beforehand of her new lawn-themed supper club, the name of the game garden membership, MsMarmiteLover’s manual to growing and eating suitable for eating plant life
In 2010 I determined to create an offshoot of my traditional supper club The Underground restaurant – a gardening version referred to as the secret garden club, after certainly one of my preferred childhoodbooks which might encompass a gardening workshop and a supper the usage of the produce from mygarden.
Kerstin Rodgers
For a Londoner i’m lucky to have a large 80ft south-dealing with garden, that could grow a goodquantity of greens. Gardener Christina Erskine, who goes underneath the gardening pseudonym of Zia Mays, came to one in every of my supper clubs and, inspired through my lawn, we determined to worktogether. every month we’ve got a subject and this month it’s miles edible flora, always a famouschallenge. here is what Zia and that i learned on the way to grow, use and cook fit to be eatenvegetation.
widespread recommendations
choosing plant life for consuming is just like figuring out fungi: make certain you know precisely what the flower is, don’t make assumptions.
consider where you located it: picking flowers via the roadside wherein they had been subjected to carfumes or dog wee isn’t always very clever.
only use flowers in high condition.
know the provenance: don’t use plants that could have been sprayed with preservatives (e.g. from the florist).
it’s exceptional to choose in past due morning: the dew will have lifted so that they are not soggy,however the solar may not have began to dry out the petals.
take a look at inside blooms for insects.
remove stamens from big vegetation.
THE high-quality fit to be eaten flora TO grow… AND a way to eat THEM
Kerstin Rodgers
ROSES
The contemporary style is to develop roses in a blended border with different vegetation instead of thecommitted rose lawn: try underplanting with chives, with a view to deter aphids, and because the chiveflowers mature, are also stated to help save you black spot. The petals can be crystallised, made into jam or ground up with spices to make ras el hanout. In autumn you could make rose hip syrup.
sweet VIOLETS
those are from the Viola family of vegetation. For the ones which might be reminiscent of Parma violetsweets you want Viola odorata. these are exceptional crystallized, utilized in syrups, liqueurs and in baking. The commonplace or garden Pansies or violas may be used as decoration for egg dishes or salads.
DAY LILIES
in spite of the call and the stunning lily-like vegetation, the day lily is unrelated to the lilies you purchase insupermarket bouquets or grow in pots. each flower lasts a single day (subsequently the name), and in case you get into the addiction of deadheading every one whilst it is finished, it will encourage othervegetation to expand to offer you extra blooms over an extended period of time. i take advantage ofthese nectar-sweet wonderful flowers in stir fries and steamed with spinach (recipe in my book V is for Vegan).
GERANIUMS AND PELARGONIUMS
Geraniums make extremely good floor cover: plant in a partially shaded spot and they’ll unfold outhappily, suppressing weeds and creating a decorative underlay to your border. both the little plant lifeand the leaves may be utilized in salads. Do not confuse geraniums and pelargoniums. The scented leaves of some pelargoniums (rose, lemon, mint) can be used to infuse sponge cakes in case you layer the leavesbelow the batter.
Kerstin Rodgers
PINKS
The smaller types – some pinks can be just six inches tall – may be shown off to brilliant effect in a field or a sunny window box. Deadhead often to keep the plant life coming and don’t let the soil dry out.remarkable as ornament, to pinnacle canapés or cupcakes.
NASTURTIUMS
Nasturtiums are a type of edible superplant: at the same time as you can additionally acquire seedpods for planting out next year, nasturtiums are brilliant self-seeders and could pop up in unexpected locationsleft to their very own devices. The Elizabethans used those a terrific deal in their salads. The leaves add a peppery chew to salads; the seedpods can be pickled like capers, and the plants deliver colourful shadeand a punchy flavour to salads and aspect dishes.
FENNEL plants
Fennel plant life can develop very tall however their nice fronds imply they don’t solid a great deal inside the way of shadow. try planting them close to the again of a border but in the front of certainly one ofyour more architectural shrubs for a delicate ‘veil’ impact. The Romans chewed at the flower heads to quench thirst on long marches. incredible aniseedy flavour, use with sour cream in potato salad.
Kerstin Rodgers
LAVENDER
No English lawn is complete without lavender – strive blending white-flowered (Lavandula angustifolia ‘Alba’) and crimson-flowered (Lavandula angustifolia ‘Rosea’) with the more common blue and red types. Lavender likes to bask within the sun for long intervals within the day so select a warm south-dealing with spot for it. Lavender is a traditional floral flavour and scent. Use to make sugar, to flavour biscuits.
BORAGE
purple tiny flowers, scatter on salads, use for tea, or in cocktails as garnish. The conventional manner to use borage plants is to freeze in ice cubes to calm down your cocktails.
COURGETTE plants
You cannot move wrong with this deal with as a dinner party dish. Stuff with goats’ cheese or mozzarella, dip in tempura batter and deep fry. Drizzle with honey. don’t plant out your courgettes until all hazard of frost is beyond. The vegetation are voracious feeders: give them plenty of kitchen compost within the soil, or maybe develop them on pinnacle of the compost heap.
