There are few summer afternoons better spent than walking these hills with a friend. Recently I was fortunate to steal a couple of hours with my gal pal Sal. She invited me over for lunch and a walk. It was an invitation so sweet I immediately cleared my schedule to make it happen. After a lunch of a leftover salmon salad sandwich, the two of us set out to conquer Hilliard's Knob located on Fork Ridge, somewhat near the Bethel community. As we were watching her horses graze in the field, she pointed to a clump of white flowers and asked in quite a random way if I had ever eaten Elder flowers. I didn't even know the bush to which she was referring to was a so-called Elder so my answer was obvious.
She pinched off a few flowers and crushed them between her fingers.
"They smell wonderful. I have some Elder flower sorbet in my freezer. We'll have some when get home," she said.
So Sal knows her wildflowers.
In fact, I first met her when I was assigned to photograph her 12 years ago for on a story about how she grows and eats a lot of wild things.
And thankfully, our paths keep crossing.
After our walk she did share a couple of scoops of Elder flower sorbet with me.
It is a goodly clean treat, sporting a floral smell with a vague lemon twang to it.
So I'm still alive so now y'all should go get ya some....
Here's her recipe:
Elder Flower Sorbet
3 3/4 cups water
1 1/2 cups sugar
16 elder flower heads
juice of 2 lemons
white of 1 large egg
red currants or sprigs of mint to decorate
Put the water in a pan with the sugar. Bring to the boil and simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Wash the elder flowers and shake them dry. Put them in the pan, cover it and remove it from the heat. Leave for 30 minutes to infuse. Strain, and stir in the lemon juice. Turn into a rigid container and cool. Freeze for 1 hour, until semi-frozen.
Beat the egg white in a bowl until it is firm though not stiff. Fold it into the sorbet and freeze it again until firm, about 1 hour. Serves 6.
And her husband swears all the kids he knows love these Elder flower fritters:
Elder Flower Fritters
12 elder flower heads
oil for deep frying
sugar for dredging
Batter:
1 cup al-purpose flour
pinch of sea salt
2 tablespoons sunflower seed oil
2/3 cup warm water
1 egg white
To make the batter, sift the flour into the bowl and add the salt. Stir in the oil and mix in enough lukewarm water to give the consistency of fairly thick cream. Leave to stand for 1 to 2 hours in a cool place. Just before using, beat the egg white in a bowl until it is stiff and fold it into the batter.
Rinse the elder flower heads and shake them dry in a cloth. Dip each one in the batter, shaking off any excess, and drop into a large pan of oil heated to 360 degrees F. Do not try to fry them all at once as they must not be crowded. When each batch is done, drain briefly on crumpled paper towels then lay them on a serving dish in a warm place . Sprinkle w/sugar and serve right away.
Tip: Sal says the bugs love Elder flowers so be sure to shake the puddin' and bugs out of them before you eat 'em. Thanx Sal.
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