Flowers in the pot? Well yes! In addition to being colorful, fragrant, beautiful to look at and to give a decorative touch to our original dishes, many flowers are also good to eat and very useful to enrich our diet with many important active ingredients.

Several scientific studies prove that in fact some of the most common varieties of flowers have very high concentrations of minerals – in some cases higher than those of fruits and vegetables – phosphorus, potassium, flowers are a mine of natural antioxidants. Any examples of flowers good to eat? In addition to the pumpkin, roses, violets, jasmine, dandelions, lavender, orange and mauve, verbena, begonias, wisteria… and many others.

Remember, is very important to not use those bought from the florist, because of the harmful substances used to treat commercial flowers. If you can, look for them in the fields or in the high mountains. Or you can look for them in the organic market. By the way, if you have green fingers, just buy seeds or seedlings to cuddle and grow with passion (without fertilizers and pesticides) in the garden or at home. Pay attention: if you’re purchasing seedlings in nurseries, before eating the petals, wait at least three weeks, hosing down regularly!

How to use them? First of all, in salads, because they keep all the flavor and freshness of the original organoleptic level. But they are also used in confectionery, to produce jams, baked goods and are excellent with cheeses (especially goat cheeses), to prepare pasta dishes, fried flowers, or to prepare puree side dish for roasts.

Here’s a first suggestion: salad with calendula petals, orange, smoked salmon (if you like you can add lumpfish roe), mint and almonds and/or pine nuts. You can choose the salad variety of your choice (preferably sweet and not bitter). The process is simple: just pick the fresh flowers, wash and dry them thoroughly, cut and mix all the ingredients and season the salad with olive oil and salt. That’s it! Fast, beautiful and delicious!