I am discovering that more flowers than I had previously thought can be enjoyed by almost all the senses – all that is but hearing. This season I have experimented with floral flavours, wild and cultivated, and in so doing have discovered that they add a whole range of tastes, colours and aromas to all sorts of dishes. It was only recently that I learned that one of my favourite plants, the yucca, has edible blooms. Not to be confused with yuca spelled with only on ‘c’ which is what tapioca is made of, the yucca is a perennial evergreen shrub of the asparagaceae family. It grows mostly in arid regions, which is no doubt why it is so happy in my parched garden. I have taken pains to grow some from seed, successfully so, only to find that it spreads quite well on its own. Still, you can’t have too much of this dramatic plant with its gorgeous spikes of white flowers.
So far, I have only tried the blossoms. They should be young and not fully opened, as they tend to get more fibrous with age. The flavour is delicate, a little like artichoke. They should be parboiled before using, and avoid all but the petals. There is conflicting advice on this, but I am sticking with the safe and sure. I first tried them in an omelette, but there are lots of recipes out there already. So to come up with something a little more original, I thought of making them into a savoury biscuit. I probably could have used more than the ten flowers I chose. The flavour is very delicate, and you can remove a lot of these blooms before the the plant looses any of its splendour. 
Savoury Yucca Petal Biscuits
Ingredients
2 cups flour, sifted plus extra for rolling
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp finely grated organic lemon peel
1/2 cup cold butter
petals of 10 yucca flowers
1 cup buttermilk, plus extra for brushing on top before baking
Method
Separate the petals and discard the centre part of the flower. Blanch the petals in boiling water for 20 seconds. Drain and chill.
Mix together the first five ingredients. Cut in the butter.
Add the petals and mix to combine. Stir in the buttermilk. Turn onto a floured surface and knead lightly until the dough holds together. Pat into a rectangle about 3/4 inches thick and cut with a sharp cookie cutter. Place on a parchment lined baking tin and brush with buttermilk. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden at 450 degrees F.
To be honest, these biscuits would be delicious even without the yucca, and I will undoubtedly try them with other flavourings too. I wish I could tell you that the yucca blossoms are some kind of super food, but I have been unable to find any information on their nutritional value. Nonetheless, I managed to satisfy my curiosity, and at the same time add to my repertoire of garden recipes. If you know something I don’t know about this plant, or have a recipe you have tried, I would love to hear from you.
Along the Grapevine 