1 (3- to 4-pound) beef tenderloin roast
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
1 tablespoons whole white peppercorns
2 tablespoons fennel seeds
1 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons dried culinary lavender flowers

Bring roast to room temperature before cooking. Trim the tenderloin of fat and silverskin.  Note: Silverskin is the silvery-white connective tissue. It doesn’t dissolve when the tenderloin is cooked, so it needs to be trimmed away. 

Pat the beef dry with paper towels. Lightly oil outside of roast.

In a small spice or coffee grinder, coarsely grind the black peppercorns, white peppercorns, fennel seeds, thyme, and lavender flowers; rub mixture all over the meat. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight (preferably).

Preheat oven to 425°F. Unwrap roast and place onto a rack in a shallow baking pan, tucking the thin end under to make it as thick as the rest of the roast. Place roast onto a rack in a shallow baking pan, tucking the thin end under to make it as thick as the rest of the roast. Roast for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F and continue to roast until the internal temperature reaches desired temperature on a meat thermometer (see below).
Rare – 120°F
Medium Rare – 125°F
Medium – 130°F

Remove from oven and transfer onto a cutting board; let stand 15 minutes before carving (meat temperature will rise 5 to 10 degrees after it is removed from the oven).

Transfer onto a serving platter and serve immediately with any accumulated juices.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Source: http://whatscookingamerica.net/Beef/lavenderbeef.htm

For a complete list of edible flowers, Check out the Edible Flower Chart at Eden Florist.

I know you are reading this thinking, “I thought flowers were only to be looked at and enjoyed visually!” Not true. In fact, you can eat them too. And for the most part edible flowers are low in (or free of) calories, cholesterol and fat.  Edible flowers have been used as food for thousands of years.  And although I have been unable to find much documentation about the nutritional benefits of flowers as food, it seems to me if the animal planet has eaten flowers since the dawn of time, then they must be healthy.  And I imagine being on an Edible Flower Diet you could loose weight fast.   Not to mention that edible flower diet is exotic eating at it’s finest.   

Of course there are some precautions you should take when considering the edible flower diet. First and foremost, not every flower is edible.  About.com has a great chart of poisonous and non-edible flowers you should stay away from. 

You can also check out this List of Edible Flowers at Eden Florist. Many Edible flowers can be found at gourmet grocery stores and local farmer’s markets.

In addition to those on the chart, the greens of dandelions are edible but they don’t taste good.  Many edible flowers  add little or no flavor to recipes, they just look pretty.

You can use edible flowers in infused vinegars, candies, sorbets, syrups, jellies and jams, as marinades, drinks, wines, meats, flower butter, dips and spreads, soups and as garnish to add color to the presentation. They can be added to water and frozen to create pretty ice cubes and add a dash of flavor to drinks. Place a colorful gladiolus floret (after removing the stamen and pistil) in a clear glass bowl and fill with your favorite jam, spread or dip.  

Here are two low-fat recipes to add to your edible flower diet recipe box (also great for entertaining):

Hollyhock or Nasturtium Hors d’oevres   

3 dozen hollyhock, daylily or nasturtium blossoms – washed and drained

1 jar (5 ounces) low fat cream cheese and pineapple spread

¼ cup low fat whipped cream cheese with chives

¼ cup turkey, chicken or tuna salad

With a small spoon carefully stuff each blossom with a small amount of one of the three fillings.

Line platter with nasturtium leaves and arrange filled blossoms. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Serve chilled

Turkey Calendula Wraps

8 ounces fat-free cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons low fat or fat free mayonnaise

1-tablespoon horseradish

2-3 teaspoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons diced sweet pickle relish

1 tart apple, peeled cored and finely diced

1-cup calendula or marigold petals

4 twelve-inch low-fat tortillas

8 ounces turkey thinly sliced

Garnish with Lettuce and marigold petals

In a bowl blend the cream cheese with mayonnaise, horseradish, lemon juice and pickle relish. Gently stir in apple and flower petals. With a spatula spread the mixture evenly over each tortilla. Cover spread with a single layer of turkey or ham. Roll filled tortilla, jellyroll style.  Wrap tightly in plastic wrap- chill for 20 minutes or more. To serve, cut to desired thickness and arrange on a serving platter over a bed of lettuce. Sprinkle with additional flower petal garnish.

