Use calendula petals to color:
• Sugar. Combine 1 cup of sugar with ½ cup (loosely packed) calendula petals. Pulse in a food processor (or spice grinder, using small batches) to make a golden-flecked sugar for cakes, cookies, breads, muffins or scones.
• Infusions. Add petals to milk or cream, then use the liquid in baked goods, frostings, puddings, pie fillings, sauces and gravies.
• Salad. Sprinkle a handful of whole or chopped fresh petals over most any salad–egg salad, tuna, chicken, pasta, rice, couscous, bean, green, even fruit salad.
• Other Golds. Intensify the color of golden or yellow foods, such as cornbread, egg salad, deviled eggs and cheeses, as well as herb and flower butters.
Contributing Editor Susan Belsinger frequently writes about the many aspects of herbs, especially using them in cooking.
For the main article, Calendula Officinalis: Herb of the Year 2008,click here.
