Edible Flowers

Our County has an annual youth fair.    It's where our 4H kids can strut their stuff.   Where they can show the animals that they've been nurturing for the last year, where they can show their expertise in baking or canning, where they can show their cleverness in woodworking.

But the Fair is for adults as well.    There are Open Classes where farm (and city) wives can enter their baked goods and canned goods and plants and flower arrangements and quilts and get ribbons (and money prizes!)

I've never entered because I need understood how -- but I will next year!    

This year, however, my participation was in doing two classes on edible flowers.   For the last 20 years, I've candied my pansies.     I put them in a tin and throughout the winter, they decorate cakes and cupcakes.    This year, I also candied rose petals and lavender blossoms.     All for the classes at the fair.

Attendance was great both at the afternoon class and the evening class.    And each class ended with a sampling!

The refreshment table

Pyramids of cupcakes (baked not by me but by the Starlight FCE) and a tray of "flower" sandwiches (which were made by me)

Herbal tea sandwiches

Party rye bread, spread with softened cream cheese mixed with garden chives and herbal cuttings and flowers so that each sandwich looked like a botanical print in miniature.

The ladies of the Starlight Club brought cupcakes to which we added candied flowers.

A candied lavender flower is a perfect cupcake decoration

Like this cupcake topped with a candied lavender flower.    I think it looks like snow has fallen on the lavender flower.

Candied pansies make one think of spring

And these cupcakes topped with candied pansies and violas.     We used a lot of my petals but I still have enough for my own winter supply.

It was a fun class.    Good participation and hopefully, someone learned something new about flowers that are edible.

I know that in my research that I did -- did you know you could eat tulips?     It was recommended that after removing the pistils, that you fill the tulips with chicken salad.    I think that would be an interesting place for a ladies lunch.     Next spring, perhaps, at Linderhof?

It was a hot pink table and so I'm joining Beverly at How Sweet The Sound for Pink Saturday.