Have a flower for your health

Instead of arranging garden flowers in a vase, try putting them on plates to give dishes a summery look. Many of New England’s summer blooms can be as appealing to the palate as they are to the eye.

Before eating flowers, make sure they have not been sprayed with chemicals and that they won’t cause an allergic reaction. In addition, pay attention to which parts of a plant can be eaten.

Honeysuckle vines have blossoms that are sweet and good to eat, but their berries are poisonous. The elderberry flower and fruit are OK, but all other parts of the flower are mildly toxic.

Perhaps most importantly, don’t eat any flower whose identity is uncertain or unknown.

It’s best to pick flowers early in the morning or late in the day, as they have a higher water content when the sun is not overhead to dry them out. While wilted flowers are sometimes desirable for salads and other dishes, they can be “shocked” with a 30- to 60-second bath in ice water to make them perkier.

The blossoms of flowers such as nasturtiums, impatiens, johnny-jump-ups, pansies and violets can be used to garnish dishes and add both flavor and color to salads. While some flowers, like marigolds, provide strong lemony flavors, others, such as snapdragons, tend to be bland and are used mostly for decoration.

Peony petals can be floated in water for a refreshing beverage that dates back to the Middle Ages. The petals of peonies and roses can also be used to make ice cream or crystallized with egg whites and sugar to garnish desserts.

Vegetable and herb flowers, such as zucchini, arugula, chives, basil and fennel, can be used in savory dishes. They are tasty raw, but also can be cooked. Try the recipe below for zucchini blossoms stuffed with mint-infused fresh cheese.

Another common find in northwest Connecticut is wild bee balm, a flowering herb that tastes like oregano and mint. Its aromatic red blossoms can be used for seasoning in place of oregano and as a substitute for bergamot, which flavors Earl Gray tea.

Many websites offer more thorough indices of edible flowers. For example, www.whatscookingamerica.com offers pictures, descriptions and recipe ideas. There are many other helpful resources in print and online, but remember to always check that sources are reputable.

 Zucchini blossoms with fresh mint ricotta

Adapted from “The Provence Cookbook,” by Patricia Wells

Three servings

Six zucchini blossoms;   half cup fresh ricotta cheese;  half cup mint leaves, finely minced;  fine sea salt to taste;  freshly ground white pepper to taste;  half tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

To learn how to make whole-milk ricotta cheese, go online to www.tricornernews.com and search for “ricotta cheese.”

To prepare the mint-infused cheese, place the ricotta on a large flat plate and use a fork to evenly blend in the minced leaves.

Carefully cut through one side of each zucchini blossom to slightly open it up. Use a tiny spoon to fill the blossoms with the prepared cheese. Carefully close the blossoms and arrange them in a baking dish. Season with the salt and pepper. Drizzle with the oil. Place in the center of the oven and bake until golden, 15 to 20 minutes.