Start small
McCormac's interest in edible flowers first started when he moved into a place where he had enough outdoor space for a couple of herb pots. Through experimenting with these flavours, he grew his collection and now thinks he has over 20 edible plants in his home. To him, the key to growing edible plants is starting small and then going from there.
Sweet or savoury?
When it comes to picking between sweet and savoury, McCormac can't really decide upon his favourite. He says he personally has more of a savoury tooth but there's lots to be done with edible flowers for all palates. One of his favourite savoury combinations is salty cheese with rosemary or lilacs whilst a popular floral recipe in his book is steamed artichokes with nasturtium butter.
Recipe inspiration
Lots of the recipes in The Herb and Flower Cookbook are described as "low-fi impressive cooking" by McCormac. Simple additions of edible flowers to dishes can have a real impact. Inside the book are recipes such as Middle Eastern Sprice Chicken with chilli and rose and Pea, purslane and pansy salad which all make the most of the bold floral flavours.
Find out more
You can learn more about the book and buy your own copy on McCormac's website. He kindly shares recipes on his website too, so be sure to take a look and start cooking with edible flowers!
Just remember to check you have specially grown edible flowers and not cut flowers from your favourite bouquet. When you try out one of the recipes from the book, be sure to share a photo with us on our Facebook page.
