tasty buds : Boutique farmers from Sonoma County to San Diego, who see profit in culinary trends, are growing edible flowers by the giant bouquet to fill the new demand of chefs who are beginning to introduce them to consumers. : A Common-Scents Way of Cooking

Not long ago, we asked a roster of California chefs known to set trends what the next food rage would be.

Now we know.

Flowers.

The kind you put on a plate not only to look at, but to eat.

Edible flowers have been in use in California for some time--at least since inspiration from French nouvelle cuisine style struck 10 years ago. However, it has been only within the last year that flowers for eating, cooking and gazing have made an impact on the restaurant scene. Now that flowers are here--perhaps to stay--more and more chefs will join the pioneers in developing recipes for their use, adding yet another dimension to the exotic California cuisine. Chefs are beginning to find uses for edible flowers that would amaze culinary historians.

So far, the edible flowers are confined to restaurant use, with only one retail outlet found in Los Angeles so far. Commercial growers, such as Pamela North of Paradise Farms, claim that the consumer tide is sure to turn. She believes obstacles, such as the flowers’ high cost and the lack of knowledge of their use, will be overcome with the help of chefs, who, in large measure, are society’s educators to the dining public.

For most restaurants watching food costs, the prices of these charming buds are still prohibitive. A pint-size basket of flowers, after all, kept alive by steeping them in a reservoir of moistened foam or immersing them in water, is costly--from $3.75 to $25 per basket in some cases, depending on the species and difficulty of growing them.

But the cost does not seem to deter some chefs, who may complain about the high prices but still use the flowers.

Michael Roberts of Trumps, Wolfgang Puck of Spago, Laurent Quenioux of Seventh Street Bistro, and chefs at Bernard’s at the Biltmore, Sheraton and Hilton hotels, Hotel Bel-Air, Bocca’s and the Del Coronado Hotel are among those who have met the culinary challenges of edible flowers.

Some chefs use them chiefly as garnishes you can also eat, whereas others, such as Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger of City restaurant, prefer to find flavoring uses for them.

A lucky few, such as Alice Waters of Chez Panisse in Berkeley, simply grow them.

Most chefs have mixed feelings about flowers’ usefulness as a flavoring since most flowers are mild-tasting and without the impact of a true flavoring agent such as herbs or even the vegetables from which most come. Some flowers are not particularly pleasant to eat, but make a good conversation piece.

Here are notes on uses of flowers as we’ve found them at various restaurants and some of the comments from the chefs who use them.

At Trumps restaurant, chef Roberts discusses nasturtiums with night chef Dean Mellor: “What? Fifteen dollars for a handful of nasturtiums? I’d rather pick them from my neighbor’s yard at those prices.”

Never mind, it was just talk. The nasturtiums at $15 a pint appeared on a plate of shrimp, not only to set it off but to nibble on.

“Flowers are very nice, but I don’t think there is any great taste sensation. It’s totally a visual effect and a novelty. You judge them as you would any other ingredient,” Roberts said.

At Trumps, nasturtium blossoms are used in salads, with dressings. Zucchini blossoms are used in traditional ways, stuffed with ricotta cheese, dusted with flour and sauteed.

“Every once in a while, I’ll add white dried lily buds to sauces or pastas,” Roberts said.

At Spago, Wolfgang Puck and cook Barbara Figueroa decided to press nasturtium flowers into pasta and use the leaves for making sauce.

“This is not a new idea. Italians do the same with basil and other herbs. We just thought the nasturtium leaves, which are especially flavorful, would be a nice change,” Figueroa said.

Started in a Garden

Alice Waters, often referred to as the “mother of California cuisine,” probably was the first to inspire other chefs to use flowers in cooking and food presentation. She began to use nasturtiums and violas from her backyard herb garden 10 years ago.

“I was in desperation for something to garnish a soup, so I just went out in our backyard where nasturtiums were growing wildly and picked some. The blossoms were so pretty on the soup I decided to use them more often,” she explained.

When plum blossom season arrived, the blossoms were used to flavor ice cream. A French recipe for acacia blossoms remembered from her stay in Provence inspired acacia blossom fritters.

