leaves are used to treat bladder and kidney disorders and are believed to help with colds, coughs, and sore throats.
Ingredients:
1 cup raw, unsalted macadamia nuts
1 clove peeled garlic
Pinch sea salt
2 cups fresh nasturtium leaves
8 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of half a lemon (or more, depending on your tart-tolerance)
Pepper to taste
Instructions:
1. Blend nuts, garlic and salt into a food processor until you have a coarse paste.
2. Add the nasturtium leaves and continue to blend into a gorgeous green paste.
3. Next, add the olive oil tablespoon by tablespoon, until the pesto takes on a creamier consistency.
4. Stir in lemon juice. I added pepper atop to taste.
Nasturtium leaves are intensely peppery and can leave you with a bit of an unexpected kick in your mouth. To soften the flavor, I spread the pesto over bread and topped it with slow-roasted tomatoes, which are incredibly easy to make if you’ve got time!
Ingredients:
Tomatoes, halved (I use heirloom cherry tomatoes)
Olive oil, enough to coat
Various pinches of sea salt
Herbes de Provence to taste
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place tomatoes, guts-up.
3. Drizzle with olive oil, pinch with salt, and sprinkle with herbs.
4. Pop the tomatoes in the oven and WAIT about three hours. It’s worth it!
Cooking with flowers can be really challenging, as their tastes aren’t always immediately recognizable and it’s so easy to surrender to temptation and simply use them as a garnish. I implore you to fight the urge! One great way to do so: Pasta with lavender pesto and borage flowers. I know, totally bizarre! Most people are used to smelling lavender, but trust me that this dish is creamy, unexpected, and deliciously fragrant. Lavender is full of vitamin A, calcium, and iron. It is used in aromatherapy to treat anxiety, depression, and insomnia. It is also known to help with digestive aliments, headaches, and nerve and joint pain.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 cloves garlic
2 1/2 cups fresh basil
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper to finish
Fresh cooking lavender to taste
Instructions:
1. Preheat a large skillet over low heat.
2. Begin with the walnuts by toasting them for about five minutes. Toss frequently.
3. Next, add the pine nuts until they turn the sli
They’re magical and kooky, enchanting and charming—not to mention pretty. But, edible flowers add more to your plate than just their beauty. I had a dinner party and invited our floral friends along. What’s on the menu? Vitamins A, B, and C, and unexpected doses of anti-fungal and antibacterial remedies.
The meal started with nasturtium spread. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of eating at my place, you’d discover my moderate-to-severe obsession with pesto. I try to fit it into any dinner party, so when I found fresh nasturtium leaves from the farmer’s market, I knew exactly what to do with them. Nasturtiums are a natural antibiotic, have loads of vitamin C, and contain lycopene and lutein, two amazing cancer-fighting nutrients. In South America, nasturtium leaves are used to treat bladder and kidney disorders and are believed to help with colds, coughs, and sore throats.
Ingredients:
1 cup raw, unsalted macadamia nuts
1 clove peeled garlic
Pinch sea salt
2 cups fresh nasturtium leaves
8 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of half a lemon (or more, depending on your tart-tolerance)
Pepper to taste
Instructions:
1. Blend nuts, garlic and salt into a food processor until you have a coarse paste.
2. Add the nasturtium leaves and continue to blend into a gorgeous green paste.
3. Next, add the olive oil tablespoon by tablespoon, until the pesto takes on a creamier consistency.
4. Stir in lemon juice. I added pepper atop to taste.
Nasturtium leaves are intensely peppery and can leave you with a bit of an unexpected kick in your mouth. To soften the flavor, I spread the pesto over bread and topped it with slow-roasted tomatoes, which are incredibly easy to make if you’ve got time!
Ingredients:
Tomatoes, halved (I use heirloom cherry tomatoes)
Olive oil, enough to coat
Various pinches of sea salt
Herbes de Provence to taste
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place tomatoes, guts-up.
3. Drizzle with olive oil, pinch with salt, and sprinkle with herbs.
4. Pop the tomatoes in the oven and WAIT about three hours. It’s worth it!
Cooking with flowers can be really challenging, as their tastes aren’t always immediately recognizable and it’s so easy to surrender to temptation and simply use them as a garnish. I implore you to fight the urge! One great way to do so: Pasta with lavender pesto and borage flowers. I know, totally bizarre! Most people are used to smelling lavender, but trust me that this dish is creamy, unexpected, and deliciously fragrant. Lavender is full of vitamin A, calcium, and iron. It is used in aromatherapy to treat anxiety, depression, and insomnia. It is also known to help with digestive aliments, headaches, and nerve and joint pain.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 cloves garlic
2 1/2 cups fresh basil
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper to finish
Fresh cooking lavender to taste
Instructions:
1. Preheat a large skillet over low heat.
2. Begin with the walnuts by toasting them for about five minutes. Toss frequently.
3. Next, add the pine nuts until they turn the sli