Wednesday, April 21, 2010

'WICKY-WACKY' WEDNESDAY ~ 'TULIP MANIA' / TULIP TUNA

"Not one of flora's brilliant race
A form more perfect can display;
Art could not feign more simple grace
Nor nature take a line away."

From "On Planting a Tulip-Root"
James Montgomery 1771-1854













TULIP TUNA
~ from Edible Flowers (Cathy Wilkinson Barash)
______________

12 brightly colored 'pesticide free' tulips (reds, yellows, oranges or multicolored are preferable)
2 drained cans albacore tuna packed in water
4 chopped stalks of celery
1 tsp. curry powder
1/3 cup mayonnaise
lettuce

  • Remove petals from 8 of the tulips, cutting off 1/4 inch where petal was attached (this can be bitter).
  • Julienne petals. In a large bowl, mix tuna, celery, curry and mayonnaise. Add julienned petals and gently toss.
  • Cut off stems and remove the pistils and stamens from the 4 preserved tulips. Lay each tulip on a bed of lettuce. Gently spoon tuna mixture into the tulips. (This is also good with your favorite chopped chicken salad recipe.)

NOTE: Though 'pecticide-free' tulip petals are edible (never eat the bulb), some people have allergic reactions, which vary from species to species, producing a rash or numbness. Unless highly allergic, a few petals should be harmless. Stuffed tulips make a beautiful presentation. Do not eat flowers from the side of the road, florists or garden centers.




April garden tulips

29 comments:

Marysol said...

Praise Zeus!

Breathtaking Tulips to admire and cook with.

Joey, mi querida amiga, your talent is limitless!

Kathy @ Sweet Up-North Mornings... said...

Great shots Joey...
Love seeing all the happy little heads...
Enjoy the spring!
Lovin the sunshine!
xoxo~Kathy @
Sweet Up-North Mornings...

D said...

WOW! ok, you outdid yourself Joey. Like a kaleidoscope in all its color and design. Lovely!

But I have never heard of eating tulips, but it is worth a try. Friends from Alaska this weekend were taken aback when I talked about sauteing radish leaves. Hope you are having a wonderful week

Anonymous said...

Dear Joey, your garden must be a paradise with all those colorful tulips blooming. We won't be eating ours, but as always, your recipe is divine. Love those centers! :-)
Frances

Roses and Lilacs said...

Joey, your tulip photos are wonderful. I especially love those dreamy pinks. Definitely want to add more pale pinks to my garden.

I thought tulips were poisonous, because of the bulbs, I guess. Very interesting to learn the blooms are edible.
Marnie

Curbstone Valley Farm said...

I had no idea you could eat the petals...that could make for some dazzling salads! I love your photos. Do you know the variety in the 6th photo collection? The pale blush peach colored ones? They're all beautiful, but those in particular caught my eye.

Victoria said...

Wow..so cool..! And I love the photo shoot..brilliant!Gorgeous Joey!!
Kiki~

joey said...

Dear Marysol, so honored by your comment ... I am but a thimble on your creative finger! It's time, I insist, you MUST come and sip some May Wine with me :)

Thanks, Kathy! Keep that sunshine goin' ... we're
heading north tomorrow :)

Hi Diana and thanks! Love garnishing and cookin' with edible flowers. Mr. Ho-Hum, my sous-chef, insists those on the plate 'must be' tasted :)

OK not to eat, dear Frances :) It's like when I cook with daylilies, luckily, I have hundreds yet Mr. Ho-Hum hates to pluck. Edible flowers aren't for everyone but fun to taste ... an experience! But ... if you lived near ... after our fun 'together' photo shoot ... hum ... perhaps :)

Thanks, Marnie. Don't eat the bulbs, only the blooms! I have been 'into' edible flowers for many years. Besides using fresh herbs, flowers are a fun/beautiful dining experience, making a simple supper 'something special'.

Hi CVF! Yes, tulips are edible as is the violet in your last lovely post. Salads, sprinkled with edible flowers, are wonderful. The photo you are referring to is actually a mix of 2 favorites ... one, the double and must have favorites, Mount Tacoma or Angelique, and the other is a Darwin, 'Apricot Beauty', I believe.

Thank you, dear Kiki, who always keeps us focused on the true gifts of life.

beckie said...

Joey, GORGEOUS! The top collage reminds me of these tgings we used o put to our eye and turn to make different designs-the name escapes me. :) I'm ao glad you told the mane of those peach colored tulips. Am putting them on my fall list. They are so pretty and will mix well with my pinks. If not-oh well.

