Edible Flowers – Part 2
This Wednesday, Hannah introduced us to edible flowers for the first time. Today, Coralie is sharing more on this fashionable culinary trend.
Don’t you love spring? Gardens come to life again, growing wild under the sunshine, blooming in a rainbow of colours. There’s nothing better than working outside, cutting a few branches, watering the borders, then sitting back with a glass of wine to enjoy the scenery.
I was wondering which plants to add this year then stumbled on a fantastic chapter in Mrs Marmite Lovers’ new book: edible flowers. The idea, of course, is not new. From the time of the Romans, flowers have been used as garnish on our plates. In Elizabethan times, it was very much the fashion to add a flower or two to your dishes. Not much was available in the winter and blossoms filled a gap before fresh fruit and vegetables became available again…Asian and Indian cultures still use them in traditional recipes.
Why not give it a try? They will make your plates very festive, and taste fantastic. Choose a sunny day and fill your basket with some of those. Just make sure they are pesticide free, and wash them before use:
Rose
Although it is pretty usual to find it as a flavour these days (Fentiman’s even has launched a rose lemonade that tastes of liquid Turkish Delight), it is quite fun to transform them into sweets. Get a handful of very fragrant petals and paint each side with some egg white, slightly beaten. Coat in caster sugar, leave to dry on a rack for 24 hours (in the winter, an airing cupboard works wonderfully). Use them as decorations for desserts or on the side of a beautiful teacup. They make an amazing handmade gift too. Alternatively, mix with violas or primroses.
Lavender
My favourite. Every year, we fill the house with bunches of those. Their fragrance makes me feel on holiday in the South of France. I always keep a dozen of stems aside to make flavoured sugar. Just put 100g of sugar and a spoonful of the tiny flowers in a blender for 10 seconds. That’s it (and so much cheaper than buying it in a shop) bruised, the petals liberate their essential oil. This is a great addition for shortbreads, cake mixes, sprinkled on Greek yogurt or on fresh strawberries and blueberries.
Elderflower
We all have used it as a cordial at home. It is actually quite easy to infuse their muscaty, honey flavour to recipes: just dip the flower heads in a sugar syrup, a fruit puree, a jelly or a cream for a few minutes before removing them.
Marigolds
Their bright yellow petals were used to colour cheese and butter and were known as “The poor man’s saffron”. Just add a pinch of those to your stews, casseroles, stuffing and even bread mix for extra texture and flavour.
Dandelions
A friend recently served the petals on a still steaming risotto. Surprisingly, they add a nice buttery touch. Her advice is to go for young flowers, when the bloom is still close to the ground as they are most tender. She also puts them in her marmalade. The French also use the leaves in salads as an alternative to chicory. Another idea is to sautee them with garlic, onions and parsnips.
Nasturtiums
You will fall for their peppery taste and magnificent effect on the table. Add them to sliced heirloom tomatoes, pour a spoonful of raspberry vinegar for an extra wow effect.
Courgette
Stuff the flowers with goat’s cheese and pine nuts, dip them in batter, fry them and drizzle with liquid honey. A very common dish in Spain and Italy, it proves very addictive. Be adventurous; try mixing mascarpone, feta, herbs, citrus zests…
Chives
Those cute lilac flowers taste of garlic and are fantastic in any potato salad.
I recently used a few of those to add a twist to a barbecue party. Colourful plates, Cath Kidston table cloth, old teapots filled with roses, bunting in the trees, candles all around, friends and sparkling wine. Unforgettable.
Have you inherited a floral recipe, such as elderflower fritters? We’d love to hear from you!
Photography by AeHack, Kattebelletje, Philip Bouchard, and Life Is Good (Pete)
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