Nasturtium Gems
(Page 2 of 5)
August/September 2007
By SUSAN BELSINGER
Nasturtiums start easily from seed in average soil and full sun. Here in Zone 7, I sow them directly into the garden in late March or early April, about the same time that I plant early greens. I like the ritual—going about the kitchen garden with my seed packs and poking the fat, bumpy-round seeds into the cold earth along the edges of the bed. For masses of color, I plant the seeds about 8 to 12 inches apart.
RELATED CONTENT
When the plants are up, keep them well watered. But don’t feed them too much nitrogen or you’ll get massive leaf growth with few blooms.
Harvest the edible leaves regularly to keep the plants bushy. Remove and discard the stems, then rinse the leaves and use them like lettuce. When harvesting flowers, pick them with long stems, and keep your bouquet in a glass of water until you are ready to prepare the blossoms. When you’re ready, rinse the blooms gently and shake or pat them dry. Remove the stem and use the whole bloom, or gently tear it into separate petals.
Plant Profile
- Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)
- Family: Tropaeolaceae
- Also Goes By: Indian cress, trophy cress, trophywort
- Native Habitat: Peru, parts of South America
- Plant Type: Annual
- Growth Habit: Bushy cultivars grow 8 to 20 inches tall; climbers can reach 6 to 10 feet or more.
- Light: Best in full sun; in partial shade, produces more leaves and fewer flowers
- Water: Moist but not wet; will tolerate some drought
- Soil: Friable and porous garden loam; also does well in pots
- Propagation: Plant seeds in spring
Kitchen Prep
Both the fresh foliage and flowers of nasturtium add a pleasant hint of heat and pungency to many summer dishes. The leaves, which are high in vitamin C, add a peppery cress-like flavor to salads, sandwiches and green sauces. (Click here for Salsa Verde with Nasturtiums recipe.) When shredded, they make a flavorful accent for pasta, rice, couscous or chicken salad. Or chop and sprinkle them on pizza.
The blossoms have the same peppery quality as the leaves, but are milder, with a hint of a floral scent. The whole blooms make beautiful holders for cold salads—egg, chicken and vegetable—as well as cheese spreads. (Click here for Nasturtiums Filled with Guacamole recipe.) Because they are a bit fragile when filled, I like to place the filled flowers on vegetable or bread slices so they can be picked up more easily. Whole flowers also can be used in salads or as garnishes. Or use them to make a lovely, colored vinegar. (Click here for Nasturtium Vinegar recipe.)
Page:
<< Previous 1 | 2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Next >>