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Make the most of culinary herbs and spices.

You may think of the nasturtium as nothing more than an unusual flower garden specimen but one bite will prove that it's a tasty herb as well. Cooks in Italy and southern France consider it a green vegetable.

 

Native to South America the nasturtium, or Tropaeolum majus, is a member of a family containing more than fifty species so named to describe the rounded shield-like leaves. The Greek word for trophy is tropaeolum. The Latin name for watercress is nasturtium although the leafy green and the flowering plant are unrelated botanically. (Why do those plant-naming people do these things to us?) When introduced to Europe from the Andes in 1630 nasturtiums were called "Indian Cress."

 

Nasturtiums are a joy to grow and fun for children. The seeds are large and don't transplant well so it is a simple matter of planting them where you want them to grow. A wide variety of flower colors are available and you can find plants that grow upright or in vines up to six feet long. If you are in a very warm climate, like the southern United States, grow them in the shade. Otherwise nasturtiums can take full sun although they do grow the best in cool weather.

 

The nasturtium is an annual, meaning that it will complete its life cycle in one season. They are a forgiving plant when it comes to a lack of water and prefer light doses of fertilizer. The only problem likely to arise with growing nasturtiums is aphids, especially in hot weather. These pests enjoy sucking the sap from just about any plant; they favor new growth. Some gardeners will sow nasturtiums to keep aphids out of the rest of the garden.  

 

With its snappy radish-like flavor and colorful, edible flowers, nasturtiums provide an abundance of opportunity for the creative cook. Combine the leaves with other greens in salads or tuck them into sandwiches. The round shape to the leaves makes an attractive base for appetizers or other small treats. Chopped or shredded you might use them to replace the traditional parsley garnish called for in so many recipes.

 

The flowers taste the same as the leaves so they are not suited for the dessert garnish so often associated with most edible blooms. Yet the color nasturtium flowers provide will spark up a salad or perk up just about any serving dish. Tiny appetizers are sometimes prepared by filling the cupped centers with a variety of creamy spreads. Mince an assortment of colors and mix them into softened butter for a confetti effect.

 

Still one more edible bit of the nasturtium is found once the flowers have gone to seed. These seedpods have an intense yet pleasant peppery flavor that can be pickled to serve as a substitute for capers. One note, however, science has shown us that the seeds are high in oxalic acid so they shouldn't be consumed in large quantities.

 

 

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