“Now we have an edible flower garden filled with rose geraniums, violas, pansies, deep red nasturtiums, borage and many others that make great confetti on salads when combined. I love to combine blue, yellow, pink and red rose petals and sprinkle them over a chiffonade salad. I also sprinkle them on deviled eggs and on butter for fish,” she said.

A necessary precaution, however, is to learn the strengths and weakness of the flowers.

“Some have good flavor, but others are not pleasant to eat. I prefer to integrate them into a dish, rather then decorate with them for the sake of decorating,” she said.

Showers Marigolds

Meanwhile, in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., Martin Woesle, the talented executive chef at Mille Fleurs, showers marigold petals on a salad. Many of his inspirations for using them come from whatever is found each morning at the Vegetable Store, a roadside vegetable stand minutes from his restaurant. Woesle, whose fresh cuisine has made him one of the noteworthy chefs in Southern California, almost always includes flowers, usually as garnish-flavoring agents.

Incidentally, the Vegetable Store stand, a landmark for local and faraway chefs who line up early each morning to get the best produce, has been operated by several generations of the Chino family, one of the first boutique farmers to introduce flowers to the restaurant trade. The stand is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday.

Roy Yamaguchi of 385 North, who found a disappointing audience five years ago when he first introduced flowers in salads, is again testing the waters.

“They were pretty, but people would push them aside on the plates even when told they were edible. And at a dollar apiece, it was a waste,” he said. His dish using edible flowers with quail is making a comeback on his menu.

Not all chefs like the edible flowers. Says Patrick Healy of Colette at the Beverly Pavilion Hotel:

“It’s another gimmick, I think. They’re pretty, but not my style. The only time I’d think of using them would be as a decoration--but not on a plate.”

In Use for Years

Laurent Quenioux, whose nouvelle cuisine training included the use of flowers, has been one of the few California chefs to make early use of them in Los Angeles. He prepared a simple lobster salad with a tomato vinaigrette around which pansies and nasturtiums are arranged.

Flowers have been part of the French cuisine practiced by Roland Gibert of Bernard’s at the Biltmore for years. He enjoys using zucchini flowers and nasturtium blossoms for such dishes as stuffed zucchini blossom appetizers.

Meanwhile, at the Biltmore’s Court Cafe, chef Jackson Kenworth, whose training includes work at Rancho Bernardo Inn and Spago, makes use of flowers for decorative effect. Melons flavored with ginger syrup are decorated with nasturtiums. A pasta made with baby squash also makes use of the flowers as an edible decoration.

Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger of City restaurant use flowers only if they contribute a substantial flavor to a dish.

“Susan and I always felt that flowers are beautiful, but if they don’t have a flavor that talks to you and says something, we wouldn’t use them--not unless they tasted good,” Milliken said.

The chefs do use kale flowers, which they find lovely to look at and exceptionally rich in flavor.

“The musky, dusty flavor of little white kale flowers is really wonderful,” Milliken said.

In Fritters and Pasta

In the past, the chefs have used coriander and nasturtium flowers (which have more flavor than most flowers) in fritters. Kale or broccoli flowers are added to vermicelli noodles for a vegetarian dish at their restaurant.

The chefs’ recipes given here make use of familiar flowers, such as nasturtiums and pansies, which are available commercially and are grown easily in home gardens. Kale, broccoli and zucchini flowers can be be found at many gourmet grocery stores and are also easy to grow at home.

If using fresh flowers from the garden, check the list of edible flowers on Page 12 or call the plant adviser at the Los Angeles State and County Arboretum at (818) 446-8251 for information about the edibility of plants and flowers. The Poison Information Center of the Los Angeles County Medical Assn. at (213) 484-5151 provides some information about toxic levels of some plants and flowers, but not all.

It is important when eating garden flowers (provided they are edible) to make sure that no pesticides, fungicides or other chemicals have been used on them. They should be rinsed thoroughly before using.

Trumps’ recipe for tamales is a large one. Use as many as needed for the dish and freeze the rest for a treat another time.

