Have you ever eaten a daylily flower?
These beautiful flowers come in a rainbow of colors and I have several in my garden ranging from deep orange-red to solid orange to buttery yellow.
These beautiful summer flowers not only brighten up the landscape, but are also edible!
The tubers are eaten when the plant is dormant, such as early spring or late fall. They are usually boiled.
The green shoots can be chopped and fried.
The flowers can be eaten raw (I like to throw them into salads for a pop of color and sweet flavor) or they can be stuffed and baked. Delicious!
I happened to have some goat’s and sheep’s cheese in my fridge and the flowers are plentiful now, so I decided to cook some for dinner. They were so beautiful that I just had to photograph them and share the recipe with you.
This is a fun activity to do with children. They usually like the taste of the flowers when eaten raw and will have fun making the stuffed flowers for dinner. If you have a picky eater, having him or her help prepare the meal is a great way. This gives him or her ownership and the encouragement to try out their masterpieces.
To make stuffed daylilies you will need:
12 daylily flowers
12 chives, garlic chives, parsley or coriander stems
4 Oz. regular goat cheese (I buy mine at Aldi)
2 tablespoons grated Manchego cheese (or other sheep’s cheese, I also get this at Aldi)
1 teaspoon each: garlic powder, dried thyme, dried basil
Seizure:
1 cup flour of your choice (I usually use cassava, white rice or coconut)
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons thyme
1 egg
1/2-1 cup water or coconut milk
1/4 cup coconut oil or tallow
Directions:
Start by shaking your flowers and making sure all the little bugs have left them. I often discover small sugar ants hiding at the base. Set them aside.
Mix the cheese and herbs together.
Add about 2 teaspoons of the mixture to fill the flour, then use chives or another stem to tie the ends together. You must do this carefully, otherwise the stem/chives will break.
When they are all done, set them aside.
Add the oil to a cast iron skillet or other skillet and heat until melted.
As it melts, mix the batter and add liquid until it has the consistency of a thin pancake batter.
When the oil has heated, dip the filled flowers into the batter, making sure they are evenly coated, then place them in the frying pan, making sure they don’t touch each other.
Fry until golden brown and then turn. You may have to turn them a few times to get all sides.
When they are ready, remove them from the pan and they are ready to eat.
So easy to make and delicious!
I have a dessert version in mind that I want to try. If it turns out to be as delicious as I think, I’ll share that recipe too!