Ready to trade your supermarket aisle for sunshine and soil? Grab a basket, rally your crew, and head to one of the many Dutch farms where you can pick your own edible plants. Think peppery nasturtium leaves, delicate borage flowers, tangy sorrel, and vivid calendula petals. It’s part treasure hunt, part garden party—and you get to eat the loot.

Picking the perfect plants:
No expert required. Look for leaves that are vibrant and un-wilted. Flowers should be fully open, not bruised or droopy. Give a gentle tug—if it doesn’t come off easily, leave it. Mix colours and textures: spicy, mild, crunchy, soft. Let kids pick the prettiest blooms (they’ll eat anything they chose themselves). Bring scissors for tougher stems, and a damp tea towel to keep everything fresh on the ride home.

Once you’re back:
Rinse gently, dry on a tea towel. Edible flowers can live in the fridge for a day or two in a ventilated container. Leaves? Use them straight away for maximum crunch.

Now, let’s get creative with your haul. Since we’re talking edible plants in general, I’ll split the tips into flowers, herbs, and leaves/greens so you can mix and match.

For flowers – make your table a meadow

  • Ice cube posies: Freeze individual flowers into ice cubes. Drop them into lemonade, sparkling water, or a gin and tonic. They float like stained glass.
  • Salad confetti: Toss whole petals over a simple green salad. The colour pop turns any dinner into a celebration.
  • Butter or cheese board art: Press a few petals into soft butter or goat cheese. Serve with crackers. Instant wow factor.

For herbs – tea time (one recipe)

Lemon balm & borage flower tea
(If you picked lemon balm or borage. If not, swap in mint, chamomile, or bronze fennel.)

  • 2 cups water
  • 1 handful fresh lemon balm leaves
  • 3–4 borage flowers (optional, add sky-blue colour)
  • Honey to taste

Bring water to a simmer, pour over leaves and flowers in a teapot. Steep 5 minutes, strain. Sweeten with honey. Sip while watching the clouds. Great iced too.

For leaves & greens – two savoury recipes

1. Quick pickled edible garden mix
Perfect for tacos, sandwiches, or cheese boards.

  • 1 cup mixed edible leaves (nasturtium, sorrel, purslane) and a few flowers
  • ½ cup white wine vinegar
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 clove garlic, smashed

Bring vinegar, water, sugar, and salt to a boil. Remove from heat. Add garlic. Pour over leaves and flowers in a jar. Let cool, then refrigerate at least 1 hour. Tangy, crunchy, ridiculous good.

2. Creamy wild herb pasta
Crowd-pleaser in 15 minutes.

  • 200g pasta (linguine or penne work)
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 150ml heavy cream
  • 2 large handfuls edible leaves (nasturtium, chickweed, sorrel, or arugula)
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan
  • Salt, pepper
  • Handful edible flowers for topping

Cook pasta. Meanwhile, melt butter, sauté garlic 1 minute. Add cream, simmer 2 minutes. Toss in leaves until just wilted. Add Parmesan, season. Mix with drained pasta. Top with flowers. Serve proudly.

For fruits – one cocktail recipe

(These plants can include fruiting varieties like alpine strawberries, ground cherries, or even rose hips. If you picked actual fruit, try this:)

Fruity Dutch Spritz

  • ½ cup fresh picked strawberries (or ground cherries, hulled)
  • 1 oz elderflower liqueur (or simple syrup)
  • 2 oz gin or vodka
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • Sparkling water
  • Ice
  • Edible flower garnish

Muddle fruit in a shaker. Add liqueur, gin, lemon juice, and ice. Shake 10 seconds. Strain into a glass filled with ice. Top with sparkling water. Garnish with your prettiest petal. Clink glasses. Repeat.