Edible Ornamentals

March 1, 2011

12:00 AM

No room in the backyard for a 4-by-4-foot garden plot?

Here are six edible ornamental plants that can be planted in the front yard, in small spaces and even along walkways. Bonus: We’ve even got recipes for serving them up.

NASTURTIUM

Often planted to deter squash bugs, beetles and aphids, nasturtium is an annual (sometime perennial) flowering plant. Its attractive, edible flowers and leaves are eaten in salads and dressings. In South Carolina, they grow best in the spring or fall, says Lisa K. Wagner, director of education at the S.C. Botanical Garden. “Nasturtium doesn’t like our hot summers,” she says.

Nasturtium Salad Dressing

1 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon salad oil

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

4 nasturtiums flowers

Nasturtium leaves

Pinch curry powder

Place all ingredients in blender for 45 seconds. Makes 1½ cups.

JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES

Also known as sunchokes, their bright yellow blossoms liven up the landscape while their tubers liven up your dinner table when served roasted or in soups. But a few plants can go a long way, says Wagner. “Jerusalem artichokes can do too well. It may be a good idea to keep them confined in a bed.”

Sunchoke Soup

1 pound sunchokes

1 large shallot, diced

4 tablespoons butter

4 cups chicken stock

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper

Scrub sunchokes and peel off blemishes. Cube into 1-inch pieces. In a large pot, melt butter and sauté shallot until translucent. Add sunchokes, thyme, salt and pepper. Sauté 5 minutes while stirring frequently. Stir in stock with bay leaf and bring to boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer 20 to 30 minutes or until sunchokes are tender. Remove bay leaf. Let the mixture cool and purée in a blender. Return to pot and add cream. Salt and pepper to taste.

PAW PAWS

Paw paw trees can be found growing wild in river bottomlands south of New England to Georgia and west to Nebraska. Sometimes called a “poor-man’s banana” the fruit has a custard-like consistency and a taste that is a cross between a banana and a mango. You can peel and eat them right off the tree, or bake them into a tasty pie, but keep a close eye on the fruit as it develops, Wagner says. “It’s hard to beat critters to the paw paws.”

Paw Paw Pie

1 cup sugar

1 cup milk

1 egg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup paw paw pulp, peeled and seeded

Place all ingredients into pot and stir. Cook over medium heat until mixture thickens. Pour into unbaked pie shell and bake until crust browns.

SWISS CHARD

Swiss chard is a leafy green that tolerates summer’s heat if well-watered, and leaves can be harvested for a long time, says Wagner. Fresh, young chard can be used raw in salads. Mature chard is typically sautéed. Bitterness in the leaves and stalks fades with cooking. Its refined flavor is more delicate than spinach.

Sautéed Swiss Chard

1 bunch Swiss chard

3 tablespoons virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 8-ounce can tomato sauce

Salt and pepper

Wash chard and remove stems. In a skillet, sauté garlic in olive oil. When garlic turns golden, add Swiss chard and sauté until wilted. Add tomato sauce and simmer 10 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

CHIVES

The violet blossoms of chives add a splash of color to any landscape. Chopped chive leaves are a delicate condiment for soups and other dishes, and the round tufted flowers are used as garnishes whole and broken apart in salads, cooked vegetables and casseroles. Regular picking encourages repeat blooms.

Asiago-Chive Biscuits

2 cups biscuit mix

2/3 cup 2 percent or skim milk

1/4 cup melted butter

3/4 cup grated Asiago cheese

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh chives

Toss ingredients in a large bowl. Turn out onto a floured surface. Roll to 1-inch thick. Cut into 12 squares. Space apart on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.

DAYLILIES

Not to be confused with true lilies, daylilies grow from tuberous, fleshy roots rather than bulbs. Those roots—the flavor is similar to asparagus— can be eaten raw or added to salads, soups and stews. The buds and blossoms are the sweetest parts. Raw or boiled, stir-fried or steamed, they can be eaten with other vegetables. The blossoms, with their savory taste and gelatinous consistency, add a flowery zest to soups and vegetable dishes.