Two extraordinary things are happening this week: The first is today’s Edible Flower Virtual Potluck, and the second is Mother’s Day. The first I am thrilled about beyond belief, and the second is a holiday I have come first to loathe and then begrudgingly to tolerate over the past seven years. Let me explain.
Almost seven years ago, my mother—an aromatherapist and flower lover to end all others—passed away. She was also my best friend, the only other member of the most exclusive club of mutual appreciators in the world, and the person I believed knew me best on this earth. I came from her, after all. How could she not?
I know not everyone feels so glowingly about their mothers, and I know that, when she was alive, there were many a moment where our relationship was challenging, complex, and contentious. I know that it wasn’t always the two of us hand in hand, skipping to the garden to pick nasturtiums.
But today’s edible flower potluck and this week’s holiday are the perfect moments to pay homage to the woman who gave me everything she had. I honestly don’t know how I have lived these past seven years without her, but somehow I’ve made it. At times stumbling, often with many tears, and finally, in the past couple years, with the relief of grief giving way to new life.
My mom was also a beautiful writer—her first book, Living With the Flowers, is a veritable encyclopedia of flower lore and usage. She studied for years with naturalists and botanists in British Columbia and Northern California, and poured all of that wisdom into her writing. (And yup, that’s her on the cover, circa 1982, in her garden in Bolinas, California, serving mega flower child realness.)
My mom’s knowledge of flora is completely freaking mind-blowing. From how to treat rashes with arcane varietals of flowering herbs to creating a “Saturday Flower Feast”, she has the answer. I learn something new every time I open her books’ pages.
Her second book, The Complete Book of Flowers, was an updated version of the first. And the last was a collection of poetry published the week before she died. We rushed it through a small publisher (her sister) so she could see it before she passed. Ugh. Death.
How thrilled I was, though, to hitch the Kale & Caramel wagon to the Edible Flower Virtual Potluck! When Renee of Will Frolic for Food reached out about it, I quickly realized it was the perfect channel for my Mother’s Day angst.
This recipe, these one-of-a-kind stuffed nasturtiums, is modified from one in my mom’s first book. I’ve changed a few things and added some cheesy, garlicky, herby breadcrumbs. I was an ocean of mixed sentiment making them—at once elated to honor her legacy and deeply melancholic in my missing her.
I settled somewhere in between the joy and the tears. My father was still in LA visiting when I made them, and when I told him I felt a bit sad, he took a bite of a nasturtium, inhaled deeply, and told me: “She would have been so happy you made these.” That’s all that matters.
I’m so glad to share the recipe with you all. Maybe make them for your mama for Mother’s Day if she’s still around, or for anyone who inspires you to love bigger. Thanks to each of you for inspiring me—particularly all of the amazing bloggers who brought incredible recipes to the #frolicforflowers virtual potluck! Scroll down to see each contribution, and their links.
Check out everything at our #frolicforflowers Edible Flower Virtual Potluck:
A Brown Table | Flourless Chocolate Cake with Orange Blossom Water & Strawberry Champagne Sauce
Baking Magique | Salted Lavender Chocolate Buckwheat Cookies (Gluten Free)
The Bojon Gourmet | Hibiscus, Rhubarb + Yogurt Ice Pops
Dunk & Crumble | Strawberry Lilac Pavlovas
Earthy Feast | Lentil Salad with Browned Butter Baby Turnips, Sourdough Bits, Soft Boiled Egg, Micro Greens + Marigold
EGeeDee | Coconut Golas (Indian Shaved Ice on a Stick) in a Hibiscus Syrup
Fix Feast Flair | Mini Pistachio-Rose Olive Oil Cakes with Lemon-Chamomile Whipped Cream
Ginger and Toasted Sesame | Hwajeon: Sweet Matcha Rice Cakes with Fresh Flowers and Honey Syrup
Le Jus D’Orange | Rose Hokkaido Cupcakes with Pistachio-infused Cream
A Little Saffron | Raspberry Rose Fizz
London Bakes | Strawberry + Rose Cake (Gluten Free)
Snixy Kitchen | Chamomile Honeycomb Ice Cream
Top With Cinnamon | Lime, Mango and Elderflower Cakes
Vegetarian Ventures | Breakfast Sweet Potato with Hibiscus Tea Yogurt & Turmeric Granola
Vidya Living | Rustic Rhubarb, Strawberry & Chamomile Galette (Gluten Free)
Will Frolic for Food | Lilac Lemon Grapefruit Sherbet (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 20-25 medium to large nasturtiums picked from an organic garden or sourced from an edible-friendly farmer
- ½ cup whole milk ricotta
- 2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil leaves
- ¼ cup finely chopped raw walnuts
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt plus more to taste
breadcrumbs
- ½ cup breadcrumbs buy premade or use a rolling pin to pulverize stale bread tucked inside a double layer of ziplock bags
- ½ clove garlic crushed
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 2 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- 2 pinches sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat (toasteoven to 400º.
- Trim nasturtium stems to ½ or ¼-inch and submerge flowers in a bowl of water for 5-10 minutes. This should take care of any buggies that might be lingering. Rinse under a very gentle stream of cool water and place on a towel to dry.
- While they’re drying, combine breadcrumbs, olive oil, crushed garlic, parsley, parmesan, and sea salt in a small bowl. Toss to fully incorporate ingredients, and work them through a bit with your fingers. Lay out in an even layer on a baking sheet, and bake for 5-7 minutes, just until they turn golden brown. Remove from heat and turn off oven. Set aside.
- In another small bowl, mix ricotta cheese, basil, sea salt, and walnuts.
- Gently stuff each nasturtium with about 1 teaspoon of ricotta mixture. Dust the top with breadcrumbs, and lay out in a circle on a serving plate or platter.
