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Chapter 37

Recipes in Harmony with the Nature of Flower Essences

“Restore me with raisins, comfort me with apples; for I am sick with love.”
-Old Testament, Song of Solomon

You will find these recipes in harmony with the nature of flower essences- surprisingly delightful and uncommonly simple. Perhaps you’ll want to explore them along with their corresponding essences.

Almond Pudding

• 1 c. almonds, blanched in boiling water
• 1 qt. milk
• 1 pt. cream
• 2-3 T. semolina flour, or cream of wheat
• 1/2 c. turbinado sugar or 1/3 c. honey
• 1 t. almond extract

Soak almonds overnight. Remove skins by rubbing with a rough, clean dish towel. Blend almonds with milk until very smooth. Strain. Add cream and cook in a heavy pot over medium heat until boiling. Add semolina flour and sugar, boiling gently until reduced by 1/3. Add almond extract. Cool.

Baked Apples

• 6 apples
• 1/2 c. chopped walnuts
• 1/2 c. raisins
• 1 T. cinnamon
• 1/2 c. honey

Choose tart baking apples such as pippins, one per person. Wash and core. In a small bowl mix walnuts, raisins, cinnamon, and honey. Stuff apples with mixture and bake on a buttered baking dish for 3540 minutes.

Avocado Dressing

• 1 ripe avocado
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1 c. water
• 1 clove fresh garlic
• t. whole coriander seeds
• t. olive oil

Blend and serve over your favorite greens.

Spiced Bananas

There are many varieties of bananas-some with hints of other fruit flavors. Plantains are one type you might find in American grocery stores. Try them, or the more traditional variety, for this recipe.

• 2 T. butter or ghee
• 1/4 t. nutmeg, freshly ground if possible
• 1/2 t. cinnamon
• 1/2 t. cardamon
• 1/2 c. raisins or currants
• 4 bananas cut into rounds or strips
• Hot whole grain cereal
• Vanilla ice cream

Heat butter or ghee in heavy skillet on low heat. Add spices and raisins and cook for 5 minutes, until the raisins plump up and absorb the spices. Add the bananas and stir, cooking for 1 minute more. Spoon over cereal or ice cream.

Blackberry Pie

• Pie crust (compliments of Simply Vegetarian):
• 3/4 c. whole wheat pastry flour
• 3/4 c. unbleached white flour 1 cube cold butter

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix the above ingredients in large bowl with a pastry cutter or two knives.

Slowly add 3 T. cold water, tossing mixture with a fork to distribute water evenly, until the mixture holds together. Cut in half. Roll out half of mixture on a lightly floured board. Place in 9″ pie pan.

Filling:

• 4-5 c. fresh or 1 qt. canned blackberries
• c. turbinado sugar or 2/3 c. honey
• T. cornstarch (3 T. if honey is used) dissolved in 1/2 c. cold water cinnamon to taste

Mix together the above ingredients. Pour into unbaked crust. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Use second crust to make lattice topping. Flute the edges. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes at 325 degrees.

Cherry Sauce

This will cheer up just about anything! Pour over poundcake, ice cream or fruit salad.

• 2 lbs. fresh dark sweet cherries
• 1 c. cherry cider or juice
• t. lemon juice dash cinnamon
• t. cornstarch, dissolved in 1/2 c. cold water

Pit cherries and set aside. Bring juice to boil, add lemon, cinnamon and honey. Add dissolved cornstarch, stirring with wire whisk. When thick, remove from heat, add cherries and serve.

Coconut Rice

For dessert or breakfast!

• 1 c. coconut milk (canned) OR make by blending 1/2 c. dried coconut with 1 c. boiling water
• 1 c. basmati rice
• 1 c. water

Wash rice, place with water and coconut milk in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to lowest setting and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed. Garnish with toasted coconut.

Roasted Corn

Remove the corn silk, leaving the husks on the corn. Soak them in water for 10 minutes. Tie them shut with a twist-tie. Place them over hot coals on a barbecue, turning them after 5 minutes. Open and squeeze the juice of 1/4 lime on each ear of corn. If you like, sprinkle on some cayenne. (This is a traditional Caribbean recipe.)