TRUMPS TAMALES WITH SHRIMP AND LIME BUTTER

16 to 21 medium shrimp

Tamales

Lime Butter

Nasturtium flowers

Thread shrimp on skewers, allowing 4 to 6 per person. Broil or grill until done, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Heat Tamales in steamer rack if cold. Unwrap Tamales and arrange on platter, allowing 1 or 2 Tamales per person. Place shrimp skewers on platter. Pour Lime Butter over shrimp. Garnish with nasturtium flowers. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Tamales

3 cups corn kernels

1 sweet red pepper, minced

1 green pepper, minced

1/2 onion, minced

3/4 cup butter

1 cup water

1/2 cup instant masa

1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal

1 tablespoon baking powder

Salt, pepper

24 corn husks

Saute corn with red and green peppers and onions in butter until onion is tender.

In mixing bowl, combine water, masa, cornmeal, baking powder and salt and pepper to taste. Mix to blend well.

Stir in onion mixture. Place a tablespoon of the mixture in center of each corn husk. Fold husk, being sure to enclose filling completely. Tie ends.

Steam on rack over simmering water 45 minutes. Remove from steamer. Let rest 20 minutes, then return to steamer and reheat 20 minutes to serve. Makes about 24 tamales.

Lime Butter

1/4 cup lime juice

1/4 cup fish stock

1 tablespoon minced shallots or onion

6 ounces butter

Salt, pepper

Combine lime juice and stock in saucepan with shallots. Bring to boil. Reduce liquid by 2/3. Remove from heat and whisk in butter. Add salt and pepper to taste.

CITY RESTAURANT VEGETABLE VERMICELLI

1/4 cup butter

3 cloves garlic, mashed

1 cup julienned oyster mushrooms

1 carrot, julienned

1 zucchini, julienned

1 yellow crookneck squash, julienned

1 large tomato, peeled, seeded and julienned

1 leek, julienned

1 small turnip, julienned

1 cup kale flowers or broccoli flowers

1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Freshly cracked black pepper

1 pound vermicelli

Grated Parmesan cheese

Chopped chives

Melt butter in large skillet. Add garlic and mushrooms and saute until tender. Add carrot, zucchini, squash, tomato, leek and turnip. Saute until vegetables are tender-crisp. Add kale flowers, lemon juice and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Meanwhile, cook vermicelli in boiling salted water until tender. Drain, leaving noodles somewhat wet, and add to vegetable mixture. Cook, tossing, to heat through. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and garnish with chopped chives. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

SPAGO’S NASTURTIUM LEAF PASTA SAUCE

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar

1 small shallot, minced

2 tablespoons whipping cream

1 cup butter

1/2 cup nasturtium leaves (large ones torn into equal pieces)

3 tablespoons cold chicken stock

4 large nasturtium leaves, julienned

Nasturtium Pasta

Combine white wine, vinegar and shallot in saucepan. Bring to boil and reduce by half. Add cream and reduce again by half. Whisk in butter, a bit at a time, until melted. Puree torn nasturtium leaves with chicken stock in blender. Just before serving, stir into sauce along with julienned nasturtium leaves. Toss with Nasturtium Pasta. Makes 4 servings.

Nasturtium Pasta

3/4 cup semolina flour (finest grind)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoons salt

2 eggs

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup nasturtium flower petals, rinsed and dried

1/2 cup butter

Place flours in food processor fitted with metal blade. Add salt, eggs and oil. Blend well. Remove dough from processor and form into ball. Wrap in plastic and let rest at least 2 hours.

Put through pasta machine according to manufacturer’s directions. Spread sheet of pasta on lightly floured surface. Arrange petals over half of dough. Fold dough and process through pasta machine to press petals through pasta. Cut pasta into fettuccine noodles. Using about 12 ounces of fettuccine, cook fettuccine in boiling, generously salted water. Drain. Toss with butter.

ROLAND’S PETITS FARCIS

(Stuffed Zucchini Flowers)

1/2 small onion, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped prosciutto

1 clove garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup white wine

24 zucchini flowers

Meat Filling

Nasturtium flowers, optional

Saute onion with prosciutto and garlic in olive oil in skillet until onion is tender. Add wine. Bring to boil. Set aside. Stuff zucchini flowers with Meat Filling. Twist end of flowers to keep filling from oozing out.

