Rose Moradian on Nasturtiums at the Bistro Organic Garden

A common sight in the Santa Barbara area in the springtime, Nasturtium is one of my favorite salad ingredients! I am growing some for the Bistro in many colors. Nasturtium in Latin means literally “nose-twister” or “nose-tweaker”, as a common name, refers to a genus of roughly 80 species of annual and perennial herbaceous flowering plants in the genus Tropaeolum (“Trophy”), one of three genera in the family Tropaeolaceae.

The flower is edible, making for an especially ornamental salad ingredient; it has a slightly peppery taste reminiscent of watercress at the end tip and sweet full leaves and is also used in stir fry. All parts of the plant are edible, not just the flower and leaves. The unripe seed pods can be harvested and pickled with hot vinegar, to produce a condiment and garnish, sometimes used in place of capers, although the taste is strongly peppery.

Nasturtiums are also considered widely useful companion plants. They repel a great many cucurbit pests, like squash bugs, cucumber beetles, and several caterpillars.
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They had a similar range of benefits for brassica plants, especially broccoli and cauliflower. They also attract black fly aphids, and are sometimes planted in the hope of saving crops susceptible to them (as a trap crop). They may also attract beneficial, predatory insects.

I grow Nasturtium with my Peas and Cucumbers as hey compliment each other no just in flavor but in growing habit, upwards on a trellis. Some can Nasturtium can crawl up a tree for 12′! Others can be dwarf varieties. I always save the large, garbanzo bean shaped seeds for the following Nasturtium growing season, the Autumn. Here are two links to Nasturtium recipes;
To me, Summer Solstice celebrations are synonymous with Nasturtium. Because of the variety of flavors within the plant, it can be paired with many other foods and wines as well.

Our Santa Barbara Winery Pinot Gris with watercress, Nasturtium and hard boiled eggs is an excellent combination. One of the oldest recipes on record is this: NASTURTIUM SALAD “Put a plate of flowers of the Nasturtium in a salad bowl, with a tablespoonful of chopped chervil; sprinkle over with your fingers half a teaspoonful of salt, two or three tablespoonsful of olive oil, and the juice of a lemon; turn the salad in the bowl with a spoon and a fork until well mixed, and serve.” Turabi ejendi, Turkish cookery book, 1864.