Guest Post From Cathy Wilkinson Barash

Recently I gave the keynote presentation on edible flowers and held a cooking demonstration and tasting for the attendees of the 13th annual Herb Forum at Festival Hill in Round Top, Texas. Since the International Herb Association named calendula (Calendula officinalis) the Herb of the Year for 2008, I chose to celebrate it in most of the dishes I featured. And what a celebration! I had free rein to collect edible flowers from the many gardens at Festival Hill for my culinary creations.

You have to understand—I live in Iowa (had my plane departed 20 minutes later, sleet would have grounded me) where there is a very long hiatus between the last edible flowers of fall (chrysanthemum) and the first blooms of spring (tulip or redbud, depending on snow cover). To put it bluntly, I was suffering from severe edible flower withdrawal. Henry Flowers, head of horticulture, manages Festival Hill’s gardens organically without the use of any herbicides or pesticides. As he showed me around the gardens, he encouraged me to taste the flowers so I could choose which to harvest later. For me, that’s like letting a kid loose in a candy shop!

Walking around the gardens, sight—and taste—of dozens of edible flowers was heavenly, especially coming from the cold and bleakness of Iowa, which in late March was a frozen canvas of gray, brown, and white. I eagerly tasted numerous varieties of pansies, Johnny jump-ups, heirloom roses, sweet violets, dianthus, violas, flowering kale, rosemary, and even society garlic. Oh, did you notice that I didn’t include calendulas in that listing?

Although dozens upon dozens of calendula plants with brilliant yellow, vibrant orange, or pale yellow petals tinged with brown dotted the landscape and filled planters, the flavor of the petals is slightly bitter, like saffron (more on that in a minute), not something I wanted to sink my teeth into at that moment—and, I’ve never tasted a bad calendula. Nonetheless, the next morning we collected innumerable calendula flowers so I could start cooking.

A Short History
Many people celebrate calendula as a medicinal herb—used in salves and ointments for centuries, among many other therapeutic applications. It has been scientifically proven that calendula promotes the reconstruction of skin tissue and reduces scarring from burns and abrasions.

The flowers also have a long culinary history, dating back to ancient Rome. The use of saffron (the powdered stigmas of the exotic saffron flower, a type of crocus) was a sign of wealth and power. The common people couldn’t afford to buy pure gold and they discovered that powdered calendula petals were an excellent substitute. Known as poor man’s saffron, cheese makers used the flower petals to their advantage, letting them impart their golden orange color to their products.

The word calendula is derived from the Latin calens, meaning the first day of each month, as in mild climates it can bloom year-round. Christians called it marygold and marybud because it bloomed at all the festivals celebrating the Virgin Mary. This is where the importance of knowing a plant by its botanic name comes into play. Common names may vary from region to region, country to country, and especially from one language to another, while the botanic name is the same throughout the world. Calendula is an excellent case in point, as it is often referred to as pot marigold. In some older books, the name was shortened to marigold, leaving the reader in confusion as to whether the plant referred to was Calendula officinalis, or one of the many Tagetes (marigolds).

The Plant
The conquering Romans, who had no means to procure saffron, introduced calendula to Britain from its native Asia and southern Europe; early settlers brought it to America. Calendula is a flowering annual that grows to from 12″ to 18″. The stem is slightly fuzzy; leaves are soft, growing to 6″ long. The flowers are about 1½” in diameter, consisting of concentric rows of ray florets surrounding the smaller ones making up the center disc. For all their beauty, calendula flowers have no fragrance.

Calendulas do not like very hot weather. In cold-winter regions, they put on a big show of color in spring and early summer. If the summer is not too hot, they may bloom intermittently. Deadhead the plant religiously in spring and summer, and it may give another burst of color, as the weather turns cooler. In mild winter areas, calendulas will bloom all winter, but cannot stand a hard frost.

Edible Petals
The flavor of calendula is slightly bitter. The petals are more often used for the color they impart than for their flavor. Petals must be well bruised and added to food with fat (oil, butter, cheese, meat, or fish) to give off any color; the easiest way to do this is to chop the fresh petals finely.

Pick calendulas early in the day—after dew has dried. Place the whole flowers in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. When I’m ready to cook, I gently pull the petals from the flowerhead. Once I have a pile of petals in a bowl, I pick some up and let them float down through my fingers so they don’t clump together. If I’m using the flowers fresh as a garnish, I like to mix several different colors together to make a vibrant confetti.

One of the advantages of calendulas over most other edible flowers is that you can dry the petals to use them out of season. Place whole flowers on a piece of canvas or cheesecloth stretched over a screen in a warm, dry, shady place; do not let the flowers touch one another. Once they are completely dried, pick off the petals and put them in an airtight container and seal. Store in a cool, dark, dry place for up to a year. Before adding dried petals to a recipe, pulverize them.

I like the colorful flair that calendula petals add to an otherwise dull mushroom risotto and use them in my own version of paella instead of costly saffron. For the group in Texas, I made a scrumptious calendula orange Bundt cake, drizzled with an orange-Cointreau syrup and sprinkled with calendula confetti; a savory dip (with chopped rosemary, society garlic, and thyme flowers in addition to calendula); and a calendula cheese ball. This is always a crowd pleaser at pot lucks (brunch, lunch, or dinner). For a formal event where hors d’oeuvres are served, I divide the recipe into two, making smaller balls, easier to handle when you’re on your feet.

Organic Calendula Cheese Ball

1 lb. cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated
¼ cup green bell pepper, finely chopped
¼ cup sweet red pepper, finely chopped
¼ cup carrot, finely chopped
½ cup organic calendula petals, chopped
2 tablespoons scallion, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon tamari
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Freshly ground white pepper to taste
1 cup organic calendula petals* (pick the morning you plan to serve the dish)

1. Mix all ingredients, except the final cup of calendula petals, together in a bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour.
2. Form the cheese mixture into a ball. I use my bare hands or waxed paper to shape it.
3. Wrap the ball with waxed paper or baking parchment and refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to meld.
4. An hour before serving, roll the ball in the calendula petals and set at the center of a serving plate. For an elegant touch, cover the plate with nasturtium leaves, and sprinkle additional petals on the leaves. For simplicity, surround the ball with crackers. Provide a spreader or butter knife.
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*Edible Flower Disclaimer
Cathy Wilkinson Barash is author of numerous garden books including Edible Flowers: From Garden to Palate.
Article and Photos © 2008 Cathy Wilkinson Barash
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