Flowers for decoration

Some flowers have little scent for extracting, but make attractive garnishes for salads and other dishes, as, of course, do some of the scented flowers I have written about in subsequent chapters. Among the flowers you can use for decoration are Busy Lizzies, pansies, violas, primroses, nasturtiums, cornflowers, marigold petals, hollyhocks, borage, chive flowers or those from other herbs. Nasturtiums, marigolds, chives, alliums and other herb flowers go well in savoury dishes. Marigold petals, for example, look very good against the pale creamy green of a chilled vichyssoise or lettuce soup.