Asiatic Day Flower (creamed)

Creamed Asiatic Dayflower Recipe
Serves 2
The Asiatic dayflower contributes both greens and “peas” to this gentle, satisfying dish. It makes a good side with roast chicken and root vegetables. But don’t drive yourself crazy trying to harvest too many of the tiny green seeds – just use whatever shows up with the stems and leaves you pick.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound Asiatic dayflower leaves and stems (tender top few inches of the plants only)
  • Dayflower “peas” (as many as the bunch of tender stems you picked carried)
  • 2 T water
  • 1 T butter
  • 2 T light cream
  • 2 scrapes on a grater of freshly ground nutmeg
  • 1 t minced fresh mint
  • Salt
  • Dayflower blooms for garnish (optional)

Instructions

  1. Remove the “peas” from their half-heart sheaths and set aside (discard the sheaths). Pinch off and set aside the flowers. Chop the stems and leaves.
  2. Melt the butter in a pan.
  3. Add the the water and the dayflower leaves and stems and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the leaves are completely wilted, the stems turning tender, and the water evaporated.
  4. Add the “peas” and cook for one minute more.
  5. Add the cream and the nutmeg and stir for just a few seconds until the sauce thickens.
  6. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the mint and salt to taste. Serve garnished with the flowers.