After enjoying dinner at
The Herbfarm, I checked out
The Herbfarm Cookbook from the library. I was so thrilled by the prospect of some of the dishes (like black pansy sorbet) that I immediately began culling Seattle for black pansy plants. I bought 3 little 6-packs, or 18 plants, three times the number of plants the cookbook advised having on hand for the recipe - and perfect estimate! When I culled all the blossoms before the party, I got 3 gently packed cups of blossoms, so I made a triple batch of this recipe.
the beautiful blossoms are ground with sugar into a paste in the food processor. Then you add a bit of water and keep grinding.
Next, you add quite a bit more water, and stir it up to make a syrup.
The fun begins when you add fresh lemon juice and the whole things turns a magenta colour - kitchen witchery, indeed!
I don't have an ice cream freezer, so I had to just pop mine in the freezer and keep scraping it up with a fork about once an hour.
The result was more of a granita than a sorbet, but how wonderful! It is sweet, pretty, and so unusual. I have a ton left; looks like we'll be eating flowers for a while!
the beautiful blossoms are ground with sugar into a paste in the food processor. Then you add a bit of water and keep grinding.
Next, you add quite a bit more water, and stir it up to make a syrup.
The fun begins when you add fresh lemon juice and the whole things turns a magenta colour - kitchen witchery, indeed!
I don't have an ice cream freezer, so I had to just pop mine in the freezer and keep scraping it up with a fork about once an hour.
The result was more of a granita than a sorbet, but how wonderful! It is sweet, pretty, and so unusual. I have a ton left; looks like we'll be eating flowers for a while!
2 comments:
Stupid question - are the black pansies merely for color, or do they have a distinct flavor that this recipe is going for? Either way, it's a gorgeous sorbet!
They do have a distinct flavour! It is slightly minty violet flavour (like French violet candy?). Though, I kept thinking it tasted faintly of blueberries, but I think it was just the colour throwing me off! =)
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