Cooking With Edible Flowers

 

I am unusual in that my whole garden is set aside for things that I and my family can eat. And, yes, I do have the usual complement of vegetables and fruit trees. But needing everything in the garden to have a culinary purpose doesn't mean that it's devoid of colours and flowers. Because you can have a flower garden, as long as those flowers are also edible.

In spring I have violets, primroses and tulips and in summer there's a profusion of daylilies, herb flowers, calendulas, daisies, nasturtiums, roses and many, many more. I even go foraging for wild flowers such as elderflowers, blackthorn, hawthorn, dandelion and deadnettles and linden blossoms. Even such unpromising wild shrubs as broom and gorse provide edible flower buds and flowers that can be made into wine, used as salad garnishes or can be pickled.

Of course, almost everyone knows of squash blossoms that can be stuffed, coated in batter and deep fried. And many have used flowers as garnishes for desserts and salads, but the culinary uses of flowers is much broader than this, as I will demonstrated with the two recipes below:

Rose Petal and Marigold Ice Cream

In this recipe the rose petals provide the main flavouring for the egg-based custard but the marigold flowers add a rich golden colour that makes this ice cream unique.

Ingredients:
300ml rose petals (lightly-packed) from fragrant or wild roses
120ml milk
850ml double cream
200g granulated sugar
6 egg yolks
60ml rose water
petals from 3 heads of marigolds

Method:
Remove the white bases of the rose petals (these can be bitter) then wash in cold water and pat dry. Place 2/3 of the petals in a heavy, non-reactive saucepan along with the milk, cream, marigold petals and half the sugar. Place over medium heat and bring to just under the boiling point. Take off the heat and set aside to infuse for 30 minutes.

After this time beat together the egg yolks and the remaining sugar in a bowl. Whisk until thick and pale yellow then return the cream and rose petal mix to the hob and bring back to just under boiling. Take off the heat and whisk 1/4 of the warmed mixture into the egg and sugar mix. Pour the resultant egg mix back into the pan and place over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 20 minutes, or until the mixture thickens sufficiently to coat the back of a spoon (do not allow to boil).

Strain the mixture into a clean bowl then mix in the rose water and food colouring before pouring into your ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer the finished (but not solid) ice cream into a bowl then tear the remaining rose petals, mix into the ice cream and fold to thoroughly combine. Transfer to a freezer-proof container and store in the freezer.

Mushroom and Zucchini Flower Soup

Ingredients:
3 generous handfuls of zucchini flowers
140g fresh sweetcorn, sliced from the cob
1/2 onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tomatoes, blanched, peeled and crushed
250g fresh mushrooms
2l chicken stock
3 tbsp Mexican-style beer
60ml oil
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
1 leafy stem of epazote (if available) (or a mix of savory, oregano and basil), chopped
100g soft cheese, sliced

Method:
Heat the oil in a pan and use to fry the onion and garlic for about 3 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes and when well fried add the stock, courgette flowers, sweetcorn and mushrooms. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 20 minutes.

Add the herbs and season to taste before adding the beer. Heat through then divide between warmed soup bowls and serve. Accompany with slices of fresh, soft, cheese.

I hope you have enjoyed these flower-based recipes and are now keen to learn more about the use of edible flowers in cookery.

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