Refreshing cucumber borage salad

When warmer temperatures arrive and our borage blooms I can't help but want to add beautiful borage flowers to everything. Borage has a mild taste that resembles cucumber, and it's flowers are sweet and delicious. Borage is easy to grow, and has notable health benefits. Make this cucumber borage flower salad to celebrate this wonder edible flower crop.

I'm a big fan of wild food and foraged salads, and especially adding flowers to my salads. See Garden pansy salad, arugula dandelion salad, and our signature tulip salad. So I simply had to add a borage salad to my recipe keepsake.

This recipe is so simple yet elegant for botanical entertaining. And don't forget to pair it with a cucumber borage gin and tonic or enjoy it with borage tea.

What is borage?

Borage (borage officinalis) also known as the star flower, is an annual herb with edible leaves and flowers. The flower, which we use in this recipe - has a sweet, honey-like taste.

How to identify borage:

The plant is hairy all over its stems and leaves. The flowers are star-like, with five, narrow, triangular-pointed petals. 

When and where can I find borage?

Borage is often grown in gardens, and is considered to be a wonderful pollinator and companion crop. If you don't grow it yourself, ask your gardening friends or check your local nursery!

In temperate climates such as in the UK, its flowering season is relatively long, from June to September. In milder climates, borage blooms continuously for most of the year.

I used to find borage grown wild on my hikes when I lived in the Mediterranean, and now grow it in my own garden. Borage is one of my recommended plants for : Edible flowers to grow in your garden.

Benefits of borage:

You can eat the leaves, raw or cooked, and the flowers, raw, as a garnish or in drinks.

Not only does it taste great, it is also a common ingredient in herbal medicine, and can be great for your health. 

It’s especially rich in gamma linoleic acid, which is an omega-6 fatty acid that has been shown to decrease inflammation (Scientific study: Trusted Source).

Ingredients:

The ingredients in this salad are vibrant and minimal.

• Thinly sliced cucumber
• Fennel seeds
• Kosher salt + pepper
• Herbs: parsley, basil flowers and sorrel
• Borage flowers
• Apple cider vinegar

How to make this salad:

• Thinly slice your cucumber and place them in a colander for an hour to let them drain some water.
• Move to a large bowl and toss cucumber with vinegar, fennel, salt and pepper.
• Arrange seasoned cucumber on a serving dish of choice, and add herbs and borage.
• Serve immediately.