Not only do they add a splash of color and detail to salads, they are also quite tasty. Nasturtiums are one of my favorites. They have a spicy note, a bit like cress, and you can eat the leaves as well. I mix them with whatever else is ripe, tomatoes, cucumbers, other greens… They come in different colors and this year I planted a mix of them for variety.
Right now my nasturtium has stopped making flowers and it’s concentrating on maturing its seeds (hopefully when the seeds fall it will “plant itself” and I won’t need to do any work).
But purple and yellow violas and bright blue borage flowers are still blooming in the garden and they make an excellent addition to salads. Go ahead and eat the leaves too. The viola leaves are edible raw, but to eat the borage leaves it’s better to cook them, otherwise the prickly texture can spoil your meal. And by the way, borage flowers look great as cocktail garnish. Cheers.
(Above: borage. On the salad: nasturtium. Opening image: violas)