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Not surprisingly, my favorite ways to use QAL are for jelly, cordials, & syrups. The flowers are also lovely for drink garnishes. We have had an especially large bloom of them this year -- something I have definitely been taking advantage of, especially for the jelly! This is a typical wildflower jelly, made by steeping the flowers as a ‘tea’ overnight, but QAL jelly has two very unique characteristics. First, the flavor is unlike anything else, sort of a floral-peachy flavor--almost a natural Juicy-Fruit-Gum taste, but less sweet-- truly delicious. Secondly, most of the time the addition of the lemon juice causes the liquid to turn a gorgeous soft-pink color! It must be a pH thing [alkaline soil maybe?] & not every batch does it, but more-often-than-not, adding the acidic juice instantly turns the QAL tea from yellow-orange to pastel pink & every batch this year has done it. Let’s get started with a batch-- Queen Anne’s Lace Wildflower Jelly
Outrageously beautiful AND delicious, we find it pairs nicely with sharp cheeses on a cheese board [& looks so pretty there too!] or with grilled chicken-- but you seriously can’t go wrong just slathering it on toast! Let me know how you use yours--& did it turn pink? I am so curious about the science behind that… Until next time-- TAKE CARE & take time to #StopAndEatTheFlowers
often considered a grain. Both the seeds & leaves are edible, tasty & highly nutritious-- indeed, amaranth contains more protein than many grains!
Iced chamomile tea with cream & vanilla is the perfect, relaxing refresher after a hard day of gardening & yard work, & has been a go-to-staple in our house forever. A couple years back, I had a lovely chamomile ice cream at the Bistro [props here to you, Meredith!] & it inspired me to create my own version, pulling in the cream & vanilla notes from our tea.
I do use rather a lot of egg yolks [pavlovas or egg-white omelets later, anyone?] here, but I find the richness they give is the perfect, deep-note foil for all the ‘high’ the flowers bring to it. When making homemade ice cream, time & patience are your allies -- Rest assured, your waiting will pay off in the end! Let’s get started!
Place any dried chamomile in the bottom of a large mason jar or other container with a tight-fitting lid. Add your half & half slowly to the jar. Press & softly mash with a wooden spoon, then add any fresh flowers being used, continuing to press & mash them down to incorporate. Seal the jar & pop it in your refrigerator to steep overnight. After 24-hours, you have 2 options: You can strain off your half & half & carry on with the recipe, or you can lightly scald the half & half before straining to create a deeper chamomile flavor. It makes delicious ice cream either way; I like the boost scalding gives the flavor, so I pour it macerating flowers & all into a small sauce pan & gently heat it just to the point of simmering [DO NOT ALLOW TO BOIL!] before straining. Use a very-fine strainer, pressing to get every drop. Even with a very fine strainer, you're likely to have some small bits of chamomile left behind, which is fine. You can then either rinse the spent chamomile & compost it, or simply throw it out. Your half & half will now be delicately scented, chamomile flavored, & a gorgeous pale yellow. Now we're ready to begin making our ice cream base, where we will temper the eggs & create a luscious, chamomile custard! Old-Fashioned Style Chamomile Ice Cream3 cups Chamomile Steeped Half & Half Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean 8 egg yolks 1 cup granulated sugar ¼ tsp salt ½ tsp vanilla extract [optional] 1 cup heavy cream In a medium sized cocotte or saucepan, whisk your egg yolks & sugar until completely combined. Add the salt & whisk a bit more & set aside. Pour your half & half into a small saucepan & add the vanilla bean seeds. Bring it just to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring only occasionally. Again, do NOT let it come to a full boil! Gradually add the heated half & half to the egg-sugar mixture, whisking constantly to temper the eggs. Return the combined mixture to low heat, whisking to thicken the custard until it reaches 165º F [again, do not allow it to come to a boil.] Remove it from the heat. Pour the custard base into an airtight container & set in the refrigerator to chill. The better chilled your base is, the better your ice cream will set & creamier it will be! Do not rush this process! [I feel you-- the patience thing is hard for me!] It is best to allow the base to chill overnight, but it must be at least down to 60º F before you run it through your machine in order to set up.
