Flowers in your Spring Roll...Garden of Eden I say

What you will need:

1 - 7 ounce package rick sticks (or bean thread noodles)*

4 cups very thinly sliced Napa cabbage

2 cups baby spinach leaves, thinly sliced (tough stems removed)

3 tablespoons cilantro leaves (stems removed)

1/4 cup sliced fresh mint

1/4 cup  thinly sliced fresh Thai or Italian basil leaves (stems removed)

2 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal (both white and green parts)

1 1/2 cups edible, organic flowers, stems removed

18 spring roll wrappers (Tapioca or rice flour wrappers)*

Other fillings that you might like to swap for those listed above:

Fresh Bean Sprouts

Green Cabbage, very thinly sliced

Finely grated carrot

Preparation: 

In a medium size saucepan bring 2 quarts water to a boil; add noodles and cook for 3 minutes.

Drain well, rinsing under cold water until noodles are chilled.

Prepare vegetables and flowers, toss gently in a large bowl to distribute the ingredients rather evenly.

To soften the spring roll wrappers: Fill a large pan, (wide enough to lay spring roll wrapper out flat) with a couple of inches of very hot water.  Place one spring wrapper into the water, submerging completely for about 30 seconds until it is soft and pliable. 

To assemble: Lay the wrapper out on the towel; place 1/2 of the filling ingredients and 1/4 cup noodles in center of wrapper; then roll up tightly to form the spring roll (as if making a burrito).

Serve with your favorite Peanut Dipping Sauce 

This is easily made using edible flowers and will add a special touch to your dinner buffet.

This is the full recipie

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I am a Mumbai Florist and blogger, I love flowers, and deliver great designs with fresh flowers at

                                                            www.spring-blossoms.com

A Fantastic Mocktail - Watermelon in Rose-Lime Syrup Cooler

For the simple syrup: 

2 cups (400g) sugar

2 cups (500ml) water

1 watermelon, flesh seeded and cut into small (1/2-in/1cm) cubes

lime juice, to taste

splash of rosewater (most Indian are good)

ice cubes

In a medium saucepan combine the sugar and water and heat until the sugar has completely dissolved, stirring occasionally. Remove and let the syrup cool. 

Then, in a large bowl, combine the cubed watermelon, lime juice and some of the cooled syrup to taste.

Add a splash of rosewater and several handfuls of ice depending on how much liquid you want (and if the ice doesn't create enough liquid you can supplement it before serving with some cold water). 

Set the bowl in the fridge for about an hour, stirring once or twice, or until the ice cubes have mostly melted. Taste again and adjust the balance of syrup, lime juice and rosewater to your liking, then serve immediately in bowls or wide tumblers, with spoons on the side.

The watermelon is best eaten the day it's made, though 24 hours or so in the fridge won't do it too much damage. The simple syrup keeps indefinitely at room temperature.

I think this is an easy and attractive Mocktail, I found it here.

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I am a Mumbai Florist and blogger, I love flowers, and deliver great designs with fresh flowers at
                                                            www.spring-blossoms.com

Flowers as topping on biscuits make a great presentation

Pansy Shortbread Cookies

1 1/4 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup room temperature butter

1/4 tsp vanilla

1 TBS dried egg whites

2TBS  water

Pesticide free Pansies or violas

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Pick flowers, rinse and pat dry. Put on paper towel to finish air drying.

1) Put flour and sugar in a large bowl. Mix together. Using a pastry cutter, cut in butter and vanilla until mixture resembles fine crumbs and starts to cling together.

Gather up crumbs into a ball and kneed together until smooth.

2)  Roll out dough just scant of 1/4" thick. Cut with cookie cutter. I used a fluted  2 1/2"cookie cutter.

Put cookies 2" apart on parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, until the bottom and sides are just starting to slightly brown and center of top is firm.

Take out of oven and cool on baking sheet. 

3)Combine dried egg whites and water in small bowl. When cookies are cooled brush egg white mixture on one cookie at a time and top with pansey. Use your fingers to press the pansy down in the middle and smooth out all petals so they are firmly stuck to the cookie. Put a thin layer of egg white mixtrue on top of the pansy and smooth. Sprinkle lightly with sugar. Return to parchment lined baking sheet.

4) Bake at 325 degrees for 5 minutes. Remove from oven. With your finger smooth out any petals that have shrivelled up. Set out on a cooling rack until the top of the cookie is completely dry.

This is easily adapted using edible organic Rose petals or Organic Marigolds, both easily available in the flower markets. Alternately use "gulmohar" a local native flower just off the tree.

I found this interesting recipe here

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I am a Mumbai Florist and blogger, I love flowers, and deliver great designs with fresh flowers at

                                                            www.spring-blossoms.com