5 Garnishes That Are Good Enough To Eat

When you make something beautiful and lovely you want to share with everyone, it can be difficult to find that perfect garnish to show off your masterpiece. We all know the garnishes that look great but are not so edible. Those garnishes are impractical and in my personal opinion, a waste of money. Garnish with style while also creating flavors that will highlight any dish. Here are 5 garnishes good enough to eat.

This garnish is perfect for adding that color pop. And the recipe is fast and easy.

1. Kale Chips

The beautiful soft green earth tones of this garnish are a great way to highlight any dish and give it that sense of earth tone and rich color. It hints at something mysterious and signifies something rich and deep. The prep work for these is beautiful,fast and easy. And the best part, these lightly salted beauties taste great. The recipe is fast and easy. To get started, you will want to preheat your oven to 350F. You will need olive oil and cut kale chips. Lightly pat dry your kale before lightly tossing in olive oil and garlic salt. Place in an oven baking dish and make an even layer. Stick in the oven and let it bake for about 15 minutes. Pull out of the oven and let cool and crisp up. Add more salt if needed. Note, these chips can be crumbly, when you are garnishing with them be sure to wipe away crumbs to make it look clean and symmetrical. Kale chips are also a delightful snack and healthy alternative to potato chips if you want to make them just for fun.

This purple delight adds a sense of soft crunch and color to any dish.

2. Red Cabbage

This garnish is great for when you’re looking for that color pop. I love this garnish for dishes that are especially rich with sauce. Red cabbage is great for absorbing some extra sauce after your meal for those delicious plate scrapings. In addition, this garnish is relatively cheap and is great for minimal prep work. Just finely chop a head of red or purple cabbage and arrange. You can also cook in a small saucepan with some light olive oil to make soft and salt. I personally love softening it and putting it into a dome like shape with a small bowl and topping it with some shaved carrots. It turns into a small veggie side dish while also serving as a beautiful garnish. And makes for a fast and easy recipe. When you want a fast garnish that is also delicious, red cabbage is your go to.

This garnish is a breath of fresh air that welcomes Spring to any recipe.

3. Mint

With spring right around the corner, it is only fitting that we add this evergreen freshness to the garnish list. Mint offers a sweet aromatic that adds a sense of fresh complexity to any dish it is paired with. And the best part? It is gorgeous to look at. Mint is great for garnishing for spring rolls for instance, things that are served cold pair great with mint. Don’t want to just garnish your latest dish? No problem! Mint is a great way to garnish your drinks as well. You can even create a matching spread of mint throughout your springtime entree.To get the best result for your mint garnish, gently roll the mint between your fingers to get that fresh aromatic wafting from your masterpiece. Mint offers a sweet fresh breath of spring to any dish and is a cheap way to keep your guests eyeing your food. The fresh green of mint is something that is unforgettable and a color that everyone instantly recognizes. When you’re looking to add that sense of perfect freshness to your next dish, try mint as your next garnish.

While this garnish takes some work, the results are well worth it. And add a sense of elegance to any recipe.

4. Zucchini Roses

When you’re looking for a sense of sophistication for your next garnish, zucchini roses are a must try. I personally love this garnish paired with meat, preferably red meat like steak. The fresh evergreen colors contrast beautifully with the soft tender meat. Start by thinly slicing your zucchini. You want it as thin as you can get it. Paper thin, a mandolin is a great tool to use for this. Take your thinly sliced zucchini and gently roll into thin rolls. Carefully, slightly pull out the edges of the roll until they become petal like, staring from the outer ridges and going inward. Note, you want to ensure you don’t overdo it with these beauties. They are beautiful but they can distract from a main dish if they’re placed too close together. I recommend 2 to 3 per plate. Arranging them diagonally from each other on the corner of the plate works beautifully if you are a beginner at garnishes. They offer a subtle green that really makes it pop, but unlike mint is not as bright of a green. I like to think of it as a perfect frame for a picture. Arrange on your plate and enjoy the beauty of your zucchini garden on your plate.

This whimsical garnish adds that sense of spring freshness to any recipe.

5. Clovers

Nothing says spring like clovers. This is a great supplement for spring greens and adds a sense of whimsical magic to your dish. Clovers always remind me of fresh meadows and add a soft green to every dish. It really brings out the earth tones and browns of a dish that would otherwise go unrecognized. Clovers are a great way to bring out complexities of your dish that would otherwise go unrecognized. This garnish is truly great making your dish the shining star of any show. It has color , but not enough to overpower and pairs beautifully with making veggies, such as carrots on your plate really pop. Clovers are great tasting and have a sense of freshness with their water content and their slight peppery taste. Because of their peppery nature, I love pairing them with steaks. Yet clovers are a perfect garnish for any pairing.