SC - SC-Mongolian hot pot?

[kelsaborg]

    Considering our discussions on this topic recently, I thought this 
newsletter from Burpee, the seed company, might interest some of 
ya'll.............. :-)


                    Ldy Diana

In a message dated 4/6/00 9:45:58 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
LISTADMIN at GARDEN.ORG writes:

<< 
 =======================
 
 Growing Edible Flowers
 
 Adding flowers to food has long been a custom in many
 cultures around the world. For centuries, Chinese cooks
 have used lotus, chrysanthemum, and lily flowers or buds
 in their recipes. Some flowers provide a nutritional boost
 as well as flavor. Nasturtiums, for example, are high in
 vitamins A, C (10 times as much as in lettuce), and D.
 
 You may be growing an array of edible flowers in your
 garden already without knowing it. If you grow calendulas,
 chrysanthemums, dandelions daylilies, Johnny-jump-ups,
 lavender, marigolds, nasturtiums, pansies, roses, scented
 geraniums, squash blossoms, or sunflowers, you have an
 edible flower garden.
 
 Here are some tips for using the blossoms to add beauty,
 pizzazz, and flavor to your meals.
 
 1. Taste the flowers before you harvest them. The flavor
 may vary depending on the plant, the soil, and weather
 conditions. You may find flowers in one part of your
 garden taste better than the same flowers in a different area.
 In general, flowers that receive excess water will not be
 
 2. Flowers are best used on the day they are picked. Gather
 them in the cool of the morning after the dew has evaporated.
 Choose flowers that are at their peak, avoiding those not yet
 open and or wilted.
 
 3. Wash flowers thoroughly and gently, and store them
 between layers of paper towels. You can also place them
 in plastic bags in the refrigerator until later in the day.
 
 4. In most cases, the petals taste the best, so discard the
 sepals and other flower parts inside the petals, such as the
 pistils, ovaries, and stamens. You can eat the entire flowers
 of Johnny-jump-ups, violets, honeysuckle, and clover.
 Roses, dianthus, English daisies, Signet marigolds, and
 chrysanthemums have a bitter white portion at the base of
 the petal where it was attached to the flower, so remove
 that before using them.
 
 5. All edible flowers will enhance a salad, and many are
 tasty in vinaigrette dressings. Add them to soups, pasta
 salads, and stir fries before serving. Squash blossoms are
 tasty battered and fried. For more recipe ideas, consult books
 on edible flower gardening, such as Edible Flowers, by
 Cathy Wilkinson Barash.
 
 6. Lastly, some words of caution: Choose only flowers that
 have been grown organically and have no pesticide residue.
 Avoid florist flowers because they have likely been sprayed.
 Do not eat flowers if you have asthma, allergies, or hay fever.
 
 Question of the Week
 =================
 Q. Which edible flowers can be grown in containers on a balcony?
 
 A. Chives, lavender, Johnny-jump-ups, marigolds, nasturtiums,
 pansies, and geraniums are only some of the edible flowers that
 can thrive in containers. You might interplant them with herbs,
 such as thyme, sage, and parsley, for added benefit.
  >>