Edible Daylilies

Not only are they beautiful but the whole daylily is edible, from it's tuberous roots to stem, buds and lovely flowers that only lasts a day.

In Missouri, the orange flowers brought to North America by the first colonists are know as "ditch lilies" because they've naturalized along Missouri's road sides. I happen to love these flowers; they've helped stabilize soil on my hillside and added long-lasting beauty to my garden, and my dishes.

To use, remove the stamen; wash, then dry on paper towels or clean dish towels.

Add a daylily flower to a salad, either whole or in pieces. Make sure you're picking flowers from an area that hasn't been treated with pesticides. Although these are common daylilies, all daylilies are edible.

Charlotte

Yummy Violets!

Looking for something pretty to spice up your dishes, or a quick dash of vitamins? It could be right out your door!

Wild violets add lovely color to any dish and are high in Vitamin C. They would also make any dish special as a gift from your kitchen.

To pick wild violets for garnish, make sure you're picking wild violets,

or any flowers, from an area that hasn't been treated with chemicals. Pull

gently on the flower stem to remove from the plant without taking out

roots. Wash. Pat dry.

I like to pile several wild violet stems together, keeping flowers on the

same side. My nephew prefers to literally toss his wild violets all over

his plate, giving his dish that extra artsy touch!

Charlotte