It is salad season and adding a little extra bit of colour to a salad can come in the form of adding edible flowers. Nasturtiums go wild once they get growing and they are a beautiful addition of colour and artistry to a fresh green salad. A sprinkling of bright orange calendula petals is another delightful splash of colour for the salad plate. You don't have to leave them - go ahead and eat them along with the greens!
This colorful and delicate annual is from Peru, where it was once used to treat skin wounds. Nasturtium is well known for its edible spicy flowers and leaves; what may not be so well known is that it has a high content of vitamin C and effectively treats infections and may help relieve colds. It was first brought to Europe in the seventeenth century and first cultivated only in abbey gardens for medicinal usage.
Today, nasturtium is used in cooking and as an herbal remedy. The plant's peppery leaves make a delicious addition to a salad - as long as pesticides weren't used on the plant! Nasturtium is most often used to stimulate the appetite and promote good digestion - a perfect blend of the delightful plant's culinary and medicinal properties. Nasturtium is an easy, colorful plant to grow and is available with trailing, climbing or mounding habits and either dark green or variegated leaves. Plant it in full sun or partial shade for a large harvest of leaves and flowers all summer long.
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/herbal_lore/44947
No comments:
Post a Comment