Taking Advantage of Herb Blossoms

One of the most satisfying things about having an herb garden is reaching an arm outside the kitchen window and plucking off some fresh thyme from your thyme plant or walking no further than your back yard for a sprig of rosemary for a recipe. But what do you do with all the lovely herb blossoms?

If you have a chive plant that is sprouting purple puffballs, don't throw them into your compost- eat them! Seriously try it! If you gently pull out a petal and give it a nibble, you'll taste a light, sweet onion flavor that is much milder than the chive plant itself. The same goes for thyme, rosemary and oregano blossoms- each have their own delicate flavor that imparts just a hint of the herb without overwhelming the dish. I like sprinkling rosemary blossoms on caprese salad, garnishing a soup, grilled vegetables or even homemade pizza. The other cool thing about herb gardens is unlike a big vegetable garden, they are not as much work and instead of gasping at the price of fresh herbs for sale at the grocery store, you can smile at clipping $4 worth of herbs right off your porch.