From Chef Robin’s Swallow Tail Culinary newsletter:
Nootka rose petals are blooming, edible and beautiful. When harvesting flowers, I tend to gather them from the ground rather than picking the flower from the bush, leaving the rest for the struggling bees. Rose can be used in Iranian dishes both savoury and sweet like salted yogurt dips with rose or rice pudding with golden raisons. Other edible summer flowers include lilac, dandelion and chicory. Use them in salad, vinaigrette or to garnish dessert. The stronger the aroma of the flower the more interesting it will be to use. Don’t bother drying rose petals that aren’t extremely aromatic as the scent will decrease with drying.
Chef Robin
Recipe from Swallow Tail Culinary Adventures
INGREDIENTS
- 2 1/2 c water
- 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
- 1 c (250 mL) arborio rice
- 5 c whole milk
- 2/3 c golden raisons
- ½ c (125 mL) sugar
- ¼ tsp (1 mL) vanilla extract
- 1 Tbs (30 mL) butter
- 10 Flowering currant leaves +1/4 cup minced
- Flowering currant blossoms
DIRECTIONS
Boil the water and salt in a heavy bottomed pot, then add the rice and bring down to simmer covered for 15 minutes. You can also use cooked rice and skip this step. Add the milk, raisons and sugar to the pot and bring back up to a boil, then simmer uncovered stirring occasionally for around 20 minutes until the pudding thickens slightly. It will thicken more as it cools, make sure to not overcook as it will curdle. Add vanilla, butter and ¼ cup currant leaves. Serve with currant blossoms and leaves for garnish.