Quick-Pickled Rose Petals

 

Photo: 'Near& Far' Heidi Swanson

Ingredients

¼ cup (7g) dried rose petals
¼ cup (60ml) white wine vinegar
1Tbsp plus 1tsp hot water

Method
Leave petals whole or chop them a little.
Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and toss till the petals are saturated and no longer floating. Let sit for at least 30mins but preferably leave for 1-2 hours.
Strain the petals from the vinegar (reserve the vinegar for another use.

Serve as a condiment.

Suggested uses:
Mix through couscous or sprinkle through fruit salads
Dot over flat bread spread with yogurt and green jam (that I must try, see recipe below).
Rose petals and often used in Persian dishes. We tried a Persian Dadami dip recently. Made from labneh, mi=int, coriander, sumac, cumin, pepper, chili, onion and rose petals. It was delicious.
I think they would go well with a rice dish. Be creative!

Chook’s note:  I have not made this because we don’t have roses so it’s your experiment. Let me know how it goes please.

Herb/Green Jam

This has loads of herbs and aromatic spices and cooks down to a compact dark heady gloop (they tell me) - I am yet to try it. I have the ingredients (there’s even a few celery leaves left) except time! Tomorrow is peach jam making. So …

Ingredients
4 Tbsp/60 ml EVO plus more if needed
4 large garlic cloves smashed
12 black olives (oil cured if you have them), pitted rinsed and chopped
1 ¼ tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp cayenne
1/8th  tsp ground cumin
500g  baby spinach leaves
1 bunch parsley – about 2 cups
½ cup chopped fresh celery leaves
½ cup  coriander leaves and stems
Freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ tsp fine salt

Makes 500-600ml, a bit over 2 cups. 

Method
In a large pot combine 2 Tbsp of the EVO and garlic over a med-low heat. Cook gently until softened but not browned.
Stir in the olives, paprika, cayenne and cumin and stir for a min or so until fragrant.
|Turn up the heat to med-high stir in the spinach, parsley, celery leaves and coriander and stir constantly until everything collapses. Cook until the greens release their liquid then allow that to cook off a bit (2-3mins all up).
Remove from heat and transfer greens to a cutting board. Let cool a few mins then chop finely.
Stir in a bit of lemon juice, the salt, and the remaining 2 Tbsp EVO and transfer to a jar or small jars. Cover. Store in fridge. Will keep for a few days. 

Chook’s note:  Like all soft herbs they don't keep well but I suspect you could freeze it or preserve it in the usual way – that would be an experiment you could try! I've frozen gremolata which is herb-based and it works well.
UPDATE: I dose freeze well.  I frozen half a jar and opened it 5 months later. It still tastes great.