How to make Edible Flower Spread - How Tuesday

One of the most decorative and easy to create dishes you can make for summer gatherings. Just a few simple ingredients but a lovely item that will be talk of the event. 

Here is a list of possbile Edible flowers to use in your creation:

• Pansies are probably the most common of all edible flowers, so pretty and they come in a wide range of colors and hues. Pansies are really more showy than flavorful but you might note a slight "grassy" taste.
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  Violets grow wild in the spring and early summer (depending on where you live) and can also be grown as a landscape perennial (known as sweet violets). Violets have a sweet, floral flavor in both leaves and flowers. However, don't confuse violets with African violets which are usually considered non-edible.
• Johnny-Jump-Ups look like miniature pansies, but have a different flavor that is slightly "minty." some say they taste a bit like bubblegum! They're perfect on cakes or with soft mild cheese. Johnny-jump-ups, pansies and violets are all members of the Viola genus.
• Marigolds, like the name says, come in shades of yellow and gold. They have a mild citrus flavor. Another bonus to marigolds? Deer are not too wild about them, and tend to leave them alone in the garden!
• Roses are not only beautiful to look at and smell! All roses are edible, each has a delicate, slightly sweet flavor. So stop and eat the roses!
• Honeysuckle flowers are abundant in the spring and, like the name says, have a sweet honey taste. They can be used as a pretty garnish, but also for tea, jelly, syrup and lots of other things. Just a note: only the flowers are edible, the berries are poisonous!
• Chive Blossoms are a beautiful pale purple and have a mild chive taste. They're lovely in salads and you can break apart the flowers and sprinkle the tiny pretty purple petals over vegetables, eggs, soup, potato salad, etc.
• Dandelions aren't just pesky weeds! You can eat dandelion greens. But everything; the leaves, the flowers and even the roots of the dandelion are edible. Dandelion leaves are a bit bitter, but the flowers have a sweet flavor. Their bright, cheerful color makes a beautiful addition to salads!
• Elderflower has a flavor profile described as uniquely fresh, fruity, green and slightly floral with subtle pear, lychee and tropical nuances. You can pair elderflower with light teas, as well as adding to fruit salads or combining in spreads or dips and use to make elderflower cordial. Remove the flowers fully from the stems which can be toxic.
• Nasturtium is a favorite flower for displaying and eating. Nasturtiums have brightly colored red, orange and yellow blossoms and round stiff leaves. Both the leaves and the flowers are edible with a slightly peppery flavor a bit like arugula. The blossoms have a milder taste and add color to garnish cakes, pastries, salads, soups, etc.
• Cornflowers, also known as Bachelor Buttons have a sweet, spicy clove-like flavor. Their brilliant blueish purple hue adds an eye-catching touch!
• Campanula (bell flower) has a mild, bland flavor so it's used more for the pretty purple flowers than for added flavor. The leaves and flowers of the Campanula plant can be used in salads and as an edible garnish for lots of other dishes.

Your first step is to gather the flowers.  Whatever is in season when you are ready to create the spread.

Pull the flowers from the stem. Save some whole for garnish and chop the rest fine.

I did cut flowers up with scissors directly into the cheese mixture, but I started with a bowl of cut flowers, like chamomile, roses, lavender, daisy, calendula, etc. Then added the pansies later.  I soaked the chopped flowers in 1 1/2 tsp of lemon juice while I blended the cheese and butter.

Step Two is the create the cheese mixture. Blend the one 8 oz. package of cream cheese with 1/4 cup of butter.

Once the cheese was blended, I added the thyme or savory and mixed well. Then blended in the flowers.  I use a fork to get everything well mixed, so I don't have clumps of cheese or butter in the final product.

Once everything is well blended, I placed it on some plastic wrap (or wax paper) and shaped it into a log.  

  

     

I placed the log in the refrigerator for about 15 to chill it, then I unwrap and cover the top side of the log with whole flowers (garnish.) Then I put the flower covered log back in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. 

Place clean wrap over the flowers and allow to chill up to overnight.

When ready to serve, carefully unwrap the log and place on a decorative plate for serving.

Edible Flower Spread 

8 oz. package light cream cheese

1/4 cup butter

1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice

3 to 4 tsp fresh minced flowers

1 tsp fresh thyme or savory

Blend butter and cream cheese together with a fork in a medium bowl.  Add the lemon juice to herbs and allow to soak a couple minutes before blending into cheese and butter mixture.  Roll into a log and wrap in plastic wrap.  Allow to meld in refrigerator at least 1 hour before serving.  Spread on toasted French bread, crackers, cut vegetables or fruit wedges.

Earth Day 2021

When I started this list I was listening to the wind wildly howling outside of my home. Although we had no snow yet, Winter was definitely knocking at the door.  I dislike not having a blanket of snow on the ground when the wind howls, I worry about my lavender which can dry out in strong wind. I worry about my thyme whose tiny roots can freeze without a winter blanket.  And I get concerned that the water table will not be properly replenished without the moisture of snow.

Wind can be an inconvenience to me when it blows my mulch around the backyard, and can be a threat to me when it becomes a destructive force during weather events. But I remind myself that this wind is a gift. This is the wind that blows fresh air into my lungs. This is the wind that disperses the seeds that will be this summer’s bounty. This is the wind that will bring in the warmer weather to come. This is the wind that shapes the landscapes that shape my life.  

Every minute of every day in every season we receive gifts from the earth.  That’s why, to celebrate Earth Day this year, I decided to give myself an Earth Day Challenge:

List 51 reasons why I am grateful for the earth. (It is the 51^st Earth Day this year and we so did not celebrate last year!)

