Farmers Market Salad With Edible Flowers

Farmers Market Salad with Edible Flowers- This salad is more than just a bowl of greens, it’s a celebration of seasonal eating at its best. As a Farmers Market veteran, I love finding new ways to put together something really great with what I find, and helping you do the same. In this post, I am going to show you how to step up your creativity and culinary boldness, and add some flower power to that salad! With a handful of simple ingredients, you can turn your market haul into something truly special!

Farmers Market Salad

What did you buy at the farmers market this week? Did you impulse buy some edible flowers and now you’re wondering what to do with them? How do I use all this produce? I answer questions like these a lot on this blog, and I’m happy to keep giving you new and inventive ideas. 

I want this recipe to encourage you to think on your feet and lean into trying some things that are new, whether it is a new to you veggie or fruit, or doing something a little different and adding some colorful edible flowers. Use this recipe as a jumping off point and let your imagination soar. No more boring salads!

This salad is really versatile and can be changed on a whim depending on what you find when you hit your market. This recipe is also really helpful for those times when you get some things in a CSA box that have you wondering “what do I do with this?”

I love this salad with a sweet basil dressing or strawberry vinaigrette and a veggie sandwich!

Ingredients for Making A Farmers Market Salad With Edible Flowers

I am going to go over a few ingredients with you that are worth highlighting, but for a full list of what you’ll need for this recipe don’t forget to head to the recipe card. Keep in mind that this salad was made with what I found at my market. Not all of these ingredients may be available to you, which is why I have suggestions for variations in the recipe notes.

Purple Snow Peas- These otherworldly looking snow peas are deeply colored and super crunchy, giving nice added texture.
Nasturtiums- These have a lovely peppery bite, much like arugula. The leaves are also edible!

Pansies- Pansies have a mild sweetness, and add such a huge pop of color.

Chive Flowers- Don’t throw away your chive blossoms. They add a nice onion note to this salad, while being subtle and not overpowering.

Greens- In addition to some beautiful Spring mix, I like using torn basil leaves and carrot tops for extra flavor.

Rainier Cherries- These colorful fruits are native to my home, the PNW. They are abundant in early Summer, nearly overflowing the roadside stands. They are in my opinion less tart than their more red counterparts, and add a great pop of color.

The Keys To Making A Great Farmers Market Salad

The first and most important thing is to make sure your ingredients are fresh and that none of the items are browning, rotting, or molding. 

I like to make a salad like this as soon as I can after bringing everything home. If you can’t make it right away, do it within a day or two and try to serve it the same day you make it.

Be sure the cherries are pitted. If you don’t have a cherry pitter you can run a knife around the outside of the cherries to cut them in half and remove them that way.

I like to have everything cut in bite size pieces to make it easier to eat, but leave the pieces big enough to show all the beautiful colors that make up a salad like this. We feast with our eyes first!

Edible Flowers

I want to talk a bit about edible flowers for a moment. 

What do edible flowers taste like? Depending on the type, they have a flavor all their own. Some can be compared to other veggies and fruits (like previously mentioned about nasturtiums) and some are more unique in their flavor profile.

Where can you buy edible flowers? Most farmers markets will have a vendor that sells them. I have yet to find a grocery store that carries them. Like I mention in my posts for making your own lilac infused sugar and lilac flower syrup, it is very important that you source edible flowers from a place you know for sure is not using pesticides to grow them.

If you want to grow your own, what kinds of edible flowers are the easiest to grow? I grow pansies and nasturtiums in my garden every year. I have grown them from seeds as well as from starts, and have been equally successful with both.

If you’re growing them from starts, make sure you buy them from a place that does not use pesticides on their plants.

How To Prep Edible Flowers for Salad

If you buy your flowers from a market or farmstand, they will likely still be attached to the stems in a glass of water. Use them within a day or two.

If you bought a cardboard pint of already trimmed edible flowers, use them the same day you buy them.

To prep your flowers, trim them from the stem. Turn them around in your hand, inspecting them for dirt and bugs. Little tiny bugs can do a good job of hiding! To rinse them, use a spray bottle with water to gently mist them and carefully pat them dry as best you can. This will help further remove any dirt.

I hope this recipe is a simple reminder that the best meals often come from what’s fresh, local, and right in front of you. This salad is the perfect way to bring the beauty of the season straight to your table.

Let dishes like this be your nudge to slow down and savor what’s growing, and enjoy the kind of food that feels good to make and even better to eat.

If you enjoyed this Farmers Market Salad and want more ways to cook with fresh, seasonal ingredients, I’d love to have you join my newsletter! You’ll get weekly inspiration and cooking tips along with plenty of scratch-made goodness straight to your inbox. Happy Cooking!