Many of the books you see reviewed here come from Kyle Books in Great Britain. Kyle is a distinguished publisher, something that will be obvious to you when you scan any of their books, ones like Root & Leaf by Rich Harris, Cooking South of the Clouds by Georgina Freedman, and Comfort: Food to Soothe the Soul by John Whaite. [I reviewed Root & Leaf and I’m testing wonderful recipes from the latter two. Reviews to come!]
So, I’m a big Kyle fan and you will be too if you explore all the lovely titles. Beyond titles, Kyle now has a brand new series for natural living. Written by the most accomplished Rebecca Sullivan, the first four titles are:
The Art of Natural Cleaning
The Art of Natural Beauty
The Art of Herbs for Health
The Art of Edible Flowers
I’ll be reviewing all these lovely volumes, but food comes first. Let’s look at The Art of Edible Flowers. Rebecca has a full resume: eco-agronomist, food writer, urban farmerr and passionate home cook. This book reflects her broad span of knowledge and her love of beautiful food.
The most important pages in this book are 8 and 9: Picking and Storing, and Edible Flowers List.
You cannot eat all flowers and you don’t want to make a mistake that would upset your tummy or worse. And, when you have selected safe flowers, how do you use them safely. Rebecca has important insights for you, like introducing each type of flower into your diet gradually and NEVER use flowers from the side of the road. Pesticides!
Alright, what about the recipes? I love this one: the Floral Mess.
This beautiful and clever recipe is something anyone can make. Sugar and egg whites are used to form meringue. Heavy cream is whipped and fresh berries added. The meringues are crumbled and put in bowls, the berry cream goes on top and then you sprinkle with edible flowers. Absolutely stunning. Awesomely easy!
What other ideas appear? Well, the Drinks chapter begins with ideas for syrups: rose, lavender, elderflower, violets, hibiscus, and fennel. Then come the drinks, like Rose and Turmeric Latte and Poppy Seed Milk.
Beyond that Floral Mess, the Desserts include Chili & Rose Chocolate Tart and Flower Granitas [on the cover of the book!]. Other Sweets ideas include Rose Marshmallows Coated in Lavender Chocolate and Orange Blossom Truffles.
Just to round out the menu, there are Savory ideas, too: Nasturtium Capers, Artichokes with Roasted Garlic & Chive Flowers, and Dandelion Soup.
Your garden, or your florist, is a place filled with wonderful new ingredients. I am sure you will enjoy this book. Why, perhaps you will decide to make a Floral Mess of your own.
Today’s recipe post will be up soon and gives you, naturally, the Floral Mess.