This is the week to make your lilac syrup. You want to be sure to use flowers that are newly open. If you don't have time to make your syrup; while the flowers are their best, cut your stems and put them in water and store them in the refrigerator for upto 4 days. This help to keep the flowers from opening more and baking in the sun. Make plenty of syrup and store it in 4oz containers in the freezer. You'll have lilac syrup for months to come.

1 cup (packed) lilac flowers-newly opened for best fragrance
½ cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 blue berries for color


Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the sugar melts.  Remove the pan from the heat and add the flowers and blueberries, gently press the flowers  to immerse them. Allow the syrup to cool to room temperature.

Strain the syrup, pressing on the flowers to extract as much syrup as possible. Store in a covered container. The syrup can be refrigerated 2-3 weeks or frozen for later use.
 
Uses:
Lemonade, iced tea, cocktails, drizzle over yogurt, ice cream, and cake.

2 oz lilac syrup
juice of one large lemon
seltzer or soda
Ice

Combine the lilac syrup and lemon juice in a tall glass with ice. Add seltzer to taste. Enjoy!

Cocktail Ideas: Add 2 ounces of gin or vodka for a tasty cocktail!

I was inspired this week to create a few things using the edible flowers I had been drying throughout the summer. I was inspired by Loria Stern's Instagram posts of her beautiful flower cookies. She opened my eyes and my imagination to new floral ingredients and edible ideas. 
I went into my storage of bee balm, calendula, blue bachelor buttons, chive blossoms, and lavender. Here are some photos of a recreated "Confetti Cake" from my cookbook "Beautifully Delicious", flowered shortbread cookies, and homemade ricotta with my Herbes Salee and chive blossoms. I've also included some photos of my drying racks. 

I served this punch at my recent garden tour and so many of you asked for the recipe.  

Serves 8
2 cups cranberry juice (unsweetened if possible)
¼ cup frozen limeade
1 tsp. rose water or to taste
4 cups seltzer(or to taste)
Ice
Rose Petals for garnish
(use only petals that are not treated with pesticides)

1. Combine cranberry juice, limeade, and rose water. 
2. Just before serving add the seltzer.  Finish with rose petals and ice. 

 
Enough for a party:
​1 1/2 gallon:
32 ounces cranberry or pomagranate juice (unsweetened)
1 can frozen limeade
2 liter seltzer
2-3 tablespoons rose water (to taste)
1 5-pound bag of ice.  

Serves 8

2 quarts water
1 cup pearl barley
1 Tbs dried lavender*
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
6 Tbs honey, or to taste


1.    Place water in a heavy pot with the barley and bring to a boil. 
2.    Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
3.    After 30 minutes turn off the heat.  Add the lavender and steep for 5 minutes. 
4.    Strain the barley tea into a container and set barley aside for use in a salad.
5.    Mix in the lemon juice and honey, stirring well.  Let the lemonade cool and refrigerate until chilled.  Serve well chilled over ice.

Notes:
·         Any flavored loose leafed tea may be substituted.
·         Use frozen lemonade if you’d like instead of the lemon juice and honey.
·         Add soda water for a refreshing fizz.
·         Use cooked barley for breakfast, a grain and vegetable salad, or as a substitute for cooked rice.

Edible flowers were on the menu for my program at the Winthrop MA Public Library last night.  A great crowd of 40 attended my program "Cooking and Gardening with Edible Flowers".  I shared a slide presentation of my gardens and then prepared two recipes cooked and garnished with edible flowers.  The Herbs Salad with Edible Flowers was a hit.  Sadly, I didn't take a picture of the finished dish but take my word for it, it was beautiful.  Garnished with hibiscus, daylilies, petunias, marigolds, bee balm, garlic chive, and bachelor buttons it was an eye full!  Below are the recipes from the class (Herb Salad with Edible Flowers, Lavender Barley Salad) along with some photos from my slide presentation.

Serves 6

1 cup uncooked pearl barley
*6 cups water (if you are planning to make Lavendar Barley Lemonade, cook the barley in 12 cups of water.  See recipe below for further instructions)
1 tsp Lavender flowers (source: Bulk Apothocary)
3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs red onion, minced
½ lb Petite peas, frozen and then thawed
1 lemon, zested
¼ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Assorted edible flower petals for garnish (bachelor buttons, pansies, garlic chive)

1.    Bring the water to a boil in a large sauce pan.  Add the barley and return the water to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the barley is tender, about 30-40 minutes. 

2.    Turn the heat off and add the lavender and let steep for 5 minutes.
Strain the cooked barley ( save water for iced barley water if you like).  Run the barley under cold water to cool down. Set aside in a large bowl.

3.    Add the olive oil, onion, thawed peas, lemon zest, parsley, and feta cheese to the cooled barley.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Serves 6-8
 
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
2 cups mixed baby salad greens
2 cups baby arugula greens
2 cups red cabbage, shaved thinly
2 tablespoons fresh red onion, diced
1 cup assorted fresh herbs
1 cup assorted edible flowers
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
 
 
1. Whisk together the balsamic vinegar and the olive oil and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and toss the salad with the vinaigrette.  Season with salt and pepper.   Serve immediately.
 
Herbs: dill, mint, flat leafed parsley, cilantro, purslane, nasturtium leaves, salad burnett
 
Edible Flower Petals: nasturtium, pansy, calendula, bachelor button, tulip, hibiscus, daylily, rose, chive