You might think that adding edible flowers to our dishes is something novel and out of the ordinary, but that’s far from the truth. In actual fact, cooking and decorating with flowers is a tradition that stretches back thousands of years, from the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations through to the present day. So rest assured that the use of flowers in the kitchen is no passing fad.
How can you bring flowers to your kitchen table?
The ideas are manifold and include sprinkling edible flowers over green salads for a burst of colour and taste; adding them to flavour oils, marinades and vinaigrettes; making scrumptious flower-infused desserts; creating candied flowers to decorate cakes; making flower-filled ice bowls for serving sorbet or even freezing small whole flowers in ice-cube trays to jazz up beverages. Whichever way you feature flowers in your culinary creations, you’re sure to impress your guests!
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To get your creative juices flowing, here are just a few examples of edible flowers you can use:
– Courgette flowers: stuffed with goat’s cheese or ricotta and deep-fried, these are perfect as a savoury appetiser.
– Nasturtiums: their peppery taste, not to mention their vibrant colour, make them a wonderful addition to salads.
– Lavender: especially popular for flavouring sweet things, from mousses and syrups to biscuits.
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So what are you waiting for? Bring the beauty and flavour of flowers into your kitchen!