The Herb Garden Cookbook by Lucinda Hutson Herbs enliven meals with their flavor and fragrance, and they provide tantalizing edible garnishes too. Lovely in punches, lemonade, gin and tonics, sorbets, chilled soups, cheese tortas, and dips. Sprinkle the large petals in a spring salad. Sprinkle them over desserts and in refreshing drinks or freeze in ice cubes.
Lavender lends itself to savory dishes also, from hearty stews to wine-reduced sauces.
Use entire flowers to garnish platters, salads, cheese tortas, open-faced sandwiches, and savory appetizers. Freeze them in ice cubes and float them in punches also. Crystallized petals or entire miniature roses are quite lovely. I like to eat the tender leaves in salads and use the flowers to beautifully embellish desserts and iced drinks. Related flowers, Johnny jump-ups or violas, and pansies now come in colorful purples and yellows to apricot and pastel hues.