At first it seemed like a tedious task, but about halfway through I noticed that the more gratitude I listed, the more gratitude I felt, and the rest of the list was done in a flash. That’s the way these things work. Fear leads to more fear. Gratitude leads to more gratitude. And more gratitude leads to more gifts. So this year for Earth Day, I have decided to focus on the gifts I receive from the earth.

By the time I reached the end, I had renewed my appreciation and commitment to giving back to the earth as best I can. Isn’t that what Earth Day is all about? Good luck, and remember to share your lists to spread the gratitude!

This Earth Day, I Am Grateful For:

1. The wind’s power and presence.
2. The beautiful sunset today.
3. The fresh drinking water that comes into my faucet from an underground well.
4. The trees around me. I always feel sheltered. Not to mention their gift of oxygen!
5. The seasons. They encourage me to remember that change is good and necessary. 
6. The smell of lavender, which is very calming to me.
7. Bees. Besides the gifts of honey and wax, they pollinate plants so that humans can enjoy the fruits.
8. Rocks. Many indigenous people call rocks the grandfathers of the earth. They hold the wisdom of the earth as they humbly hold up my home.
9. The knowledge and wisdom that I have gained from watching my herbs grow.
   
   
   
10. The reliability of earth’s cycles (daily, monthly, yearly, etc.) is very grounding.
11. The song of frogs in the spring. It makes me want to sing, too!
12. The few inches that my shoulders drop when I go into nature.
13. Turtles. They teach me patience and persistence.
14. The satisfaction of planting a seed in the spring and watching it grow all summer.
15. Spring flowers, which bring hope after a long winter.
16. The experience of absolute stillness and peace that can be found in certain places on this earth. It reminds me to slow down and listen.
17. Medicines I have created that have come directly from the earth.
18. The feeling of my bare feet in grass. Aaahhhh!
19. The freshness of the air in wintertime, especially after a snow.
20. The smell of fallen pine needles in the sunshine
21. The changeability of nature. It’s very rare to see the same exact thing twice.
22. The extremes in nature that collectively create balance. Our earth has darkest and lightest, highest and lowest, biggest and smallest, hottest and coldest.
23. Eagles that amaze me in their strength and power.
24. The clouds in the sky that warn of upcoming weather and amuse me with their designs.
25. The ocean. It can be a very relaxing place, but also exhilarating!
26. The end of a hot summer day when the cicadas start calling, the fireflies come out, and the relief of coolness is finally felt.
27. Resources from the earth such as sun, coal, oil and wind that provide me with heat and power.
28. The times I have seen the earth physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually heal people.
29. Human beings. We are as much a part of the earth as the crow that calls and the leaves that fall.
30. The diversity on this planet in people, plants and animals. This keeps our ecosystems strong and resilient.
31.  The yearly emergence of butterflies reminds me to live within the natural stages of my life.
32.  The adaptability of nature and people.  
33. The dead squirrel in the road, it reminds me to slow down.
34. The song of the chickadee.
35. Water. It can take any form, can serve any purpose, and keeps us all alive.
36. The light of sun and moon that brightens the dark reaches.
    
    
    
37. Zinnias, an explosion of color that can last all summer.
38. Comfrey – purple flowers and large leaves that enhance the growing of other plants
39. The change of flowers as spring blooms give way to summer flowers and changes the atmosphere.
40. The smell of lemon herbs as I harvest them and the brightening of my mood as a result.
41. Rain as it nourishes the earth, feeds the plants and cleans the air.
42. Sunshine as it sparkles of the dew in the early morning when I rise.
43. Birds who take a bath in my rain garden after a large summer rain.
44. Skipper butterflies playing games in the afternoon glow of my front yard.
45. The blooming of the perennial herbs in late summer to bring delight to the cooling weather.
46. The flowering of shade plants the brighten the gloom.
47. The crack of thunder in a summer storm.
48. The texture of bark on the trees as one strolls through the woods.
49. The smell of lilacs on the fence line.
50. The electricity of a summer rain when everything is that much greener.
51. The sudden release of scent when I brush against scented geraniums on my steps, it reminds me to pause and experience my day.

So do you have things to be greatful for from the earth?  Share them with me!

Backyard Garden Update - August

In August I started to notice that the plants were a bit behind,  We were not getting much produce, but the plants were going well so I realized it was just that we did not plant until well into June because we had to build the beds.

We did have one big disappointment in August.

corn before the carnage

The lovely corn plants in the three sisters garden tasseled, and grew ears which produced silk.  This happened around August 1.  According to literature corn should mature 10 to 12 days after you see the silk, so I was planning for a corn harvest, my first ever, around the 15th of the month.  This was not meant to be.

 The only photos I took of the ruined corn

after first attack a couple of stalks left

I did not take many photos of the corn stalks bent and torn and tossed around the yard, which happened in three separate attacks.  It was just too sad.  I yanked out the stalks and placed them in the compost bin because they were so bent and broken, there was no saving them.

Otherwise the garden did well in August.

We harvested tomatoes several times and made and froze three batches of spaghetti sauce. We harvested and replanted the kohlrabi and actually started to get some jalapenos and green peppers. The green beans were prolific and very tasty.  We grilled them, marinaded them and pickled them.

better boys 

                                            

Romas

Acorn squash

Green bush beans

cucumbers

 
 These Zinnias planted in shade (oops, my bad!) took forever to get going, but once they did the blooms have been lovely.


The Hyacinth Bean has out done itself.  I have killed the plant in the past, so I over planted the seed and every single seed germinated so there are 8 plants growing on the little trellis.

The beans are in bloom now at the end of August and I expect to get a bumper crop of beans to plant next year and share with others.  I think next year I will find a way for them to grow sideways along the white fence, because the flowers are striking pinkish purple and stand out on the white extremely well.