Cooking for Mother’s Day this year? Sue Lawrence from Scotsman.com reminds us that flowers make great ingredients and shares a few of her favorite flower recipes:
FOR hundreds of years, petals and whole flowers have been used in the kitchen. The Romans added lavender to honey and used marigolds for their colour and flavour. Recipes from all over Britain dating from the 17th and 18th centuries contain nasturtiums, borage and lavender. After this period, though, edible flowers inexplicably went out of fashion.
Recently, however, they have been enjoying a revival, and if you have not yet tried petals, it’s time to take a fresh look at your flowerbeds. But certain rules must be followed. First, ensure that the flowers are unsprayed, then carefully expel any wildlife by giving them a good shake or a wipe with kitchen paper - only rinse if absolutely necessary. On the whole, delicate flowers should only be added to salads at the last minute, especially if they are to be dressed with an oil-based vinaigrette. Sturdier ones, such as lavender, can be stuffed into chicken or rabbit before roasting, and then discarded later.
If in doubt about which flowers to choose, stick to the ones mentioned here. Unsprayed rose petals can be used to decorate desserts or cakes, or incorporated with peaches and apricots into fragrant jams. Snip away the white base of each petal (which is bitter), then add a couple of handfuls of petals for every kilo of fruit. Borage is not merely an adjunct to long summer drinks such as Pimms; it can also be tossed into stir-fries, added to pickles or whizzed into cold summer soups. Marigold petals can be infused in stock or wine, then stirred into paellas, risottos and fish soups instead of expensive saffron. They can also be shredded into scones or bread to add a gorgeous yellow colour, or added to savoury tarts, sweet buns or sponge puddings. You can also add a sprinkle of runner-bean flowers to vegetable soups, or top salads and creamy desserts with pansies and heartsease.
Herb flowers are the ideal garnish when recipes call for herb leaves, as their flavour is similar, but milder than the actual herb. I like rosemary, thyme, mint, marjoram or chive flowers tossed over dishes made from eggs, vegetables or cheese.
Probably the most versatile edible flower is the nasturtium. Shred its young leaves into salads or add them to sandwiches with cream cheese. Snip off the whole flowers from the stems and add them to vegetables, fish or pasta. Their pungent, peppery taste is also the perfect match for mild-tasting ingredients such as avocados.
Scotherbs (www.scotherbs.co.uk) sells edible flowers as well as fresh pestos and salsas
NASTURTIUM AND AVOCADO TAGLIATELLE
This a real conversation-stopper of a dish.
Serves four
350g dried tagliatelle
olive oil
2 ripe avocados, peeled and stoned
juice of 1 large lime
2 tbsp crème fraîche
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
20 nasturtium flowers
Cook the tagliatelle and drain thoroughly. Pour in a good drizzle of olive oil, add some salt and pepper and toss through.
While the pasta is cooking, chop the avocados and place in a food processor with the lime juice, crème fraîche and cayenne pepper. Blend well, then season to taste. While the pasta is still piping hot, toss the avocado mixture with the pasta.
Add most of the flowers, reserving the best for a garnish, and toss the pasta again, until thoroughly mixed. Serve at once, sprinkling with the remaining nasturtiums.
CARROT CAKE WITH THYME FLOWERS
This is my adaptation of the famous carrot cake at Cape Town’s Mount Nelson Hotel.
For the cake
4 large free-range eggs
400g golden caster sugar
175ml sunflower oil
250g self-raising flour, sifted
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
450g grated carrots (peeled weight)
90g chopped walnuts
For the frosting
200g light cream cheese
50g butter, softened
3 tsp orange flower water
100g golden caster sugar
handful of thyme flowers
Whip the eggs and sugar until pale and creamy, then slowly add the oil (on low speed if using a mixer). Fold in the flour, bicarbonate of soda, a pinch of salt and the cinnamon, then fold in the carrot and nuts. Once combined, tip the mixture into a deep 24cm springform cake tin (buttered) and bake in a preheated oven (180¼C/350¼F/gas 4) for an hour and 15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cover loosely with foil for the last 20 minutes or so.
Place the cake on a wire rack and release the sides of the tin. Leave it to cool completely before placing on a serving plate.
Beat the cream cheese and butter together and then beat in the flower water and sugar. Once the mixture is smooth, spread it over the cake and decorate with thyme flowers.
FLOWER SALAD WITH HERB VINAIGRETTE
Use any herbs that come to hand, but I recommend the following: sweet cicely, bronze fennel, chervil, flat-leaf parsley, marjoram or mint. The dressing is perfect for a summer salad decorated with plenty of edible flowers.
1 tbsp raspberry vinegar
2 tbsp sunflower oil
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp fresh herbs, chopped rocket edible flowers (nasturtium petals, pansies and herb flowers)
Place the vinegar, oils and herbs in a screw-top jar with some salt and pepper. Shake well. Put the rocket into a shallow bowl, toss with the vinaigrette and then top with flowers.
