When I was a young child, I loved planting nasturtium seeds because they were so easy to plant, fast to grow and I could enjoy their bright yellow, orange and red colours. They grow well in dry soil and don’t need a lot of caring and nurturing. Every single child should try their hand at planting them!
At that point in my life I only knew that that were gorgeous flowers and that they brightened up the garden so brilliantly (and they made excellent fairy dresses, too!) With every full moon I would put out bread crumbs and milk and a few dresses for the fairies to enjoy!
Who knew about all the culinary and medicinal uses, though? Today I use nasturtiums in my food dishes, I make tinctures and essences and spruce up my salads with the flowers. I also save a ton on store bought capers by making a great substitute from the young, green seed.
Every single part of this enchanting flower is edible! But, why, you may ask, do we WANT to eat them? Good question!
They are packed with Vit C, A and D. Not only that, they contain great anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, anti-septic and antibiotics properties.
A study compared the treatment of acute sinusitis, bronchitis, and urinary tract infections with herbal remedies, including nasturtiums and standard antibiotics. The results show that the efficacy rate of the nasturtium herbal remedies is comparable to antibiotics. Using herbal remedies have fewer adverse side effects, making it a superior choice. By eating a couple of the peppery leaves at the onset of a cold can stop it dead in its tracks.
Their mild peppery taste can be compared to that of watercress, mustard greens and even a very mild radish. By adding them to your food you can enhance dishes like soups, pizza and seafood, not to mention their use in a glorious salad.
They help support your immune, respiratory and digestive systems. Definitely a lot more than just good looks going on here…
The easiest, and also most boring way, of using nasturtiums would be in a tea. But if you know me, I am always looking for fun ways to work with plants! Why not try this recipe that I found on Le Petit Treats out? Let me know what you think…I am pretty sure that you will impress anyone with this good looking and extremely healthy dish. (Maybe don’t tell the kids it’s healthy, though!)
ZUCCHINI CRUST FLATBREAD WITH ASPARAGUS & NASTURTIUM
Ingredients
FOR THE CRUST:
· 3 cups finely shredded zucchini (baby marrow) - about 3 medium zucchini
· 1/2 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese
· 1/3 cup chickpea flour
· 2 teaspoons fresh oregano chopped
· 1 teaspoon fresh parsley chopped
· 1 egg
· 1 clove garlic minced
· 1/4 teaspoon salt
FOR THE TOPPINGS:
· Goats cheese or non-dairy soft, spreadable cheese of choice (I like using cream cheese)
· Shaved asparagus
· Micro greens
· Nasturtium
· Truffle oil (I use olive oil when I don’t have truffle on hand)
· Flaky sea salt
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F (or about 250 degrees C). Wrap the shredded zucchini in a clean kitchen towel and hold over the sink. Squeeze firmly to wring out as much of the excess moisture out as possible.
2. Once all of the excess moisture has been removed, place the shredded zucchini in a medium bowl and add the parmesan cheese chickpea flour, oregano and parsley. Stir to combine. Crack the egg into a small bowl and add the minced garlic and salt. Whisk lightly and add to the zucchini mixture.
3. Incorporate all of the ingredients well, using hands if necessary, until mixture holds together. 4. Place the zucchini mixture onto a piece of parchment paper set on either a wire pizza screen, a pizza stone or a baking sheet.
5. Using your fingers, spread the zucchini crust mixture to form a circle about 1/2 inch thick. 6. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the crust begins to turn golden brown. Remove from oven, let cool slightly and spread with a thin layer of cheese. Oven temperatures with vary according to humidity and altitude, so leave it longer if you want a crispier crust.
7. Top with shaved asparagus, micro greens and nasturtium or other edible flowers. Drizzle with truffle oil, if desired, and top with flaky sea salt.
To discover more magic in your garden, why not look at my book? I cover 50 plants that are commonly found in gardens, The Healing Garden – 50 flowers and herbs.
We, on our family walk in the park, eat the flowers and suck on the nectar at the flower base, as we go. The kids love it. I haven't tried to eat the leaves as yet, the flowers are perfect for salads. Thank you for this info. 🌸 Confirming nature knows best.