Kerstin Rodgers
MARIGOLDS
The call marigold is used for two pretty extraordinary flora, Calendula, or pot marigold – the oil from theflora is used in skin care – and also the species Tagetes is usually known as a marigold. each types havefit to be eaten vegetation: Tagetes petals are greater highly spiced flavoured and brighter in shade – andboth may be used in preference to saffron to impart a golden yellow hue to dishes. In my e-book Supperclub, i use the petals in bread rolls.
DAISIES
those daisies on your garden? not a hassle, use them to garnish a Swedish prawn dish ‘skagen’ or in salads.
HIBISCUS
Hibiscus syriacus, or Rose of Sharon is both hardy inside the uk and has edible plants so that you have no excuse not to be making your very own hibiscus syrup for cocktails. The flora are tested to lower bloodstrain if utilized in tea. additionally known as flor de Jamaica in Mexico. i’ve a recipe in V is for Vegan, stuffing enchilladas with hibiscus flora. they have got a lemony, zingy, clean flavour.
CROCUS
Crocus filaments which of course are saffron. Saffron is derived from the flora of Crocus sativus, a selectedtype of crocus with pink flowers and 3 stamens which provide the plenty-prized saffron. these flower in October however do now not confuse with the plenty large Colchicum autumnale which can bepoisonous. the United Kingdom used to grow saffron drastically and still develop it in Suffolk. it’s whyit’s so luxurious. imagine the person strength concerned in plucking the stamens from tens of millionsof tiny flowers. You must not eat the petals however. how to describe saffron? The shade is a deep yellow,the flavour is severe, floral, muddy, earthy, a hint sour. all and sundry has a special revel in while tasting saffron. Use in middle japanese cooking, with eggs, with rice.
POPPY
The seeds, in salads, on breads, in desserts, on bagels, of the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) aresuitable. but in France the petals from corn poppies (Papaver rhoeas, the plants that included the sectorbattle I battlefields) are used to make a shiny red syrup that is used as the premise for a coquelicot liqueur or as a flavouring in desserts together with marshmallow. Do now not deal with some other sort of poppy as edible.
HOLLY HOCKS
pretty bland in flavour, however very pretty and edible. may be used as salad leaves or in tortillas.
ELDERFLOWER
The vegetation of Sambucus nigra ‘Black Lace’, the popular crimson-leaved elder, make exceptionalcordial and champagne, but you don’t want to have the distance to grow an elder to revel in the plant life: try foraging in hedgerows and alongside paths. i really like to fry them in batter with a little sea salt as asensitive starter.
Kerstin Rodgers
clean floral fettuccini with sage butter
HERB plants
Oregano/Marjoram
Mint
Chive
Lemon verbena
Thyme
Rosemary
Basil
Sage
Wild garlic flora
The plants of herbs normally taste like a milder version of the leaf. Chive vegetation are great sprinkled ontop of potato salad. Lemon verbena brought to lemonade or maybe simply iced sparkling water gives it asuperb–clean, astringent tang. Rosemary plants mashed into butter and used as a topping for lamb or birdcan make evidently cooked meat appear like a luxurious dish.
grow mint in pots in any other case it’ll run rampant throughout your lawn, sending out runnerseverywhere. Lemon verbena is also properly in pots and could not withstand a totally cold winter. Basil,i’ve come to the realization, is satisfactory grown indoors in the united kingdom. aside from every otherconsideration, it is a magnet for aphids.
Kerstin Rodgers
WHAT no longer TO devour
sweet peas: I noticed those used to garnish a dish lately. NO. poisonous.
Hydrangeas
Foxgloves
Any Nightshade circle of relatives vegetation: potato, pepper or tomato plant life
Asparagus: you can most effective consume the immature stems and buds.
Datura, or Angels’ trumpets: a famous patio plant with a heady fragrance. The whole plant is poisonous
Horse chestnut.
some aquilegias (columbines)
Oleander.
Rhododendrons
Delphiniums
Aconitums
maximum lilies
Zantedeschia (calla lily)
Lily of the valley (be careful, their leaves look similar to wild garlic)
the name of the game lawn membership takes place on September 20 at MsMarmitelover’s home. Itconsists of an fit for human consumption flower workshop and supper. Tickets are £40 to be had from edibleexperiences.com
Kerstin Rodgers aka MsMarmitelover is the pioneer of the supper membership motion within the united kingdom. She has written 4 books: Supper membership: Recipes and Notes from the Underground eating place, MsMarmitelover’s mystery Tea birthday celebration, V is for Vegan and Get started in meals Writing. Her award-prevailing website is msmarmitelover.com.
Christina Erskine is a garden dressmaker based in north London. She also grows her very own fruit,veggies and fit for human consumption plants in a tiny again lawn and on two allotments. find her at urbanhedgerow.co.united kingdom and on fb at fb.com/urbanhedgerow.
