Roses
Pastry chef Maura Kilpatrick of Oleana in Cambridge captures the heady fragrance of beach roses in a jam used to accent desserts like lemon tarts and frozen nougat.

Violets
Salad greens at the Dunaway Restaurant in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, get a hint of sweetness from these intensely hued blossoms, plucked from the on-site garden.

Fennel Pollen
At Southborough's Tomasso Trattoria, the spice adds aromatic depth to the slow-roasted pork rib chop.

Watercress
Truffle oil softens the spicy bite of this vitamin-rich leaf, which Cambridge's Dante serves with grilled hanger steak.

Nettles
Also called stinging nettles, the spiky leaves are a favorite of chef Steve Johnson, who loves their earthy flavor in pastas and soups at his Rendezvous in Central Square.