Place upright in skillet over wine mixture. Cover and simmer until filling is done, about 20 minutes. Pass as hors d’oeuvres or arrange on plate in circular fashion and pour pan juices over stuffed flowers. Garnish with fresh zucchini flowers or nasturtium flowers. Makes 24 stuffed zucchini flowers.

MARTIN WOESLE’S SALMON ROULADE

6 large savoy cabbage leaves

1 pound whole trout

1 egg

1 cup whipping cream

Salt

Dash cayenne pepper

1 1/2 pounds salmon fillet, cleaned

Pepper

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 cup white wine

Saffron Rice

Champagne Sauce

Nasturtium flowers

Sprigs of dill

Sprigs of basil

Blanch cabbage leaves in boiling salted water 30 seconds. Plunge immediately into ice water to prevent continued cooking. Cut off hard center core of each leaf. Set leaves aside.

Remove head and skin from trout and fillet. Place in food processor and blend at high speed 15 seconds. Add egg and blend. Gradually add whipping cream and blend until mixed. Add salt and cayenne pepper to taste. Press through sieve with rubber scraper and set aside.

Cut salmon into 6 (4x3x1/2-inch) pieces. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread some of trout mousse in center of each cabbage leaf in shape of the salmon slices. Place salmon on top of mousse. Roll cabbage leaf around fish completely.

Grease 13x9-inch pan with butter. Place cabbage in pan. Add white wine to pan bottom. Cover with foil and poach in oven at 400 degrees 15 to 20 minutes. Roulade should feel firm.

Unmold serving of Saffron Rice in center of each plate. Cut salmon roulade into 5 equal pieces. Pour some Champagne Sauce on each plate and arrange roulade around rice in fan arrangement, laying slices flat on plate over sauce. Garnish with nasturtium flowers, dill and basil between rice and salmon.

Saffron Rice

2 cups water

Salt

1 cup fancy long-grain rice

2 tablespoons butter

Dash saffron

1 tablespoon white wine

Bring water to boil and add salt to taste. Add rice and cook in boiling water 10 minutes. Drain and rinse rice in cold water 2 seconds.

Melt butter with saffron and white wine in non-stick skillet. Add cooked rice and stir constantly until hot and bright yellow in color. Press in each of 6 rice molds.

Champagne Sauce

3 or 4 shallots

2 cups Champagne

1 cup whipping cream

12 tablespoons cold butter

Dash salt

Dash cayenne pepper

Peel and slice shallots paper thin. Add to skillet with Champagne. Bring to boil and continue to boil vigorously until sauce is reduced to 1/3 of volume. Add whipping cream. Reduce again to 1/2 of volume.

Whisk in cold butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, stirring to melt butter. Season to taste with salt and cayenne. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

JACKSON KENWORTH’S GINGERED MELON WITH NASTURTIUMS

3 (1-inch) pieces ginger root

1/2 cup melon-flavored liqueur (Midori)

1/3 cup Champagne vinegar

2 whole cantaloupes

Nasturtium flowers

Peel and cut ginger root into inch-long julienne strips. Combine liqueur and Champagne vinegar in saucepan. Add ginger and bring to boil. Boil 5 to 8 minutes or until syrupy.

Cut cantaloupes in halves and remove seeds. Slice halves into 1/4-inch slices and arrange, fan-shape, on plates. Spoon some of ginger strips with sauce over melon halves. Garnish with nasturtium flowers. Makes 4 servings.

SEVENTH STREET BISTRO LOBSTER SALAD WITH FLOWERS

3 large tomatoes

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch chervil

2 shallots

Salt, pepper

2 (1 1/2-pound) lobsters or frozen lobster tails

1 basket nasturtium flowers

1 basket pansies

Peel tomatoes, seed and cut julienne. Place in bowl. Combine vinegar, olive oil, garlic, chervil, shallots and salt and pepper to taste. Pour over tomatoes and let marinate 3 hours.

Cook lobster in boiling water about 5 minutes or until done. Drain. Crack and cool thoroughly.

Remove lobster meat from shells and cut into uniform pieces. Arrange pieces in center of each plate. Top with tomato vinaigrette. Surround plate with nasturtium flowers and pansies. Spoon any remaining vinaigrette over flowers. Makes 4 servings.