Long before the nasturtium became a darling of the royal and presidential set of Europe and America, they were prized by the ancient Incas of Peru who Jesuit missionaries noted appreciated it for its medicinal properties. They were onto something. Nasturtium contains more vitamin C than almost any other plant in existence which also made it popular onboard ships during Victorian times to ward off scurvy.
Today, chef’s prize nasturtium blooms for their bold, peppery flavor that brightens the flavor of a dish as much as it enlivens the look of it. We’ve noticed a growing trend amongst chefs who are shifting from merely seeing the nasturtium bloom as a garnish to allowing it to reach its full potential as a fully thought out flavor vibrant and complex enough to compete with anything else on the plate.
Chefs request them from us when in full-bloom but they also enjoy them when the blossom is just emerging as a delicate yet still flavorful bud. We will harvest them in any incarnation because we can’t get enough of this vivacious flower’s complexity and love the way it deepens the flavor of a recipe.
It pairs well with so many ingredients from octopus, scallops and chorizo to oranges, beef and anchovies. We love the recipe for scallops, gooseberries, almonds, sorrel and nasturtium leaves we recently came across and also one for braised beef, onions, bay leaf, anchovies, chilies and nasturtium blooms. We also love them in baked items and desserts such as breads, ice creams or sticky toffee puddings. Their versatility is endless.
We’ve been growing nasturtiums at The Chef’s Garden for over twenty five years. For a while, we thought their popularity might be a fad but we’ve realized over time that the chef’s love of the nasturtium will never wane. They appreciate them for their versatility, their vibrant color and intensely bright flavor. We love harvesting a bloom that we know is as steadfast now as it was when the Incas were incorporating its fiery colored petals into their ancient medicines and elixirs.