Stuffed Dates

• 20 whole dates
• 1/2 c. cream cheese
• 20 walnut or pecan halves
• 1/2 c. coconut

Choose moist, whole dates. Slice open to remove pits but keep whole. Fill inside with cream cheese and top with a walnut half. Roll in coconut and serve.

Fresh Figs with Dip

• 20 fresh figs
• 1/2 c. ricotta cheese
• 1 t. honey
• 1 t. cardamon
• 4-6 fresh mint leaves

Arrange figs on a platter. Stir honey and cardamon into ricotta cheese Garnish with mint leaves. Use as a dip for fresh figs.

Frozen Grapes

This is one of the easiest possible recipes-so add lots of love!

Wash grapes and pop them into the freezer for one hour. Be sure to use seedless grapes. These are great for car trips on hot summer days. Enjoy!

Spring Rolls Wrapped in Lettuce

Wrapping freshly cooked spring rolls in lettuce is a delight to the palate.

• Shredded fresh lettuce, cabbage, and carrots
• Finely chopped celery
• 1 T. oil
• 1 T. fresh ginger
• 1 qt. peanut oil
• Egg roll wrappers
• Lettuce leaves
• Sweet and sour sauce

Quickly stir-fry veggies in 1 T. oil with fresh ginger. Wrap in egg roll wrappers and fry in peanut oil until golden brown. Wrap each in a lettuce leaf and serve with sweet and sour sauce.

Orange Salad

• 2 blood oranges
• c. jicama chunks
• c. fresh baby greens
• 2 T. olive oil
• 1 T. balsamic vinegar

Mix together and serve well chilled.

Peach Cobbler

Filling:

• 6-8 fresh peaches peeled and sliced into glass baking dish 1/2 c. honey, poured evenly over peaches

Topping:

• c. butter
• c. flour 1
• c. granola
• 1/2 c. chopped almonds

Mix together and sprinkle on top of filling. Bake one hour at 325 degrees.

Gingered Pears

• 4-6 ripe fresh pears
• 1 t. grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 c. honey Vanilla ice cream

Slice and peel pears, arranging in a fan shape in a glass baking dish. Sprinkle with ginger and drizzle honey over the top. Bake for 20 minutes at 300 degrees. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Pineapple Fluff

• fresh pineapple, cored, and finely chopped
• c. cooked millet, cooled
• 1 pt. whipped cream
• 1 t. cardamon powder

Mix together and chill well. This makes a great breakfast or dessert.

Raspberry Butter

• 2 c. raspberries (1 basket)
• 1/2 c. unsalted butter

Wash raspberries. Run through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds.

Soften 1/2 c. butter to room temperature. Add raspberry sauce to butter, mixing well. Serve with bagels, on French toast or waffles.

Cream of Spinach Soup

• bunch fresh spinach
• qts. soup stock
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 celery stalk, chopped finely
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 4 cloves
• 1 T. fresh ginger
• 1 c. white basmati rice
• 1 pt. cream or Half and Half

Simmer carrot, celery, cinnamon and cloves in the soup stock for 1 hour. Strain. Bring this broth to a boil. Add rice and cook until soft, about 15 minutes. Add spinach, cook for 1 minute. Blend. Add cream and reheat gently.

Strawberry Soup

• 2 pts. fresh strawberries
• 1 t. fresh lemon peel
• 1 c. non-fat yogurt
• 1/2 c. non-alcoholic champagne

Blend, reserving a strawberry for slicing as a garnish.

Tomato-Mozzarella Salad

• 2-4 large red-ripe tomatoes in season
• 1/2 lb. fresh mozzarella cheese
• Sprigs of fresh basil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Olive oil, high quality
• Fresh baguettes

Slice tomatoes and cheese and arrange on a platter. Top with chopped fresh basil, salt and pepper combined with olive oil. Let flavors blend for 1/2 hour before serving. Serve with fresh baguettes.