Be sure to use flowers sparingly in your recipes.  Some people experience digestion problems when consuming flowers for the first time. The best thing to do is start small and see if you have a reaction before plunging into the edible flower diet.

Happy Dieting!

How to make Dandelion Salad

4 slices bacon, cut in small pieces

approximately 2 c. chopped new dandelion leaves

2 hard boiled eggs, sliced or chopped

2 Tbsp. chopped onion

¼ c. butter

½ c. cream or milk

1 egg, beaten

½ tsp. Salt

dash of pepper

¼ c. cider vinegar

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. flour

Toss together chopped dandelion, chopped onion and fried bacon pieces. Set aside. In skillet warm butter and cream until butter melts. Beat egg and then add salt, pepper, vinegar, sugar and flour. Blend the egg mixture into the slightly warm cream mixture. Increase heat and cook, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. Pour hot dressing over the greens and toss gently. Add eggs before tossing. Serve at once.

Gather the dandelion leaves early in the spring before the plants flower or they will be bitter.

Thanks to Donna Godfrey for this recipe! 

1 cup fresh rose petals (must never have been sprayed with any chemicals)

¾ cup water

2½ cups sugar

1 package pectin (i.e. Sure Jell)

¾ cup water

Puree rose petals, ¾ cup water and lemon juice in blender until smooth. Slowly add

sugar. Blend till all sugar has dissolved (leave in blender). Stir 1 package pectin

(i.e. Sure Jell) into ¾ cup water, bring to a boil, and boil hard for 1 minute. Pour

mixture into blender with rose petal mixture until well blended. Do this very quickly –

it sets up FAST!! Pour into baby food jars. Let set for 6 hours, till firm. Will keep one

month in refrigerator. Freezes well.

The use of flowers in food dates back thousands of years to the Chinese, Greek and Romans. And with the resurgence of the world’s desire to save the planet, the interest in edible flowers has become more desirable. In keeping with the current “trends” people may want to experiment with flowers and plants more as a food sourse.  However there are some rules or guidelines you must keep in mind when experimenting. First ofl all, remember that even if the flower isn’t poisonious does not mean it’s edible.

Before partaking of flowers , review these 13 simple rules:

1. Before consuming any flowers,  consult a good reference book on edible flowers to be certain they can be used in your recipes and eaten.
2. Not all flowers used as “garnish” or decorations on plates are edible. When in doubt, ask the server or chef or simply “throw it out.”
3. When growing your edible flowers only use pesticides when necessary and only those  products labeled for use on edible crops.
4. Do not eat flowers from florists, nurseries or garden centers.It is common for these flowers have been treated with pesticides that are not considered safe for edible crops.
5. Never eat flowers picked from the side of the road.
6. Eat only the flower petals and prepare according to recipes. Remvoe the pistils and stamens from flowers when preparing your dishes.
7. Different flavors occur in plants when grown in different locations because of soil types, fertilization, and culture. Environmental conditions play a big role as well. What has excellent flavor at one time may taste different at the end of the season or the next year.
8. To avoid digestive problems, it is a good idea to introduce flowers into your diet in small quantities one species at a time. Too
9. Because some flowers may aggravate allergies, it is best to start small when introducing edible flowers into your mealplans.
10. Collect flowers at the optimum time. Pick fully open flowers in the cool of the day. Avoid flowers that are starting to wilt.
11. Sample the flower for taste. If it’s bitter and you expected it to be sweet, you may not want to use it just yet.
12. Flowers mature at different rates (just like people) and depending on the soil, time of year and weather conditions, this year’s crop may have a totally different taste than those used in previous harvests.
13. Don’t be afraid to experiment! Edible flowers can add zest to your recipes, they add a whole new variety of flavors and colors that you may never have experiences.   

Have fun experimenting and experiencing the new dimension they can bring to your cooking.

Source: Horticulture News http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/1995/7-21-1995/eatflow.html

The spice saffron is the stamen from the crocus flower.  Dried Mexican saffron (Safflower) is used as a food colorant in place of the more expensive and pungent Spanish Saffron. 

Capers are unopened flower buds to a bush native in the Mediterranean and Asian nations. 

Carnation petals are sweet and  can be used in wine, candy, or deserts such as cake decorating. Carnation petals are one of “secret ingredients” that has been used to make Chartreuse, a French liqueur, since the 17th century. 

Check out the 234 Edible Flowers Suitable for Winemaking for a list of other flowers that can be used in wines.