I didn't know tulip petal were edible. The grands and I were talking about edible flowers last week. I will have to tell them about tulips. Sounds very interesting.

Phillip Oliver said...

Love the photos!

Gatsbys Gardens said...

Joey the tulips are gorgeous. I am not sure I want to try the tulip tuna, must be my finicky eating habits from my childhood!

Eileen

joey said...

Perhaps, kaleidoscope tulips, Beckie! Just returned from a walk beside you and your dear granddaughters. Surrounded by love and nature, you found great treasures! I'm sure you have many edibles in your garden. If pesticide-free, next time they are there, let them sample :) There are many sites devoted to edible flowers and toxicity.

Thanks Phillip! Hey, good luck on that photo :)

Thanks Eileen, I totally understand :) For years I prepared (and loved) ... escargot ... that is until I became a gardener! Although I prepare caviar for guests, I don't like it. One of my favorite foods is a simple soft boiled/poached egg.

Chad said...

I always look forward to your comments when visiting my blog. Your floral photos are simply stunnning.Cann't wait to see what you do next.

Scott Law said...

Wow you spent some time on those. They are beautiful. I really like the way you've got all those that you shot straight down into the center of, but there are so many other beauties too. REALLY NICE!!

Rick said...

Ahhh - tulip mania - I love it! Beautiful shots joey - really enjoyed them.

Kala said...

Oh Joey! Tulip mania indeed. So many gorgeous images :)

marmee said...

what wonderful collection of tulips. i can't believe i don't have a one planted here. i need to fix that.
hope you will slow down and enjoy.
happy april.

joey said...

Thanks Chad ... so much happening in the garden that it's hard to keep up with the photos, but love trying!

Hi Scott and thanks. I'm a huge fan of tulips and always amazed how each flower is so unique.

I've got Tulip Mania and got it bad, Rick! I can't imagine my spring garden without this beauty.

Hugs and thanks, dear Kala!

I hate planting fall bulbs, Marmee, but so grateful in the spring! Off to the lake today for a dinner party with friends and to, hopefully, wash windows then back to the garden, big time, next week. Happy weekend :)

The Giraffe Head Tree said...

I adore your macro study of tulips! Wow! Your blog is so beautiful!

Anonymous said...

When I saw "Tulip Mania", I knew this post would be extraordinary. What gorgeous shots!

Gail said...

So very wonderful~~I wish they lasted a bit longer here....but that 90 degree weather week took most of them out! You are not only a wonderful cook, but your photos are fantastic~I love looking deep into the eye of a flower~I see you do, too! gail

Dirty Girl Gardening said...

I'm loving your pic collections... they are beautiful.

Anonymous said...

Your April tulips are fabulous Joey, especially the gently pale pink one!

joey said...

You are most kind, Giraffe HT. As you well know after viewing your last post, shooting what we love is a joy :)

Always a dear friend, I thank you, Nancy. Spring has been most kind :)

Hello dear Gail! We had some unseasonably warm weather where the tulips popped and pooped too fast but delighted to have a second wave to enjoy, especially now that temps have cooled down. Thanks dear friend ... we both enjoy so many common delights.

Thank you, Dirty GG. Spring gardens are a joy well worth the wait :)

Thanks, Robin. You well remember Michigan weather and how we wait patiently for spring and all these lovely faces to greet us :)

Rose said...

What a gorgeous display, Joey! Tulips are probably my favorite of all the spring flowers, and although this recipe sounds intriguing, I don't think I'd have the heart to remove any petals from them to cook with:)

I still remember your post about the history of tulips in the Netherlands; it was the first time I'd heard about their rich history...no pun intended:)

Rob (ourfrenchgarden) said...

You always post such beautiful photos Joey, but when you gonna cook me dinner?

Shady Gardener said...

Hi Joey, These photos DO remind me of the fun kaleidoscopes we had as children! (I even have a couple of "grown-up" ones!) :-)

joey said...

Hello, dear Rose, and thank you. Catching up after a long weekend at the cottage but so delighted returning from your happy post ... again, Congratulations!

Thanks Rob ... I can't think of anything lovelier than cookin' you dinner (and, of course, we'll have plenty of wine)!

Kaleidoscopes still fascinate me too, Shady, and perhaps why I so love these tulips. Oh happy spring!

Maria said...

You probably hear this a lot but your photos are amazing! Any chance of telling me what kind of camera and software you use? I take a lot of similar photos but none are as clear as yours in my view and I'd sure like to get them that way. I also had not heard about tulips being edible! Most interesting! Thanks again!