The chamomile flavor is delicate, but solidly present here. It is a rich, satisfying ice cream, so best served in small amounts. I like to add an almond-hazelnut biscotti on the side for dipping! Enjoy it with a nice glass of Chamomile Lemonade for an extra refreshing end to a meal! Be sure to let me know how yours turns out--I LOVE hearing from you & was thrilled to get all the pictures of everyone's Peony Jelly a couple weeks back! Thanks for sharing! Until next time-- #StopAndEatTheFlowers Chamomile is such an amazing Herbal Ally & is so versatile, she is an important ingredient in many of our top-selling items! Check them out-- An unrivaled favorite in this house, I'm always thrilled when the peonies start blooming. The race is on to capture their unique & delightful flavor by making tons of jelly [see last year’s post for that recipe here,] custards, sorbet, & simple syrups before the blooms fade! This week, I will focus on an extra-special Italian dessert that is wonderfully enhanced by the addition of peony-- the Peony Panna Cotta. The Panna Cotta is wobbly, creamy pudding that can be as extravagant or simple as you wish. Generally speaking, they are very likely to get the “OOOOH!” reaction when served, but are deceivingly simple to make. [Don’t you love when that happens?] They are naturally gluten-free & can even be tweaked to dairy-free or vegan by substituting agar agar for the gelatin & coconut or almond milk for the cream. Today, I am sticking to a classic version made with cream & gelatin-- & even using that cream to my advantage to enhance the look of our Peony Panna Cotta. Traditional recipes use a combination of heavy cream with milk or half & half to create a silky smooth texture, but often complain of the dessert separating into different layers. That separation is just what I am after here, as I will infuse the cream with our peony petals, giving it a soft pink color, & leave my half & half plain. The result, as seen in my pictures, is a beautifully two-toned final product. No extra work required for this-- the different specific gravities of the two liquids will settle into their own layers all by themselves [but look like you really put effort into it!] Let’s get started!
This seriously underused & under-rated garden gem is a favorite in our family -- We can't get enough! From savory sauces for pork loins to tart jams & desserts, rhubarb hits the mark. And, while she freezes like a champ, I am happy to share another way to make this taste of Summer last all year with my recipe for an old-fashioned Rhubarb Shrub, & of course a few zero-proof & craft-cocktail recipes to make with it! Let me stop right there for a moment --I can feel a few of you out there going “What the heck is a shrub? Like a shrubbery?!” No! When I say SHRUB, I am not referring to your bushes! I am talking about culinary shrubs, sometimes referred to as drinking vinegars. Shrubs are the result of fruits/veggies/aromatics preserved by being acidulated with a combination of vinegar & a sweetener. Created as a way of preserving your harvest [& its vitamins] to store in the days before refrigeration, shrubs were incredibly popular in Colonial times. The result is a rather magical liquid that aids digestion, quenches thirst, & adds a deeply sweet-tart complexity to drinks & dishes that you'd be hard pressed to find elsewhere! There are quick shrubs & aged ones, where the natural fermentation process kicks into overdrive & creates even more probiotic, digestive support. On top of being wonderful for you, the flavors shrubs provide are outrageous & are being fully embraced by modern bartenders & at-home mixologists -- especially those looking to skip the alcohol, but keep the flavor in their drinks. The possibilities are endless & I am SURE I will dive more deeply into this in future posts, but for now--BACK TO RHUBARB!
Chervil [Anthriscus cerefolium] This delicate, Spring herb may have you asking 'what's that?' when mentioned, but if you're a fan of French food, you are probably more familiar with it than you realize! Here we will take a look into how to grow it & how to use it, along with some of our family’s favorite ways to enjoy it & a recipe for a tasty Warm French Potato Salad. Allons-Y!
As with any plants or flowers you are harvesting, a solid ID is important to confirm. The Muscari syrup makes a delicious, light cordial on its own with soda water [1 TBS in a glass with ice, topped with soda water,] but also is a wonderful addition to zero-proof & craft cocktails. I'll share my recipe for the syrup, as well as a couple of drinks here, but don't limit yourself! it can be used in many ways. These are very easy recipes to make. I think you will find Muscari blossom's unique flavor to be a new favorite if you give them a try.
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