Cooking with Roses

Rose Petal Salad
By Vicki Tripp

Brightly colored and fragrant rose petals can be incorporated into a delicous party salad.

Rose Petal Salad Ingredients:

2 Belgian endives, trimmed and seperated into leaves
1 Head of Bibb lettuce, washed, patted dry and torn into bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup pine nuts (preferably not salted)
Petals from at least four large blooms (pink or red), remove nibs, tear into pieces
       (leave whole if preferred)
1/4 cup light olive oil
6 Tbsp raspberry vinegar
Salt to taste

Divide the endive leaves among four chilled salad plates, arranging them decoratively. Top with the Bibb lettuce. Sprinkle with pine nuts and rose petals.

In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil into the vinegar and season to taste with salt. Drizzle over salads. Serve immediately.

Remember: the petals must be clean and pesticide-free. Rose petals bruise easily, so you might want to use them whole.

Another festive effect is bright orange petals, sliced very thin and sprinkled over any green salad.