Tantalizing the tastebuds...

I've found a website that makes my mouth water. Edible Tulip is Daphne Randall, a writer and chef living in Ontario. She writes in an entertaining manner, and she frames her stories of her daily life in the context of her food. Yum!

All of her dishes sound divine, but you have to check out her salads. Not only do they all sound incredibly yummy, the pictures make me want to go out and make all of them. All too often I find myself standing in front of the fridge, knowing I want to eat a delicious and crunchy salad, but I can seldom figure out the combination of flavours that will satisfy my tastebuds. Look at this! Cucumber, artichoke and olives? Sounds like dinner to me!

I found her site while trying to come up with the answer to my mystery flower question in my last post. It turns out they're nasturtiums, and not only are they pretty and practical in the garden (they deter aphids and beetles from munching on nearby plants, apparently), but the leaves and flowers are also an interesting addition to salads and vinegars, adding a peppery flavour and more vitamin C than plain lettuce.

I was trying to learn about these plants because I wanted to plant them along a rock wall border in our yard this spring, but I think I'll add them to the vegetable plot as well. Those and a few violets and pansies, and come summer, I'll have the prettiest salads around!

Filed under: food, garden, internet